Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen"
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Jagdgeschwader 2 |
|
|---|---|
 Squadron badge |
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| active | May 1, 1939 to the end of April 1945 |
| Country |
.svg){kind=small} German Empire
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| Armed forces | Wehrmacht |
| Armed forces | air force |
| Branch of service | Air force |
| Type | Jagdgeschwader |
| structure | Squadron staff and 3 groups |
| Installation site | Doberitz |
| Nickname | "Richthofen Squadron" |
| Patron saint | Manfred von Richthofen |
| Aircraft type | Messerschmitt Bf 109 , Focke-Wulf Fw 190 , Arado Ar 68 |
| Second World War |
Raid on Poland Western campaign, African campaign, Air Battle of England Ardennes Offensive Company, base plate, Reich air defense |
| Awards | Mention in the Wehrmacht report |
| Squadron commodors | |
| First commodore | Gerd von Massow Lieutenant Colonel |
| Last commodore |
Kurt Bühligen Lieutenant Colonel |
| Important commanders |
|
| insignia | |
| Sleeve stripes |
|
The Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2) or Jagdgeschwader "Freiherr von Richthofen Nr. 2" was an association of the German Air Force in the Second World War , named after Manfred von Richthofen , a fighter pilot in the First World War . One of the best-known members of this unit was Helmut Wick , who scored JG 2's first aerial victory on November 22, 1939.
history
On March 14, 1935, at the suggestion of Hermann Göring , the Döberitz Fliegergeschwader received the designation "Jagdgeschwader Richthofen" by decree from Adolf Hitler and was thus the first unit of the newly created Air Force . Until the beginning of the war there were further renaming to "JG 132 Richthofen" and "JG 131 Richthofen" until May 1, 1939, when it was finally renamed to "JG 2 Richthofen", under which name it then took part in World War II.
Lineup
- The 1st group of Jagdgeschwader 2 was created on May 1, 1939 in Döberitz by renaming the 1st group of Jagdgeschwader 131.
- The II. Group of Jagdgeschwader 2 was set up in Zerbst by order of October 11, 1939 to December 15, 1939 . The group arose from contributions from I./JG 2 and I./JG 3.
- The III. Jagdgeschwader 2 group was set up in Magdeburg by order of October 11, 1939 to March 16, 1940 . It was created by levies from I. and II./JG 51.
- The IV. (N) / JG 2 was set up on February 3, 1940 in Jever from the night fighter squadrons that had existed until then at Jagdgeschwader 2 and Jagdgeschwader 26 and the 10th (NJ) / JG 72 as a full night fighter group.
- On October 1, 1940, the order was given to set up a supplementary squadron for Jagdgeschwader 2. This was stationed in Octeville and was subordinate to the staff of Jagdgeschwader 2. On October 14, 1940, the set-up was so far finished that training could begin.
- By order of November 10, 1941, the squadron set up a 13th ( Jabo ) squadron . This was directly subordinate to the staff / JG 2 and was stationed in Beaumont-le-Roger .
Use in World War II
Rod
After the mobilization, the staff was moved to Fürstenwalde to take over the protection of Berlin from here. On September 2, 1939, he returned to Döberitz to do the same job. After the attack on Poland ended, the group was transferred to Frankfurt-Rebstock on November 2, 1939 to secure the western border .
At the beginning of the campaign in the west, the task of the staff was to secure the airspace over the Army Group A . The operational area was over the entire northern section of Army Group A and its rear area. At the end of May 1940 missions followed via Dunkirk . From June 5, 1940, the staff supported the advance of the 6th and 9th Armies towards Somme . The attacks on England began in August 1940. On August 28, the staff was transferred to Mardyck to fly escorts from here. On September 25th the staff returned to Beaumont-le-Roger . The squadron flew missions in the Portland and Southampton area . In addition, there was escort for the Messerschmitt Bf 110 fighter-bombers and for Stuka attacks on ship targets in the canal. At the beginning of December 1940, the tasks of guarding and escorting the war and merchant navy existed.
In mid-May 1941, the staff received the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2, which was then replaced by the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 at the end of June.
On February 8, 1942, the staff was transferred to Calais-Mareck. From here he secured the passage of the Scharnhorst , Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen through the narrow canals from Dover to the mouth of the Scheldt ( Cerberus company ). On February 14, 1942, the staff returned to Brest . In June 1942 the conversion to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A began. In anticipation of an Allied landing in southern France, the staff was relocated to Marseille-Marignane in autumn 1942. Since the landing did not take place, the staff withdrew to Beaumont-le-Roger on November 22, 1942.
In 1943, the staff secured the airspace in western France. Allied bombers attacked Beaumont-le-Roger airfield on June 28, 1943. There were heavy losses among the ground crew. On July 1, 1943, the staff moved to Evreux and on September 24th to Cormeilles .
The staff was relocated to Creil for use in the invasion area. After heavy losses, it went back in stages to Nidda , where he arrived on September 25, 1944.
I. group
The first group followed the baton and came to Frankfurt-Rebstock on November 2, 1939.
The first main areas of operation during the attack on France were St. Quentin , Laon , Beauvais and Cambrai . At the end of May 1940, Calais and Dunkirk were added. On June 2, 1940, the group was moved to Couvron . From here the group accompanied fighter pilots to the Reims area . At the end of June she was in Saint-André-de-l'Eure . On July 27, 1940, the group was transferred to Beaumont-le-Roger . From August she accompanied fighter planes in the direction of London and was used for free hunting over the English south-east coast. From August 1 to November 30, 1940, the group was able to score 135 kills, making it the most successful fighter group in the German Air Force at that time. On October 20, 1940, the group was transferred to Mont-de-Marsan in south-west France, from where they took over escort for Hitler's command train and the area around Hendaye , where the meeting between Hitler and Franco took place on October 23, 1940. She then returned to Beaumont-le-Roger and again flew missions over the Channel and over England.
On June 8, 1941, the group was moved to Brest-Nord in order to protect the port and the navy units lying in it . In the summer pilots became II. And III. Group handed over. After heavy air raids on Brest, they returned to Group I.
From February 11 to 13, 1942, the group took part in the protection of the naval units that passed the canal. On February 16, 1942, the group gathered in Haamstede and returned to France on March 23. The newly established 1st squadron received the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A in July. The rest of the group had already been equipped with the Fw 190 A-2 and the Fw 190 A-3 since June. In November 1942 the group was moved to Marseille-Marignane .
At the beginning of the year, the task of the group was to provide hunting protection on the French Mediterranean coast. When the group was moved to Tricqueville on January 4, 1943 , its division began. The 1st season stayed in Marseille . It was replaced by the 11th season, which was later renamed the 4th season. In March the 1st season was moved to Brittany . In July 1943, the 2nd Squadron was trained in Tours in instrument and night flight and then used in night hunting.
In January 1944, the group, coming from northern France ( Conches and Saint-André-de-l'Eure ), met again in Aix-les Milles in southern France. On February 20, 1944, the group was relocated to Piacenca , but had to move to Castiglione del Lago on February 25, 1944 due to overcrowding . From here she flew missions in the Anzio and Nettuno area . On April 8, 1944, she returned to Aix les Milles , to be relocated to Cormeilles in the north-east of France on May 12 . After the invasion of Normandy began, the group was moved to Creil . During the fighting in Normandy, she suffered such heavy losses that she was withdrawn to Husum on July 13th . Here was a refresher with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 / R2 and R6. The relocation to St. Trond took place in August .
On January 1, 1945, the group from Merzhausen Air Base took part in the "Bodenplatte" company.
II group
After their operational readiness, the group took over the protection of the central German industrial area. On March 11, 1940, she was relocated to Nordholz. After further transfers, she took part in the western campaign. On July 23, the group was transferred to Beaumont-le-Roger and operated from Mardyck from late August to late September. Until the end of 1940 she worked with the I. Group. At the end of April 1941, the group received the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2.
Group II also took part in protecting the naval units when the canal was breached. The conversion to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-2 began in March 1942 and was completed in April. On November 17, 1942, the group was moved to San Pietro in Sicily. From here she was supposed to take over hunting protection for convoys to and from Tunisia . On November 20th, however, it was moved to Bizerta .
The group returned to France in mid-March. The group gave their Focke-Wulf Fw 190 lying in Poix-Nord and received the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G. On July 1, 1943, the group received another squadron, which they incorporated as the 12th squadron. From August 1943, the group was mainly used to combat four-engine bombers, they suffered considerable losses.
After the Allied invasion began, the group was deployed from Creil . On September 4th the group left France and moved to Frankfurt-Eschborn . From there she was transferred to Nidda on September 25, 1944 .
On January 1, 1945, the group took part in the Bodenplatte company with 20 aircraft .
III. group
After it was set up in 1940, the group performed the same tasks as Group I for the rest of the year, spending several months in Saint-Pol-Brias . In the winter of 1940/41 it was in Bernay-Valailles .
In April 1941, the group received the first Messerschmitt Bf 109 F. They flew restricted and surveillance flights over the French coastal area from Rocquancourt . On November 17, 1941, she was transferred to Theville . She was responsible for hunting protection over the Cotentin peninsula and Normandy.
In February 1942 the III. The group and the rest of the squadron break through the canal from Coxyde Air Base. In May 1942, the group converted to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. From August 1942, the 8th squadron was relocated to Brest in order to use them to protect the submarines off Lorient and St. Nazaire . On September 6, the other two squadrons moved to Poix to be closer to the Allied approach lanes.
After a short stay in the south of France, they were transferred to Vannes in Brittany on November 22, 1942 . Here the III. Group used to secure the submarines off the French coast and against four-engine bomber formations and received a fourth squadron in September 1943. From late November 1943 to mid-May 1944 three squadrons were then in Cormeilles while one remained in Brittany (in Gaël ). It was then completely in Fontenay-le-Comte for a few weeks and with the beginning of the Allied invasion of Normandy it was moved to Creil .
After heavy losses over Normandy, the group was relocated to Königsberg in August 1944 to refresh . After being refreshed in October 1944, she stayed in the Reich and was stationed in Ettinghausen at the end of the year.
While participating in the company “Bodenplatte”, the group attacked the Allied airfield Sint-Truiden . She suffered heavy losses.
IV. (N)
When it was set up on February 3, 1940, the group was equipped with the Messerschmitt BF 109 D and the Arado Ar 68 . The three squadrons were distributed in the area of the German Bight. A swarm of the 12th Squadron that had stayed in Mannheim-Sandhofen scored the Luftwaffe's first night fighter victory on April 21, 1940 near Crailsheim . On April 23 and 24, 1940, the 11th and 12th squadrons were relocated to Aalborg . During April 1940, the group gave their Arado Ar 68 to school units. On May 5, 1940, the 11th and 12th seasons were moved to Trondheim . At the beginning of the campaign in the west, the 10th and 11th seasons were in Germany. The 12th season was still in Norway. At the end of June the entire group was in Mönchengladbach . After it received the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E there, it became the III. Night Fighter Squadron Group 1.
Supplementary group
After their formation, the first supplementary squadron was stationed in Octeville.
From the end of March 1941 there were two supplementary seasons. The 1st season became an operational relay, while the 2nd season was reorganized as a school relay. After deployments in France, the 1st squadron was relocated to Döberitz on November 25, 1941.
resolution
- Group I was in Merzhausen until April 1945, where it was finally disbanded.
- Group II was in Nidda until April 1945, where it was finally disbanded.
- The III. The group was in Ettinghausen until April 1945 , where it was finally disbanded.
- The staff / JG 2 was in Nidda at the beginning of 1945. But after the failure of the Ardennes offensive , the staff vacated the Nidda square in March 1945 and withdrew via central Germany and northern Bohemia to the area east of Munich , where it was finally disbanded in the course of the unconditional surrender of the Wehrmacht .
Commanders
Squadron commodors
- Lieutenant Colonel Gerd von Massow , May 1, 1939
- Lieutenant Colonel Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp , April 1940
- Major Wolfgang Schellmann , September 3, 1940
- Major Helmut Wick , October 20, 1940
- Captain Karl-Heinz Greisert , November 29, 1940
- Major Wilhelm Balthasar , February 16, 1941
- Lieutenant Colonel Walter Oesau , July 1941
- Major Egon Mayer , July 1, 1943
- Major Kurt Ubben , March 2, 1944
- Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Bühligen , April 28, 1944
Group commanders
- I. group
- Captain Roth
- Captain Hennig Strumpel
- Captain Günther Seegert
- Captain Helmut Wick, September 7, 1940
- Captain Karl-Heinz Krahl, October 20, 1940
- Captain Ignaz Prestele, November 20, 1941
- Captain Erich Leie, May 4, 1942
- Captain Erich Hohagen, January 1943
- Captain Franz Hrdlicka, August 1944
- Major Walter Matoni
- Captain Franz Hrdlicka, January 1945
- Lieutenant Heinz Eichhoff, March 26, 1945
- II group
- Captain Wolfgang Schellmann, November 1, 1939
- Captain Gerlach, September 3, 1940
- Captain Karl-Heinz Greisert
- Captain Bolz, May 1942
- First Lieutenant Adolf Dickfeld, November 1942
- Captain Kurt Bühligen, September 1, 1943
- Captain Georg Schroder
- Major Walter Matoni, January 1945
- Captain Fritz Karch, February 1945
- III. group
- Captain Dr. Erich Mix, March 15, 1940
- Captain Otto Bertram , September 26, 1940
- Captain Hans Hahn , October 1940
- Captain Egon Mayer , November 1942
- Captain Bruno Stolle, July 1, 1943
- Captain Herbert Huppertz, February 1944
- Captain Josef Wurmheller , June 8, 1944
- Captain Siegfried Lemke, June 23, 1944
- IV. (N)
- Captain Blumensaat, October 1939
Known squadron members
- Heinrich von Einsiedel (1921–2007), from 1994 to 1998 member of the German Bundestag for the PDS
- Gerhard Limberg (1920–2006) was the Air Force inspector from 1974 to 1978
- Julius Meimberg (1917–2012) was an inventor in the textile industry
- Erich Rudorffer (1917–2016) was the last living bearer of the Knight's Cross with oak leaves and swords.
- Johannes Steinhoff (1913–1994) was an Air Force inspector from 1966 to 1970
- Herbert Wehnelt (1918–2007), was from 1971 to 1974 as Lieutenant General in command of the Air Force Command
Others
Since April 21, 1961, the Jagdgeschwader 71 , one of the four traditional squadrons of the German Air Force , had the traditional name "Richthofen". This was passed on on October 1, 2013 to the tactical air force group "Richthofen", which had arisen from Jagdgeschwader 71 .
literature
- Eric Mombeek - Jean-Louis Roba: In the sky of France, The story of JG 2 "Richthofen", Volume 1: 1934-1940. ASBL La Porte d'Hoves, Belgium, 2012, ISBN 978-2-930546-10-0 .
- Wolfgang Dierich (Hrsg.): The associations of the air force. 1935-1945. Outlines and short chronicles. A documentation. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1976, ISBN 3-87943-437-9 .
- Krzysztof Janowicz: JG 2 "Richthofen" 1942–1943. Oficyna Wydawnicza Kagero, Lublin 2002, ISBN 83-89088-04-5 .
- Holger Nauroth: Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen". A picture chronicle. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1999, ISBN 3-613-01935-3 .
- John Weal: Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (= Osprey Aviation Elite. Vol. 1). Osprey Publishing, Oxford 2000, ISBN 1-84176-046-3 .
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ John Weal: Jagdgeschwader 2 'Richthofen' p. 26 online
- ↑ The traditional squadron of the Wehrmacht Bundesarchiv Online ( Memento of the original from February 16, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Accessed July 12, 2012.
- ↑ FLNeher: WICK . Hanns Arens Verlag / Berlin - Herrlingen, 1943 p. 1.
