13 JG 52
Encyclopedia
13. Staffel Jagdgeschwader 52
(13.(slovak)/ JG 52) was a front-line German
unit of the Luftwaffe
made up of Slovak
personnel during World War II
.
They operated on the Eastern Front using Messerschmitt Bf 109
s (F and G), between 1941 and 1943.
On 25 February 1942 Slovak pilots were sent to Karup, Denmark for conversion training to the Bf 109. The unit was then deployed to the Kuban area in the Crimea, on 27 October with 12 'Emils' on charge. It made its first aerial claim on 28 November 1942 when a pair of Bf-109s attacked nine Polikarpov I-153 biplanes, the Slovaks claiming three without loss. The Luftwaffe loaned several Bf 109 F-2s in January 1943, followed by Bf 109 Gs in March.
13 staffel flew some 2000 sorties and claimed around 216 kills for the loss of only four pilots killed (and three who defected to the Soviets
). The leading ace was Ján Reznák with 32 confirmed victories and Izidor Kovárik with 28 confirmed victories.
On their return home, they were deployed in Western Slovakia for the industrial defense and of the capital of Bratislava
, under the control of the Jagdfliegerführer Ostmark (Fighter Leader Austria). 15 Bf 109G-6 fighters were delivered in late January February 1944. The unit attacked the American heavy bomber formations on 26 June near Vienna. Eight Bf 109G-6s intercepted the bombers, and managed to shoot down a B-24, and damaging two others before five 109s were shot down by the escorts. Three pilots were killed, including the unit commander.
Jagdgeschwader 52
Jagdgeschwader 52 of the Luftwaffe, was the most successful fighter-wing of all time, with a claimed total of more than 10,000 victories over enemy aircraft during World War II. It was the unit of the top three scoring Fighter aces of all time, Erich Hartmann, Gerhard Barkhorn and Günther Rall...
(13.(slovak)/ JG 52) was a front-line German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
unit of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
made up of Slovak
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
personnel during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
They operated on the Eastern Front using Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
s (F and G), between 1941 and 1943.
On 25 February 1942 Slovak pilots were sent to Karup, Denmark for conversion training to the Bf 109. The unit was then deployed to the Kuban area in the Crimea, on 27 October with 12 'Emils' on charge. It made its first aerial claim on 28 November 1942 when a pair of Bf-109s attacked nine Polikarpov I-153 biplanes, the Slovaks claiming three without loss. The Luftwaffe loaned several Bf 109 F-2s in January 1943, followed by Bf 109 Gs in March.
13 staffel flew some 2000 sorties and claimed around 216 kills for the loss of only four pilots killed (and three who defected to the Soviets
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
). The leading ace was Ján Reznák with 32 confirmed victories and Izidor Kovárik with 28 confirmed victories.
On their return home, they were deployed in Western Slovakia for the industrial defense and of the capital of Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, under the control of the Jagdfliegerführer Ostmark (Fighter Leader Austria). 15 Bf 109G-6 fighters were delivered in late January February 1944. The unit attacked the American heavy bomber formations on 26 June near Vienna. Eight Bf 109G-6s intercepted the bombers, and managed to shoot down a B-24, and damaging two others before five 109s were shot down by the escorts. Three pilots were killed, including the unit commander.