Years of service 1935–45
1956–68 | Name Bruno Dilley | |
 | ||
Allegiance Nazi Germany (to 1945)
West Germany Service/branch Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht)
Luftwaffe (Bundeswehr) Rank Major (Wehrmacht)
Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr) Commands held I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" Battles/wars World War II
Invasion of Poland
Norwegian Campaign
Battles of Narvik
Battle of France
Battle of Britain
Siege of Malta
Invasion of Yugoslavia
Eastern Front Died August 31, 1968, Landsberg am Lech, Germany Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Battles and wars Invasion of Poland, Norwegian Campaign Unit Sturzkampfgeschwader 1, Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 | ||
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.
Contents
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.