Jagdgeschwader 77

Jagdgeschwader 77
Squadron badge
active	May 1, 1939 to May 8, 1945
Country	German Empire
Armed forces	Wehrmacht
Armed forces	air force
Branch of service	Air force
Type	Jagdgeschwader
structure	Squadron staff and 3 groups
Installation site	Breslau Schöngarten
Nickname	Heart ace
Aircraft type	Messerschmitt Bf 109 versions E to K
Squadron commodors
First commodore	Vain Manteuffel Lieutenant Colonel
Last commodore	Fritz Losigkeit Major

The Jagdgeschwader 77 was a unit of the German Air Force in World War II . Because of its coat of arms, it was also called the Ace of Hearts Squadron. The squadron was used on all fronts throughout the war.

organization

Jagdgeschwader 77 was set up with the first and second groups on May 1, 1939. Group I emerged in Breslau-Schöngarten from Group I of Jagdgeschwader 331. Group II of Jagdgeschwader 333 stationed in Pilsen became Group II of Jagdgeschwader 77. Both groups were with Messerschmitt Bf 109  E-1 aircraft and E-3 equipped. Since no squadron staff was set up, the two groups were subordinate to Luftflottenkommando 3 and Luftgaukommando XIII. When the I. Group was moved to Heilbronn on September 28, 1939, it was placed under the staff of Jagdgeschwader 53 . The II. Group was subordinate to Luftflottenkommando 2 and Luftgaukommando XI when it was moved to Northern Germany . She was then subordinate to the staff of Destroyer Squadron 26.

The staff of Jagdgeschwader 77 was set up in Neumünster on October 1, 1939 . He was under the Luftgaukommando XI. He immediately took over the II. Group of Jagdgeschwader 77. The I. Group was added on November 5, 1939. After moving to Cologne - Ostheim on October 21, 1939, the squadron belonged to the 1st Air Corps.

On April 6, 1940, the II. Group was subordinated to the X. Air Corps . When she was moved to France at the end of 1940, she returned to the staff of Jagdgeschwader 77. On August 25, 1940, Group I was subordinated to Jagdgeschwader 51 and on November 21, 1940 renamed Group IV of Jagdgeschwader 51. On October 8, 1940, a supplementary squadron was set up in Werneuchen . It was transferred to Bordeaux on November 30, 1940 via the intermediate station in Döberitz .

On February 1, 1941, the I. Group was reorganized in Norway. It was under the JaFü Norway. In October the 13th and 14th squadron became the Jagdgruppe z. b. V. formed. Also in February 1941, in Döberitz, the supplementary relay team was transformed into a supplementary group with a deployment and a school relay. From April 1, 1941, the staff with the II. And III. Group of the VIII Air Corps. For the attack on the Soviet Union , the IV. Air Corps took over those units.

On January 6, 1942, the I. Group was renamed I./Jagdgeschwader 5. For this, the I. Group of the Lehrgeschwader 2 became the I. Group of the JG 77. It was with the III. Group subordinated to the staff of Jagdgeschwader 27 until November 3rd when deployed in North Africa. After that they were again under their own staff. When it arrived in Sicily, the 2nd Air Corps took over the 2nd Group. In North Africa, the JG 77 staff was responsible again.

Use in World War II

I. group

In the course of mobilization, the I. Group moved to Juliusburg on August 26, 1939 and was deployed in Poland after the outbreak of war. In Poland, the group achieved 3 aerial victories. The group lost two machines without any loss of staff. On September 24th the group was transferred back to Germany. Several relocations followed within Germany.

By the beginning of the western campaign, the I. Group was able to achieve two more aerial victories. She lost 8 aircraft in the process. Three pilots died and one was injured. At the beginning of the western campaign, the group flew missions over the Eifel and the Ardennes. On May 14, 1940, she was transferred to Hargimont near Bastogne . After further relocations on the western front (e.g. Dieppe ), the group was taken out of action on May 23, 1940 and relocated to Döberitz to refresh. During the western campaign, the group achieved 23 aerial victories. A pilot was injured. Another was taken prisoner, from which he was released after the fighting in France. Four planes were lost. After the refreshment, the group split up and arrived on July 31, 1940 in Wyk auf Föhr and Aalborg West . On August 25, 1940, the entire group moved to Marquise in France.

The newly established I. Group was spread over several airfields in Norway. In June 1941 the Messerschmitt group received Bf 109 T-2s, which they kept for December, after which they were again equipped with Bf 109 E. During their stay in Norway, the group achieved 33 aerial victories. The own losses amounted to 9 dead, 3 wounded and 18 aircraft.

The newly acquired I. Group was initially in the east. From the end of February she received Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4. The group arrived in Sicily on July 3rd. From here she flew attacks on Malta and on allied ship formations. At the end of October, the group moved to North Africa, where they were subordinate to the staff of Jagdgeschwader 27 until November 3rd. After that she was under her own staff again.

On May 7, 1943, the group began to be relocated from North Africa to Sicily. On May 8th, the flying part returned to Soliman-Nord to fly out the technicians who had stayed there. On May 10, the rescued material and most of the aircraft were destroyed in a bomb attack. There were only three operational aircraft left. The group moved back to Neubiberg via Bari. There the group received 48 new Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 Trop. On June 8, 1943, the mission in Italy began again.

On July 31, 1944, Group I was withdrawn from Italy and relocated to Oldenburg. After various relocations within Germany, it was at the Dortmund-Brackel air base at the end of the year .

After the Ardennes offensive was stopped, the group moved to Ohlau on January 18, 1945 on the Eastern Front. She stayed on the Eastern Front until she was taken prisoner in Mährisch-Trübau at the end of the war .

II group

The second group was moved to Nordholz on August 20, 1939. It remained in northern Germany until it was relocated to western Germany on November 1, 1939 in preparation for the planned western offensive. On December 12, 1939, she returned to the German Bight area.

By the beginning of the attack on Denmark and Norway, Group II achieved 27 victories. Five pilots were killed and seven planes were lost. On April 9, 1940, the group moved to Jutland and on the 11th of the month to Norway. During the time in Norway, the group won 112 aerial victories. Six pilots fell and two were wounded. 15 planes were lost. From November 10, 1940, the II. Group was transferred to France.

On March 30, 1941, the second group's mission in Brest ended. Now the deployment in the Balkan campaign, which led the group to Greece. Operations over Crete followed between May 14 and May 28, 1941 . During the battles for the Balkans and for Crete, the group achieved 25 aerial victories. Six pilots died, two were wounded and four were captured. 16 planes were lost. From June 22, 1941, the group took part in the Russian campaign. Due to heavy losses, it was taken out of service on December 1, 1941 and relocated to Vienna-Aspern. The group scored 353 kills in the east in 1941. The own losses amounted to 15 dead, four wounded and three pilots who were taken prisoner. 37 planes were destroyed.

Group II, which was in Vienna-Aspern for refreshment, also received Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4. On March 11, 1942, the group began to move to the Crimea. The group was in Russia until November 7th. The transfer to Cosimo in Sicily followed through several stations. From here the group, which was meanwhile also equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 and G-2 Trop, secured the supply traffic to North Africa. In mid-December 1942 the group was transferred to North Africa.

On May 7, 1943, the second group began to be relocated to Sicily. From May 11, the group in Foggia was refreshed , which lasted until the beginning of June, so that the group could not return to Trapani, Sicily until June 19, 1943. On July 13th, after the Allied landing in Sicily, the order to evacuate the island was given. The group stayed in Italy, but withdrew further and further north. After the Italian surrender, the group received 26 Macchi MC.205 in Lonate Pozzolo , near Milan . The Messerschmitt Bf 109s still in existence had to be handed in for this. At the end of the year the group still owned 24 macchi, which they gave to the 1st Italian Hunting Group. As a replacement she received Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6.

After the Allied landing in southern France on August 15, 1944, the group moved to Orange for a week and then returned to Ghedi , where they had been lying since the end of June.

On September 8, 1944, Group II was transferred from Italy to Riesa-Canitz. Further relocations in Germany followed. From December 17, 1944, the group took part in the Ardennes offensive.

After the failure of the Ardennes offensive, the group was moved towards the eastern front. The 8th season was disbanded on April 8, 1945. The rest of the group were captured by Skutsch at the end of the war .

III. group

By renaming the II./Trägergruppe 186, the III. Jagdgeschwader 77 group on July 7, 1940. It was equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1, E-3 and E-4. It was moved from Scandinavia via Germany to Dinan, where the staff is currently located.

The III. Group was deployed in 1941 parallel to Group II in the Balkans and later in the East. Only the airfields were different. At the end of the year the group was in the east of the Crimean peninsula .

The III. Group also received Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 at the beginning of 1942. The group was deployed to Russia until October 11, 1942. On October 19, 1942, the group arrived in Neubiberg . Here she was partially given Messerschmitt Bf 109 G. In the period from October 23rd to October 26th, she moved to Bari and then immediately moved to North Africa.

On May 7, 1943, the III. Group North Africa and moved to Sciacca in Sicily. On May 10th the group moved on to Foggia and converted to Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6. From July 1st, the group's ground crew moved to Sardinia. The rest of the group followed on June 8th. After the surrender of Italy, the group went to Corsica on September 10th. From there, she went back to mainland Italy on September 25th. On October 25, 1943, the group moved to Romania by rail. There she replaced the I. Group of Jagdgeschwader 4, whose Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 she took over.

On September 15, the III. Group to Vienna-Seyring. From here another relocation to Neuruppin took place. Here the group received Messerschmitt Bf 109 K. For use in the Ardennes offensive, the group was transferred to Düsseldorf on December 16, 1944.

After the failure of the Ardennes offensive, the group was transferred to the Eastern Front on January 17, 1945. It was dissolved on April 13, 1945.

Supplementary group

In May 1941, the 1st season of the supplementary group moved to Budapest. It initially stayed in the Hungary / Romania area. On September 29, she was ordered to be transferred to Africa. In Athens the order came to return to Bucharest Pipera. There it was dissolved on February 1, 1942.

Rod

On April 1, 1941, the staff moved to Deta near Arad to take part in the Balkan campaign. The next operational points were Greece and Crete. In the Russian campaign, the staff remained close to the II. And III. Group.

The staff received Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 in early 1942. The staff also ended their mission in Russia on October 11, 1942 and was transferred to Germany. Here she received five Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 Trop. On October 28th the staff moved to Bari via Brindisi . From there it went on to North Africa on November 3, 1942.

On May 7, 1943, the staff left North Africa and moved to Trapani in Sicily. After the refreshment from May 19 in Bari, the staff flew missions for hunting protection over Sicily and Sardinia. After the order to evacuate Sicily, he moved to Vibo Valentia on the Italian mainland.

On September 9, 1944, the staff was withdrawn from Italy and stationed in Vienna-Aspern. After a short stay in Felsoe-Abrany, he came to Dortmund in October.

On January 18, 1945, the staff was transferred to the Eastern Front. He was captured in Skuch at the end of the war.

Commanders

Squadron commodors

• Lieutenant Colonel Eitel Roediger von Manteuffel , October 1, 1939
• Major Bernhard Woldenga , December 22, 1940
• Major Gotthard Handrick , June 23, 1941
• Major Gordon M. Gollob , May 16, 1942
• Major Joachim Müncheberg , October 1, 1942
• Lieutenant Colonel Johannes Steinhoff , April 1, 1943
• Major Johannes Wiese, December 1, 1944
• Major Siegfried Freytag, December 26, 1944
• Major Erich Leie, December 29, 1944
• Major Siegfried Freytag, March 7, 1945
• Major Fritz Losigkeit, April 1, 1945

Group commanders

I. group

• Captain Johannes Janke, May 1, 1939
• Captain Walter Grommes, February 1941
• Major Joachim Seegert, June 1941
• Captain Herbert Ihlefeld , January 6, 1942
• Major Heinz Bär , May 11, 1942
• Lieutenant Colonel Armin Koehler, July 31, 1943
• Captain Lutz-Wilhelm Burkhardt, August 19, 1943
• Captain Theo Lindemann, November 30, 1943
• Captain Armin Köhler, May 1944
• Captain Lothar Baumann, August 1, 1944
• Major Münnichow, December 24, 1944
• Captain Joachim Deicke, January 10, 1945
• Captain Heinz Grosser, April 17, 1945

II group

• Lieutenant Colonel Carl-August Schumacher , May 1, 1939
• Major Harry von Bülow-Bothkamp , November 30, 1939
• Captain Karl Hentschel, March 31, 1940
• Captain Franz-Heinz Lange, September 9, 1940
• Captain Helmut Henz, April 23, 1941
• Major Anton Mader , May 26, 1941
• First Lieutenant Heinz Dudeck, March 7, 1943
• Major Siegfried Freytag, March 13, 1943
• Captain Emil Omert, January 29, 1944
• Major Armin Koehler, April 4, 1945

III. group

• Major Heinrich Seeliger , July 5, 1940
• Major Alexander von Winterfeldt, October 1940
• Major Kurt Ubben , September 5, 1941
• Captain Karl Bresoschek, March 10, 1944
• Captain Emil Omert, April 3, 1944
• Captain Karl Bresoschek, April 24, 1944
• First Lieutenant Erhard Niese, June 6, 1944
• Major Armin Köhler, August 1944

Supplementary group

• First Lieutenant Schultz, March 1941
• Major Albert Blumensaat, May 1941
• Major Kurt Fischer, July 1, 1941

Known squadron members

• Friedrich-Wilhelm Grunewald (1920–2001), was a brigadier general in the air force of the Bundeswehr and federal chairman of the small party Patriots for Germany
• Reinhard Heydrich (1904–1942), SS-Obergruppenführer and General of the Police , Head of the Reich Main Security Office (RSHA) and Deputy Reich Protector in Bohemia and Moravia
• Anton Mader (1913–1984) was a brigadier in the Austrian Armed Forces
• Heinrich Seeliger (* 1907), Brigadier General and from 1964 to 1967 head of the military counterintelligence service
• Johannes Steinhoff (1913–1994), from 1966 to 1970 third inspector of the Air Force

literature

• Jerry Scutts: Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean (= Osprey Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 2). Osprey Publishingm London 1995, ISBN 1-85532-448-2 .
• Jochen Prien: History of the Jagdgeschwader 77 (1992–95, Struve)

• Jochen Prien: Use of Jagdgeschwader 77 from 1939 to 1945. A war diary based on documents, reports and memories. from volume 3: History of the Jagdgeschwader 77. 4 volumes. Struve, Eutin 1992-1995;
  • Volume 1: 1934 to May 1941. 1992, ISBN 3-923457-19-7 ;
  • Volume 2: June 1941 to November 1942. 1993, ISBN 3-923457-22-7 ;
  • Volume 3: 1942-1943. 1994, ISBN 3-923457-26-X ;
  • Volume 4: 1944-1945. 1995, ISBN 3-923457-29-4 .

Web links

Commons : Jagdgeschwader 77  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Jochen Prien, Gerhard Stemmer, Peter Rodeike, Winfried Bock: The fighter pilot associations of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945. Volume 1: Pre-war period and deployment over Poland - 1934 to 1939. Struve's printing and publishing house, Eutin 2000, ISBN 3-923457-54- 5 , p. 455 and p. 461.