Bruno Dilley

Bruno Dilley (29 August 1913 – 31 August 1968) was a highly decorated Major in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and one of 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career

The first bombing raid of World War II was conducted by Junkers Ju 87s of 3./Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (StG 1—1st Diver Bomber Wing) led by Oberleutnant Dilley, together with Leutnant Horst Schiller and Unteroffizier Gerhard Grenzel, on 1 September 1939 at 04:36am. Their target was Polish defence positions near the Dirschau Bridge near the Danzig corridor.

After the Polish campaign Dilley served in Norway, and after the Battle of France he flew operations during the Battle of Britain, before a transfer to the Mediterranean theatre. After operations against Malta, Dilley served in the offensives in Yugoslavia, Greece and the Invasion of Crete. During the assault on Greece in 1941 One of the dive bomber force's first casualties was Oberleutnant Dilley, then with I./StG 1, who was shot down over Macedonia on 7 April 1941.

Dilley then served in North Africa, supporting the Afrikakorps. Hauptmann Dilley was acting Gruppenkommandeur of I Gruppe, StG 1 during December 1941. He then deployed with his unit to the Eastern Front, where after some 325 combat operations, Dilley received the Knight's Cross and promoted to command of I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 'Immelmann'. He then received the Oak Leaves on 1 August 1943 . Dilley was taken off operations in October 1943 to command the ground-attack training unit Schlachtgeschwader 103 in Metz, until May 1944.

In 1956 he joined the post-war Luftwaffe, rising to the rank of Oberstleutnant, commanding a flight school at Landsberg-Lech Air Base. Before retirement he was the Chief of the Military District of Reutlingen.

Awards and decorations

• Aviator badge (9 December 1936)
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold (16 June 1941)
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (13 June 1941)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (20 September 1939)
  • 1st Class (5 May 1940)
• Narvik Shield (30 January 1941)
• Silver Medal of Military Valor
• German Cross in Gold on 15 December 1941 as Hauptmann in the 1./Sturzkampfgeschwader 1
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 4 June 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"
  • 174th Oak Leaves on 8 January 1943 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"