Jagdgeschwader 51

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Jagdgeschwader 51
JG 51 Mölders
Active	1939-1945
Country	Germany
Branch	Air Force
Type	Fighter Aircraft
Role	Air superiority
Size	Air Force Wing
Nickname	Mölders
Commanders
Notable commanders	Theo Osterkamp(25.11.39 - 23.7.40 & 28.7.40 - 7.8.40), Werner Mölders (27.7.40 - 19.7.41) and Heinz Lange (2.4.45 - 8.5.45)

Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51) Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders in 1942. JG 51's pilots won more Ritterkreuz than any other Jagdgeschwader, and flew combat from 1939 in all major theatres of war. Flying Bf 109s and then FW 190s, the wing claimed over 8,000 air victories. Experten included 'Toni' Hafner, Heinz Bär, Richard Leppla, Karl-Gottfried Nordmann, Gunther Schack and the legendary Werner Molders.

1 World War II
2 JG 51 Commanders
3 Pilots attached to JG 51
4 See also

[edit] World War II

Formed in August 1939, and commanded by 48-year-old World War I ace Onkel Theo Osterkamp, the early months of the war JG 51 was based in the West, fighting in the French campaign, and in the Battle of Britain. From late June to mid July JG 51 was the only fighter Geschwader engaged against the RAF constantly. During the whole battle JG 51 lost 68 pilots, the highest casualty rate of the Luftwaffe fighter units engaged.

Against the Western Allies JG 51 had claimed 345 aircraft destroyed by May 1941. JG 51 were therefore one of the Jagdwaffe's elite units, with 'top ten' aces at this time including Werner Molders with 68 claims, Walter Oesau with 34 claims, and Hans-Freidrich Joppien with 31. Major Werner Mölders became unit Geschwaderkommodore during July 1940 and led the unit into the invasion of Russia in June 1941.

[edit] Barbarossa (1941)

Claiming 69 kills on the first day of the offensive, by 30 June 1941 JG 51 became the first fighter Geschwader to claim 1,000 air victories (113 kills in 157 sorties were claimed for the day). On 24 June JG 51 claimed 57 bombers shot down for the day. Mölders became the first fighter pilot to reach 100 claims in August and in the same month JG 51's Oberfeldwebel Heinz Bär reached 60 claims and was decorated with the Oak Leaves. A total of 500 Soviet claims was reached on 12 July 1941, although 89 Bf-109s (and 6 pilots killed/missing) had been lost by JG 51 in the intervening 3 weeks since the offensive had started.

After Mölders' departure in September 1941 (and death later that year) the Geschwader adopted his name as a title of honor in early 1942. Jagdgeschwader 51 Mölders was to remain on the centre sector of the Russian front throughout the rest of 1941. However Oberstleutnant Friedrich Beckh ( one of the few fighter pilots to wear spectacles) proved an uncharismatic commander afer Molders, and it was not until Major Karl-Gottfried Nordmann took over in April 1942 that a worthy successor to Mölders was found.

[edit] Drive to Moscow (1942)

In early 1942 Heinz Bär took command of IV./JG 51, and in mid-February he was awarded the Swords, after achieving 90 claims before departing for JG 77.

Most of early 1942 was spent in operations supporting the Central Front drive towards Moscow, or defensive missions against counter-attacks on Heeresgruppe Mitte's left flank. 2. Staffel were now released from the unpopular fighter-bomber operations conducted since the start of the offensive the previous year. After a lull in April and May 1942 the Central Front flared into life as the Soviets launched a new offensive, and with it JG 51's claims and losses rose accordingly.

Early in September 1942, I./JG 51 were withdrawn to convert to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. By November 1942 JG 51 had claimed 4,000 kills in total. In June 1942 a Spanish Air Force volunteer staffel was attached to JG 51, becoming 15.(span.)/JG 51. Flying the Bf-109F and then the FW 190, 15./JG 51 was recalled to Spain in January 1944, 2,500 sorties had been flown, with 149 air kills being claimed, for 17 pilots killed in action. Capt. Gonzaldo Hevia was top scorer with 11 claims.

[edit] Mediterranean Operations (Late 1942)

In November 1942 II./JG 51 was transferred to the Mediterranean theatre, fighting over Tunisia, Sicily and Italy before leaving for Sardinia in April 1943. Later in 1943 the gruppe joined in the defence of the Reich against the USAAF 15th Air Force's bomber offensive, being stationed at various times in Hungary, Greece and Austria until late 1944.

[edit] Kursk (1943)

During the offensive around the Kursk salient, I.,III. and IV./J.G. 51 was based at Orel with Luftflotte 6, flying alongside I./JG 54, in support of Army Group Centre. These gruppen were tasked with escorting Ju 88s, He 111s, and Ju 87s as well as defensive interceptions and offensive sweeps over the battle area. On 5 July 1943, the Soviets launched concentrated air attacks against the German airfields, and as all available Luftflotte 4 and 6 fighters scrambled, one of the largest air battles in history began. JG 51 scored heavily, Oberfeldwebel Strassl claiming 30 shot down in the next 3 days to raise his score to 67. On 8 July 1943, Hubert Strassl was bounced by four LaGG-3s 60 km north of Kursk. Strassl had already downed three enemy aircraft on this day, but he had to bail out of his FW 190A-4 'Black 4'. Strassl's failed to open his parachute in time. He was posthumously awarded the Ritterkreuz in November 1943.

In late July 1943, JG 51 claimed its 6,000 victory. The Geschwader then converted back to the Bf 109-G due to increased demand for the Focke Wulf Fw-190 from other fronts. In May 1944 JG 51 claimed its 8,000 aircraft destroyed. JG 51 featured heavily defending the retreat following the Soviet Offensive of June 1944, operating with III./JG 52 as the heavily outnumbered fighter cover.

[edit] Normandy (1944)

7./JG 51, (with Bf 109G-6's) was attached to II./JG 1 in May 1944 from Brest-Litovsk, with pilots arriving at Störmede late in May and hurriedly converting to the FW-190. (It was later renamed 8./JG 1 on 15 August 1944 when the four-Staffeln Gruppe became standard) 7. Staffel was led by Ritterkreuzträger (Knight's Cross winner) Hptm. Karl-Heinz Weber with 136 confirmed kills. Its two other experten were Lt. Friedrich Krakowitzer (23 kills) and Ofhr. Günther Heckmann with 12 kills.

7./JG 51 joined II. Gruppe with 15 pilots on strength at the end of May, and during the first two months of the Normandy campaign the staffel was decimated, with twelve pilots killed, one POW and one severely wounded.

As the war turned against Germany JG 51 was forced to operate closer and closer to Germany, finally staging out of East Prussia.