Jagdgeschwader 27
Jagdgeschwader 27 | |
---|---|
Size | Air Force Wing |
Nickname(s) | Afrika |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Eduard Neumann |
Aircraft flown | |
Fighter | Bf 109 |
Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27) "Afrika" was a fighter
Stab JG 27 was created in October 1939 and assigned two gruppen (groups) in the
In the final year of the war JG 27 fought the
Organisation
A Luftwaffe Geschwader (wing formation) was the largest homogenous flying formation. It typically was made up of three groups (gruppen). Each group contained approximately 30 to 40 aircraft in three squadrons (staffeln). A Jagdgeschwader (hunting squadron) could field 90 to 120
Formation
The Geschwaderstab of JG 27 (command unit) was formed on 1 October 1939 by dividing the Geschwaderstab of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing).[4] Oberstleutnant Max Ibel was appointed Geschwaderkommodore.[5] Initially, Ibel was supported by his adjutant Hauptmann Joachim Schlichting until he was replaced by Hauptmann Adolf Galland on 15 February 1940.[4] Hauptmann Helmut Riegel was appointed Gruppenkommandeur to command I. Gruppe at Münster-Handorf Airfield.[5] The command staffel and I. Gruppe remained the only combat units in existence prior to World War II. JG 27s situation was typical of the Luftwaffe's unpreparedness for war in that few of the combat wings had three groups operating in September 1939. Other Jagdgeschwader had no command staffel at all, and were subordinated to those that did. JG 27 was an example, and was infused with other gruppen from differing fighter wings. I./JG 1 was merged with JG 27, and formally became III./JG 27 in 1940.[6]
II. Gruppe was formed on 3 January 1940 at
World War II
JG 27 was located in western Germany during the
France and the Low Countries
Richthofen's air corps supported the attack on
The following day, 4./JG 27 were operating in the far north at Buiksloot, near Amsterdam. The Bf 109s claimed one Fokker D.XXI for one loss.[25] Operating at the far north of the German offensive, JG 27 came into contact with RAF Fighter Command for the first time. North-west of Rotterdam, 5./JG 27 claimed one Supermarine Spitfire from No. 54 Squadron RAF; the pilot was killed.[26] The Belgians made an effort to bomb the Albert Canal bridges on 11 May. Nine Fairey Battles from 5/III/3, escorted by six Gladiators from 1/I/2. Only three badly damaged bombers returned, the rest having been shot down by 1./JG 1 and 1./JG 27. German pilots claimed seven. Two Fairey Fox bombers were claimed trying to attack Maastricht the same day. 110 Squadron joined the attempt but one fell to 3./JG 27 in the process.[27] By 14 May the Aviation Militaire had ceased to exist.[28]
Ibel's airmen were involved in fighting the first
On 13 May, the Luftwaffe began an intensive bombing campaign along French positions at Sedan. The
On 16 May, Richthofen, Hans Jeschonnek and Hermann Göring agreed to shift VIII. Fliegerkorps south to support the advance through southern Belgium and into France. There was a chronic shortage of suitable forward-airfields to allow the short-range Bf 109s to keep pace. Single-engine fighter units from three Fliegerkorps struggled to find landing grounds. JG 27 ejected Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing) from Charleville-Mézières. Stab/JG 27 with Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (StG 77—77th Dive Bomber Wing) moved on 16 May. Richthofen ordered JG 27 to cover Kampfgeschwader 77 (KG 77—77th Bomber Wing) and Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (StG 2—2nd Dive Bomber Wing) as Heinz Guderian's armour neared the Channel coast from 18 to 19 May.[44] On 22 May, JG 27 was still operational over the ports, claiming 18 Allied aircraft between Calais and Dunkirk. The JG 1 component of JG 27 were particularly successful; Wilhelm Balthasar was the second fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.[45] All Fighter Command's losses, however, have been accounted for and attributed to other units by post-war analysis and cannot be confirmed for JG 27 or the subordinated gruppen; Zerstörergeschwader 26 (ZG 26—26th Destroyer Wing), Zerstörergeschwader 76 (ZG 76—76th Destroyer Wing), JG 26, JG 51, JG 2 and I.(J) Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1—1st Demonstration Wing) were responsible for the RAF aircraft lost in fighter-versus-fighter combat. The remainder have been credited to German bomber units.[46]
The transfer to forward airfields were not smooth. Supplies were few as logistics stretched. JG 27 took to impounding every Bf 109 that landed from other units, syphoning fuel to keep its units operational.
After the Dunkirk failure, in which the British Expeditionary Force was evacuated to England along with large numbers of French soldiers, JG 27 was redeployed to support the final phase of the French campaign,
Battle of Britain
Hitler failed to bring the British Empire to terms after the fall of France. The decision was taken to invade the United Kingdom, codenamed Operation Sea Lion. A prelude to this undertaking required air superiority over the Channel and Southern England. The OKL began tentative steps to organise Luftlfotte 2 and Luftflotte 3 for an aerial offensive to destroy RAF Fighter Command.[58][59] I. and II./JG 27 returned to Germany to rest and refit for a brief time.[60] JG 27 were reassigned to VIII. Fliegerkorps at the outset of the Battle of Britain.[61] II./JG 27 was based at Leeuwarden, before moving to Crépon, while III./JG 27 based at Carquebut. I. Gruppe moved to Plumetot.[62][61] The Luftwaffe began the first phase of the battle by attacking convoys passing through the English Channel, to draw Fighter Command out and deplete its strength[63][64] as well as closing the Channel to shipping and deny the Royal Navy the chance of interfering with an invasion fleet.[65][64] The German airmen referred to this period as the Kanalkampf (Channel struggle).[66]
On 4 July 1940, III./JG 27 flew fighter escort for Ju 87s in an attack on Convoy OA 178.[67] On 7 July, 70 Bf 109s from JG 27 protected 45 Do 17s belonging to I. and II. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 2 (KG 2—2nd Bomber Wing) as they bombed convoys. 64 Squadron intercepted but lost three Spitfires.[68] Eight days later, twenty-four hours after the opening of the battle through a KG 2 attack on a convoy, III./JG 27 accounted for the first claims in a series of patrols which killed a 609 and 501 pilot.[69] Eight days later, two Hurricanes 43 Squadron were lost, with one pilot killed and the following day 152, 236, 238 and 501 lost aircraft in combat with elements of JG 27.[70] The battle of 20 July occurred when JG 27 was called to provide escorts for bombers attack "Convoy Bosom". I./JG 27 sent around 50 Bf 109s fighter escorts and a few Bf 110s, with Bf 109s from I. and II./JG 51 in support. The most notable German loss this day was Hauptmann Riegel, commanding officer of I./JG 27. Among the successful RAF pilots was James "Ginger" Lacey shot down two Bf 109s.[71] On day 21, a 43 Squadron pilot was killed in a collision with a JG 27-flown Bf 109.[72] JG 27 were engaged in protecting bombers from further attacks against "Bosom".[73] 601 Squadron were known to have lost a pilot to JG 27 on 26 July.[74] The peak of the Kanalkampf occurred on 8 August as the Luftwaffe tried to destroy "Convoy Peewit". The battles over the convoy cost JG 27 nine Bf 109s, with three damaged. 145 and 238 Squadrons were responsible for three apiece.[75] 257 Squadron downed two of their Bf 109s[75] but lost three pilots killed in return.[76] Four pilots were reported killed or missing, but four were saved by Heinkel He 59 floatplanes.[77] II. Gruppe commanding officer Walter Andres was among the survivors. It was costliest single day of the battle for JG 27.[77] Acting as cover for withdrawing bombers on 11 August, JG 27 were involved in combat against 238 and 145 Squadrons again. JG 27 lost three of its number but the German fighters destroyed four 238 Hurricanes and killed four pilots while damaging another. 145 suffered two damaged and two destroyed; two pilots were killed.[78] JG 27 claimed 13 victories, but the day severely depleted the gruppen.[79]
On 13 August 1940, the Luftwaffe began
JG 27 suffered no known combat losses from 19 August through to 25 August. The following day was another day of heavy aerial fighting and III./JG 27 reported a Bf 109 missing from a sortie over England.[94] On 28 August three Bf 109s were reported damaged in accidents, and a Gotha Go 145 from Stab/JG 27 got lost while flying from Cherbourg to Germany and landed on Lewes racecourse; the pilot was captured.[95] On 30 August five of the wing's aircraft were shot down and another damaged. No. 253 Squadron RAF were responsible for most, while No. 616 Squadron RAF accounted for another in the vicinity of Maidstone.[96] In the first days of September, JG 27 reported no loss until a 5./JG 27 machine was destroyed in combat with 43 Squadron on 5 September while the following day six fighters were destroyed and three damaged. III./JG 27 lost their commanding officer Joachim Schlichting who was posted missing in action. Their opponents were mostly from No. 303 Squadron RAF.[97] Schlichting was one of 22 JG 27 pilots captured.[98]
In September JG 27s gruppen moved to
By October 1940 the Luftwaffe had lost its strategic purpose. German tactics changed through the month but achieved little military gain. On 7 October, 5. and 9./JG 27 carrying bombs attacked targets in southern England. Four were shot down, two from each unit. Their assailants from 606 and 501 suffered one pilot killed in the latter unit. On day 11 One pilot was rescued after being shot down by 41 Squadron's Eric Lock, and single losses were reported on the 15th and 22nd.[111] The Blitz and ensuing fighter sweeps over England in the last few months of 1940 could not dent British defences or ultimately the country's war effort.[112] I. Gruppe was removed from the Channel area on 1 October, having lost 26 Bf 109s and 19 pilots since July.[110] III./JG 27 commanded by Max Dobislav, who succeeded Schlichting after his capture on 7 September, left their base at Guînes on 10 November. The Gruppe were based at Guînes throughout September and had lost two pilots captured and one missing in the final month; they claimed five enemy aircraft. The two captured men were the only Staffelkapitäne lost by JG 27 in the battle.[113] One day after the official end to the Battle of Britain, Lippert achieved arguably the most notable victory of the wing when he shot down the leading RAF ace Archie McKellar.[113] III./JG 27 moved to Vechta in Germany, while Detmold.[114] I./JG 27 was dispatched to Dinan in northwestern France on 21 October, after resting at Stade near Hamburg from 1 October.[115] On 4 December the captured Schlichting was awarded the Knight's Cross for his success in protecting bomber formations at the expense of achieving personal victories.[113]
Balkans and Eastern Front
The three gruppen of JG 27 were all returned to Germany in the winter 1940/41. The entire geschwader remained inert until April 1941. I. Gruppe were stationed at
On 6 April, 3./JG 27 opened their campaign by strafing hangars at
Retreating British Commonwealth forces retreating across the
Stab, II. and III./JG 27 stayed with VIII. Fliegerkorps and were subordinated to Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 in June 1941. The two gruppen were still equipped with the Bf 109 E and based at Subolevo. They formed the core of the fighter force in the air corps with II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing).[129] The geschwader was tasked with supporting Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union which began the war on the Eastern Front.[129]
On the opening day, 22 June, II./JG 27 escorted StG 2 against the Alytus aerodrome.[130] Wolfgang Schellmann led Stab/JG 27 into combat but was forced to bail out over Soviet lines and was never heard from again. He was the only JG 27 commanding officer killed in action.[131] The Western Front ordered aerial counter-attacks against Army Group Centre. Waves of unescorted bombers were sent against German forces. 27 Ilyushin DB-3 bombers of the 53 BAP were sent to attack German forces at Grodno on 24 June. They were intercepted by II./JG 27 and nine were shot down; nine to the Bf 109s.[132] The next day all three JG 27 units moved to Vilnius and found 56 aircraft wrecks from the 57 SAD.[133] Once again, large numbers of unescorted Soviet bombers tried to bomb the airfield but JG 27 and JG 53 repulsed them. 53 DB-3 and Tupolev SBs were destroyed at the cost of one Bf 109. Leutnant Gustav Langanke accounted for seven.[134] There were Soviet success; on 29 June nine Soviet DB-3s managed to attack Vilnius and destroy 10 aircraft, belonging to both ZG 26 and JG 27.[135] The action left II./JG 27 with only 10 serviceable Bf 109s and the decision was taken to remove it from the Eastern Front after only seven days. The remaining Bf 109s were given to III./JG 27.[135]
III./JG 27 fought in the
North Africa and Mediterranean
On 10 June 1940
The situation rapidly deteriorated for the RAF in mid-April. Air Commodore
On 14 September II./JG 27 arrived in Africa. The unit comprised three Staffeln which had claimed 75 victories over France in 1940, 60 in the Battle of Britain, 17 in Greece and 39 in ten days in the Soviet Union. They were led by the experienced Wolfgang Lippert. Among the squadron leaders were Gustav Rödel,
Technically, the Luftwaffe held the advantage in Africa. When Bf 109s from JG 27 first appeared over Libya, senior RAF commanders called for Spitfires to be sent to the region immediately.
In early 1942, Hans-Joachim Marseille surpassed the achievements of Lippert and von Kageneck. In February 1942 he was awarded the Knight's Cross and continued to claim multiple victories through to May when Rommel prepared to resume the offensive. During the month JG 27 claimed 52 British Commonwealth aircraft; Marseille claimed 16.[171] The front had been static until May 1942, and by the 10th JG 27 exactly 100 Bf 109s in three groups. JG 53 had been withdrawn and two staffeln of ZG 76 remained to support them. On 20 May, III./JG 53 returned to Martuba. Rödel took command of II./JG 27 when Gerlitz was moved to command the JG 53 contingent. Air fighting escalated from 22 May as each side sought to gain air superiority. On 23 May an interception by JG 27 against No. 223 Squadron RAF ended in the unescorted British bomber unit being destroyed. II./JG 27 carried out the bulk of the combat and heavy claims were made which have proven difficult to verify. Two days later, the Battle of Gazala began.[172] JG 27 and the supporting III./JG 53, which reinforced the German fighter force through the battle, were able to exact a heavy toll of British aircraft. On 31 May 1942 they shot down 16; from 29 to 31 May, 39 were reported lost by the British Commonwealth air forces.[173] While the top-rated fighter pilots, Marseille, Homuth, Schultz, Stahlschmidt claimed high numbers of aircraft during mid-1942, the vast majority were fighters. This has led some analysts to question the military effectiveness of German fighter units which left British bombers untouched to wreak havoc on Axis ground forces and supply lines.[174][175] On 6 June 1942, for example, British fighter-bombers destroyed 70 vehicles.[176] The "tankbuster" Hawker Hurricanes of No. 6 Squadron RAF alone flew 37 sorties from 10 to 16 June and claimed 31 German tanks and large numbers of vehicles.[177] JG 27 claimed 136 aircraft from 26 May–21 June 1942, nearly all of them fighters.[178] On 22 June, III./JG 53 and III./JG 27 moved forward to Gambut.[179]
Neumman took command of JG 27 on 8 June from
The failure to break through British Commonwealth lines forced Rommel to conserve his strength, and build up his supplies from the distant port of Tobruk. At the end of the month, he attempted a three-pronged attack at the
I./JG 27 located to
JG 27 fought in action from 23 October through to 9 November 1942, claiming successes and reporting casualties; 50 British Commonwealth aircraft were claimed to 9 November.[197] JG 27 retreated into Libya. On 6 December 1942, Leutnant Hans Lewes, 6./JG 27, claimed the last aerial victory of JG 27 in Africa. All personnel began leaving between 12 and 18 December. The ground-crews were purportedly delighted at leaving and departed for Tripoli on 12 December.[198] JG 27 claimed 1,166 Allied aircraft shot down over North Africa by the end of 1942. Claims made throughout the war amounted to 1,799.[198] Stab/JG 27 claimed 34, I. Gruppe 684, II. Gruppe 558 and III. Gruppe 523. JG 27 losses in North Africa stood at 37 killed in combat (two by ground fire), 25 missing in action (23 in aerial combat), 27 prisoner of war (26 aerial combat) and 24 seriously wounded in action (18 in aerial combat).[198]
Air war over Italy, Greece and Yugoslavia
I. Gruppe moved to Germany, then to France, and did not return to the Mediterranean. II. and III. Gruppe returned to Germany briefly but returned to Southern Europe late February 1943, rebasing in Sicily.[199] II. Gruppe returned via Vienna on 28 February 1943 to their new bases at Palermo. 4./JG 27 was equipped with the Bf 109 G-6. The gruppe was in action the following morning over Ragusa, Sicily and achieved its first success.[200] The gruppe reported that since their arrival in Sicily, Spitfire strafing and fighter-bomber operations over the island had declined by the end of March 1943.[201] III. Gruppe was known to be operational by 6 April, for the unit suffered its first combat loss of the period in action with No. 126 Squadron RAF.[202] Stab. and II./JG 27 provided fighter escort for convoys sailing between Italy and Tripoli in February 1943 based at Santo Pietro. Neumann's Stabschwarm still operated ageing Bf 109 F-4/Trops (tropicalised versions). These fighter units were expected to support attacks on Malta, which was no longer the besieged island of 1942, and cover convoys. Malta's forces had taken the offensive and were routinely attacking Axis targets in Sicily. On 3 March 1943, for example, 5 staffel engaged and claimed six Spitfires over their own base in Sicily. 7. and 9. Staffel transferred to Bari in March to convert onto the Bf 109 G-2.[203][204] 5./JG 27 were operating the Bf 109 G-6 at Trapani by March 1943.[205] In combat over an Axis convoy on 3 March, 39-victory ace pilot Rudolf Sinner, II./JG 27, reported the failure of his mission when the largest ship was hit and burned after a low-level attack by American medium bombers. The entire gruppe reassembled at Trapani on 3 April. The personnel set up camp on the slopes of Monte Erice, overlooking the airfield. III./JG 27 moved to San Pietro the same day, though they used Trapani frequently after returning from Crete.[206]
The gruppe claimed six American aircraft on 5 April, countering the first raids of
On 5 May 1943, the commanding officer of 7./JG 27, the 41-victory pilot Gunther Hannack, recently transferred from JG 77, was forced down over Malta and captured. The convoy duties cost the two staffeln six Bf 109s, and soon after they moved to
III./JG 27 left Italy in late July to return to Vienna. The gruppe returned to the Mediterranean on 23 September, but located to Argos, near Athens in Greece; it remained engaged in combat operations in this theatre until March 1944. A fourth group was added to JG 27 in June. IV. Gruppe was created in Greece and placed under the command of Hauptmann Rudolf Sinner. This gruppe remained in action over Greece and the Balkans until March 1944. The Allied invasion of Italy, Operation Avalanche had considerable impact on JG 27 gruppen operating in southeast Europe. Allied air forces operating from Italy from September 1943, faced only the barrier of the Adriatic Sea. Allied bombers began to make frequent raids into the Axis-held Balkans until the end of the war.[225] Among the JG 27 pilots to emerge in the air battles over Greece was Heinrich Bartels, drafted from Jagdgeschwader 5 after service in the Arctic Circle.[226] In October 1943, III. Gruppe was left to cover Greece and Crete while IV. Gruppe moved to Podgorica, Yugoslavia.[225] Later in October, elements of III. Gruppe flew combat operations over Corsica, and were based at Viterbo briefly.[227] In combat over Serbia, IV. Gruppe doubled its total but lost their recently appointed commanding officer, the 188-victory ace Joachim Kirschner killed on 17 December. Kirschner was the second of group's commanders to die, after acting commander Dietrich Boesler.[228] JG 27 flew in support of the Dodecanese campaign. There were light Luftwaffe losses during the operation, in which JG 27 flew some 70 sorties and the strike forces flew 134, dropping 110 tons of bombs.[229] III. Gruppe claimed 15 Bristol Beaufighters in the first two weeks, November 1943, but IV. Gruppe was claimed the greatest number of victories and suffer the heaviest losses in the region.[230]
By March 1944 the US Eighth Air Force was threatening to gain air superiority over Germany proper. The battles over the country from January to April 1944 ensured the Luftwaffe lost the air war over the homeland and Western Europe. With I./JG 5, III. and IV. Gruppe were assigned to Jafü Ostmark (Fighter Leader Austria). They were immediately added to Luftflotte Reich order of battle.[231]
Defence of the Reich and the Western Front
I. Gruppe moved to France after its withdrawal from Africa. It was moved to Jagdfliegerführer 3 at Évreux from 2 January 1943. The formation was ordered to defend the Paris area but was still not at full combat effectiveness, in what was to become a demanding combat environment.[232] The group experienced its first combat on 8 March and five days later its commander Hauptmann Heinrich Setz was killed in action with Spitfires. A series of air raids against Rouen and Rennes took place that day, covered by 16 RAF Squadrons and the US 4th Fighter Group. 3./JG 27 lost one pilot killed in the fighting.[233] The gruppe moved to Jagdfliegerführer Südfrankreich after the Axis defeat in Africa. It stayed at Poix for a week before moving to Southern France after Case Anton to defend the area.[234] 2./JG 27 left Jafü 3 and the rest of I./JG 27 and transferred to Amsterdam-Schiphol Airfield, under the jurisdiction of Jagdfliegerführer Holland for a short time.[235] I. Gruppe was the first formation moved from a peripheral theatre to defend Germany.[236] The unit was then moved to the 7. Jagddivision near Markersdorf, from Münster. It became the first unit under Jagdfliegerführer Ostmark, and was later joined by III. and IV. Gruppe in Austria.[237]
On 1 October I./JG 27 was sent to intercept the Eighth Air Force's attack on the Messerschmitt factory at
In February 1944 the US Eighth and Fifteenth Air Forces began "
Luftflotte Reich was the air fleet responsible for "
In mid-April the Jagdgeschwader zur besondere Verwendung was established at
On 6 June
The situation in Normandy grew so critical that Reichsmarschall Göring tried to cut losses by introducing a scale, which permitted his squadron, group and wing commanders into battle provided they led large formations of fighters.[60] Rödel led his three combat units into battle through Normandy, but suffered a "blood-letting" over France. Heinrich Bartels of VI. Gruppe retained his position as the formation's top-achiever with nine US fighters claimed, taking his tally to 85.[260] The survivors fought on, but were able to claim only three more victories before being withdrawn to Germany in mid-August. Major Ernst Düllberg's III./JG 27 came a close second to IV. Gruppe in the numbers of Allied aircraft destroyed over Normandy after arriving at Connantre.[60][259] Luftwaffe fighter units had been withdrawn east of Paris by mid-August. These airfields were less vulnerable to attack, but put German aviators at a greater distance from the front, burned precious fuel and reduced loiter time over the front.[257] Nevertheless, the JG 27 gruppen, then assigned to the 4. Jagddivision replaced JG 1 of the 5. Jagddivision as the main units responsible for air operations west of the Seine on 17 August. An order for the destruction of Paris airfields housing IV./JG 27 and III./JG 54 were made on this date in preparation for an evacuation.[261]
II./JG 27 had been left in Germany. With III./JG 1 it served as an assembly point for German fighter units to cover shuttling operations to France. Gerhard Schöpfel took command of an ad hoc unit (JG zbV), which became Stab of Jagdgeschwader 4 (JG 4—4th Fighter Wing). This controlled the two gruppen.[262] The gruppe was equipped with the Bf 109 G-6/AS high altitude variant and returned to RLV operations in the 8. Jagddivision.[263] The change brought immediate casualties. II./JG 27 was sent to intercept a Fifteenth Air Force raid on Budapest. Tasked with escort to heavy fighter units, it had no aircraft to escort and attacked B-24 wings over Lake Balaton. They were only able to claim a single bomber before US escorts arrived and destroyed eight Bf 109s killing five pilots and wounding two.[264] On 7 July it opposed American raids on Leipzig; the following day it fought in defence of oil installations near Vienna; on 25 July over Linz escorting II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300—300th Fighter Wing) and I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 302 (JG 302—302nd Fighter Wing); 7 August over Blechhammer. As far as can be ascertained, two pilots were killed, four fighters lost for four fighters and one bomber claimed.[265] In September 1944, JG 27 returned to the Defence of the Reich operations after the collapse in Normandy. Allied armies and air forces were now lined up along Germany's border. For the next fourteen weeks most of JG 27 fought over Germany and Austria. On 11 September six pilots were killed opposing the Eighth; during the month there were 17 casualties; 12 of them fatalities.[266] On 12 September, II. Gruppe flew as part of Walther Dahl's Gefechtsverband from I. Jagdkorps, supporting JG 300, I., IV. (Sturm)/JG 3 and III./JG 53.[267] The initial attacks were successful, but the following waves from the II. Jagdkorps suffered heavy losses. The two fighter corps mustered, 147 fighters; 76 of them were shot down by the US 354th Fighter Group and 4th Fighter Group. 42 pilots were killed and 14 wounded; 52 percent of the attacking force.[267]
On 17 September 1944, the Anglo-Canadian
On 16 December Hitler gambled his remaining
A last major effort was made on 1 January 1945 to gain aerial superiority and restart the faltering offensive. JG 27 took part in a large air attack on Allied bases in Belgium, Netherlands and France.
The failure of the offensive in January 1945 led to the Western Allied invasion of Germany in March 1945. JG 27 remained in combat in the west. On 24 March 1945, III. Gruppe reported another one-sided fight with P-51 Mustangs, claiming one for eight pilots killed and one wounded. JG 27 lost another 47 dead or missing during the month. IV. Gruppe was disbanded on the last day, reducing the wing to three gruppen. Such was the superiority of the Allied air forces by mid-March that all four gruppen were not combat effective.[297] I. and II. Gruppe moved to Grossenhain near Berlin in mid-April. II. Gruppe then transferred north to Leck where it surrendered on 8 May 1945 to the British and Canadians. I. Gruppe retreated south, surrendering at Salzburg on 8 May. III. Gruppe moved to Saalbach, even further away before it too capitulated the same day. Over 1,000 men in all surrendered to American forces in the south.[298] In the last months of the war, since January 1945, 126 pilots of JG 27 were killed or posted missing in action.[299]
Post-war analysis
Australian author Russell Brown has cast doubt on the accuracy of aerial victory claims by JG 27 pilots in North Africa. Brown, who has researched the records of individual Desert Air Force squadrons, suggests that Luftwaffe claim confirmation in North Africa was less stringent than it had been during the Battle of Britain.
Author Christopher Shores and his co-authors point to an interview with Eduard Neumann, commanding officer of JG 27, who insisted their work included an incident of deliberate claiming of enemy aircraft when no combat took place. A number of pilots, observed by Stahlschmidt, were seen strafing the desert surface. When he landed he reported the incident. The pilots in question, which included Karl-Heinz Bendert and Franz Stigler, had reported 12 RAF fighters destroyed. The JG 27 staff was at a loss as to what action to take. Until this time, Luftwaffe claims had taken account of possible errors and credited victory claims with reasonable accuracy. Some pilots distrusted 4./JG 27, the guilty Staffel, and wished to see them punished. The pilots involved denied falsifying their claims. It was decided not to report the matter to the OKL, for it would reflect badly on the unit. The guilty men were sent to other units, their future claims treated with scepticism, and finally ejected from JG 27 when the opportunity arose. All of their claims in the war were to be deleted, but when they returned to Germany they were still given credit; Bendert was even awarded the Knight's Cross. The incident has raised some general suspicions about Luftwaffe fighter pilots in general.[303]
Commanding officers
• Oberst Max Ibel | 1 October 1939 | – | 10 October 1940[304] |
• Major Bernhard Woldenga | 11 October 1940 | – | 22 October 1940[304] |
• Major Wolfgang Schellmann | 22 October 1940 | – | 21 June 1941 †[304] |
• Oberstleutnant Bernhard Woldenga | 21 June 1941 | – | 10 June 1942[304] |
• Oberstleutnant Eduard Neumann | 10 June 1942 | – | 22 April 1943[304] |
• Oberst Gustav Rödel | 22 April 1943 | – | 29 December 1944[304] |
• Major Ludwig Franzisket | 30 December 1944 | – | 8 May 1945[304] |
Gruppenkommandeure
I. Gruppe of JG 27
• Hauptmann Helmut Riegel | 1 October 1939 | – | 20 July 1940 †[305] |
• Major Eduard Neumann | July 1940 | – | 10 June 1942[305] |
• Hauptmann Gerhard Homuth | 10 June 1942 | – | November 1942[305] |
• Hauptmann Heinrich Setz | 12 November 1942 | – | 13 March 1943 †[305] |
• Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Heinecke (acting) | 17 March 1943 | – | 7 April 1943[305] |
• Hauptmann Erich Hohagen | 7 April 1943 | – | 1 June 1943[305] |
• Hauptmann Hans Remmer (acting) | 1 June 1943 | – | 15 July 1943[305] |
• Hauptmann Ludwig Franzisket | 15 July 1943 | – | 12 May 1944[305] |
• Hauptmann Hans Remmer (acting) | March 1944 | – | 2 April 1944 †[305] |
• Hauptmann Walter Blume (acting) | 3 April 1944 | – | April 1944[305] |
• Hauptmann Ernst Börngen | 13 May 1944 | – | 19 May 1944[305] |
• Major Karl-Wolfgang Redlich | 19 May 1944 | – | 29 May 1944 †[305] |
• Hauptmann Walter Blume | 29 May 1944 | – | 11 June 1944[305] |
• Hauptmann Rudolf Sinner | 12 June 1944 | – | 30 July 1944[305] |
• Hauptmann Siegfried Luckenbach (acting) | 30 July 1944 | – | 15 August 1944[305] |
• Hauptmann Diethelm von Eichel-Streiber | 25 August 1944 | – | 30 November 1944[305] |
• Hauptmann Johannes Neumayer | 1 December 1944 | – | 11 December 1944 †[305] |
• Hauptmann Schüller (acting) | 11 December 1944 | – | 22 December 1944[305] |
• Hauptmann Eberhard Schade | 22 December 1944 | – | 1 March 1945 †[305] |
• Leutnant Buchholz (acting) | 1 March 1945 | – | 3 April 1945[305] |
• Hauptmann Emil Clade | 3 April 1945 | – | 8 May 1945[305] |
II. Gruppe of JG 27
• Hauptmann Erich von Selle |
1 January 1940 | – | 31 January 1940[100] |
• Hauptmann Walter Andres | 1 February 1940 | – | 30 September 1940[100] |
• Oberleutnant Ernst Düllberg (acting) | 8 August 1940 | – | 4 September 1940[100] |
• Hauptmann Wolfgang Lippert | 4 September 1940 | – | 23 November 1941[100] |
• Oberleutnant Gustav Rödel (acting) | 23 November 1941 | – | 25 December 1941[100] |
• Hauptmann Erich Gerlitz | 25 December 1941 | – | 20 May 1942[100] |
• Hauptmann Gustav Rödel | 20 May 1942 | – | 20 April 1943[100] |
• Major Werner Schröer | 20 April 1943 | – | 13 March 1944[100] |
• Hauptmann Fritz Keller | 14 March 1944 | – | 17 December 1944[100] |
• Hauptmann Herbert Kutscha | December 1944 | – | 20 January 1945[100] |
• Oberleutnant Anton Wöffen (acting) | 3 January 1945 | – | 20 January 1945[100] |
• Hauptmann Gerhard Hoyer | 21 January 1945 | – | 21 January 1945 †[100] |
• Hauptmann Fritz Keller | January 1945 | – | 8 May 1945[100] |
III. Gruppe of JG 27
I./JG 131 — renamed to I./JG 130 on 1 November 1938 — renamed to I./JG 1 on 1 April 1939 | |||
---|---|---|---|
• Major Bernhard Woldenga | 1 April 1937 | – | 13 February 1940[306] |
I./JG 1 — renamed to III./JG 27 on 9 July 1940 | |||
• Hauptmann Joachim Schlichting | 13 February 1940 | - | 6 September 1940[306] |
• Hauptmann Max Dobislav | 7 September 1940 | – | 30 September 1941[306] |
• Hauptmann Erhard Braune | 1 October 1941 | – | 11 October 1942[306] |
• Hauptmann Ernst Düllberg | 16 October 1942 | – | 30 September 1944[306] |
• Oberleutnant Franz Stigler (acting) | 1 October 1944 | – | 7 October 1944[306] |
• Hauptmann Dr. Peter Werfft | October 1944 | – | 7 May 1945[306] |
• Oberleutnant Emil Clade (acting) | February 1945 | – | 3 April 1945[306] |
IV. Gruppe of JG 27
• Hauptmann Rudolf Sinner | June 1943 | – | 13 September 1943[307] |
• Oberleutnant Dietrich Boesler (acting) | September 1943 | – | 10 October 1943 †[307] |
• Oberleutnant Alfred Burk (acting) | October 1943 | – | 18 October 1943[307] |
• Hauptmann Joachim Kirschner | 19 October 1943 | – | 17 December 1943 †[307] |
• Hauptmann Otto Meyer | December 1943 | – | 12 July 1944 †[307] |
• Hauptmann Hanns-Heinz Dudeck | July 1944 | – | 1 January 1945[307] |
• Hauptmann Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert | 2 January 1945 | – | 23 March 1945[307] |
Notes
Citations
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- ^ Shores & Ring 1969, p. 30.
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- ^ Shores & Ring 1969, p. 41.
- ^ Shores & Ring 1969, pp. 41–42.
- ^ Shores & Ring 1969, p. 42.
- ^ Shores & Ring 1969, pp. 42–44.
- ^ Shores & Ring 1969, pp. 43–46.
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- ^ Pataki, Rozsos & Sárhidai 1992, p. 153.
- ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 180.
- ^ a b Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 184.
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- ^ Weal 2003, p. 110.
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- ^ Parker 1998, p. 93.
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- ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, pp. 255–256.
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- ^ Weal 2003, p. 116.
- ^ Parker 1998, p. 82.
- ^ Parker 1998, p. 124.
- ^ Girbig 1975, p. 115.
- ^ Parker 1998, pp. 163–164.
- ^ Parker 1998, p. 176.
- ^ Parker 1998, pp. 186, 189.
- ^ Parker 1998, pp. 238–241.
- ^ Parker 1998, p. 246.
- ^ Parker 1998, pp. 250–251.
- ^ Parker 1998, p. 267.
- ^ Parker 1998, pp. 287, 295–296.
- ^ Parker 1998, p. 330.
- ^ Parker 1998, p. 349.
- ^ Manrho & Pütz 2004, p. 200.
- ^ Manrho & Pütz 2004, p. 201, 205, 206.
- ^ Manrho & Pütz 2004, p. 219.
- ^ Franks 1994, p. 117.
- ^ Parker 1998, p. 448.
- ^ Parker 1998, p. 433.
- ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1997, p. 494.
- ^ Weal 2003, pp. 118–119, 126.
- ^ Weal 2003, p. 120.
- ^ Ring & Girbig 1979, p. 301.
- ^ a b Brown 2000, p. 281.
- ^ Shores & Ring 1969, p. 178.
- ^ Brown 2000, p. 282.
- ^ Shores, Massimello & Guest 2012b, p. 307.
- ^ a b c d e f g Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1998, p. 524.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1998, p. 535.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1995, p. 312.
- ^ a b c d e f g Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1995, p. 454.
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- Shores, Christopher; Ring, Hans (1969). Fighters over the Desert. London: Neville Spearman Limited. ISBN 978-0-668-02070-1.
- Shores, Christopher F.; Ring, Hans; Hess, William N. (1975). Fighters Over Tunisia. London: Neville Spearman. ISBN 978-0-85435-210-4.
- Turner, John (2014). Analysis Of German Operation Art Failures, The Battle Of Britain, 1940. Lucknow [Kindle Edition]. ISBN 9781782897514.
- Weal, John (2003). Jagdgeschwader 27 "Afrika". Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 12. London: ISBN 978-1-84176-538-9.
- Weal, John (1996). Bf 109D-E Aces, 1939-1941. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 11. London: ISBN 978-1855324879.
Further reading
- Caldwell, Donald L. (2012). The JG 26 War Diary: 1939–42 Volume 1. London: Stackpole. ISBN 978-0-811710-77-0.
- ISBN 978-0-7006-0836-2.
- Craven, Wesley Frank; Cate, James Lea (1949). The Army Air Forces in World War II. Volume 2, Europe: Torch to Pointblank, August 1942 to December 1943. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ASIN B000GU31NM. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
- Cull, Brian (2013). First of the Few: 5 June – July 1940. Fonthill Media. ISBN 978-1-78155-116-5.
- Ehlers Jr., Robert S. (2015). The Mediterranean Air War: Airpower and Allied Victory in World War II. Kansas: ISBN 978-0700620753.
- Foreman, John (2003). RAF Fighter Command Victory Claims of World War Two: Part One, 1939–1940. Red Kite. ISBN 978-0-9538061-8-8.
- Hooton, E.R. (2007a). Luftwaffe at War; Gathering Storm 1933–39: Volume 1. London: Chevron/Ian Allan. ISBN 978-1-903223-71-0.
- Holland, James (2003). Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege, 1940–1943. London: Miramax Books. ISBN 978-1-4013-5186-1.
- James, T. C. G.; Cox, Sebastian (2000). The Battle of Britain (ISBN 978-0714681498.
- Parker, Nigel (2013). A Documentary History of Every Enemy Aircraft Brought Down Over the United Kingdom, September 1939 – 14 August 1940. Luftwaffe Crash Archive. Vol. 1. London: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-09-7.
- Ray, John (2009). The Battle of Britain: Dowding and the First Victory, 1940. London: Cassel Military Paperbacks. ISBN 978-1-4072-2131-1.
- Saunders, Andy (2010). Convoy Peewit: August 8, 1940: The First Day of the Battle of Britain?. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-906502-67-6.
- ISBN 978-3-87943-115-1.
- Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
- Tate, Robert (2008). Hans-Joachim Marseille: An Illustrated Tribute to the Luftwaffe's "Star of Africa". Atglen, Pennsylvania: ISBN 978-0-7643-2940-1.