Generalmajor Adolf Kuen (Luftwaffe)

SOME OF THE PRISONERS HELD AT
SPECIAL CAMP 11

NAME: Generalmajor Adolf Kuen (Luftwaffe)

PW NO:          560323
RANK:            Generalmajor
CAPTURED:   bei Biberach
DATE:             23rd April 1945

PERSONAL
DATE OF BIRTH:     5 May 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH:   Kißlegg/Oberamt Wangen/Württemberg
DATE OF DEATH:   3 May 1953
PLACE OF DEATH: Kißlegg/Württemberg
NATIONALITY:       German
RELIGION:               Roman Catholic
OCCUPATION:        Regular Air Force Officer
HEIGHT:                    5'9"
WEIGHT:                   178cms
HAIR COLOUR:        Brown
EYE COLOUR:          Brown
NEXT OF KIN:          No name stated, Kissleg, Sued Wuerttbg (French Zone)

Promotions:

1 October 1912-30 September 1913: Entered the Royal Bavarian Army as a One-Year Volunteer in the Bavarian 1. Fußartillerie-Regiment vakant Bothmer.
30 September 1913: Passed into the reserve.
8 August 1914-2 November 1914: Recalled to military service and appointed Leader of the 5th Munitions Column in the Bavarian 3. Fußartillerie-Regiment.
3 November 1914-8 March 1915: Observer Officer on the staff of the I. Battalion of the Bavarian 3rd Foot Artillery Regiment.
9 March 1915-13 August 1915: Leader of Foot Artillery Munitions Column 214 of the Bavarian I Army Corps.
14 August 1915-14 January 1916: Pilot training at Schleißheim.
15 January 1916-3 October 1916: Pilot in Artillery Flieger-Abteilung [Flying Detachment] 103.
4 October 1916-22 August 1917: Pilot in Jagdstaffel [Fighter Squadron] 14.
23 August 1917-10 August 1918: Special Employment Observer in Flieger-Abteilung A 297.
11-18 August 1918: Assigned to the Inspectorate of Bavarian Flying Troops – detached for familiarization to the German Aircraft Motor Works.
19 August 1918-17 November 1918: Assigned to the Inspectorate of Bavarian Flying Troops – detached to the testing field of the German Aircraft Motor Works.
17 November 1918: Separated from the Royal Bavarian Army.
1 October 1934: Entered the Luftwaffe with the rank of Major.
1 October 1934-31 March 1935: Officer for Special Employment in the Reich Air Ministry.
1 April 1935-31 May 1935: Detached to the Infantry Course at Königsbrück.
1 June 1935-30 September 1935: Detached to the Braunschweig Flying School.
1 October 1935-31 May 1937: On the staff of the Hildesheim Flying School.
1 June 1937-31 January 1939: Commander of Reconnaissance Group 121 and Commandant of the Hildesheim Military Airfield.
1 February 1939-31 August 1939: Commander of Reconnaissance Group 10 and Commandant of the Neuhausen Military Airfield.
1 September 1939-31 March 1940: Luftwaffe Commander of the 7th Army. [While the cream of the German Army launched the invasion of Poland in September 1939, the 7th Army, commanded by General der Artillerie Friedrich Dollmann, manned the West Wall fortifications (“Siegfried Line”) on the Upper Rhine opposite the French Maginot Line. The 7th Army, General der Infanterie Erwin von Witzleben’s neighboring 1st Army and General der Infanterie Curt Liebmann’s short-lived 5th Army comprised the initial order of battle for Army Group C under the command of Generaloberst Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb.]
1 April 1940-June 1940: Commander of the Operational Training Reconnaissance Group of the Luftwaffe General of the Commander-in-Chief of the 4th Army. [Commanded by Generaloberst Günther von Kluge, the 4th Army took part in the invasion of the Low Countries and France in May-June 1940.]
June 1940-23 October 1940: Assigned to Luftgau [Air Administrative Zone] Command Western France.
24 October 1940-1944: Airfield District Commandant 9/XI, Paris—Sero, France.
30 January 1945-1945: Detached to the staff of a regional recruitment inspectorate for introductory familiarization as an inspector.
1945-1947: Prisoner of war.
- 16th July 1947 transferred Island Farm Special Camp 11 from Camp 18
- 25th November 1947 repatriated

Kuen scored two confirmed aerial victories as a fighter pilot in Jagdstaffel 14 during World War I.

Date	Enemy Loss	Location
3 February 1917	Caudron	SW of Embermenil
12 July 1917	Caudron	E of Cerny

Decorations & Awards (included):

NOTE: With the exception of the single order listed above, Kuen’s First and Second World War decorations remain unknown. It is presumed he held at least both classes of the First World War issue Iron Cross and the German Army Pilot’s Badge. The hosts would welcome any supplemental information regarding the decorations held by this officer.

Sources:

Franks, Norman L. R.; Bailey, Frank W.; Duiven, Rick. The Jasta Pilots: Detailed Listing and Histories, August 1916-November 1918. Grub Street, London, United Kingdom, 1996.
Hildebrand, Karl-Friedrich. Die Generale der Deutschen Luftwaffe, 1935-1945, Band 2 (Habermehl-Nuber). Biblio Verlag, Osnabrück, Germany, 1991.
O’Connor, Neal W. Aviation Awards of Imperial Germany in World War I and the Men Who Earned Them – Volume IV: Aviation Awards of the Kingdom of Württemberg. Foundation of Aviation World War I, Princeton, New Jersey & Flying Machines Press, Stratford, Connecticut, 1995.