Allegiance Nazi Germany Commands held 1./KG 40, I./KG 40 Name Edmund Daser Service/branch Luftwaffe | Rank Oberstleutnant Battles/wars World War II Battles and wars World War II | |
Died October 6, 1974, Locarno, Switzerland Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross | ||
Edmund Daser (1 October 1908 – 6 September 1974) was a German Luftwaffe bomber pilot and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He received this award for the leadership in the destruction 145,200 gross register tons (GRT) of enemy merchant shipping by his 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of Kampfgeschwader 40 (KG 40—40th Bomber Wing), of which 58,000 gross register tons (GRT) were sunk by him.
In March 1942, Daser's I. Gruppe (1st group) of KG 40 was moved to Vaernes near Trondheim in Norway. Daser had been tasked with providing long-range aerial reconnaissance for Luftflotte 5 (5th Air Fleet) operating against the Arctic convoys. Operations began in May 1942, a Fw 200 spotted convoy PQ 16 on 25 May, in July they spotted convoy PQ 17.