Jagdgeschwader 1 (World War 2)
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| Jagdgeschwader 1 | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Active | 1939-1945 |
| Country | Germany |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Type | Fighter Aircraft |
| Role | Air superiority |
| Size | Air Force Wing |
| Nickname | Oesau |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Major Hermann Graf (10.43 - 10.11.43), Oberst Walter Oesau, (12.11.43 - 11.5.44), Major Heinz Bär(acting) (12.5.44 - 20.5.44) |
Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1) Oesau was a World War II Luftwaffe wing. It was named after fighter ace Walter Oesau in 1944. JG 1 spent most of the war defending the north-west part of Germany.
Contents |
[edit] Formation
I./JG 1 was formed on 30 November 1939 in Jever, initially as Stab./JG Nordwest. After extensive action in the Battle of France, the Gruppe was redesignated III./JG 27 on 5 July 1940. 1./JG 1 was reformed again on 7 December 1940 in Vlissingen from Jasta Holland. 3./JG 1 was formed on 1 March 1942 in De Kooy from parts of Erg.Gruppe/JG 52. 2./JG 1 was formed on 5 July 1941 in Katwijk, Netherlands, from Jasta Münster-Loddenheide, and finally Stab I./JG 1 was formed 1 September 1941 in Katwijk from parts of Führer der Jagdkräfte.
II./JG 1 was created on 15 January 1942 in Katwijk. Formed from elements of I./JG 3, its first Gruppenkommandeur was Hauptman Hans von Hahn, the previous CO of I./JG 3. Originally consisting of one Stab and three Staffeln (4./JG 1, 5./JG 1 and 6./JG 1), the Gruppe’s unit emblem was the Tatzelwurm, a mythical Norse serpent.(Many of the JG 1 unit emblems have their origins with the parent JG 3.)
On 4 November 1942 3./JG 1 was ordered to Sicily and later Africa, and was later renamed 6./JG 51 on 30 November. A new 3./JG 1 was formed at Wangerooge on the same date.
On the 1 April 1943 I./JG 1 was redesignated as II./JG 11, and reformed in Deelen from the IV./JG 1.
III./JG 1 was formed in January 1942 in Husum from the Stab of Ergänzungsgruppe/JG 52, 7./JG 1 from Einsatz-Schwärme/JFS Gleiwitz, Breslau and Königsberg, 8./JG 1 from Einsatzstaffel/JG 27, 9./JG 1 from Einsatzstaffel/JG 52.
[edit] Wartime History
When the Battle of France commenced on 10 May 1940 I./JG 1 was put under the administrative control of JG 27. By 5 July 1940 I./JG 1 became III./JG 27. The gruppe claimed 82 air victories in the French campaign, with the likes of Hpt Wilhelm Balthasar top scorer with 23, and Leutnant Ludwig Frantisek with 9.
Following the European offensive I./JG 1 was tasked with the defence of Northern Germany and the approaches across the North Sea. Its main opponents through 1940-41 were therefore lone RAF reconnaissance aircraft, the anti-shipping aircraft of RAF Coastal Command and the medium bombers of Bomber Command's 2 Group, although the Gruppe would see little action compared to other theatres during 1941. For a period of 1941 the Gruppenkommandeur of I. Gruppe was one Oberstleutnant Dr Erich Mix. A veteran of World War One, and over 40 years of age, Mix nervertheless flew frequently, claiming a Blenheim as his 13th kill in mid 1941.
[edit] Defence of the Reich 1942-43
From late 1942 onwards, the increasing USAAF bomber offensive now brought JG 1 to the forefront of Reich defence, operating at high altitude against the American bomber streams of the 8th Air Force. JG 1 experimented with ways of downing the heavy bombers with varying success. Lnt. Heinz Knocke developed a means of 'air bombing' the bomber boxes from above using a delay-fused 250-kg bomb, although the loss of aircraft performance and vulnerability of the bomb-carrying aircraft to fighters meant the method was not widely adopted. JG 1 also pioneered the use of underwing WGr 21 rocket mortars as a 'stand-off' anti-bomber weapon in mid 1943, although they proved too heavy for the fighter aircraft and were removed later in the year.
In April 1943 elements of I and III/JG 1 now formed part of a new Jagdgeschwader , JG 11.
By the start of 1943 the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 now equipped all but I./JG 1. The unit served almost exclusively in North Germany and the Netherlands until July 1943, when it was then transferred to Central and Western Germany. From there, JG 1 would go on to serve in France, providing air cover over the Wehrmacht during the Battle of Normandy and suffering heavy casualties.
As early as January 1944, the Jagdgeschwaders based on Reich Defence started using Reichsverteidigung, distinctive coloured fuselage bands to as a quick identification in combat. However, use of these colour fuselage bands was abandoned during mid 1944. I./JG 1 were unique in using a variation of a more colourful identification scheme of checkerboard black and white striped engine cowlings. The checkerboards were divided into black-white, black-red and black-yellow for the 1, 2 and 3 Staffeln respectively.
During the first half of 1944 JG 1 (along with most other Jagdgeschwader in the West) suffered high losses against the roving hordes of P-47 and P-51 escort fighters of the USAAF. For example, II Gruppe lost 158 fighters lost, 48 pilots killed and 23 wounded in return for 164 aircraft claimed destroyed. Significantly, the highly experienced and irreplaceable experten were among the losses, including II./JG 1 Kommandeur Hauptmann Hermann Seegatz and half a dozen Rottenführer and Schwarmführer. II/ JG 1's 700th claim came on 29 April 1944.
[edit] D-day and beyond
JG 1 operated against the Normandy beachhead in June 1944, although the Luftwaffe units committed suffered catstrophic losses against the overwhelming numbers of Allied fighters present. For example, in ten weeks of action, II./JG 1 lost 106 aircraft (41 in air combat) and 30 pilots, for just 32 air claims. Hptm. Karl-Heinz Weber Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 1 was also killed in action versus Polish Wing Mustangs on 7 June 1944, north of Paris.
On 15 August 1944, II./JG 1 was increased to 4 staffeln; 4./JG 1 was converted into 7./JG 1 and 8./JG 1 was formed from 7./JG 51, transferred in from the Eastern Front. From this point until 1945, II./JG 1 would consist of 5./JG 1, 6./JG 1, 7./JG 1 and 8./JG 1.
With the Allied breakthrough at the Normandy beachhead, JG 1 was withdrawn back to the Reich, re-equipping in late 1944.
The geschwader was then assigned to help support preparations for the Ardennes counter-offensive, which would culminate in the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944 and January 1945. In the Operation Bodenplatte attack on Allied airfields on New year's Day 1945, JG 1 lost 17 pilots killed with 6 more POW.
Failing to maintain air superiority over the Ardennes, a severely weakened JG 1 was then transferred from Western Germany to East Prussia. Here, they were briefly assigned to Luftflotte Reich (the Air Fleet assign to defend what was left of Germany from the final Allied offensives).
It was during this time that the unit began converting to the new jet propelled Heinkel He 162A “Volksjager”, which would replace the unit’s FW 190A’s. Some 12 pilots were killed flying the new fighter, mainly through flying accidents. These new jet aircraft would never see wide-spread combat with JG 1, however. With a shortage of both pilots, aircraft and fuel, JG 1 could no longer field their full complement or effectively fly operations as required.
On 24 April 1945, III./JG 1 was disbanded. Then, on the 30 April 1945, II./JG1 was combined with I./JG 1 at Leck in order to form two new Gruppen: I. (Einsatz)/JG 1 and II. (Sammel)/JG 1. Together, a combined total of about 50 pilots and aircraft. Within days of this last desperate re-organization, the original JG 1 ceased to exist as the war in Europe ended.
One of the most famous Gruppenkommandeuren of JG 1 was Maj. Heinz “Pritzl” Bär. Credited with 220 kills, Bär is the 8th ranking aerial “Ace” of all time. Other notable aces were Oblt. Georg-Peter Eder, the highest scoring Luftwaffe ace against the USAAF, who would go on to become a “Jet Ace”, scoring at least 12, possibly 24 victories in an Me 262 while serving with Kommando Nowotny and JG 7.
However, despite notable successes, losses were also high. For example, five of the fourteen Gruppenkommandeuren of II./JG 1 would be killed in action while serving with II Gruppe: Oblt. Rohwer, Hptm. Kijewski, Hptm. Wickop, Hptm. Seegatz and Hptm. Dähne.
Total pilot losses in World War Two were 464 Killed in action, 174 wounded, 94 killed in accidents and 16 POW.
[edit] Unit Commanders
- Obstlt Carl Schumacher, 30.11.39 - 5.1.42
- Maj Erich von Selle, 6.1.42 - 27.8.42
- Obstlt Dr Erich Mix, 8.42 - 31.3.43
- Obstlt Hans Philipp, 1.4.43 - 8.10.43
- Maj Hermann Graf, 10.43 - 10.11.43
- Oberst Walter Oesau, 12.11.43 - 11.5.44
- Maj Heinz Bär (acting), 12.5.44 - 20.5.44
- Oberst Herbert Ihlefeld, 20.5.44 - 8.5.45
[edit] Sources
- Jagdgeschwader 1 Oseau Most of the info on II. Gruppe is gathered from this site.
- Defenders of the Reich: Jagdgeschwader 1. Eric Mombeek.
- Jagdgeschwader 1 und 11: Einsatz in der Reichsverteidigung von 1939 bis 1945. Jochen Prien, Peter Rodeike.
- Dierich, Wolfgang. Die Vërbande der Luftwaffe 1935-1945; Stuttgart: Motorbuch, 1976
- Foreman, John. Over the Beaches; Surrey: Air Research Publications, 1994
- Messenger, Charles. The Chronological Atlas of World War Two; New York: Macmillan, 1989
[edit] External links
- [1] Organizational chart of Jagdgeschwader 1
