Jagdgeschwader 11
Encyclopedia
Jagdgeschwader 11 was a German fighter
wing
of the Luftwaffe during World War II
. Its primary role was the defense of Northern Germany against Allied
day bomber raids. Formed in April 1943, the unit primarily used the Messerschmitt Bf 109
and Focke-Wulf Fw 190
.
The growing daylight bomber offensive of the United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF) 8th Air Force forced the Luftwaffe to augment its day fighter
strength. It countered these bombing raids by expanding the number of daylight fighter units assigned to the Defense of the Reich
. Due to a scarcity of resources and trained pilots, the Luftwaffe increased its strength by splitting Jagdgeschwader 1 to form Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11). JG 11 was initially based along the North German coast, protecting the northern flank of occupied Europe. During the summer of 1943, as the unescorted bombers penetrated deeper into Germany, JG 11 saw intensive action, with about 40 percent of some 1,200 'kill' claims submitted by the Western Front
fighter wings in this period being credited to JG 1 and JG 11 .
JG 11 trialled new tactics such as dropping 250 kg bombs on top of the bomber formations or using underwing rockets. In spring of 1944 the introduction of P-51 Mustang
made the job of units such as JG 11 very difficult as they fought through the escorts to reach the bombers. Several measures were introduced to counter the bomber offensive such as the introduction of Bf 109–G high altitude aircraft with a pressurized cockpit.
In January 1945, the Luftwaffe made a last ditch counterattack to stem the Allied offensives with Operation Baseplate. JG 11 targeted the USAAF base at Asch called Y–29 and Ophoven. What followed became known as the "Legend of Y–29". JG 11 lost its commander and several group commanders with many pilots. In mid 1945 JG 11 moved to Poland, although it later withdrew back to the Western Front
and surrendered to British forces in early May 1945.
became II./JG 11. A new III./JG 11 was raised under Ernst-Günther Heinze at Neumünster
, equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6. A headquarters flight was formed in Jever. Former group commander of II./JG 77
, Major
Anton Mader
was appointed to command the new unit.
The new unit was responsible for the day defense of the German Bight
, southern Norway
and western Denmark
. This was previously the eastern portion of JG 1's area of responsibility. JG 11 reported to the Fighter Commander of the German Bight in the 2nd Fighter Division . By mid-1943, JG 11 came under the control of the Luftwaffe Commander Center (Lw Bfh), which later formed Air Fleet Germany .
In late June 1943 Hauptmann Günther Specht
replaced Major Adolf Dickfeld
as II./JG 11's commander. A perfectionist and one of the most competent group commanders, Specht led almost every mission after taking command. In a few months II./JG 11 became one of the most effective day fighter units.
In mid-November 1943 Mader had a public fall-out with Generalmajor Max Ibel
of 2. Jagd-Division and was sent to the Eastern Front to command Jagdgeschwader 54
. He was replaced by Oberstleutnant Hermann Graf
, an Eastern Front Bf 109 ace and the first pilot to claim 200 victories.
1./JG 11 relocated to Salzwedel
and 2./JG 11 to Lüneburg
in April 1944 remaining there until June 1944, while Specht was transferred to Geschwaderstab JG 11 as a Kommodore-In-Training. He was replaced by Major Günther Rall
from JG 52 as Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 11, located at Eschborn
being rebuilt. III./JG 11 was dispatched to Minsk
in anticipation of the impending Soviet offensive, but its ten-week stay did little to effect the outcome of the land battle.
, an island in the middle of the German Bight. A fighter squadron was established on 7 April 1943 under First Lieutenant
Hermann Hintzen, equipped with the Bf 109T Toni. This was the only Bf 109 variant able to take off from those short runways due to its longer wing span. The Staffel reported to Jagdfliegerführer Deutsche Bucht. In mid-April 1943, the Staffel was subordinated to 2. Jagd–Division. This Staffel worked to a great extent with the units of JG 11. On 30 November 1943, it was merged with JG 11 to boost operational strength of JG 11.
s. Towards the end of 1943 III./JG 11 started converting to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190
. JG 11 tended to use a combination of Bf 109s and Fw 190s, the Bf 109 for attacking fighters and the Fw 190 for attacking bombers.
In March 1943 II./JG 11 started to replace the Bf 109G-1 with the Bf 109G-6. The G-6 had the option of two 20 mm cannons in underwing gondolas which made it more useful in destroying the tough American bombers.
On 26 June 1943 a trial Wilde Sau
unit was established to verify the night-fighting theories of Major Hajo Herrmann
. Equipped with the Bf 109 at Bonn-Hangelar
, the unit was expanded into I./JG 300 and JG 300 Geschwaderstab. With insufficient numbers of Bf 109 aircraft to equip the formation they 'borrowed' aircraft from II./JG 11 (at Rheine
) and III./JG 11 (at Oldenburg
). Operating aircraft by day and also by night the extra wear and tear on their aircraft and resulting lower serviceability rates made the arrangement very unpopular with the JG 11 maintenance personnel.
alongside one group of JG 1. In order to make it easier to regroup after an engagement and aid unit identification both I./JG 1 and JG 11 followed the new Luftwaffe policy and painted their aircraft with special Defense of the Reich, aft fuselage bands. I./JG 1 used a red band and JG 11 used a yellow band.
The Third Staffel of JG 11 (3./JG 11) was formed from 9./JG 1 and perpetuated that unit's distinctive logo of a flintlock pistol on a red heart surrounded by the German words, "Wer zuerst schiesst hat mehr vom Leben", which translates as "Who shoots first gets more out of life".
JG 11 saw action immediately after its formation, with one of the first large daylight raids on 17 April 1943. 115 aircraft from four B-17 bomb groups attacked the Focke-Wulf factory
outside Bremen
. They were initially intercepted by II./JG 11, accompanied by Jasta Helgoland. A total of 16 bombers were claimed, II./JG 11 was credited with 7 and Jasta Heligoland credited with one. The new leader of II./JG 11 Major Adolf Dickfeld claimed the first B-17. Oberleutnant Heinz Knoke
(leading 5./JG 11) shot down one B–17 after missing the original target for his bomb dropped over the formation. The downed bombers included six of the 401st Bomb Squadron (91 BG
). Four aircraft of II./JG 11 were damaged in deadstick landing
s as they exhausted their fuel. One aircraft of the Jasta Helgoland was shot down north of Norderney
but the pilot bailed out. In another raid that same day light bombers of Royal Air Force
(RAF) No. 2 Group bombed Abbeville
. With the escorts engaged by other units, I. and II./JG 11 attacked the bombers before their bomb run. Knoke's unit carried bombs, but all the bombs missed. Both Gruppen conducted frontal attacks on for almost an hour with five claims filed without loss. Three Bf 109s of II./JG 11 ran out of fuel and had to do deadstick landings over the Frisians
.
On 14 May 1943 multiple groups of heavy bombers conducted several missions across the Low Countries
. One hundred B-17s and B-24s bombed Kiel
U-Boat Base
on the Baltic Sea
. II./JG 11, again with Jasta Helgoland intercepted, now flying the new Bf 109G-6 variant with underwing 20 mm cannon. Knoke's unit still attempted bombing from above the formation and tried to position entire unit above the formation. But when the leading bombers reached the Germania shipyards
located on the port's eastern side inner basin Knoke gave up trying and ordered individual pilots to drop their bombs over the bombers and make a head-on pass on a group of bombers slightly separated from the main formation. A B-17 (42-30003) of 92nd BG
was hit and according to Knoke, "the Fortress reared like a stricken animal, before falling in steep spirals to the right". Other bomber crews described it "circling and going down under control with one engine out and a stabilizer missing". It went down near Husum but the crew of 10 survived. This was Knoke's fifth claim in less than three months, making him the first Bf 109 ace of the "Defense of the Reich" campaign. Two other B-17s were shot down, one credited to Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 11 Hauptmann Egon Falkensamer. Following this interception I./JG 11, accompanied by Bf 110s of NJG 3, intercepted and two pilots of I./JG 11 claimed one bomber each. A group of 17 B-24Ds (44th BG
) were intercepted by II./JG 11 and III./JG 54, and claimed seven of the B-24s (one credited to Specht) for the loss of five fighters. Five claims were confirmed with 12 bombers damaged.
24 hours later nine B-24 groups attacked the North sea ports of Wilhelmshaven
and Emden
. The formation attacking Wilhelmshaven had to abort due to poor visibility over the target so instead attacked secondary targets, Heligoland Düne; the base of Jasta Heligoland and Wangerooge
. They were intercepted by II./JG 1 and III./JG 54. II./JG 11 was credited with four bombers downed ; one each to Dickfeld, Specht, Knoke and Unteroffizier Helmut Lennartz. Lennartz claimed his B-24 by dropping a bomb above the formation.
The mission on 11 June 1943 was the largest thus far, involving 250 B-17s. II./JG 1 and III./JG 1 intercepted a formation approaching Wilhelmshaven, resulting in ten claims for II./JG 11, including one each for Specht and Knoke. Two days later 60 B-17s of 95th BG
attacked Kiel. II./JG 11 scrambled accompanied by Jasta Helgoland, but only one was claimed by Unteroffizier Ewald Herhold west of Neumünster, Herhold being injured in the knee while making two passes at the bombers and bailing out. Another pilot of Jasta Helgoland crashlanded in Föhr
. A second 'probable' B-17 was claimed by Leutnant Kilian of 5./JG 11. Another 6 bombers went down over Kiel.
During the raid on 25 June 1943 cloud cover obscured both primary and secondary targets so the B-17s bombed two convoys off of the Frisian Islands
. II and III./JG 11 intercepted, along with six other Gruppen, and claimed six bombers. Specht and Knoke claimed one each but Knoke was injured in the hand.
and Nordhafen rubber works in Hanover
along with Hamburg U-Boat Yards
. A total of 15 bombers were claimed downed, claimants including Specht and 7./JG 11 Staffelkapitän Hugo Frey
.
On 28 July 1943 15 bombers of the VIII Bomber Command targeted the Fieseler Works
in Kassel
and the AGO Factory
in Oschersleben
; used for subcontract work on the Focke-Wulf Fw 190
fighters. II./JG 11 intercepted and after a 20 minute engagement claimed 12 bombers. Those credited included Specht and 4./JG 11 Staffelkapitän Oberleutnant Gerhard Sommer
. Knoke's 5. Staffel carried out air bombing and claimed seven bombers. Unteroffizier Wilhelm "Jonny" Fest's bomb hit a B-17F of the 385th BG
(42-30257). It collided with two other bombers, Betty Boom (42-3316) and Roundtrip Ticket (42-30285) and all three went down west of Sylt
.
Allied records attributed the loss of 42-30257 to a flak hit and other sources credit the bomber to underwing rockets of Erprobungskommando 25
attached to I./JG 1 at the time. III./JG 11 claimed two more bombers over Hanover, while a refueled II./JG 1 and Jasta Helgoland claimed three more on the bomber's return journey.
The following day the Eighth Air Force targeted Kiel's U-Boat yards
and the Heinkel
factory in Warnemünde
. Elements of JG 11 with JG 1 used Werfer-Granate 21 (Wfr. Gr. or WGr) underwing rockets for the first time. The American bomber crews dubbed these "flaming baseballs". While being wildly inaccurate these rockets, containing 40.8 kg (89.9 lb) of explosive, could be launched from well outside the range of the bomber's defensive fire and were intended to break up the bomber formations. The launchers did however seriously reduce the performance of the fighters, making them easy prey to any Allied fighter escort. II. and III./JG 11 engaged the bombers on their return route near Heligoland, JG 11 claiming eight B-17s destroyed (III./JG 11 was credited with three aircraft). One III./JG 11 pilot was injured.
On the last day of Blitz Week (30 July) VIII Bomber Command targeted the Fieseler Works in Kassel
. III./JG 11 and III./JG 1 were not scrambled until after the bombers crossed into Germany over Eifel
. By the time they were in the air the bombers were near Emmerich am Rhein before they were intercepted. The Bf 109s were unexpectedly surprised by some 100 P-47 Thunderbolt
s escorts, newly equipped with drop tank
s. III./JG 11 shot down two bombers but in the first major fighter combat of the Defense of the Reich lost four aircraft, with one pilot wounded and one dead. At the end of Blitz Week JG 11 had claimed some 49 bombers for six pilots injured and one killed.
on 27 September. It saw the introduction of H2S radar
on four of the bombers and the introduction of larger 108 Gallon
paper-mache drop tanks on the P-47. II./JG 11 intercepted the bombers from the south and Knoke's 5./JG 11 made a pass firing under-wing rockets, shooting down two bombers. Despite the escort II./JG 11 claimed six more bombers shot down and 2 P-47 escorts but lost ten pilots, with four wounded.
The bombers returned to Emden on 2 October 1943 escorted by the P-47s. III./JG 11, under new leader Anton Hackl
, intercepted with II./JG 3. Hackl was credited with two bombers (taking his score to 127), another bomber was credited to another pilot. Two days later bombers targeted Frankfurt
and Saarland
with two separate groups of B-24s splitting the fighter response. The groups made a successful diversionary sweep across the North Sea, disrupting the Luftwaffe defence. Specht led II., III./JG 11 and Jasta Heligoland in the attack, and I./JG 11 claimed five B-24s for gruppenkommandeur Erwin Clausen
killed, while II./JG 11 claimed six B-24s (Specht and Knoke credited one each) and Staffelkapitän of Jasta Helgoland, Oberleutnant Hans-Heinrich Koenig
credited with one. Feldwebel Hans–Gerd Wennekers of 5./JG 11 claimed two with 30 mm MK 108 cannon
. His attack on the B-24 caused it to collide with the bomber above, taking both down. Allied records state four B-24s were shot down in the action, despite JG 11 claiming 11. After returning to the airfield at Marx, Specht bitterly complained to the High Command
about the inadequate armament of the Bf 109 that often allowed damaged bombers to return home.
Six days later the bombers returned
to Bremen and U-Boat yards
of Vegesack
. II. and III./JG 11 intercepted and III./JG 11 claimed 11 bombers. Gruppenkommandeure Specht, Hackl and Olejnik
Knoke and Wennekers all claimed one each, and Siegfried Zick claimed one bomber south of Quakenbrück
. Next day there was another attack on Kiel by B-17s with B-17F(42-5407) "Fightin Pappy" possibly downed by Frey. General der Jagdflieger Adolf Galland
flew a Fw 190 during the day's fighting and witnessed some of the attacks over the Frisian Islands
. To his "disgust", he saw the 21 cm rocket equipped fighters launch from too long a range. He also noted attacks were disorganized. Galland waited for the fighters to return to base before making his own interception, claiming a B-17 on his second pass, though he did not report the kill since he was not officially authorised to fly in combat.
for operations over France soon after the Allied invasion of 6 June 1944. Given the overwhelming superiority of the Allied fighter screens over the beach heads, the Luftwaffe units suffered heavily, JG 11 being no exception.
In August 1944 each JG 11 Gruppe was increased to four Staffeln, with a new 4./JG 11 formed from 10. and 11./JG 11. The old 4./JG 11 became the new 8./JG 11 Staffel. Old 7./JG 11 become 10./JG 11 and a new 7./JG 11 was formed from scratch.
On 17 December 1944 I./JG 11 was heavily engaged by P-47s over Munstereifel and later by P-38 Lightning
s. Four German pilots were wounded with Unteroffizier
Liebeck bailing out successfully. Unteroffizier Heyer, flying Black 1 shot down one P-38 before being seriously wounded and bailing out.
By December 1944 I./JG 11 were frequently paired with the 'Sturm' FW 190's of IV./JG 4 in attacking heavy bomber formations over the Moselle River
. The other two Gruppen of JG 11 operated under the administrative control of JG 2 engaging the fighters of Eighth
and Ninth Air Force
.
On 23 December I./JG 11 and JG 4 intercepted American bombers near the Trier region. JG 11 claimed 28 B-26s and several escorts while 12 Fw 190s and one P-51 went down. Major Arthur F. Jeffrey of 479 FG
was credited with three victories. Fähnrich Kaluza and Oberleutnant Georg Ulrici of I./JG 11 failed to return from operations over Daun
and Cochem
while Unteroffizier Ehrke and Gefreiter were killed near Gillenfeld
. Oberfähnrich Hans–Joachim Wesener was shot down south of Kaisersesch
. JG 11's losses included 12 pilots killed, 4 missing and 11 wounded.
Later the same day JG 11 scrambled to intercept some seventy B-26 Marauder
s of 387th and 394th Bombardment Groups heading for Marshalling yards at Mayen
. Over Prüm
and St. Vith they ran into the fighter escort and several of the JG 11 pilots were killed,including Major Erich Putzka, of the Gruppenstab and Oberfeldwebel Holland, chased by thirty P-47s. Oberfeldwebel Titscher was shot down by a Spitfire
over Cologne
. Two others were wounded over Munstereifel.
The next day American B-17 Flying Fortresses targeted JG 4 and JG 11's airfields. As JG 11 tried to protect its airfields they lost 4 pilots; Unteroffizier Stöhr killed over Gross-Ostheim, Feldwebel Horlacher over Gross-Karben
and Leutnant Richter and Feldwebel Schulirsch did not return from the Moselle
near Trier
.
On 25 December there were more losses. Flight Lieutenant Sherk of No. 402 Squadron RCAF
intercepted a lone Fw 190A-8 southeast of Düren
, which he shot down. This may have been Unteroffizier Wolfgang Rosenow of 11./JG 11 who failed to return from a mission to Euskirchen
. III./JG 11 also lost four pilots near Bonn and Cologne. I./JG 11 ran into more fighters over Eifel
, and Unteroffiziere Holzinger and Weismüller were lost.
where the 366th Fighter Group (366th FG, Ninth Air Force
) and the 352nd Fighter Group
(352 FG, Eighth Air Force
) were based. Also targeted was the Spitfire airfield at Ophoven, housing the RAF's No. 41
, No. 130, 350
and No. 610
of the 2nd Tactical Wing
.
At 8:00 AM, the three Gruppen of JG 11 took off from Darmstadt-Griesheim
, Gross-Ostheim, and Zellhausen
led by Specht. Some 65 Fw 190 and Bf 109s formed over Aschaffenburg
at 8:30 AM, with two Junkers Ju 188
pathfinders leading. With the secrecy surrounding the mission very few were aware of their objectives. At a height of 400 feet they passed over Koblenz
.
Over Aachen
flak
burst around them, hitting the Fw 190 of Oberleutnant Hans Fielder, adjutant of III./JG 11. He had rejoined his group the previous day from Göttingen
, force-landing
on 23 December due to engine trouble, and was grounded. He was not expecting to participate in this operation but had to fly with a brand new Fw190 A-8 as the wingman for Oberleutnant Grosser, Staffelkapitän of 11./JG 11. A lone P-47 shot at him and a result of both flak hits and P-47 fire Fielder was wounded in the head and forced to crash-land
becoming a POW. Unteroffizier Ernst Noreisch was shot down and killed.
At 8:42 AM Captain Eber E. Simpson was leading the 391st squadron
on a mission to bomb German tanks near St. Vith. They ran into two Bf 109s south of Malmedy
with Lieutenants John F. Bathurst and Donald G. Holt claiming one each.
At 9:10 AM Lieutenant Colonel John C. Meyer
of 487th Fighter Squadron (352 FG
) was preparing for takeoff in "Petie III" P-51 Mustang
with 11 others. As he lifted off he noticed flak bursts over Ophoven and one Fw 190 heading straight at him, piloted by Gefreiter Böhm intent on strafing a C-47 Skytrain
transport. Meyer had not retracted his landing gear when he fired at the Fw 190 which cartwheeled and exploded next to the C-47. Despite the attack other P-51s were able to take off and JG 11 soon lost eight pilots. Obergefreiter Karlheinz Sistenich, Feldwebel Harald Scharz, Feldwebel Herbert Kraschinski, Oberleutnant August Engel all died, while Feldwebel Karl Miller was severely burnt after crash landing. There was one casualty among Allied ground crew. The U.S. flak crews held fire for fear of hitting a friendly aircraft and Allied pilots were cautious of firing at low flying 109s to avoid strafing the base. Flak crews hit one chasing P-51 which had to land damaged.
By 9:15 AM eight P-47s of 366th FG "Red" and "Yellow" flights were preparing for armed reconnaissance over Ardennes
. "Red" flight consisted of Captain Lowell B. Smith with Lieutenants John Kennedy, Melvin R. Paisley and Flight Officer Dave Johnson. "Yellow" flight included Lieutenants John Feeny, Robert V. Brulle, Currie Davis and Joe Lackey. Kennedy noticed flak bursts to the northeast, and Red flight discovered JG 11 strafing the base at Ophoven with 50 JG 11 fighters heading back to their own base. Intent on strafing parked aircraft the German pilots did not notice the P-47s.
Lieutenant Paisley hit a Bf 109 using an underwing rocket and downed two more using gunfire. Smith and Brulle both shot one down, Brulle damaging another before running out of ammunition. Feeny and Lackey also shot down JG 11 aircraft. Six 352 FG pilots claimed multiple victories. Captain William T. "Whiz" Whisner and Lieutenant Sanford K. Moats
claimed four each, with Captain Henry M. Stewart II and Lieutenant Alden P. Rigby claiming three each. Meyer and Lieutenant Ray Littge claimed two apiece while Whisner's wingman Lieutenant Walker G. Diamond and Meyer's wingman Lieutenant Alex F. Sears claimed one each.
The air battle of Asch, later known as the "Legend of Y-29", was a disaster for JG 11. U.S. fighters claimed 30 German fighters while JG 11 lost 28 aircraft (from 65). 25 pilots were killed. 5./JG 11 was the only unit that returned unscathed, though all the aircraft were damaged. III./JG 11 lost six pilots including Major Vowinkel. Some 40 percent of the JG 11 pilots died in the operation. At Asch four P-51s were shot down in the attack but the pilots survived. One P-47 and one P-51 were shot up on the ground.
Over Ophoven Airfield
, a Spitfire of No. 610 Squadron
flown by Australian Flight Lieutenant A.F.O. "Tony" Gaze took off but was shot at by P-51s chasing JG 11. He however shot down one Fw 190.
At Ophoven JG 11 were able to shoot up several Spitfires of No. 125 Wing RAF with seven fighters of No. 350 Squadron RAF
destroyed along with several C-47 Dakotas. Buildings were also strafed. Although the flak crews claimed eight to ten aircraft downed several claims were duplicated by Allied pilots and flak crews, total claims being 42. III./JG 11 strafed for 45 minutes taking heavy losses. Unteroffizier Kurt Nüssle, 'Unteroffizier Hermann Barion and Feldwebel Peter Reschke were all shot down and killed, with Oberfeldwebel Franz Meindl listed as missing.
Also among the pilots killed was Major Specht. Specht received the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross after his death. Paisley's wingman Johnson claimed two German fighters shot down but his aircraft was heavily damaged from return fire. Bailing out he landed in a field near Asch. A Bf 109 had "belly landed" not far from the field and he went to inspect it, riding a borrowed bicycle. The Bf 109 was still intact but the pilot was dead. Johnson claimed that the pilot's identification card named him as a Lieutenant Colonel Specht. The claim has been disproved by German records that indicate Specht flew a Fw 190 WkNr. 205033, and that he was a Major. Johnson's actual victim that day was Oberleutnant August Engel. Hauptmann Horst-Günther von Fassong
, commander of III./JG 11, also went missing near Opglabbeek
shot down by P-47s.
s of No. 3 and 486 Squadrons on 14 January 1945. With the Allied fighters trying to keep the German fighters away from the Saar region, other Geschwader joined JG 11 and JG 11 lost two pilots in the engagement. JG 11 was finally ordered to move to the Eastern Front in Poland on 23 January 1945.
, crashing due to oxygen failure.On 24 April 1945 one pilot was lkilled in battle with Spitfires, P-51s and Yaks over Tempelhof
, Germany
.
The task of withdrawal to the West and surrender came to the sixth and last Geschwaderkommodore Anton Hackl, who surrendered the unit to British forces in early May 1945.
As a means of combating the massed fire power of bomber streams, JG 11 personnel trialed the viability of bombing the formations from above with 250 kg bombs, a practice pioneered by Luftwaffe Oberleutnant Heinz Knoke
in March 1943. On 28 July 1943 Unteroffizier Fest of 5./JG 11 claimed three B-17's with a single bomb. However the loss in performance of the bomb-laden Bf 109's, along with their vulnerability to escorting fighters, soon curtailed the practice. 5./JG 11 were at the forefront of tactical developments for effectively intercepting the day bomber formations. The most effective tactic were mass frontal assaults, while other methods trialed were the use of Werfer-Granate
(Wfr. Gr. or WGr) 21 under-wing rockets. These were inaccurate but were used primarily to break up the bomber formations.
Like its sister units engaged in Reich defense, JG 11 suffered heavy casualties in both pilots and aircraft. Many of the pilots killed were highly experienced and irreplaceable Experten
. Hauptmann Hugo Frey (32 claims, including 26 heavy bombers, killed 8 March 1944), Hauptmann Gerhardt Sommer (20 claims, 15 heavy bombers, killed 12 May 1944) and Feldwebel Wilhelm Fest (15 claims, 8 confirmed victories May 1944) were just three of JG 11's best aces to fall.
In April 1944 Staffelkapitän of 10./JG 51, Leutnant Horst-Günther Von Fassong, was transferred to lead 7./JG 11. He was credited with 62 victories on the Eastern Front
at the time. He added several B-17s in the next month before promotion to Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 11. Von Fassong died on 1 January 1945 during Operation Baseplate, and his aircraft cartwheeled after attack by two P-47 Thunderbolt
s. Another major casualty of Operation Baseplate was Geschwaderkommodore Specht.
On 9 July 1944 Hackl was the 78th recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords , following his 150th victory.
e are still mentioned here.
Its not known if those three claims were confirmed or not.
Lennartz's claim has not been confirmed by allied records.
Fighter aircraft
A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed primarily to attack ground targets...
wing
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
of the Luftwaffe 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...
. Its primary role was the defense of Northern Germany against Allied
Allies of World War II
The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...
day bomber raids. Formed in April 1943, the unit primarily used the 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...
and Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
.
The growing daylight bomber offensive of the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF) 8th Air Force forced the Luftwaffe to augment its day fighter
Day fighter
A day fighter is a fighter aircraft equipped only to fight during the day. More specifically, it refers to a multi-purpose aircraft that does not include equipment for fighting at night , although it is sometimes used to refer to some interceptors as well.Examples of planes that were classified as...
strength. It countered these bombing raids by expanding the number of daylight fighter units assigned to the Defense of the Reich
Defense of the Reich
The Defence of the Reich is the name given to the strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe over German occupied Europe and Germany itself during World War II. Its aim was to prevent the destruction of German military and civil industries by the Western Allies...
. Due to a scarcity of resources and trained pilots, the Luftwaffe increased its strength by splitting Jagdgeschwader 1 to form Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11). JG 11 was initially based along the North German coast, protecting the northern flank of occupied Europe. During the summer of 1943, as the unescorted bombers penetrated deeper into Germany, JG 11 saw intensive action, with about 40 percent of some 1,200 'kill' claims submitted by the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
fighter wings in this period being credited to JG 1 and JG 11 .
JG 11 trialled new tactics such as dropping 250 kg bombs on top of the bomber formations or using underwing rockets. In spring of 1944 the introduction of P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
made the job of units such as JG 11 very difficult as they fought through the escorts to reach the bombers. Several measures were introduced to counter the bomber offensive such as the introduction of Bf 109–G high altitude aircraft with a pressurized cockpit.
In January 1945, the Luftwaffe made a last ditch counterattack to stem the Allied offensives with Operation Baseplate. JG 11 targeted the USAAF base at Asch called Y–29 and Ophoven. What followed became known as the "Legend of Y–29". JG 11 lost its commander and several group commanders with many pilots. In mid 1945 JG 11 moved to Poland, although it later withdrew back to the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
and surrendered to British forces in early May 1945.
Formation history
Under the increasing threat of the Allied heavy bombers, the Luftwaffe decided to augment its fighter strength by creating a new wing by splitting Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1). On 31 March 1943, JG 1 had four component groups I., II., III. and IV./JG 1. Of these III./JG 1, located in Husum, was redesignated as I./JG 11 while I./JG 1, under Günther Beise, located in JeverJever
Jever is the capital of the district of Friesland in Lower Saxony, Germany. The name Jever is usually associated with a major brand of beer which is produced here, the city is also a popular holiday resort. Jever was granted city status in 1536. Unofficially Jever is sometimes referred to as...
became II./JG 11. A new III./JG 11 was raised under Ernst-Günther Heinze at Neumünster
Neumünster
Neumünster is an independent town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, which has a total of four independent towns.-Current Situation:Neumünster station is major railway junction with lines running in six directions, including the important Hamburg-Altona–Kiel and Neumünster–Flensburg lines.Near...
, equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6. A headquarters flight was formed in Jever. Former group commander of II./JG 77
Jagdgeschwader 77
Jagdgeschwader 77 Herz As was a Luftwaffe fighter Geschwader during World War II. It served in all the German theaters of war, from Western Europe to the Eastern Front, and from the high north in Norway to the Mediterranean.All three gruppen within the Geschwader operated variants of the...
, Major
Major (Germany)
Major is a rank of the German military which dates back to the Middle Ages.It equates to Major in the British and US Armies, and is rated OF-3 in NATO.During World War II, the SS equivalent was Sturmbannführer....
Anton Mader
Anton Mader
Oberstleutnant Anton Mader was German World War II Luftwaffe 86 victories Flying ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
was appointed to command the new unit.
The new unit was responsible for the day defense of the German Bight
German Bight
German Bight is the southeastern bight of the North Sea bounded by the Netherlands and Germany to the south, and Denmark and Germany to the east . To the north and west it is limited by the Dogger Bank. The Bight contains the Frisian and Danish Islands. The Wadden Sea is approximately ten to...
, southern Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
and western Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. This was previously the eastern portion of JG 1's area of responsibility. JG 11 reported to the Fighter Commander of the German Bight in the 2nd Fighter Division . By mid-1943, JG 11 came under the control of the Luftwaffe Commander Center (Lw Bfh), which later formed Air Fleet Germany .
Günther Specht
Günther Specht was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II.Specht joined the heavy fighter wing "Horst Wessel" in early 1939. The unit was initially equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109s and later with the Bf 110. In 1939 he was wounded by an RAF tail gunner and blinded in one eye...
replaced Major Adolf Dickfeld
Adolf Dickfeld
Oberst Adolf Dickfeld was a German World War II Luftwaffe 136 victories Flying ace. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
as II./JG 11's commander. A perfectionist and one of the most competent group commanders, Specht led almost every mission after taking command. In a few months II./JG 11 became one of the most effective day fighter units.
In mid-November 1943 Mader had a public fall-out with Generalmajor Max Ibel
Max Ibel
Max Ibel is credited among others as one of the creators of the Luftwaffe. Ibel organized JG 27 and led it successfully during the Battle of France. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross August 22, 1940, three months later he was given a staff position...
of 2. Jagd-Division and was sent to the Eastern Front to command Jagdgeschwader 54
Jagdgeschwader 54
Jagdgeschwader 54 Grünherz was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the Second World War. It was known as the Green Hearts Wing, and it was the second highest scoring wing of all time, JG 52 being the highest...
. He was replaced by Oberstleutnant Hermann Graf
Hermann Graf
Colonel Hermann Graf was a German Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He served on both the Eastern and Western Fronts...
, an Eastern Front Bf 109 ace and the first pilot to claim 200 victories.
1./JG 11 relocated to Salzwedel
Salzwedel
Salzwedel of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, and has a population of approximately 21,500. Salzwedel is located on the German Framework Road.-Geography:...
and 2./JG 11 to Lüneburg
Lüneburg
Lüneburg is a town in the German state of Lower Saxony. It is located about southeast of fellow Hanseatic city Hamburg. It is part of the Hamburg Metropolitan Region, and one of Hamburg's inner suburbs...
in April 1944 remaining there until June 1944, while Specht was transferred to Geschwaderstab JG 11 as a Kommodore-In-Training. He was replaced by Major Günther Rall
Günther Rall
Lieutenant-General Günther Rall was the third most successful fighter ace in history. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He achieved a total of 275 victories during World War II: 272 on the Eastern Front,...
from JG 52 as Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 11, located at Eschborn
Eschborn
Eschborn is a town near Frankfurt am Main in the Main-Taunus district, Hesse, Germany. As of 2009, it had a population of 20,789, but boasts fulltime employment of over 30,000 people...
being rebuilt. III./JG 11 was dispatched to Minsk
Minsk
- Ecological situation :The ecological situation is monitored by Republican Center of Radioactive and Environmental Control .During 2003–2008 the overall weight of contaminants increased from 186,000 to 247,400 tons. The change of gas as industrial fuel to mazut for financial reasons has worsened...
in anticipation of the impending Soviet offensive, but its ten-week stay did little to effect the outcome of the land battle.
Jasta Helgoland
In 1941, two short runways were built on neighboring sand dunes on HeligolandHeligoland
Heligoland is a small German archipelago in the North Sea.Formerly Danish and British possessions, the islands are located in the Heligoland Bight in the south-eastern corner of the North Sea...
, an island in the middle of the German Bight. A fighter squadron was established on 7 April 1943 under First Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
Hermann Hintzen, equipped with the Bf 109T Toni. This was the only Bf 109 variant able to take off from those short runways due to its longer wing span. The Staffel reported to Jagdfliegerführer Deutsche Bucht. In mid-April 1943, the Staffel was subordinated to 2. Jagd–Division. This Staffel worked to a great extent with the units of JG 11. On 30 November 1943, it was merged with JG 11 to boost operational strength of JG 11.
Aircraft of JG 11
JG 11 was initially equipped with the Fw 190 A-4 and Bf 109 G-1. It also used the Fw 190A-6/R1, which carried six 20 mm MG 151 cannonMG 151 cannon
The MG 151 was a 15 mm autocannon produced by Waffenfabrik Mauser starting in 1940. It was in 1941 developed into the 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon which was widely used on many types of German Luftwaffe fighters, fighter bombers, night fighters, ground attack and even bombers as part of or as...
s. Towards the end of 1943 III./JG 11 started converting to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
. JG 11 tended to use a combination of Bf 109s and Fw 190s, the Bf 109 for attacking fighters and the Fw 190 for attacking bombers.
In March 1943 II./JG 11 started to replace the Bf 109G-1 with the Bf 109G-6. The G-6 had the option of two 20 mm cannons in underwing gondolas which made it more useful in destroying the tough American bombers.
On 26 June 1943 a trial Wilde Sau
Wilde Sau
Wilde Sau was the term given by the Luftwaffe, during World War II, to the technique by which British night bombers were mainly engaged by single-seat fighter planes.- Origins :...
unit was established to verify the night-fighting theories of Major Hajo Herrmann
Hajo Herrmann
Hans-Joachim 'Hajo' Herrmann was a Luftwaffe bomber pilot and later after the end of World War II, focusing his activities as a lawyer on civil and criminal law. In World War II, he was a high ranking and influential member of the Luftwaffe. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the...
. Equipped with the Bf 109 at Bonn-Hangelar
Sankt Augustin
Sankt Augustin is a town in the Rhein-Sieg district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is named after the patron saint of the Divine Word Missionaries, Saint Augustine of Hippo . The Missionaries established a monastery near the current city centre in 1913...
, the unit was expanded into I./JG 300 and JG 300 Geschwaderstab. With insufficient numbers of Bf 109 aircraft to equip the formation they 'borrowed' aircraft from II./JG 11 (at Rheine
Rheine
Rheine is a city in the district of Steinfurt in Westphalia, Germany. It is the largest city in the district and the location of Rheine Air Base.-Geography:Rheine is located on the river Ems, approx. north of Münster, approx...
) and III./JG 11 (at Oldenburg
Oldenburg
Oldenburg is an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the western part of the state between the cities of Bremen and Groningen, Netherlands, at the Hunte river. It has a population of 160,279 which makes it the fourth biggest city in Lower Saxony after Hanover, Braunschweig...
). Operating aircraft by day and also by night the extra wear and tear on their aircraft and resulting lower serviceability rates made the arrangement very unpopular with the JG 11 maintenance personnel.
Unit Emblems and color schemes
In January 1944 JG 11 was located in DortmundDortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
alongside one group of JG 1. In order to make it easier to regroup after an engagement and aid unit identification both I./JG 1 and JG 11 followed the new Luftwaffe policy and painted their aircraft with special Defense of the Reich, aft fuselage bands. I./JG 1 used a red band and JG 11 used a yellow band.
The Third Staffel of JG 11 (3./JG 11) was formed from 9./JG 1 and perpetuated that unit's distinctive logo of a flintlock pistol on a red heart surrounded by the German words, "Wer zuerst schiesst hat mehr vom Leben", which translates as "Who shoots first gets more out of life".
April – June 1943
Bombing of Bremen in World War II
The Bombing of Bremen in World War II by the Royal Air Force and the Eighth Air Force targeted strategic targets in the state of Bremen, which had heavy anti-aircraft artillery but only 35 fighter aircraft in the area. In addition to Wesermünde/Bremerhaven, targets were also in Farge and...
outside Bremen
Bremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
. They were initially intercepted by II./JG 11, accompanied by Jasta Helgoland. A total of 16 bombers were claimed, II./JG 11 was credited with 7 and Jasta Heligoland credited with one. The new leader of II./JG 11 Major Adolf Dickfeld claimed the first B-17. Oberleutnant Heinz Knoke
Heinz Knoke
Heinz Knoke was a World War II Luftwaffe flying ace. He is credited with 33 confirmed aerial victories, all claimed over the Western theatre of operations, and claimed a further five unconfirmed kills in over 2000 flights...
(leading 5./JG 11) shot down one B–17 after missing the original target for his bomb dropped over the formation. The downed bombers included six of the 401st Bomb Squadron (91 BG
91st Bomb Group
The 91st Bomb Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. Classified as a heavy bombardment group, the 91st operated B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft and was known unofficially as "The Ragged Irregulars" or as "Wray's Ragged Irregulars", after the...
). Four aircraft of II./JG 11 were damaged in deadstick landing
Deadstick landing
A deadstick landing, also called a dead-stick landing is a type of forced landing when an aircraft loses all of its propulsive power and is forced to land. The term is often misunderstood, as the flight controls in the majority of aircraft are either fully or partially functional, even with no...
s as they exhausted their fuel. One aircraft of the Jasta Helgoland was shot down north of Norderney
Norderney
Norderney is one of the seven populated East Frisian Islands off the North Sea coast of Germany. It is also a municipality in the district of Aurich in Lower Saxony....
but the pilot bailed out. In another raid that same day light bombers of Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) No. 2 Group bombed Abbeville
Abbeville
Abbeville is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Location:Abbeville is located on the Somme River, from its modern mouth in the English Channel, and northwest of Amiens...
. With the escorts engaged by other units, I. and II./JG 11 attacked the bombers before their bomb run. Knoke's unit carried bombs, but all the bombs missed. Both Gruppen conducted frontal attacks on for almost an hour with five claims filed without loss. Three Bf 109s of II./JG 11 ran out of fuel and had to do deadstick landings over the Frisians
Frisians
The Frisians are a Germanic ethnic group native to the coastal parts of the Netherlands and Germany. They are concentrated in the Dutch provinces of Friesland and Groningen and, in Germany, East Frisia and North Frisia, that was a part of Denmark until 1864. They inhabit an area known as Frisia...
.
On 14 May 1943 multiple groups of heavy bombers conducted several missions across the Low Countries
Low Countries
The Low Countries are the historical lands around the low-lying delta of the Rhine, Scheldt, and Meuse rivers, including the modern countries of Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and parts of northern France and western Germany....
. One hundred B-17s and B-24s bombed Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
U-Boat Base
Deutsche Werke
Deutsche Werke was a German shipbuilding company founded in 1925 when Kaiserliche Werft Kiel and other shipyards were merged. It came as a result of the Treaty of Versailles after World War I that forced the German defence industry to shrink...
on the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
. II./JG 11, again with Jasta Helgoland intercepted, now flying the new Bf 109G-6 variant with underwing 20 mm cannon. Knoke's unit still attempted bombing from above the formation and tried to position entire unit above the formation. But when the leading bombers reached the Germania shipyards
Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft
Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft was a German shipbuilding company, located in the harbour at Kiel, and one of the largest and most important builders of U-boats for the Kaiserliche Marine in World War I and the Kriegsmarine in World War II.-History:The company was founded in 1867 by Lloyd Foster, as...
located on the port's eastern side inner basin Knoke gave up trying and ordered individual pilots to drop their bombs over the bombers and make a head-on pass on a group of bombers slightly separated from the main formation. A B-17 (42-30003) of 92nd BG
92d Operations Group
The 92d Air Refueling Wing is a United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Mobility Command Eighteenth Air Force. It is stationed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington...
was hit and according to Knoke, "the Fortress reared like a stricken animal, before falling in steep spirals to the right". Other bomber crews described it "circling and going down under control with one engine out and a stabilizer missing". It went down near Husum but the crew of 10 survived. This was Knoke's fifth claim in less than three months, making him the first Bf 109 ace of the "Defense of the Reich" campaign. Two other B-17s were shot down, one credited to Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 11 Hauptmann Egon Falkensamer. Following this interception I./JG 11, accompanied by Bf 110s of NJG 3, intercepted and two pilots of I./JG 11 claimed one bomber each. A group of 17 B-24Ds (44th BG
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
) were intercepted by II./JG 11 and III./JG 54, and claimed seven of the B-24s (one credited to Specht) for the loss of five fighters. Five claims were confirmed with 12 bombers damaged.
24 hours later nine B-24 groups attacked the North sea ports of Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven
Wilhelmshaven is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea.-History:...
and Emden
Emden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
. The formation attacking Wilhelmshaven had to abort due to poor visibility over the target so instead attacked secondary targets, Heligoland Düne; the base of Jasta Heligoland and Wangerooge
Wangerooge
Wangerooge is one of the 32 Frisian Islands in the North Sea located close to the coasts of the Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. It is also a municipality in the district of Friesland in Lower Saxony in Germany.Wangerooge is one of the East Frisian Islands...
. They were intercepted by II./JG 1 and III./JG 54. II./JG 11 was credited with four bombers downed ; one each to Dickfeld, Specht, Knoke and Unteroffizier Helmut Lennartz. Lennartz claimed his B-24 by dropping a bomb above the formation.
The mission on 11 June 1943 was the largest thus far, involving 250 B-17s. II./JG 1 and III./JG 1 intercepted a formation approaching Wilhelmshaven, resulting in ten claims for II./JG 11, including one each for Specht and Knoke. Two days later 60 B-17s of 95th BG
95th Bomb Group
The 95st Bomb Group was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. Classified as a heavy bombardment group, the 95th operated B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft.-Organization of the 95th Bomb Group :...
attacked Kiel. II./JG 11 scrambled accompanied by Jasta Helgoland, but only one was claimed by Unteroffizier Ewald Herhold west of Neumünster, Herhold being injured in the knee while making two passes at the bombers and bailing out. Another pilot of Jasta Helgoland crashlanded in Föhr
Föhr
Föhr is one of the North Frisian Islands on the German coast of the North Sea. It is part of the Nordfriesland district in the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein. Föhr is the second-largest North Sea island of Germany....
. A second 'probable' B-17 was claimed by Leutnant Kilian of 5./JG 11. Another 6 bombers went down over Kiel.
During the raid on 25 June 1943 cloud cover obscured both primary and secondary targets so the B-17s bombed two convoys off of the Frisian Islands
Frisian Islands
The Frisian Islands, also known as the Wadden Islands or Wadden Sea Islands, form an archipelago at the eastern edge of the North Sea in northwestern Europe, stretching from the north-west of the Netherlands through Germany to the west of Denmark...
. II and III./JG 11 intercepted, along with six other Gruppen, and claimed six bombers. Specht and Knoke claimed one each but Knoke was injured in the hand.
Operation Gomorrah/Blitz Week
During the period of 24 to 30 July, the RAF and USAAF launched a combined series of attacks on German targets known as "Blitz Week". This was a six day round-the-clock offensive on targets inside Germany. Weather on 25 July was not favorable so two of the bomber formations attacked secondary targets, while a third abandoned their mission. II./JG 11 along with Jasta Helgoland intercepted and claimed six destroyed, with four pilots injured. The following day targets included ContinentalContinental AG
Continental AG, internally often called Conti for short, is a worldwide leading German manufacturer of tires, brake systems, vehicle stability control systems, engine injection systems, tachographs and other parts for the automotive and transport industries. The company is based in Hanover, Germany...
and Nordhafen rubber works in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
along with Hamburg U-Boat Yards
Blohm + Voss
Blohm + Voss , is a German shipbuilding and engineering works. It is a subsidiary of ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems; there were plans to sell 80% of Blohm + Voss to Abu Dhabi Mar Group, but talks collapsed in July 2011.-History:It was founded on April 5, 1877, by Hermann Blohm and Ernst Voss as a...
. A total of 15 bombers were claimed downed, claimants including Specht and 7./JG 11 Staffelkapitän Hugo Frey
Hugo Frey
Hugo Frey was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. On 6 March 1944, Hugo Frey was killed over Sleen, Holland...
.
On 28 July 1943 15 bombers of the VIII Bomber Command targeted the Fieseler Works
Fieseler
The Gerhard Fieseler Werke was a German aircraft manufacturer of the 1930s and 40s. The company is remembered mostly for its military aircraft built for the Luftwaffe during the Second World War.-History:...
in Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
and the AGO Factory
AGO Flugzeugwerke
AGO Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company from 1941 until 1945. The initials AGO had a variety of meanings during the company's lifetime, but in the its final version stood for Apparatebau GmbH Oschersleben...
in Oschersleben
Oschersleben
Oschersleben is a town in the Börde district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The population in 1905 was 13,271, in 2005 about 18,000.-Geography:...
; used for subcontract work on the Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
fighters. II./JG 11 intercepted and after a 20 minute engagement claimed 12 bombers. Those credited included Specht and 4./JG 11 Staffelkapitän Oberleutnant Gerhard Sommer
Gerhard Sommer (pilot)
Gerhard Sommer was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Gerhard Sommer was killed on 12 May 1944 after aerial...
. Knoke's 5. Staffel carried out air bombing and claimed seven bombers. Unteroffizier Wilhelm "Jonny" Fest's bomb hit a B-17F of the 385th BG
385th Strategic Aerospace Wing
The 385th Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to Air Mobility Command. It was last known to be stationed at Incirlik AB, Turkey...
(42-30257). It collided with two other bombers, Betty Boom (42-3316) and Roundtrip Ticket (42-30285) and all three went down west of Sylt
Sylt
Sylt is an island in northern Germany, part of Nordfriesland district, Schleswig-Holstein, and well known for the distinctive shape of its shoreline. It belongs to the North Frisian Islands and is the largest island in North Frisia...
.
Allied records attributed the loss of 42-30257 to a flak hit and other sources credit the bomber to underwing rockets of Erprobungskommando 25
Erprobungskommando
An Erprobungskommando was a Luftwaffe unit tasked with the testing of new aircraft and weaponry under operational conditions.-Erprobungskommando 16:...
attached to I./JG 1 at the time. III./JG 11 claimed two more bombers over Hanover, while a refueled II./JG 1 and Jasta Helgoland claimed three more on the bomber's return journey.
Deutsche Werke
Deutsche Werke was a German shipbuilding company founded in 1925 when Kaiserliche Werft Kiel and other shipyards were merged. It came as a result of the Treaty of Versailles after World War I that forced the German defence industry to shrink...
and the Heinkel
Heinkel
Heinkel Flugzeugwerke was a German aircraft manufacturing company founded by and named after Ernst Heinkel. It is noted for producing bomber aircraft for the Luftwaffe in World War II and for important contributions to high-speed flight.-History:...
factory in Warnemünde
Warnemünde
Warnemünde is a sea resort and northmost district of Rostock in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, situated on the Baltic Sea in the northeast of Germany at the estuary of the river Warnow.- History :...
. Elements of JG 11 with JG 1 used Werfer-Granate 21 (Wfr. Gr. or WGr) underwing rockets for the first time. The American bomber crews dubbed these "flaming baseballs". While being wildly inaccurate these rockets, containing 40.8 kg (89.9 lb) of explosive, could be launched from well outside the range of the bomber's defensive fire and were intended to break up the bomber formations. The launchers did however seriously reduce the performance of the fighters, making them easy prey to any Allied fighter escort. II. and III./JG 11 engaged the bombers on their return route near Heligoland, JG 11 claiming eight B-17s destroyed (III./JG 11 was credited with three aircraft). One III./JG 11 pilot was injured.
On the last day of Blitz Week (30 July) VIII Bomber Command targeted the Fieseler Works in Kassel
Kassel
Kassel is a town located on the Fulda River in northern Hesse, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Kassel Regierungsbezirk and the Kreis of the same name and has approximately 195,000 inhabitants.- History :...
. III./JG 11 and III./JG 1 were not scrambled until after the bombers crossed into Germany over Eifel
Eifel
The Eifel is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the south of the German-speaking Community of Belgium....
. By the time they were in the air the bombers were near Emmerich am Rhein before they were intercepted. The Bf 109s were unexpectedly surprised by some 100 P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
s escorts, newly equipped with drop tank
Drop tank
In aeronautics, a drop tank is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks externally carried by aircraft. A drop tank is expendable and often jettisonable...
s. III./JG 11 shot down two bombers but in the first major fighter combat of the Defense of the Reich lost four aircraft, with one pilot wounded and one dead. At the end of Blitz Week JG 11 had claimed some 49 bombers for six pilots injured and one killed.
August – December 1943
VIII Bomber command only had one mission in September 1943 bombing EmdenEmden
Emden is a city and seaport in the northwest of Germany, on the river Ems. It is the main city of the region of East Frisia; in 2006, the city had a total population of 51,692.-History:...
on 27 September. It saw the introduction of H2S radar
H2S radar
H2S was the first airborne, ground scanning radar system. It was developed in Britain in World War II for the Royal Air Force and was used in various RAF bomber aircraft from 1943 to the 1990s. It was designed to identify targets on the ground for night and all-weather bombing...
on four of the bombers and the introduction of larger 108 Gallon
Gallon
The gallon is a measure of volume. Historically it has had many different definitions, but there are three definitions in current use: the imperial gallon which is used in the United Kingdom and semi-officially within Canada, the United States liquid gallon and the lesser used United States dry...
paper-mache drop tanks on the P-47. II./JG 11 intercepted the bombers from the south and Knoke's 5./JG 11 made a pass firing under-wing rockets, shooting down two bombers. Despite the escort II./JG 11 claimed six more bombers shot down and 2 P-47 escorts but lost ten pilots, with four wounded.
The bombers returned to Emden on 2 October 1943 escorted by the P-47s. III./JG 11, under new leader Anton Hackl
Anton Hackl
Anton "Toni" Hackl was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords during World War II...
, intercepted with II./JG 3. Hackl was credited with two bombers (taking his score to 127), another bomber was credited to another pilot. Two days later bombers targeted Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
with two separate groups of B-24s splitting the fighter response. The groups made a successful diversionary sweep across the North Sea, disrupting the Luftwaffe defence. Specht led II., III./JG 11 and Jasta Heligoland in the attack, and I./JG 11 claimed five B-24s for gruppenkommandeur Erwin Clausen
Erwin Clausen
Erwin Clausen was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II...
killed, while II./JG 11 claimed six B-24s (Specht and Knoke credited one each) and Staffelkapitän of Jasta Helgoland, Oberleutnant Hans-Heinrich Koenig
Hans-Heinrich Koenig
Hans-Heinrich Koenig was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He was killed on 24 May 1944 after his Fw 190...
credited with one. Feldwebel Hans–Gerd Wennekers of 5./JG 11 claimed two with 30 mm MK 108 cannon
MK 108 cannon
The MK 108 was a 30 mm caliber autocannon manufactured in Germany during World War II by Rheinmetall-Borsig for use in aircraft.-Development:...
. His attack on the B-24 caused it to collide with the bomber above, taking both down. Allied records state four B-24s were shot down in the action, despite JG 11 claiming 11. After returning to the airfield at Marx, Specht bitterly complained to the High Command
Oberkommando der Luftwaffe
The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe was the air force High Command of the Third Reich.Air Force Commanders-in-Chief* Reich Marshal Hermann Göring * Field Marshal Robert Ritter von Greim -History:...
about the inadequate armament of the Bf 109 that often allowed damaged bombers to return home.
Six days later the bombers returned
Bombing of Bremen in World War II
The Bombing of Bremen in World War II by the Royal Air Force and the Eighth Air Force targeted strategic targets in the state of Bremen, which had heavy anti-aircraft artillery but only 35 fighter aircraft in the area. In addition to Wesermünde/Bremerhaven, targets were also in Farge and...
to Bremen and U-Boat yards
Bremer Vulkan
Bremer Vulkan AG was a great German shipbuilding company located at the Weser river in Bremen-Vegesack. It was founded in 1893 and closed in 1997 because of financial problems and mismanagement....
of Vegesack
Bremen-Vegesack
-Geography:Vegesack is located at the mouth of the river Lesum, beside the Weser River . Abutting the district of Vegesack to the northwest is the district of Blumenthal, in the southeast the district of Burglesum...
. II. and III./JG 11 intercepted and III./JG 11 claimed 11 bombers. Gruppenkommandeure Specht, Hackl and Olejnik
Robert Olejnik (pilot)
Robert Olejnik was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. He was credited with 41 aerial victories claimed in some 680 combat missions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
Knoke and Wennekers all claimed one each, and Siegfried Zick claimed one bomber south of Quakenbrück
Quakenbrück
Quakenbrück is a town in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Hase. It is part of the Samtgemeinde of Artland....
. Next day there was another attack on Kiel by B-17s with B-17F(42-5407) "Fightin Pappy" possibly downed by Frey. General der Jagdflieger Adolf Galland
Adolf Galland
Adolf "Dolfo" Joseph Ferdinand Galland was a German Luftwaffe General and flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions, and fought on the Western and the Defence of the Reich fronts...
flew a Fw 190 during the day's fighting and witnessed some of the attacks over the Frisian Islands
Frisian Islands
The Frisian Islands, also known as the Wadden Islands or Wadden Sea Islands, form an archipelago at the eastern edge of the North Sea in northwestern Europe, stretching from the north-west of the Netherlands through Germany to the west of Denmark...
. To his "disgust", he saw the 21 cm rocket equipped fighters launch from too long a range. He also noted attacks were disorganized. Galland waited for the fighters to return to base before making his own interception, claiming a B-17 on his second pass, though he did not report the kill since he was not officially authorised to fly in combat.
Defense of the Reich 1944
JG 11 was transferred to II. Fliegerkorps2nd Air Corps (Germany)
II. FliegerkorpsFor more details see Luftwaffe Organization was formed 11 October 1939 in Frankfurt am Main from the 2. Flieger-Division. The Corps was relocated to the Mediterranean theatre of operations on 15 November 1941...
for operations over France soon after the Allied invasion of 6 June 1944. Given the overwhelming superiority of the Allied fighter screens over the beach heads, the Luftwaffe units suffered heavily, JG 11 being no exception.
In August 1944 each JG 11 Gruppe was increased to four Staffeln, with a new 4./JG 11 formed from 10. and 11./JG 11. The old 4./JG 11 became the new 8./JG 11 Staffel. Old 7./JG 11 become 10./JG 11 and a new 7./JG 11 was formed from scratch.
On 17 December 1944 I./JG 11 was heavily engaged by P-47s over Munstereifel and later by P-38 Lightning
P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning was a World War II American fighter aircraft built by Lockheed. Developed to a United States Army Air Corps requirement, the P-38 had distinctive twin booms and a single, central nacelle containing the cockpit and armament...
s. Four German pilots were wounded with Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier is both a specific military rank as well as a collective term for non-commissioned officers of the German military that has existed since the 19th century. The rank existed as a title as early as the 17th century with the first widespread usage occurring in the Bavarian Army of the...
Liebeck bailing out successfully. Unteroffizier Heyer, flying Black 1 shot down one P-38 before being seriously wounded and bailing out.
By December 1944 I./JG 11 were frequently paired with the 'Sturm' FW 190's of IV./JG 4 in attacking heavy bomber formations over the Moselle River
Moselle River
The Moselle is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, joining the Rhine at Koblenz. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Mosel through the Our....
. The other two Gruppen of JG 11 operated under the administrative control of JG 2 engaging the fighters of Eighth
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
and Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
.
On 23 December I./JG 11 and JG 4 intercepted American bombers near the Trier region. JG 11 claimed 28 B-26s and several escorts while 12 Fw 190s and one P-51 went down. Major Arthur F. Jeffrey of 479 FG
479th Flying Training Group
The 479th Flying Training Group is a United States Air Force unit, stationed at Naval Air Station Pensacola . A component of Air Education and Training Command , the 479 FTG was activated on 2 October 2009.-Overview:...
was credited with three victories. Fähnrich Kaluza and Oberleutnant Georg Ulrici of I./JG 11 failed to return from operations over Daun
Daun, Germany
Daun is a town in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the district seat and also the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde of Daun.- Location :...
and Cochem
Cochem
Cochem is the seat of and the biggest place in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With just under 5,000 inhabitants, Cochem falls just behind Kusel, in the like-named district, as Germany's second smallest district seat...
while Unteroffizier Ehrke and Gefreiter were killed near Gillenfeld
Gillenfeld
Gillenfeld is an Ortsgemeinde – a municipality belonging to a Verbandsgemeinde, a kind of collective municipality – in the Vulkaneifel district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany...
. Oberfähnrich Hans–Joachim Wesener was shot down south of Kaisersesch
Kaisersesch
Kaisersesch is a town in the Cochem-Zell district in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is the administrative seat of the like-named Verbandsgemeinde, to which it also belongs.- Location :...
. JG 11's losses included 12 pilots killed, 4 missing and 11 wounded.
Later the same day JG 11 scrambled to intercept some seventy B-26 Marauder
B-26 Marauder
The Martin B-26 Marauder was a World War II twin-engine medium bomber built by the Glenn L. Martin Company. First used in the Pacific Theater in early 1942, it was also used in the Mediterranean Theater and in Western Europe....
s of 387th and 394th Bombardment Groups heading for Marshalling yards at Mayen
Mayen
Mayen is a town in the Mayen-Koblenz District of the Rhineland-Palatinate Federal State of Germany, in the eastern part of the Volcanic Eifel Region. As well as the main town, there are five further settlements which are part of Mayen, they are: Alzheim, Kürrenberg, Hausen-Betzing, Hausen and Nitztal...
. Over Prüm
Prüm
Prüm is a town in the Westeifel , Germany. Formerly a district capital, today it is the administrative seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Prüm.-Geography:...
and St. Vith they ran into the fighter escort and several of the JG 11 pilots were killed,including Major Erich Putzka, of the Gruppenstab and Oberfeldwebel Holland, chased by thirty P-47s. Oberfeldwebel Titscher was shot down by a Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
over Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. Two others were wounded over Munstereifel.
The next day American B-17 Flying Fortresses targeted JG 4 and JG 11's airfields. As JG 11 tried to protect its airfields they lost 4 pilots; Unteroffizier Stöhr killed over Gross-Ostheim, Feldwebel Horlacher over Gross-Karben
Karben
Karben is a town in the Wetteraukreis, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated on the banks of the river Nidda in the Rhein-Main-Gebiet , approx...
and Leutnant Richter and Feldwebel Schulirsch did not return from the Moselle
Moselle
Moselle is a department in the east of France named after the river Moselle.- History :Moselle is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
near Trier
Trier
Trier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
.
On 25 December there were more losses. Flight Lieutenant Sherk of No. 402 Squadron RCAF
No. 402 Squadron RCAF
402 "City of Winnipeg" Squadron is about to be renamed , as a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada-Pre-war history:...
intercepted a lone Fw 190A-8 southeast of Düren
Düren
Düren is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, capital of Düren district. It is located between Aachen and Cologne on the river Rur.-Roman era:Celts inhabited Düren's area before the Romans. They called their small settlement Durum . After the Celts other Germanic tribes settled this area...
, which he shot down. This may have been Unteroffizier Wolfgang Rosenow of 11./JG 11 who failed to return from a mission to Euskirchen
Euskirchen
Euskirchen is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the district Euskirchen. While Euskirchen resembles a modern shopping town, it also has a history dating back over 700 years, having been granted town-status in 1302....
. III./JG 11 also lost four pilots near Bonn and Cologne. I./JG 11 ran into more fighters over Eifel
Eifel
The Eifel is a low mountain range in western Germany and eastern Belgium. It occupies parts of southwestern North Rhine-Westphalia, northwestern Rhineland-Palatinate and the south of the German-speaking Community of Belgium....
, and Unteroffiziere Holzinger and Weismüller were lost.
Operation Baseplate
On New Year’s Day 1945, the Luftwaffe launched Operation Baseplate, a massed low-level fighter strike targeted at Allied airfields in France, Belgium and Holland in support of the German offensive in the Ardennes. Elements of JG 11 were allocated the USAAF air base coded Y-29 at AschAsch (Netherlands)
Asch is a town in the Dutch province of Gelderland. It is a part of the municipality of Buren, and lies about 9 km northwest of Tiel.In 2001, the town of Asch had 176 inhabitants...
where the 366th Fighter Group (366th FG, Ninth Air Force
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force's Air Combat Command . It is headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina....
) and the 352nd Fighter Group
352d Fighter Group
The 352d Fighter Group was one of the most highly decorated USAAF Fighter Groups in World War II, producing many leading aces of the war. The 352d was composed of three squadrons: . Once deployed to the European Theater of Operations , the group was eventually headquartered in Bodney, England...
(352 FG, Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
) were based. Also targeted was the Spitfire airfield at Ophoven, housing the RAF's No. 41
No. 41 Squadron RAF
No. 41 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is currently the RAF's Test and Evaluation Squadron , based at RAF Coningsby, Lincolnshire. Its official title is "41 TES". The Squadron celebrates its 95th anniversary in 2011, and is one of the oldest RAF squadrons in existence.-First World War, 1916–1919:No...
, No. 130, 350
350th Squadron (Belgium)
The 350th Squadron is a fighter squadron in the Air Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. It is part of the 2nd Tactical Wing and operates F-16 Fighting Falcons....
and No. 610
No. 610 Squadron RAF
No. 610 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was as a Squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force, its pilots were initially part timers who would spend their weekends and spare time flying and practicing combat maneuvers. The squadron was named the "County of Chester" and adopted the motto "Alifero tollitur...
of the 2nd Tactical Wing
2nd Tactical Wing
The 2nd Tactical Wing is a wing in the Air Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. It comprises the 1st Squadron and the 350th Squadron of the Air Component.-External links:*...
.
At 8:00 AM, the three Gruppen of JG 11 took off from Darmstadt-Griesheim
Griesheim
Griesheim is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hessen, Germany. It is situated approx. 7 km west of Darmstadt.-History:...
, Gross-Ostheim, and Zellhausen
Mainhausen
Mainhausen is a community of over 9,000 in the Offenbach district in the Regierungsbezirk of Darmstadt in Hesse, Germany.-Location:Mainhausen is one of 13 towns and communities in the Offenbach district, lying in the southernmost part of Hesse right on the boundary with Bavaria...
led by Specht. Some 65 Fw 190 and Bf 109s formed over Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg
Aschaffenburg is a city in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not considered part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is the administrative seat.Aschaffenburg is known as the Tor zum Spessart or "gate to the Spessart"...
at 8:30 AM, with two Junkers Ju 188
Junkers Ju 188
The Junkers Ju 188 was a German Luftwaffe high-performance medium bomber built during World War II, the planned follow-on to the famed Ju 88 with better performance and payload...
pathfinders leading. With the secrecy surrounding the mission very few were aware of their objectives. At a height of 400 feet they passed over Koblenz
Koblenz
Koblenz is a German city situated on both banks of the Rhine at its confluence with the Moselle, where the Deutsches Eck and its monument are situated.As Koblenz was one of the military posts established by Drusus about 8 BC, the...
.
Over Aachen
Aachen
Aachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
flak
Anti-aircraft warfare
NATO defines air defence as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action." They include ground and air based weapon systems, associated sensor systems, command and control arrangements and passive measures. It may be to protect naval, ground and air forces...
burst around them, hitting the Fw 190 of Oberleutnant Hans Fielder, adjutant of III./JG 11. He had rejoined his group the previous day from Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
, force-landing
Forced landing
A forced landing is a landing by an aircraft made under factors outside the pilot's control, such as the failure of engines, systems, components or weather which makes continued flight impossible. For a full description of these, see article on Emergency landing...
on 23 December due to engine trouble, and was grounded. He was not expecting to participate in this operation but had to fly with a brand new Fw190 A-8 as the wingman for Oberleutnant Grosser, Staffelkapitän of 11./JG 11. A lone P-47 shot at him and a result of both flak hits and P-47 fire Fielder was wounded in the head and forced to crash-land
Emergency landing
An emergency landing is a landing made by an aircraft in response to a crisis which either interferes with the operation of the aircraft or involves sudden medical emergencies necessitating diversion to the nearest airport.-Types of emergency landings:...
becoming a POW. Unteroffizier Ernst Noreisch was shot down and killed.
Legend of Y-29
At 8:42 AM Captain Eber E. Simpson was leading the 391st squadron
391st Fighter Squadron
The 391st Fighter Squadron is part of the 366th Fighter Wing at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho. It operates F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft conducting close air support missions.-Mission:...
on a mission to bomb German tanks near St. Vith. They ran into two Bf 109s south of Malmedy
Malmedy
Malmedy is a municipality of Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region, Province of Liège. It belongs to the French Community of Belgium, within which it is French-speaking with facilities for German-speakers. On January 1, 2006 Malmedy had a total population of 11,829...
with Lieutenants John F. Bathurst and Donald G. Holt claiming one each.
At 9:10 AM Lieutenant Colonel John C. Meyer
John C. Meyer
General John Charles Meyer was an American World War II flying ace, and later the commander in chief of the Strategic Air Command and director of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska...
of 487th Fighter Squadron (352 FG
352d Fighter Group
The 352d Fighter Group was one of the most highly decorated USAAF Fighter Groups in World War II, producing many leading aces of the war. The 352d was composed of three squadrons: . Once deployed to the European Theater of Operations , the group was eventually headquartered in Bodney, England...
) was preparing for takeoff in "Petie III" P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
with 11 others. As he lifted off he noticed flak bursts over Ophoven and one Fw 190 heading straight at him, piloted by Gefreiter Böhm intent on strafing a C-47 Skytrain
C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota is a military transport aircraft that was developed from the Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II and remained in front line operations through the 1950s with a few remaining in operation to this day.-Design and...
transport. Meyer had not retracted his landing gear when he fired at the Fw 190 which cartwheeled and exploded next to the C-47. Despite the attack other P-51s were able to take off and JG 11 soon lost eight pilots. Obergefreiter Karlheinz Sistenich, Feldwebel Harald Scharz, Feldwebel Herbert Kraschinski, Oberleutnant August Engel all died, while Feldwebel Karl Miller was severely burnt after crash landing. There was one casualty among Allied ground crew. The U.S. flak crews held fire for fear of hitting a friendly aircraft and Allied pilots were cautious of firing at low flying 109s to avoid strafing the base. Flak crews hit one chasing P-51 which had to land damaged.
By 9:15 AM eight P-47s of 366th FG "Red" and "Yellow" flights were preparing for armed reconnaissance over Ardennes
Ardennes
The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and ridges formed within the Givetian Ardennes mountain range, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
. "Red" flight consisted of Captain Lowell B. Smith with Lieutenants John Kennedy, Melvin R. Paisley and Flight Officer Dave Johnson. "Yellow" flight included Lieutenants John Feeny, Robert V. Brulle, Currie Davis and Joe Lackey. Kennedy noticed flak bursts to the northeast, and Red flight discovered JG 11 strafing the base at Ophoven with 50 JG 11 fighters heading back to their own base. Intent on strafing parked aircraft the German pilots did not notice the P-47s.
Lieutenant Paisley hit a Bf 109 using an underwing rocket and downed two more using gunfire. Smith and Brulle both shot one down, Brulle damaging another before running out of ammunition. Feeny and Lackey also shot down JG 11 aircraft. Six 352 FG pilots claimed multiple victories. Captain William T. "Whiz" Whisner and Lieutenant Sanford K. Moats
Sanford K. Moats
Lieutenant General Sanford Kenneth Moats was an American Air Force lieutenant general and fighter ace. He was vice commander of the Tactical Air Command, with headquarters at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, responsible for maintaining peak combat efficiency in the tactical fighter and...
claimed four each, with Captain Henry M. Stewart II and Lieutenant Alden P. Rigby claiming three each. Meyer and Lieutenant Ray Littge claimed two apiece while Whisner's wingman Lieutenant Walker G. Diamond and Meyer's wingman Lieutenant Alex F. Sears claimed one each.
The air battle of Asch, later known as the "Legend of Y-29", was a disaster for JG 11. U.S. fighters claimed 30 German fighters while JG 11 lost 28 aircraft (from 65). 25 pilots were killed. 5./JG 11 was the only unit that returned unscathed, though all the aircraft were damaged. III./JG 11 lost six pilots including Major Vowinkel. Some 40 percent of the JG 11 pilots died in the operation. At Asch four P-51s were shot down in the attack but the pilots survived. One P-47 and one P-51 were shot up on the ground.
Other Allied Engagements
Over Ophoven Airfield
Ophoven Airfield
Ophoven Airfield is an abandoned World War II military airfield which is located west of Ophoven ; approximately 54 miles northeast of Brussels.-History:...
, a Spitfire of No. 610 Squadron
No. 610 Squadron RAF
No. 610 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was as a Squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force, its pilots were initially part timers who would spend their weekends and spare time flying and practicing combat maneuvers. The squadron was named the "County of Chester" and adopted the motto "Alifero tollitur...
flown by Australian Flight Lieutenant A.F.O. "Tony" Gaze took off but was shot at by P-51s chasing JG 11. He however shot down one Fw 190.
At Ophoven JG 11 were able to shoot up several Spitfires of No. 125 Wing RAF with seven fighters of No. 350 Squadron RAF
350th Squadron (Belgium)
The 350th Squadron is a fighter squadron in the Air Component of the Belgian Armed Forces. It is part of the 2nd Tactical Wing and operates F-16 Fighting Falcons....
destroyed along with several C-47 Dakotas. Buildings were also strafed. Although the flak crews claimed eight to ten aircraft downed several claims were duplicated by Allied pilots and flak crews, total claims being 42. III./JG 11 strafed for 45 minutes taking heavy losses. Unteroffizier Kurt Nüssle, 'Unteroffizier Hermann Barion and Feldwebel Peter Reschke were all shot down and killed, with Oberfeldwebel Franz Meindl listed as missing.
Also among the pilots killed was Major Specht. Specht received the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross after his death. Paisley's wingman Johnson claimed two German fighters shot down but his aircraft was heavily damaged from return fire. Bailing out he landed in a field near Asch. A Bf 109 had "belly landed" not far from the field and he went to inspect it, riding a borrowed bicycle. The Bf 109 was still intact but the pilot was dead. Johnson claimed that the pilot's identification card named him as a Lieutenant Colonel Specht. The claim has been disproved by German records that indicate Specht flew a Fw 190 WkNr. 205033, and that he was a Major. Johnson's actual victim that day was Oberleutnant August Engel. Hauptmann Horst-Günther von Fassong
Horst-Günther von Fassong
Hauptmann Horst-Günther von Fassong was a German World War II Luftwaffe 136 victories Flying ace...
, commander of III./JG 11, also went missing near Opglabbeek
Opglabbeek
Opglabbeek is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Limburg. On January 1, 2006 Opglabbeek had a total population of 9,607. The total area is 24.98 km² which gives a population density of 385 inhabitants per km².-External links:*...
shot down by P-47s.
Defense of the Reich January–May 1945
A severely weakened JG 11 faced Hawker TempestHawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest was a British fighter aircraft primarily used by the Royal Air Force in the Second World War. The Tempest was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, and one of the most powerful fighter aircraft used during the war....
s of No. 3 and 486 Squadrons on 14 January 1945. With the Allied fighters trying to keep the German fighters away from the Saar region, other Geschwader joined JG 11 and JG 11 lost two pilots in the engagement. JG 11 was finally ordered to move to the Eastern Front in Poland on 23 January 1945.
Dissolution
Specht's successor as JG 11 Kommodore was Jürgen Harder, formerly Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 53. He died on 17 February 1945 near BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, crashing due to oxygen failure.On 24 April 1945 one pilot was lkilled in battle with Spitfires, P-51s and Yaks over Tempelhof
Tempelhof
Tempelhof is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Tempelhof-Schöneberg. It is the location of the former Tempelhof Airport, one of the earliest commercial airports in the world. It is now deserted and shows as a blank spot on maps of Berlin. Attempts are being made to save the still-existing...
, Germany
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...
.
The task of withdrawal to the West and surrender came to the sixth and last Geschwaderkommodore Anton Hackl, who surrendered the unit to British forces in early May 1945.
Bomber interception tactics of JG 11
As JG 11 formed in 1943 the bombers of Eighth Air Force were starting to extned their bombing operations, and JG 11 pilots avoided combat until the escorts were forced to break off.As a means of combating the massed fire power of bomber streams, JG 11 personnel trialed the viability of bombing the formations from above with 250 kg bombs, a practice pioneered by Luftwaffe Oberleutnant Heinz Knoke
Heinz Knoke
Heinz Knoke was a World War II Luftwaffe flying ace. He is credited with 33 confirmed aerial victories, all claimed over the Western theatre of operations, and claimed a further five unconfirmed kills in over 2000 flights...
in March 1943. On 28 July 1943 Unteroffizier Fest of 5./JG 11 claimed three B-17's with a single bomb. However the loss in performance of the bomb-laden Bf 109's, along with their vulnerability to escorting fighters, soon curtailed the practice. 5./JG 11 were at the forefront of tactical developments for effectively intercepting the day bomber formations. The most effective tactic were mass frontal assaults, while other methods trialed were the use of Werfer-Granate
WGr 21 rocket launcher
The Werfer-Granate 21 rocket launcher, also known as the BR 21 in official Luftwaffe manuals, was a weapon used by the German Luftwaffe during World War II and was the first on-board rocket in service by the Luftwaffe and was introduced in mid 1943. The weapon was developed by Rheinmetall-Borsig...
(Wfr. Gr. or WGr) 21 under-wing rockets. These were inaccurate but were used primarily to break up the bomber formations.
Notable successes and losses
Several 'Bomber-killer' Aces were among the veterans of II./JG 11. Hauptmann Gerhard Sommer of 4./JG 11 claimed 10 heavy bombers and Oberleutnant Heinz Knoke of 5./JG 11 claimed 12 victories by the end of 1943. Knoke's 5./JG 11 claimed as many heavy bombers as the other two Staffeln put together. This prompted 5./JG 11 to consider themselves as experts versus heavy bombers .Like its sister units engaged in Reich defense, JG 11 suffered heavy casualties in both pilots and aircraft. Many of the pilots killed were highly experienced and irreplaceable Experten
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
. Hauptmann Hugo Frey (32 claims, including 26 heavy bombers, killed 8 March 1944), Hauptmann Gerhardt Sommer (20 claims, 15 heavy bombers, killed 12 May 1944) and Feldwebel Wilhelm Fest (15 claims, 8 confirmed victories May 1944) were just three of JG 11's best aces to fall.
In April 1944 Staffelkapitän of 10./JG 51, Leutnant Horst-Günther Von Fassong, was transferred to lead 7./JG 11. He was credited with 62 victories on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
at the time. He added several B-17s in the next month before promotion to Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 11. Von Fassong died on 1 January 1945 during Operation Baseplate, and his aircraft cartwheeled after attack by two P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
s. Another major casualty of Operation Baseplate was Geschwaderkommodore Specht.
On 9 July 1944 Hackl was the 78th recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords , following his 150th victory.
Geschwaderkommodore
The list bellow provides its Geschwaderkommodores until its dissolution.- Major Anton MaderAnton MaderOberstleutnant Anton Mader was German World War II Luftwaffe 86 victories Flying ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, 1 April 1943 - Oberstleutnant Hermann GrafHermann GrafColonel Hermann Graf was a German Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He served on both the Eastern and Western Fronts...
, 11 November 1943 - Major Anton HacklAnton HacklAnton "Toni" Hackl was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords during World War II...
(acting), April 1944 - Major Herbert IhlefeldHerbert IhlefeldHerbert Ihlefeld was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1936 until the very end of World War II in May 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
, 1 May 1944 - Major Günther SpechtGünther SpechtGünther Specht was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II.Specht joined the heavy fighter wing "Horst Wessel" in early 1939. The unit was initially equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109s and later with the Bf 110. In 1939 he was wounded by an RAF tail gunner and blinded in one eye...
, 15 May 1944 - Major Jürgen HarderJürgen HarderJürgen Harder was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Harder claimed 64 aircraft shot down in approximately 500 missions...
, January 1945 - Major Anton HacklAnton HacklAnton "Toni" Hackl was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords during World War II...
, 20 February 1945
I./JG 11
- Major Walter Spies, 1 April 1943
- Hauptmann Erwin ClausenErwin ClausenErwin Clausen was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II...
, 20 June 1943 - Hauptmann Erich WoitkeErich WoitkeErich Woitke was a fighter pilot 'ace' serving in the German Luftwaffe during World War II.Woitke was born 29 January 1912 in Mülheim, near Duisberg...
(acting), 4. October 1943 - Hauptmann Rolf HermichenRolf HermichenRolf Hermichen is a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. He was born in Wernigerode in the district of Harz. Hermichen is credited with 64 aerial victories claimed in 629 combat missions, 11 of them while...
, 16 October 1943 - Oberleutnant Hans-Heinrich KoenigHans-Heinrich KoenigHans-Heinrich Koenig was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He was killed on 24 May 1944 after his Fw 190...
, May 1944 - Oberleutnant Fritz Engau (acting), 24 May 1944
- Hauptmann Siegfried Simsch, 1 June 1944
- Oberleutnant Fritz Engau (acting), 8 June 1944
- Hauptmann Werner Langemann, 24 June 1944
- Oberleutnant Hans Schrangl (acting), 15. July 1944
- Hauptmann Walter MatoniWalter MatoniWalter Matoni was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II....
, 15 August 1944 - Hauptmann Bruno StolleBruno StolleBruno Stolle was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
, November 1944 - Hauptmann Rüdiger Kirchmayr, 25 November 1944
- Hauptmann Karl Leonhard, April 1945
II./JG 11
II./JG 11 was initially formed from the I./JG 1. A list of its leaders is as follows.- Hauptmann Günther Beise, 1 April 1943
- Major Adolf DickfeldAdolf DickfeldOberst Adolf Dickfeld was a German World War II Luftwaffe 136 victories Flying ace. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, 17 April 1943 - Hauptmann Günther Specht, May 1943
- Major Günther RallGünther RallLieutenant-General Günther Rall was the third most successful fighter ace in history. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He achieved a total of 275 victories during World War II: 272 on the Eastern Front,...
, 19 April 1944 - Hauptmann Walter KrupinskiWalter KrupinskiWalter ´´Graf Pinski`` Krupinski was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace of World War II and a senior West German air force officer after the war. He was one of the highest-scoring pilots, accredited with 197 victories in 1,100 sorties. He was called by his fellow pilots Graf Pinski due to his...
, May 1944 - Hauptmann Karl Leonhard, 13 August 1944
III./JG 11
- Hauptmann Ernst-Günther Heinze, April 1943
- Major Anton HacklAnton HacklAnton "Toni" Hackl was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords during World War II...
, 1 October 1943 - Hauptmann Horst-Günther von FassongHorst-Günther von FassongHauptmann Horst-Günther von Fassong was a German World War II Luftwaffe 136 victories Flying ace...
, May 1944 - Oberleutnant Paul-Heinrich DähnePaul-Heinrich DähnePaul-Heinrich Dähne was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Paul-Heinrich Dähne was killed in a flying...
, 2 January 1945 - Hauptmann Herbert Kutscha, 23 February 1945
Staffelkapitän
The following squadrons deserve special mention due to their special nature. Their leaders, although only a StaffelkapitänStaffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän is a position in flying units of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a Staffelkapitän is of Oberstleutnant or Major rank....
e are still mentioned here.
10./JG 11
- Oberleutnant Heinz Sahnwaldt, July 1943
- Oberleutnant Günther Witt, 1 August 1943
- Hauptmann Siegfried Simsch, November 1943
- Oberleutnant Heinz Grosser, 1 January 1944
- Hauptmann Erich Viebahn, May 1944
11./JG 11
This was previously known as Jasta Heligoland. It was re–designated as 11./JG 11. Its leader is named below.- Oberleutnant Herbert Christmann, December 1943
Footnotes
The similar but differing meaning of Oberleutnant and Oberstleutnant may have contributed to the misunderstanding. It is not clear whether Johnson himself said Specht's name was on the ID card. Johnson died in 1976 and the authors were unable to confirm this.Its not known if those three claims were confirmed or not.
Lennartz's claim has not been confirmed by allied records.
See also
- Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II
- History of the Luftwaffe (1933–1945)
- Oil Campaign of World War IIOil Campaign of World War IIThe Allied Oil Campaign of World War II was directed at facilities supplying Nazi Germany with petroleum, oil, and lubrication products...