Jagdgeschwader 52
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Jagdgeschwader 52 | |
---|---|
Air Force Wing | |
Fighter Aircraft | Messerschmitt Bf 109 |
Engagements | Western Front |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | Hermann Graf |
Aircraft flown | |
Fighter | Bf 109 |
Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52)
Formation
In 1935, the Ministry of Aviation designed an air force (Luftwaffe) of 2,370 active planes by April 1938, which would require the production of about 18,000 planes to cover attrition.[1] When 1938 came, the Luftwaffe split its fighter groups into light "Jagdgeschwader" flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109, for home defense, and heavy fighter wings called Zerstörergeschwader flying the Messerschmitt Bf 110, for offensive operations,[2] based on doctrine devised over the 1930s. Although the Luftwaffe simply could not meet its mandated pre-Munich Agreement size, five times its then current size, aircraft poured into the various Geschwader around the country.[3][a]
At the
Organizational structure
Jagdgeschwader 52 followed the standard Luftwaffe organization for a fighter
Stab./JG 52
The establishment of Stab./JG 52, the command group (Geschwaderstab), at Böblingen had been planned for the third week of August 1939, but was delayed by the invasion of Poland. Late September finally saw the formation and posting of Stab./JG 52.[6]
I./JG 52
As JG 433, I. Gruppe flew D and E models of the Bf 109,[7] and began transitioning to the F series while based in the Netherlands in mid and late 1941. I. Gruppe flew the Bf 109Fs for a year until moving to the G models while stationed at Bakhmut (then Artemivsk) and flew them for the rest of the war, though I./JG 52 also flew the Bf 109K in the last year of the war.[8]
JG 52 Unit | Date | Original unit | Location | Aircraft type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Stab I./JG 52 | 1 May 1939 | Stab I./JG 433 | Böblingen | Bf 109E
|
1./JG 52 | 1 May 1939 | 1./JG 433 | Böblingen | Bf 109E |
2./JG 52 | 1 May 1939 | 2./JG 433 | Böblingen | Bf 109E |
3./JG 52 | 1 May 1939 | 3./JG 433 | Böblingen | Bf 109E |
4./JG 52 | 15 August 1944 | New | Millerovo | Bf 109G |
II./JG 52
Two Staffeln, JG 72 and 71, were raised in the last weeks of peacetime as stopgap formations with the intent of forming a second Gruppe for JG 52. The first was 11.(N)/Jagdgeschwader 72, activated on 15 July 1939 as a night fighter Staffel with Arado Ar 68Fs. It was commanded by Oberleutant August-Wilhelm Schumann and based at Böblingen with I./JG 52. When the latter formation moved bases on 26–29 August 1939, 11./JG 72 was equipped with its Bf 190Ds. On the same day, 1./Jagdgeschwader 71 was activated at Schleißheim with Avia B-534s, commanded by Oberleutant Heinz Schumann. Until officially merging into II./JG 52 in early October 1939, the two Staffeln appear to have continued using their designations while being referred to as "Jagdgruppe Schumann" or as 4. and 5./JG 52.[10]
JG 52 Unit | Date | Original unit | Location | Aircraft type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Stab II./JG 52 | 1 May 1939 | New | Böblingen | Bf 109E
|
4./JG 52 | 1 May 1939 | 1./JG 71 | Böblingen | Bf 109E |
5./JG 52 | 1 May 1939 | 11./JG 72 | Böblingen | Bf 109E |
6./JG 52 | 1 May 1939 | New | Böblingen | Bf 109E |
7./JG 52 | 15 August 1944 | New | Kraków | Bf 109G |
8./JG 52 | 15 August 1944 | New | Kraków | Bf 109G |
III./JG 52
III./JG 52 was formed from men and equipment from I. and II./JG 52 on 1 March 1940 at Strausberg, 17 miles (27 km) east of Berlin.[12]
The Gruppe was transferred out of JG 52 to I./JG 28, which was based at Pipera, Bucharest from October 1940 to 4 January 1941, at which point it resumed being III./JG 52.[13][14]
As JG 28 and early III./JG 52, III. Gruppe flew the Bf 109E until being stationed in Bucharest, where they transitioned to the F model. III. Gruppe moved on to the G series, which the Gruppe used for the rest of the war, while stationed at Taganrog and Luhansk.[14][13]
JG 52 Unit | Date | Original unit | Location | Aircraft type |
---|---|---|---|---|
Stab III./JG 52 | 1 March 1940 | New | Strasbourg | Bf 109E
|
7./JG 52 | 1 March 1940 | New | Strasbourg | Bf 109E |
8./JG 52 | 1 March 1940 | New | Strasbourg | Bf 109E |
9./JG 52 | 1 March 1940 | New | Strasbourg | Bf 109E |
10./JG 52 | 15 August 1944 | 9./JG 52 | Vinnytsia | Bf 109G |
11./JG 52 | 15 August 1944 | New | Vinnytsia | Bf 109G |
12./JG 52 | 15 August 1944 | New | Vinnytsia | Bf 109G |
13./JG 52
The 13th Staffel of JG 52, made up entirely of Slovakian Luftwaffe personnel, was formed on 27 October 1941 in Piešťany, Slovakia and was disbanded in January 1944. As with the rest of JG 52, Staffel 13 only flew the Messerschmitt Bf 109. From its formation in October 1941, it flew the Bf 109E until transitioning to the F model at Krasnodar in January 1943. While being stationed at Kerch only a month later, they transitioned again to the G model series, which 13./JG 52 flew for the rest of the war.[15]
JG 52 Unit | Date | Original unit | Location | Aircraft type |
---|---|---|---|---|
13./JG 52 | 27 October 1941 | New | Piešťany | Bf 109E |
15./JG 52
15./JG 52 was one of two Croatian air squadrons raised for the Luftwaffe.[16] The Staffel flew the Bf 109E from their formation until July 1942, when they transitioned into the Bf 109G, flying it until the end of the war for Croatia.[17]
JG 52 Unit | Date | Original unit | Location | Aircraft type |
---|---|---|---|---|
15./JG 52 | July 1941 | New | Fürth | Bf 109E |
Mobilization and Western Front
Jagdgeschwader 52 spent the summer of 1939 training and practicing bomber defense around Stuttgart and along the western German border. In June, the unit transferred again, to another grassy field at Wengerohr on the upper Moselle to train for wartime operations. Because of deficiencies in the Luftwaffe's support structure, this was accomplished by requisitioning civilian trucks.[18]
JG 52's final pre-war deployment was to the island of
Sitzkrieg and Battle of France
54 hours into the invasion of Poland, France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany on 3 September 1939, beginning the
On 6 September 1939, 11./JG 72 scored JG 52's first kill, as well as the first German aerial victory on the Western front. A French
Over the rest of November 1939, the Luftwaffe reorganized its fighter units on the
On 1 February 1940, II./JG 52 was moved to Speyer, then gave up men and material with I./JG 52 to form III./JG 52 late in the month. III./JG 52 trained at an airbase near Berlin for six weeks, then joined Stab./JG 52 at Sandhofen on 6 April 1940.[12]
Eastern Front
During German-Soviet air war 22 June 1941 and Operation Barbarossa, the unit operated on the southern and central sectors of the front.[citation needed] During 1941–1942, with the Luftwaffe constantly on the offensive against vast numbers of the ill-equipped and poorly trained Soviet Air Force, the experienced and well-equipped JG 52 fighter pilots claimed numerous aircraft shot down.[22]
By early 1942, JG 52 and
The Caucasus and Stalingrad offensives
In mid-July 1942, the Gruppen commenced re-equipment with the new Bf 109 G Gustav, and the wing continued covering the armoured spearhead offensive deep into the Caucasus. I. Gruppe by this time had become a highly mobile 'fire brigade' formation, sent at short notice to areas where fighter cover was quickly and urgently required. Shuttling between areas ranging from the Kerch Peninsula on the Black Sea to the Moscow Front, I./JG 52 was in constant action.
Although JG 52 was not directly involved in the final stages of the
Battle of Kursk
I. and III./JG 52 moved into the Ukraine in July 1943 in preparation for the massive
Defence of the Reich
The withdrawal of
By November 1943, the loss of
On 10 May 1944, the 9,000th claim was made,
With the Normandy invasion underway, JG 52 was weakened by the removal of three Staffeln for service in the West. New 2, 4 and 7 Staffeln would be activated later in the year, with each JG 52 Gruppen now expanded to four Staffeln.
III./JG 52 was now seconded to the
Commanding officers
Kommodore
• Major Hubert Merhart von Bernegg | 19 August 1939 | – | 18 August 1940[28] |
• Major Hanns Trübenbach | 19 August 1940 | – | 10 October 1941[28] |
• Major Wilhelm Lessmann | 15 October 1941 | – | 2 June 1942 †[28] |
• Oberstleutnant Friedrich Beckh | 3 June 1942 | – | 21 June 1942 †[28] |
• Major Herbert Ihlefeld | 22 June 1942 | – | 28 October 1942[28] |
• Oberstleutnant Dietrich Hrabak | 1 November 1942 | – | 30 September 1944[28] |
• Oberstleutnant Hermann Graf | 1 October 1944 | – | 8 May 1945[28] |
Gruppenkommandeure
I./JG 52
• Hauptmann Dietrich Graf von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth | 1 November 1939 | – | 21 November 1939[29] |
• Hauptmann Siegfried von Eschwege | 1 December 1939 | – | 26 August 1940[29] |
• Hauptmann Wolfgang Ewald | 27 August 1940 | – | 24 May 1941[29] |
• Hauptmann Karl-Heinz Leesmann | 25 May 1941 | – | 6 November 1941[29] |
• Hauptmann Helmut Bennemann | 14 June 1942 | – | 12 November 1943[29] |
• Hauptmann Johannes Wiese | 13 November 1943 | – | 20 May 1944[29] |
• Hauptmann Adolf Borchers | 11 June 1944 | – | 31 January 1945[29] |
• Hauptmann Erich Hartmann | 1 February 1945 | – | 8 May 1945[29] |
II./JG 52
• Hauptmann Hans-Günther von Kornatzki | 1 September 1939 | – | 26 August 1940[30] |
• Hauptmann Wilhelm Enßlen | 27 August 1940 | – | 2 November 1940[30] |
• Hauptmann Erich Woitke | 3 November 1940 | – | 28 February 1942[30] |
• Hauptmann Johannes Steinhoff | 1 March 1942 | – | 24 March 1943[30] |
• Hauptmann Helmut Kühle | 25 March 1943 | – | 31 August 1943[30] |
• Hauptmann Gerhard Barkhorn | 1 September 1943 | – | 15 January 1945[30] |
• Hauptmann Wilhelm Batz | 1 February 1945 | – | 8 May 1945[30] |
III./JG 52
• Hauptmann Wolf-Heinrich von Houwald | 1 March 1940 | – | 24 July 1940[31] |
• Major Alexander von Winterfeldt | 1 August 1940 | – | 6 October 1940[31] |
• Major Gotthard Handrick | 7 October 1940 | – | 22 June 1941[31] |
• Major Albert Blumensaat | 23 June 1941 | – | 30 September 1941[31] |
• Major Hubertus von Bonin | 1 October 1941 | – | 5 July 1943[31] |
• Hauptmann Günther Rall | 6 July 1943 | – | 18 April 1944[31] |
• Major Wilhelm Batz | 19 April 1944 | – | 31 January 1945[31] |
• Hauptmann Adolf Borchers | 1 February 1945 | – | 8 May 1945[31] |
Knight's Cross recipients of JG 52
The following recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) served with JG 52:[32]
- Heinrich-Wilhelm Ahnert[32]
- Herbert Bachnick[32]
- Gerhard Barkhorn (Oak Leaves and Swords)[32]
- Wilhelm Batz (Oak Leaves and Swords)[32]
- Friedrich Beckh[32]
- Helmut Bennemann[32]
- Hans-Joachim Birkner[32]
- Hubertus von Bonin[32]
- Adolf Borchers[32]
- Johannes Bunzek[32]
- Paul-Heinrich Dähne[32]
- Hans Dammers[32]
- Gustav Denk[32]
- Adolf Dickfeld (Oak Leaves)[32]
- Peter Düttmann[32]
- Heinz Ewald[32]
- Wolfgang Ewald[32]
- Otto Fönnekold[32]
- Wilhelm Freuwörth[32]
- Heinrich Füllgrabe[32]
- Adolf Glunz (Oak Leaves)[32]
- Hermann Graf (Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds)[32]
- Berthold Graßmuck[32]
- Karl Gratz[32]
- Alfred Grislawski (Oak Leaves)[32]
- Friedrich Haas[32]
- Josef Haiböck[32]
- Karl Hammerl[32]
- Erich Hartmann (Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds)[32]
- Gerhard Hoffmann[32]
- Dietrich Hrabak (Oak Leaves)[32]
- Herbert Ihlefeld (Oak Leaves and Swords)[32]
- Alfons Klein[32]
- Gerhard Köppen (Oak Leaves)[32]
- Berthold Korts[32]
- Walter Krupinski (Oak Leaves)[32]
- Karl-Heinz Leesmann[32]
- Helmut Lipfert (Oak Leaves)[32]
- Johann-Hermann Meier[32]
- Rudolf Miethig[32]
- Karl Munz[32]
- Willi Nemitz[32]
- Friedrich Obleser[32]
- Viktor Petermann[32]
- Werner Quast[32]
- Günther Rall (Oak Leaves and Swords)[32]
- Anton Resch[32]
- Rudolf Resch[32]
- Edmund Roßmann[32]
- Heinz Sachsenberg[32]
- Franz Schall[32]
- Heinz Schmidt (Oak Leaves)[32]
- Waldemar Semelka[32]
- Siegfried Simsch[32]
- Karl Steffen[32]
- Leopold Steinbatz (Oak Leaves and Swords)[32]
- Johannes Steinhoff (Oak Leaves and Swords)[32]
- Heinrich Sturm[32]
- Ernst Süß[32]
- Rudolf Trenkel[32]
- Friedrich Wachowiak[32]
- Hans Waldmann[32]
- Johannes Wiese (Oak Leaves)[32]
- Franz Woidich[32]
- Hermann Wolf[32]
- Walter Wolfrum[32]
- Josef Zwernemann (Oak Leaves)[32]
Notes
- ^ a b For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations, see Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
References
Citations
- ^ Uziel 2011, p. 10.
- ^ Weal 2001b, pp. 11.
- ^ a b Caldwell & Muller 2014, p. 28.
- ^ Weal 2004, pp. 6–9.
- ^ Stedman & Chappell 2012, p. 6.
- ^ a b Weal 2004, p. 11.
- ^ a b Holm 1997-2003, JG 433.
- ^ a b Holm 1997-2003, JG 52, I. Gruppe.
- ^ Weal 2004, p. 41.
- ^ Weal 2004, pp. 9–11, 15.
- ^ Holm 1997-2003, JG 52, II. Gruppe.
- ^ a b Weal 2004, p. 18.
- ^ a b Holm 1997-2003, JG 28.
- ^ a b c Holm 1997-2003, JG 52, III. Gruppe.
- ^ a b Holm 1997-2003, JG 52, 13. (slow)/JG 52.
- ^ Littlejohn 1994, p. 199.
- ^ a b Holm 1997-2003, JG 52, 15. (kroat.)/JG52.
- ^ Weal 2004, p. 9.
- ^ Weal 2004, pp. 10, 16.
- ^ Weal 2004, pp. 12, 15–16.
- ^ Weal 2004, pp. 16–18.
- ^ Bergström 2007, p. 116.
- ^ Schreier 1990, p. 78.
- ^ Weal 2001a, p. 67.
- ^ Weal 2004, p. 94.
- ^ Schreier 1990, p. 134.
- ^ Schreier 1990, pp. 144, 146.
- ^ a b c d e f g Weal 2004, p. 121.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Schreier 1990, p. 186.
- ^ a b c d e f g Schreier 1990, p. 188.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Schreier 1990, p. 190.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba bb bc bd be bf bg bh bi bj bk bl bm bn bo bp Schreier 1990, p. 166.
Bibliography
- Bergström, Christer (2007). Barbarossa - The Air Battle: July–December 1941. Chevron/Ian Allan. ISBN 978-1-85780-270-2.
- Caldwell, Donald; ISBN 978-1-4738-9697-0.
- Holm, Michael. "Jagdgeschwader 28". ww2.dk. The Luftwaffe, 1933-1945. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- Holm, Michael. "Jagdgeschwader 52". ww2.dk. The Luftwaffe, 1933-1945. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- Holm, Michael. "Jagdgeschwader 433". ww2.dk. The Luftwaffe, 1933-1945. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
- Littlejohn, David (1994). Foreign Legions of the Third Reich. Vol. 3: Albania, Czechoslovakia, Greece, Hungary, and Yugoslavia. R. James Bender. ISBN 978-0-912138-29-9.
- Mombeek, Eric & Roba, Jean-Louis (November 2001). "Huit mois au I./JG 28" [Eight Months of I./JG 28]. Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (104): 10–17. ISSN 1243-8650.
- Mombeek, Eric & Roba, Jean-Louis (December 2001). "Huit mois au I./JG 28". Avions: Toute l'Aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (105): 22–28. ISSN 1243-8650.
- Schreier, Hans (1990). JG 52 Das erfolgreichste Jagdgeschwader des 2. Weltkriegs [JG 52 The Most Successful Fighter Wing of World War II] (in German). Berg am See: K. Vowinckel. ISBN 978-3-921655-66-5.
- Stedman, Robert F.; Chappell, Michael (2012). Luftwaffe Air & Ground Crew 1939–45. Osprey. ISBN 978-1-78200-747-0.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-8879-7.
- Weal, John (2001a). Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford, UK: ISBN 978-1-84176-084-1.
- Weal, John (2001b). Jagdgeschwader 54: Grünherz. ISBN 978-1-78200-569-8.
- Weal, John (2004). Jagdgeschwader 52: The Experten. Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 15. Oxford, UK: ISBN 978-1-84176-786-4.
Further reading
- Christer Bergström, Graf & Grislawski: A Pair of Aces. Eagle Editions, 2003. ISBN 0-9721060-4-9
- Christer Bergström, Black Cross/Red Star: The Air War over the Eastern front. Vol. 1, Pacifica Military History, 2000. Vol. 2, Pacifica Military History & Classic Publications, 2001. Vol. 3, Eagle Editions, 2006. ISBN 0-9761034-4-3
External links
- "Traditonsgemeinschaft Jagdgeschwader 52 e.V." jg52.net (in German).