Zerstörergeschwader 1

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Zerstörergeschwader 1
Me 210

Zerstörergeschwader 1 (ZG 1—1st Destroyer Wing) (lit. destroyer wing) was a

wing of World War II
.

Formation

Zerstörergeschwader 1 (ZG 1—1st Destroyer Wing) was formed with two

Gruppen (groups) before the war. Initially, no Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) nor III. Gruppe (3rd group) was formed. I. Gruppe (1st group) was formed by renaming II(s). Gruppe (2nd group) of Jagdgeschwader 132 "Richthofen" (JG 132—132nd Fighter Wing) to I. Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 141 (ZG 141—141st Destroyer Wing) on 1 November 1938 flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 single engine fighter. On 1 May 1939, I. Gruppe of ZG 141 became I. Gruppe of ZG 1. During this entire time, the Gruppe was commanded by Major Joachim-Friedrich Huth.[1] This unit was initially based at Jüterbog-Damm until it was moved to Mackfitz, present-day Makowice in north-western Poland, on 24 August 1939.[2]

The II. Gruppe was formed on 15 May 1939 at Fürstenwalde and was also equipped with the Bf 109. The Gruppe had originally been formed as II(l). Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 135 (JG 135—135th Fighter Wing). It was then renamed to I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 333 (JG 333—333th Fighter Wing) on 1 November 1938 which was then briefly given the designation I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) on 1 May 1939. During this creation process, the Gruppe was cammanded by Major Rudolf Stoltenhoff, who turned over command to Major Hellmut Reichard on 15 May 1939.[3]

World War II

Invasion of Poland and Phoney War

On the outbreak of World War II the unit was based with

LG 1). The rest were given Bf 109s and nominated Jagdgruppen (for example II./ZG 1 was renamed II./JGr 101).[5] Among the operational Bf 110 units there were barely 100 aircraft available.[6] Little is known of I./ZG 1's activities other than the fact that they were the least successful of all the fighter units in Poland.[7] In one long-range fighter escort mission I./ZG 1 claimed two Polish fighters but lost Hauptmann von Freiherr Mullenheim.[8]

In December 1939 II./Trägergruppe 186 (Carrier Air Group 186; TrGr 186) which was officially attached to ZG 1 but placed under Stab./JG 1 for defensive duties under Major Heinrich Seeliger. JGr 101 was attached to ZG 1 and eventually became II./ZG 1. It was commanded by Major Hellmuth Reichardt.[9] JGr. 101 fought in the Battle of the Heligoland Bight. Only a rotte from 3. Staffel[10] made contact with the bombers and claimed two.[11] Dietrich Robitzsch wrote off a Bf 109. Two more pilots were wounded.[12]

In April 1940 ZG 1 was subordinated to

Battle of Belgium and Battle of France.[16]
Falck was sure that a Bf 110 unit could defend the airspace at night with assistance from
LG 2.[18]

Battle of the Low Countries and France, operations over Switzerland

ZG 1 was assigned to

Royal Dutch Air Force on 10 May. 4. Staffel is known to have fought in combat with the Dutch 5e JaVA (5th Fighter Unit) which cost it one aircraft.[20] One flight of ZG 1 Bf 110s shot down five from six Bristol Blenheims from No. 600 Squadron RAF, which had taken off from RAF Manston to bomb Waalhaven.[21][22]

On 11 May

Squadron Leader P Gifford DFC was killed in action with 1./ZG 1.[31] ZG 1 are known to have fought in the Battle of Dunkirk; on 1 June 1940 I. Gruppe claimed three Hurricanes over the port.[32]

ZG 1 remained active during Fall Rot, the second phase of the Battle of France. The Luftwaffe had proven successful in the Air interdiction role, but became a victim of its own success when German logistics began to strain because of the infrastructure damage caused by bombing. An effort was made to repair French and Belgian road, bridges and railway lines. Fuel shortages occurred, but I./ZG 1 at Norrent-Fontes, for example, reported 200,000 litres (53,000 US gallons) of aviation fuel on 7 June just days into the beginning of the second offensive.[33] II./ZG 1 was based at Trier-Euren and both served under Jagdfliegerführer 3.[34] German bomber wings were ordered to attack rail traffic in the Rhône and shipping in Marseille. They overflew Switzerland for convenience and as a mark of arrogance in their perceived superiority. The Swiss Air Force intercepted on one occasion, and with some units equipped with German-built Bf 109s, shot down six He 111s. Göring was furious and ordered missions to continue with Bf 110 escort. The second mission resulted in the destruction of one Swiss fighter. The Nazi leaderships obsession with saving face, resulted in II./ZG 1 being ordered to fly missions over Swiss air space. This cost the unit five Bf 110s, and the commanding officer of 6. Staffel on 8 June. Thereafter, operations over Switzerland were stopped.[35]

Battle of Britain and Channel Front

The Battle of Britain began in July 1940, but ZG 1 was already being broken up to form new units. On 22 June I./ZG 1 became I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1, a night fighter wing and returned to Germany.[36] On 26 June 1940 II./ZG 1 was renamed III. Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 76 (ZG 76—76th Destroyer Wing). ZG 1 had formally ceased to exist for the next 18 months. I. Gruppe retained its Zerstörer status into July 1940 for it is listed on the Quartermaster of the Luftwaffe as I(Nacht)/ZG 1. Two aircraft belonging to this unit were reported destroyed on 25 July; one in action with an RAF bomber and another in an accident. Two crewmen were killed and two wounded.[37]

Eastern Front

In June 1941 the Wehrmacht and its Allies began

Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen's Fliegerkorps VIII to support Army Group Centre and help it defend against the enormous Soviet counter-offensive following the Battle of Moscow.[41]

The Bf 110 Zerstörer pilots were hated by Soviet soldiers for their destructive effect. In the winter battles the roads had been cleared, often leaving huge mountains of snow on either side. Congested columns of men and vehicles proved vulnerable to strafing attacks. German pilots described the appalling effects; Oberleutnant Johannes Kiel remarked they "saw the snow becoming stained red by all the blood."

MiG-3 fighters intercepted them. The Bf 110 units lost two of their Knight's Cross holders within a week.[42] Kaldrack became the first Zerstörer pilot to receive the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross.[42] In the last five days of February 1942 five II./ZG 1 aircraft were shot down. The 120 IAP (Independent Fighter Regiment) were responsible for the majority of these losses.[43] In late March, early April 1942, I./ZG 1 was pulled off the frontlines to rest and recuperate.[44]

SKG 210
's Geschwaderkennung alphanumeric markings

I. and II./ZG 1 returned to the Eastern Front under Luftflotte 4 to support

Operation Blue, Hitler's offensive towards the Soviet Caucasus oilfields near Baku on the Caspian Sea.[45] 71 Bf 110s were operational from a total of 108.[45] III./ZG 1, with 7. Staffel of Zerstörergeschwader 2 (ZG 2—2nd Destroyer Wing) attached, was also assigned to the air fleet by 27 July 1942.[46] On 10 June 1942, ZG 1, with ZG 2 and other Luftwaffe units began "Operation Wilhelm" to establish staging areas for Operation Blue near Volchansk. On the first day alone, 20 German aircraft were lost in the ground support role—10 belonged to ZG 1 and ZG 2.[47] By 20 July, Luftflotte 4's number of serviceable aircraft shrank by 45 percent. ZG 2 had to be removed from combat and handed its remaining Bf 110s to ZG 1. At the time of the withdrawal, both heavy fighter wings could muster only 86 combat ready Bf 110s between them.[48]
For the battles on the
Stalingrad, near Kotluban. Here, they were intercepted by Yak-1s from the 220 IAD and lost three crews, while their opponents suffered one loss. The Red Air Force provided fierce resistance throughout the battles.[51]

During the advance southward, ZG 1 set up a night fighter unit in September 1942, named 10(Nacht) Staffel which produced the successful

3rd Guards Army at Morozovsk. Though they were successful in delaying the advances, they did not prevent the encirclement of the German 3rd Mountain Division north of Millerovo.[58] I. and II./ZG 1 made efforts to support the defence of air transport bases at Novocherkassk and Zverevo, thereby keeping open the bottleneck through to Rostov. On 21 January 1943, operations of this kind cost ZG 1 six crews.[59] A lst effort was made by I./ZG 1, with support from Stab/JG 3, to fly a long-range patrol over Stalingrad. They returned with two victory claims, but commanding officer Eduard Tratt narely survived a crash-landing.[59]

Operations were costly. Proportionately, ZG 1's casualties were comparable to the German

JG 3's commanding officer, coordinating fighter operations near Stlaingrad, that the Bf 110 element was not up to the task. The missions went ahead, with but experienced the expected losses. On 31 January 1943, most of ZG 1 personnel were ordered out of the Soviet Union. II./ZG 1 was sent to the Mediterranean; III./ZG 1 had been in the theatre and North Africa since the previous autumn.[52] I./ZG 1 remained on the front to serve on the central sector from May 1943. On 5 July Stab and I./ZG 1 had 44 Bf 110s, 37 combat ready, to serve in the Battle of Kursk.[60] An independent anti-tank staffel, Pz.Jg.St/ZG 1 operated 12 Bf 110s equipped with BK 3,7 cannon with little success.[52][60]

Mediterranean, African Front and Bay of Biscay

III./ZG 1 was sent from the Soviet Union to Crete on 6 August 1942 having suffered grievous losses on the Eastern Front. The unit regrouped, rested and began defensive patrols over convoys, escorting transports between

Battle of Tunisia. Two of the new Messerschmitt Me 210s were lost to Sptifires on 13 November.[64] The following day one of the few victory claims for the group, a Bristol Beaufort, was claimed.[65] On 18 November, two pilots were killed over Apollonia.[66] A week later, one Me 210 was shot down and two damaged in combat over Tunis. The group was operating the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 at this stage; one was reported damaged over Bizerte.[67]

Me 210 over Tunisia, 1942. The aircraft coded "CD" in this photo has been identified as belonging to III./ZG 1.[68]

On 6 March III./ZG 1 managed to deliver a surprise attack on the airfield at Neffatia. One

82nd Fighter Group over Cape Bon while escorting Ju 52s.[76] The Allied operation was a resounding success. 432 Axis aircraft were destroyed at a cost of 35 fighters. Coupled with the Stalingrad losses, the German air transport fleet never recovered from Flax.[77]

After the capitulation of the

KG 26 anti-shipping aircraft in aerial attacks on ships, but this did not prevent their charges for suffering heavy losses to long-range fighters and Allied return fire.[82]

Defence of the Reich, disbandment

ZG 1, ZG 26 and ZG 76 joined the RLV in the autumn, 1943. The resurrection of the Zerstörergeschwader was ordered because the

P-47 Thunderbolt, losing 25 fighters and 12 airmen. Nine of those losses were Zerstörer. It was clear to the Luftwaffe that these aircraft had to be shielded from US escorts.[85]

Four days later was the

Royal Hungarian Air Force fighters were lost.[89]

On 26 June 1944, the Fifteenth sent 677 bombers to attack six oil refineries. II./ZG 1 and JG 300 were ordered to intercept the bomber stream heading to

460th Bombardment Group on a raid to Budapest and shot down four over Lake Balaton. Another attack on the city on 2 July involved 22 of the group's aircraft. Though the unit only lost one fighter it claimed no victory. Other units suffered high losses.[91]

In mid-1944, the RLV (now

JG 76, which had been formed mostly from ZG 76.[92]

Commanding officers

  • Major Arved Crüger, 4 January 1942 – 2 March 1942
  • Major Ulrich Diesing, 3 March 1942 – 21 September 1942
  • Oberstleutnant Ralph von Rettberg (acting), 22 September 1942 – 5 October 1942
  • Oberstleutnant
    Paul-Friedrich Darjes
    , 6 October 1942 – 1 March 1943
  • Oberstleutnant Alfred Druschel (acting), 1 March 1943 – 12 April 1943
  • Oberstleutnant Joachim Blechschmidt, 12 April 1943 – 13 July 1943
  • Oberstleutnant Lothar von Janson, 1943 – 10 March 1944
  • Oberstleutnant
    Erich von Selle
    , March 1944 – July 1944

I Gruppe of ZG 1

II Gruppe of ZG 1

References

Citations

  1. ^ Prien et al. 2000, p. 314.
  2. ^ Prien et al. 2000, p. 315.
  3. ^ Prien et al. 2000, p. 317.
  4. ^ a b Hooton 2007a, p. 94.
  5. ^ Hooton 1994, p. 176.
  6. ^ Hooton 1994, p. 179.
  7. ^ Weal 2000, p. 13.
  8. ^ Forczyk 2019, p. 156.
  9. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 38.
  10. ^ Shores, Foreman & Ehrengardt 1992, pp. 139–149.
  11. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 39.
  12. ^ Holmes 2010, p. 68.
  13. ^ Hooton 2007b, p. 28.
  14. ^ Hooton 1994, p. 191.
  15. ^ Hooton 1994, p. 222.
  16. ^ a b Hooton 1994, p. 227.
  17. ^ Aders 1978, pp. 15–16.
  18. ^ Hooton 1994, p. 231.
  19. ^ Cull, Lander & Weiss 1999, p. 11.
  20. ^ Cull, Lander & Weiss 1999, p. 16.
  21. ^ Cull, Lander & Weiss 1999, p. 17.
  22. ^ Jackson 1974, p. 42.
  23. ^ Cull, Lander & Weiss 1999, p. 61.
  24. ^ Cull, Lander & Weiss 1999, p. 100.
  25. ^ Cull, Lander & Weiss 1999, p. 109.
  26. ^ Cull, Lander & Weiss 1999, p. 119.
  27. ^ Cull, Lander & Weiss 1999, pp. 120–121.
  28. ^ Hooton 2007b, p. 55.
  29. ^ Mackay 2000, p. 35.
  30. ^ Cull, Lander & Weiss 1999, pp. 164, 168.
  31. ^ Cull, Lander & Weiss 1999, p. 174.
  32. ^ Franks 2006, p. 188.
  33. ^ Hooton 2007b, p. 81.
  34. ^ Hooton 2007b, p. 80.
  35. ^ Hooton 2007b, p. 82.
  36. ^ Aders 1978, p. 226.
  37. ^ Mason 1969, p. 193.
  38. ^ Bergström & Mikhailov 2001, p. 19.
  39. ^ Bergström & Mikhailov 2001, p. 23.
  40. ^ Bergström & Mikhailov 2001, p. 26.
  41. ^ a b Bergström & Mikhailov 2001, p. 39.
  42. ^ a b Bergström & Mikhailov 2001, p. 49.
  43. ^ Bergström & Mikhailov 2001, p. 52.
  44. ^ Bergström & Mikhailov 2001, p. 110.
  45. ^ a b Forczyk 2015, p. 21.
  46. ^ Hooton 1999, p. 311.
  47. ^ Bergström 2007b, p. 51.
  48. ^ Bergström 2007b, p. 57.
  49. ^ Bergström 2007b, p. 61.
  50. ^ Bergström 2007b, p. 67.
  51. ^ Bergström 2007b, p. 74.
  52. ^ a b c d Weal 2000, p. 81.
  53. ^ Weal 2000, pp. 81–80.
  54. ^ Bergström 2007b, p. 95.
  55. ^ Bergström 2007b, p. 100.
  56. ^ Bergström 2007b, p. 102.
  57. ^ Bergström 2007b, p. 105.
  58. ^ Bergström 2007b, p. 116.
  59. ^ a b Bergström 2007b, p. 120.
  60. ^ a b Frieser & Schmider 2017, p. 92.
  61. ^ Roba 2019, p. 79.
  62. ^ Shores, Massimello & Guest 2012b, p. 351.
  63. ^ Shores & Ring 1969, p. 182.
  64. ^ Shores et al. 2016, pp. 106, 108.
  65. ^ Shores et al. 2016, p. 114.
  66. ^ Shores, Massimello & Guest 2012b, p. 459.
  67. ^ Shores et al. 2016, p. 142.
  68. ^ Shores et al. 2016, p. 452.
  69. ^ Shores, Massimello & Guest 2012b, pp. 530–531.
  70. ^ Shores, Massimello & Guest 2012b, pp. 551–552.
  71. ^ Shores, Massimello & Guest 2012b, pp. 559–560.
  72. ^ Shores, Massimello & Guest 2012b, p. 560.
  73. ^ Hooton 1999, pp. 312–313.
  74. ^ Shores et al. 2016, p. 446.
  75. ^ Shores et al. 2016, p. 462.
  76. ^ Levine 2008, p. 31.
  77. ^ Levine 2008, p. 182.
  78. ^ a b Mackay 2000, p. 168.
  79. ^ a b Hooton 1999, p. 59.
  80. ^ a b Hooton 1999, p. 60.
  81. ^ Hooton 1999, pp. 60–61.
  82. ^ Hooton 1999, p. 70.
  83. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 105.
  84. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, pp. 132–133.
  85. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, pp. 133–134.
  86. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, pp. 135–137, 152.
  87. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 151.
  88. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, pp. 160–161.
  89. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, pp. 209–210.
  90. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 212.
  91. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, pp. 213–214.
  92. ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, pp. 222–223.
  93. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 336.
  94. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 900.
  95. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 815.
  96. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 11.

Bibliography

Further reading
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