Walter Storp

Walter Storp (2 February 1910 – 9 August 1981) was a German World War II Luftwaffe bomber pilot and commander of various bomber wings. Walter Storp was the twenty-second recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 14 July 1941. 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. Storp survived the war with the rank of Generalmajor and commander of the 5th Fliegerdivision in Norway, he was captured by the British and released in 1948.

August Franz Walter Storp was born on 2 February 1910 in Schnecken, East Prussia, the son of a forester. After he received his Abitur (diploma) in 1928 he joined the military service in the Reichsmarine on 1 April 1928. His military training began at the Naval Academy Mürwik in Flensburg-Mürwik followed by a tour on board the cruiser Emden and the Köln, as well a numerous flying courses at the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule (German Air Transport School) in Warnemünde. He then transferred to the military service of the Luftwaffe on 1 October 1934. Holding the rank of Oberleutnant he served in the Bordfliegerstaffel 1./106 (on board flyers squadron) until February 1936. From May to September he was a pilot aboard the heavy cruiser Admiral Scheer, participating in the ship's first cruise of the Spanish Civil War in August 1936.

He was assigned to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM—Ministry of Aviation) on 1 October 1938 and at the same time became the chief pilot of general Hans Jeschonnek. Serving briefly with KG 30 in early 1940, Storp became temporary Gruppenkommandeur of III gruppe, KG 4 between May and August 1940.

He was then appointed Gruppenkommandeur (Group Commander) of II./Kampfgeschwader 76 (II./KG 76—2nd Group of the 76th Bomber Wing) on 12 September 1940. He and his crew performed a successful low-altitude attack over the English Midlands on 27 September 1940. This feat earned him the first of two references in the Wehrmachtbericht. This was also the first time a combat pilot and his crew were mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht. The Wehrmachtbericht was an information bulletin issued by the headquarters of the Wehrmacht.

In April 1941 Storp was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Schnellkampfgeschwader 210, leading the unit during operations against the Soviet Union during 1941. He then was transferred to a RLM staff appointment in October 1941, before a further move in September 1942, as Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 6. A return to KG 76 occurred in June 1944, while in February 1945 he became Commander of the 5th Flieger-Division until the end of the war.

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (2 October 1939)
  • 1st Class (26 April 1940)
• Wehrmacht Long Service Award 4th Class
• Pilots Badge
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (20 October 1940)
• Wound Badge (1939) in Black
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Combat Pilots in Gold
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross (21 October 1940) 149th recipient in the Luftwaffe as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the II./ Kampfgeschwader 76
  • 22nd Oak Leaves (14 July 1941) as Major und Geschwaderkommodore of the Schnellkampfgeschwader 210
• Mentioned two times in the Wehrmachtbericht

• ^ Schumann 2007, p. 187.
• ^ Thomas 1998, p. 353.
• ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 727.