Kurd Peters

{{short description|German fighter ace and Knight's Cross recipient}}

{{Infobox military person

|name=Kurd Peters

|birth_date=7 August 1914

|death_date={{death date and age|1957|7|24|1914|8|7|df=y}}

|birth_place=Braunschweig

|death_place=Fürstenfeldbruck

|image=

|caption=

|nickname=

|allegiance={{flag|Nazi Germany}} (to 1945)
{{flag|West Germany}}

|branch={{air force|Nazi Germany}}
{{air force|West Germany}}

|serviceyears=

|rank=Major (Wehrmacht)
Major (Bundeswehr)

|commands=JG 300, JG 302

|unit=Aufklärungsgruppe 22

|battles=World War II

Defense of the Reich

|awards=Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

|laterwork=}}

Kurd Peters (7 August 1914 – 24 July 1957) was a German officer (Major) in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. He was credited with four aerial victories in Defense of the Reich actions.{{sfn|Obermaier|1989|p=178}}

In November 1943. Peters was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300—300th Fighter Wing).{{sfn|Prien|Stemmer|Bock|Balke|2020|p=104}} On 21 June 1944, Peters claimed three aerial victories. His first two claims of the day were in fact Herausschüsse (separation shots)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from its combat box which was counted as an aerial victory. A Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber was forced from its combat box southeast of Berlin at 10:07. The second B-24 bomber was then forced from formation at 10:15 {{convert|20|km|mi|abbr=off|sp=us}} southwest of Berlin. At 10:20, he shot down a B-24 bomber near Adlershof.{{sfn|Prien|Stemmer|Bock|Balke|2020|p=116}} On 29 June, Peters was shot down in his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-7 (Werknummer 340303—factory number) near Laucha an der Unstrut and Naumburg. He baled out and was wounded.{{sfn|Prien|Stemmer|Bock|Balke|2020|p=121}} Command of II. Gruppe was then transferred to Major Alfred Lindenberger.{{sfn|Prien|Stemmer|Bock|Balke|2020|p=113}}

Awards and decorations

Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (5 October 1942){{sfn|Obermaier|1989|p=178}}
German Cross in Gold on 20 October 1942 as Hauptmann in the 1.(Fern)/Aufklärungsgruppe 22{{sfn|Patzwall|Scherzer|2001|p=347}}
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 October 1944 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the II.(Sturm)/Jagdgeschwader 300{{sfn|Fellgiebel|2000|p=336}}{{refn|According to Scherzer as Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Jagdgeschwader 300.{{sfn|Scherzer|2007|p=589}}|group="Note"}}

Notes

References

=Citations=

=Bibliography=

{{Cite book

|last=Fellgiebel

|first=Walther-Peer

|author-link=:de:Walther-Peer Fellgiebel

|year=2000

|title=Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile

|trans-title=The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches

|language=de

|location=Friedberg, Germany

|publisher=Podzun-Pallas

|isbn=978-3-7909-0284-6

}}

{{Cite book

|last=Obermaier

|first=Ernst

|year=1989

|title=Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945

|trans-title=The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945

|language=de

|location=Mainz, Germany

|publisher=Verlag Dieter Hoffmann

|isbn=978-3-87341-065-7

}}

{{Cite book

|last1=Patzwall

|first1=Klaus D.

|last2=Scherzer

|first2=Veit

|year=2001

|title=Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II

|trans-title=The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2

|language=de

|location=Norderstedt, Germany

|publisher=Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall

|isbn=978-3-931533-45-8

}}

{{Cite book

|last1=Prien

|first1=Jochen

|last2=Stemmer

|first2=Gerhard

|last3=Bock

|first3=Winfried

|last4=Balke

|first4=Ulf

|year=2020

|title=Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 13/VI—Einsatz im Reichsverteidigung und im Westen—1.1. bis 31.12.1944

|trans-title=The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 13/VI—Action in the Defense of the Reich and in the West—1 January to 31 December 1944

|language=de

|location=Eutin, Germany

|publisher=Struve-Druck

|isbn=978-3-942943-22-2

}}

{{Cite book

|last=Scherzer

|first=Veit

|year=2007

|title=Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives

|trans-title=The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives

|language=de

|location=Jena, Germany

|publisher=Scherzers Militaer-Verlag

|isbn=978-3-938845-17-2

}}

{{succession box|

before=Oberstleutnant Ewald Janssen|

after=disbanded|

title=Commander of Jagdgeschwader 302|

years=February 1944 – June 1944

}}

{{succession box|