Jagdgeschwader 5
Encyclopedia
Jagdgeschwader 5 Eismeer was a Luftwaffe
fighter
Wing
that served during World War II
. As the name Eismeer (Ice Sea) implies, it was created to operate in the far North of Europe, namely Norway
, Scandinavia and northern parts of Finland
, all nearest the Arctic Ocean
. Just over two dozen fighter aircraft that once served with JG 5 during the war still survive to the present day, more than from any other combat unit in the Axis air forces of World War II.
in May. The unit had the responsibility for providing fighter-cover over occupied territories under Luftflotte 5
, and also to provide fighter support for the Heer
(Army) units fighting on the Arctic front in the Murmansk
area. JG 5 also had the important task of disrupting traffic on the Murmansk rail-line, as this was the main artery of the Karelian Front
defenders.
I. Gruppe was based on the west coast of Norway, in Stavanger
, to defend against Allied anti-shipping attacks. II. and III. Gruppe was stationed at Petsamo
in Finland, to support operations in the East. JG 5 had to cope with challenges that were unique within the Luftwaffe, from 24-hour days during summer when the sun never set, to the complete darkness and extreme cold of the Polar winter.
By the beginning of Polar Summer of 1942, Luftflotte 5
had been reinforced and by July 1942 possessed a total of 250 serviceable aircraft. Operationally, these were controlled by Fliegerfuhrer Nord-Ost Obstlt. Walter Lehwess-Litzmann, responsible for operations over the front-line and by Fliegerführer Lofoten, Oberst. Ernst-August Roth, responsible for anti-shipping operations. Due to the air superiority established by II. and III./JG 5 early in the year, Luftflotte 5 enjoyed a numerical and considerable qualitative superiority, and the Soviet opposition amounted to just 170 serviceable combat aircraft. Fliegerführer Nord-Ost also benefited from a Freya early-warning radar network.
During the Summer the Soviets brought in new units, including 20 lAP equipped with the new Yak-l and an effective counter to the Bf 109-F. On 19 July 7./JG 5's Lt. Bodo Helms and Ofw. Franz Dorr claimed one Yak-1 each, and Uffz. Werner Schumacher claimed two fighters shot down. ( Actual Soviet losses were five: a MiG-3, 3 Airacobras and Kittyhawks, and a Hurricane.) In return, JG 5's Fw. Leopold Knier and Uffz. Hans Dobrich (14 victories) were shot down. Both German pilots baled out. Knier was taken prisoner, but Dobrich walked back to his own lines.
Luftflotte 5 recorded 26 combat losses in July 1942, while the VVS lost 32 of its own aircraft shot down or missing, mainly to JG 5.
On 21 August, 6./JG 5 claimed 14 Soviet fighters shot down. According to Soviet records 2 LaGG-3s and 2 1-16s were shot down over Vayenga, and two aircraft made forced landings. JG 5 lost two Bf 109s, one flown by Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 5, ObIt. Hans Dieter Hartwein (16 Kills) posted missing.
During this period, overclaims were made by both sides. JG 5 claimed some 72 victories in August, but Soviet records indicate 24 Soviet aircraft lost with another 7 damaged and 13 aircraft missing, and another 4 were shot down by ground fire.
As 1942 wore on, the increased Allied air pressure towards Norway meant that a part of III. Gruppe and the newly created IV. Gruppe had to be stationed around Trondheim
. A second part of III. Gruppe was stationed in Kirkenes
, both to provide cover from marauding Soviet Air Force
formations, and to help with the intensifying attacks against the Arctic convoys
. Leutnant Heinrich Ehrler
(6. JG 5) was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 September for 64 victories.
, A-3 and A-4. I./JG 5 had its bases on Lista, Sola
, Kjevik
and Herdla
in the southern part of Norway. IV./JG 5 were distributed on bases around Trondheim
, and were equipped with Bf 109Fs and Fw 190As. II. and III. Gruppe faced the Soviets on the Polar Sea Front; at this time they were equipped with the Bf 109F-4. Stab, 4./JG 5 and 6./JG 5 were stationed in Alakurtti, 5., 8., and 9./JG 5 were stationed at Kirkenes
and 7./JG 5 was based at Petsamo. As early as March 1943 6. Staffel (commanded by Hpt. Heinrich Ehrler
) reached 500 victories.
In early 1943 a Jabo (fighter-bomber) unit was formed within JG 5. 14.(J)/JG 5 was equipped with modified Fw 190A's and commanded by Hptm. Friedrich-Wilhelm Strakeljahn.
In May 1943 the unit was responsible for the sinking of two submarines and two freighters within three days and by the end of 1943 has claimed to have sunk over 39,000 tons of Soviet merchant shipping in over 1,000 sorties.
In June 1943 Oberstlt. Gotthard Handrick
was transferred to 8. Jagddivision
, and replaced by the Gruppenkommandeur III./JG 5, Major Günther Scholz. Mid 1943 also saw JG 5 at its maximum strength. It consisted of 14 Staffeln; 12 regular single-engined fighter Staffels equipped with the Bf 109 and Fw 190, one Bf 110-equipped Zerstörerstaffel and finally the Jabo
unit, 14.(J)/JG 5 with the Fw 190. 1943 was also the last year in which JG 5's four Gruppen had any sense of operational unity. I and II. Gruppe left Norway and Finland for good in late 1943 to fight the rest of the war away from their parent Geschwader.
In November 1943, I. Gruppe moved to Romania
as protection for the vital Ploieşti
oil refineries. The gruppe were placed under the command of Luftflotte 1
for the remainder of 1943. Gruppenkommandeur since February 1943 is Hauptmann
Gerhard Wengel. He died defeinding Sofia
in combat with USAAF on 10 January 1944, when, after I./JG 5 jet fighters destroed 3 "flying fortresses", his Me 109 crashed near Radomir. On 26 March 1944 Hauptmann Horst Carganico
was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 5 participating in the Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich
). After combat with USAAF B-17's on 27 May 1944, he was killed when his Bf 109 crashed after hitting high tension cables while force-landing near Chevry
, France. Carganico had claimed 60 kills.
, and it was never replaced. In June - July 1944, Gruppenkommandeur Theodor Weissenberger
was credited with 25 victories over Normandy (half the total score by the whole unit during this period).
II. Gruppe was transferred to Northern Russia
under the command of Luftflotte 1
, and then redesignated as IV./JG 4 and sent back to Germany
in early 1945.
IV./JG 5 and 14./JG 5 were transferred to the Arctic Front from Southern Norway in August 1944. The Gruppe joined the first of several large air battles commencing on October 9, opposing the final Soviet offensive against Petsamo. When the day was over, III. and IV./JG 5 had claimed 85 Soviet aircraft shot down (among them the 3,000th victory for JG 5) against the loss of only one pilot killed.
On 1 August 1944 Major Heinrich Ehrler
was promoted to Geschwaderkommodore
of JG 5.
In November 1944 IV./JG 5 returned to Southern Norway. Up to the end of the war this unit formed the air defence against the Allied raids on targets in Norway, principally the submarine bases at Trondheim
and Bergen
.
bombers of 9 and 617
Squadrons raided the Tirpitz
in Tromsø fjord. Major Ehrler scrambled to intercept at the head of a formation of JG 5 Bf 109G's, but the fighters were too late. The Tirpitz was sunk with the loss of a thousand sailors. Ehrler was court martialed and sentenced to three years Festungshaft, and stripped of his command. (He was killed flying with JG 7 on 4 April 1945).
s, comprising six E-models, eight 109F-models and seven G-models; and five of JG 5's Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, four of them A-models and one F-model, survive into the 21st century, believed to be (at about 27 aircraft) the highest number of surviving World War II-era piston-engined German combat aircraft from any single Geschwader-designated operational unit. The oldest existing aircraft of all that served with JG 5 in World War II is the Bf 109E-3 with Werknummer 1983 that was assigned to JG 5's 5th Staffel, housed at Charleston Aviation Services, Colchester, England in the UK currently undergoing restoration, with the oldest Fw 190 remaining in the world, the A-2 model that served with JG 5, bearing Werknummer 5476, existing in Texas awaiting restoration. The lone surviving Fw 190F model that served with JG 5 is under restoration in Florida to possibly become the first restored, original F-series BMW 801
radial-engined Fw 190 since the end of World War II to fly again in coming years with The White 1 Foundation in Kissimmee, Florida.
Condition code:
(A) = Airworthy
(D) = Display
(R) = Under restoration
(S) = Stored
(W) = Wreck
(U) = Unknown Location
Fighter Factory Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA (R)
with pre-restoration video
Air Assets International, Bloomfield, Colorado (R)
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
fighter
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....
that served 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...
. As the name Eismeer (Ice Sea) implies, it was created to operate in the far North of Europe, namely 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...
, Scandinavia and northern parts of Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, all nearest the Arctic Ocean
Arctic Ocean
The Arctic Ocean, located in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Arctic north polar region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceanic divisions...
. Just over two dozen fighter aircraft that once served with JG 5 during the war still survive to the present day, more than from any other combat unit in the Axis air forces of World War II.
1942
JG 5 was formed when elements of the I. Gruppe/JG 77 already stationed in Norway was redesignated as I./JG 5 in January 1942. The II. Gruppe was newly created and III. Gruppe was formed from elements of I./JG 1Jagdgeschwader 1 (World War 2)
Jagdgeschwader 1 was a German World War II fighter unit or "wing" which used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft, between 1940–1944. The name of the unit derives from Jagd, meaning "hunt" and Geschwader, meaning "wing"...
in May. The unit had the responsibility for providing fighter-cover over occupied territories under Luftflotte 5
Luftflotte 5
Luftflotte 5 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed 12 April 1940 in Hamburg for the invasion of Norway....
, and also to provide fighter support for the Heer
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
(Army) units fighting on the Arctic front in the Murmansk
Murmansk
Murmansk is a city and the administrative center of Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It serves as a seaport and is located in the extreme northwest part of Russia, on the Kola Bay, from the Barents Sea on the northern shore of the Kola Peninsula, not far from Russia's borders with Norway and Finland...
area. JG 5 also had the important task of disrupting traffic on the Murmansk rail-line, as this was the main artery of the Karelian Front
Karelian Front
The Karelian Front was a Front of the Soviet Union's Red Army during World War II, and operated in Karelia.- Wartime :...
defenders.
I. Gruppe was based on the west coast of Norway, in Stavanger
Stavanger
Stavanger is a city and municipality in the county of Rogaland, Norway.Stavanger municipality has a population of 126,469. There are 197,852 people living in the Stavanger conurbation, making Stavanger the fourth largest city, but the third largest urban area, in Norway...
, to defend against Allied anti-shipping attacks. II. and III. Gruppe was stationed at Petsamo
Pechengsky District
Pechengsky District is an administrative and municipal district , one of the five in Murmansk Oblast, Russia. It is located to the northwest of the Kola Peninsula on the coast of the Barents Sea and borders with Finland in the south and southwest and with Norway in the west, northwest, and north...
in Finland, to support operations in the East. JG 5 had to cope with challenges that were unique within the Luftwaffe, from 24-hour days during summer when the sun never set, to the complete darkness and extreme cold of the Polar winter.
By the beginning of Polar Summer of 1942, Luftflotte 5
Luftflotte 5
Luftflotte 5 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed 12 April 1940 in Hamburg for the invasion of Norway....
had been reinforced and by July 1942 possessed a total of 250 serviceable aircraft. Operationally, these were controlled by Fliegerfuhrer Nord-Ost Obstlt. Walter Lehwess-Litzmann, responsible for operations over the front-line and by Fliegerführer Lofoten, Oberst. Ernst-August Roth, responsible for anti-shipping operations. Due to the air superiority established by II. and III./JG 5 early in the year, Luftflotte 5 enjoyed a numerical and considerable qualitative superiority, and the Soviet opposition amounted to just 170 serviceable combat aircraft. Fliegerführer Nord-Ost also benefited from a Freya early-warning radar network.
During the Summer the Soviets brought in new units, including 20 lAP equipped with the new Yak-l and an effective counter to the Bf 109-F. On 19 July 7./JG 5's Lt. Bodo Helms and Ofw. Franz Dorr claimed one Yak-1 each, and Uffz. Werner Schumacher claimed two fighters shot down. ( Actual Soviet losses were five: a MiG-3, 3 Airacobras and Kittyhawks, and a Hurricane.) In return, JG 5's Fw. Leopold Knier and Uffz. Hans Dobrich (14 victories) were shot down. Both German pilots baled out. Knier was taken prisoner, but Dobrich walked back to his own lines.
Luftflotte 5 recorded 26 combat losses in July 1942, while the VVS lost 32 of its own aircraft shot down or missing, mainly to JG 5.
On 21 August, 6./JG 5 claimed 14 Soviet fighters shot down. According to Soviet records 2 LaGG-3s and 2 1-16s were shot down over Vayenga, and two aircraft made forced landings. JG 5 lost two Bf 109s, one flown by Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 5, ObIt. Hans Dieter Hartwein (16 Kills) posted missing.
During this period, overclaims were made by both sides. JG 5 claimed some 72 victories in August, but Soviet records indicate 24 Soviet aircraft lost with another 7 damaged and 13 aircraft missing, and another 4 were shot down by ground fire.
As 1942 wore on, the increased Allied air pressure towards Norway meant that a part of III. Gruppe and the newly created IV. Gruppe had to be stationed around Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
. A second part of III. Gruppe was stationed in Kirkenes
Kirkenes
is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark in the far northeast of Norway...
, both to provide cover from marauding Soviet Air Force
Soviet Air Force
The Soviet Air Force, officially known in Russian as Военно-воздушные силы or Voenno-Vozdushnye Sily and often abbreviated VVS was the official designation of one of the air forces of the Soviet Union. The other was the Soviet Air Defence Forces...
formations, and to help with the intensifying attacks against the Arctic convoys
Arctic convoys of World War II
The Arctic convoys of World War II travelled from the United Kingdom and North America to the northern ports of the Soviet Union—Arkhangelsk and Murmansk. There were 78 convoys between August 1941 and May 1945...
. Leutnant Heinrich Ehrler
Heinrich Ehrler
Heinrich Ehrler was a German World War II fighter ace whose distinguished Luftwaffe combat career ended in tragic controversy. Along with Theodor Weissenberger, Ehrler shared the honors of "top-ace" in Jagdgeschwader 5, amassing 208 kills - including eight in the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter...
(6. JG 5) was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 4 September for 64 victories.
1943
By January 1943 I. and IV./JG 5 were stationed in Southern Norway, being equipped with the Fw 190A-2Focke-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...
, A-3 and A-4. I./JG 5 had its bases on Lista, Sola
Stavanger Airport, Sola
Stavanger Airport, Sola is an international airport located in Sola, Norway, southwest of Stavanger. It is Norway's third-busiest airport, with both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter traffic for the offshore North Sea oil installations...
, Kjevik
Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik
Kristiansand Airport, Kjevik is situated northeast of the city Kristiansand, Vest-Agder in southern Norway, located from the city centre. The airport serves the Agder district with domestic and international flights. In 2008 the airport had 915,092 passengers. The airport is operated by Avinor...
and Herdla
Herdla
Herdla is an island in Askøy, Norway, at the north end of the island of Askøy. The island was part of the municipality of Herdla until 1 January 1964. The island has a nature reserve with 220 registered species of birds...
in the southern part of Norway. IV./JG 5 were distributed on bases around Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, and were equipped with Bf 109Fs and Fw 190As. II. and III. Gruppe faced the Soviets on the Polar Sea Front; at this time they were equipped with the Bf 109F-4. Stab, 4./JG 5 and 6./JG 5 were stationed in Alakurtti, 5., 8., and 9./JG 5 were stationed at Kirkenes
Kirkenes
is a town in the municipality of Sør-Varanger in the county of Finnmark in the far northeast of Norway...
and 7./JG 5 was based at Petsamo. As early as March 1943 6. Staffel (commanded by Hpt. Heinrich Ehrler
Heinrich Ehrler
Heinrich Ehrler was a German World War II fighter ace whose distinguished Luftwaffe combat career ended in tragic controversy. Along with Theodor Weissenberger, Ehrler shared the honors of "top-ace" in Jagdgeschwader 5, amassing 208 kills - including eight in the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter...
) reached 500 victories.
In early 1943 a Jabo (fighter-bomber) unit was formed within JG 5. 14.(J)/JG 5 was equipped with modified Fw 190A's and commanded by Hptm. Friedrich-Wilhelm Strakeljahn.
In May 1943 the unit was responsible for the sinking of two submarines and two freighters within three days and by the end of 1943 has claimed to have sunk over 39,000 tons of Soviet merchant shipping in over 1,000 sorties.
In June 1943 Oberstlt. Gotthard Handrick
Gotthard Handrick
Karl Hermann Gotthard Handrick was a German Olympic athlete and German fighter pilot during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.-Career:...
was transferred to 8. Jagddivision
8th Fighter Division (Germany)
8. Jagd Division was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed 15 June 1944 in Wien-Kobenzel from the Jagdfliegerführer Ostmark and subordinated to the I. Jagdkorps. The Division was subordinated to the IX...
, and replaced by the Gruppenkommandeur III./JG 5, Major Günther Scholz. Mid 1943 also saw JG 5 at its maximum strength. It consisted of 14 Staffeln; 12 regular single-engined fighter Staffels equipped with the Bf 109 and Fw 190, one Bf 110-equipped Zerstörerstaffel and finally the Jabo
Fighter-bomber
A fighter-bomber is a fixed-wing aircraft with an intended primary role of light tactical bombing and also incorporating certain performance characteristics of a fighter aircraft. This term, although still used, has less significance since the introduction of rockets and guided missiles into aerial...
unit, 14.(J)/JG 5 with the Fw 190. 1943 was also the last year in which JG 5's four Gruppen had any sense of operational unity. I and II. Gruppe left Norway and Finland for good in late 1943 to fight the rest of the war away from their parent Geschwader.
In November 1943, I. Gruppe moved to Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
as protection for the vital Ploieşti
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
oil refineries. The gruppe were placed under the command of Luftflotte 1
Luftflotte 1
Luftflotte 1 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed February 1, 1939 from Luftwaffengruppenkommando 1 in Berlin...
for the remainder of 1943. Gruppenkommandeur since February 1943 is Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
Gerhard Wengel. He died defeinding Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
in combat with USAAF on 10 January 1944, when, after I./JG 5 jet fighters destroed 3 "flying fortresses", his Me 109 crashed near Radomir. On 26 March 1944 Hauptmann Horst Carganico
Horst Carganico
Horst Carganico 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...
was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 5 participating in the Reichsverteidigung (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...
). After combat with USAAF B-17's on 27 May 1944, he was killed when his Bf 109 crashed after hitting high tension cables while force-landing near Chevry
Chevry
Chevry is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* Chevry, in the Ain département* Chevry, in the Manche département* Chevry-Cossigny, in the Seine-et-Marne département...
, France. Carganico had claimed 60 kills.
1944
In 1944 I. Gruppe was redesignated as III./JG 6 and sent to FranceFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, and it was never replaced. In June - July 1944, Gruppenkommandeur Theodor Weissenberger
Theodor Weissenberger
Major Theodor Weissenberger was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1936 until the end of World War II in 1945. He flew more than 500 combat missions claiming 208 enemy aircraft shot down...
was credited with 25 victories over Normandy (half the total score by the whole unit during this period).
II. Gruppe was transferred to Northern Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
under the command of Luftflotte 1
Luftflotte 1
Luftflotte 1 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed February 1, 1939 from Luftwaffengruppenkommando 1 in Berlin...
, and then redesignated as IV./JG 4 and sent back to 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...
in early 1945.
IV./JG 5 and 14./JG 5 were transferred to the Arctic Front from Southern Norway in August 1944. The Gruppe joined the first of several large air battles commencing on October 9, opposing the final Soviet offensive against Petsamo. When the day was over, III. and IV./JG 5 had claimed 85 Soviet aircraft shot down (among them the 3,000th victory for JG 5) against the loss of only one pilot killed.
On 1 August 1944 Major Heinrich Ehrler
Heinrich Ehrler
Heinrich Ehrler was a German World War II fighter ace whose distinguished Luftwaffe combat career ended in tragic controversy. Along with Theodor Weissenberger, Ehrler shared the honors of "top-ace" in Jagdgeschwader 5, amassing 208 kills - including eight in the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter...
was promoted to Geschwaderkommodore
Geschwaderkommodore
Geschwaderkommodore is a Luftwaffe position , originating during World War II, that is the equivalent of a RAF Group Commander or USAF Wing Commander. A Geschwaderkommodore is usually of Oberstleutnant or Oberst rank...
of JG 5.
In November 1944 IV./JG 5 returned to Southern Norway. Up to the end of the war this unit formed the air defence against the Allied raids on targets in Norway, principally the submarine bases at Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
and Bergen
Bergen
Bergen is the second largest city in Norway with a population of as of , . Bergen is the administrative centre of Hordaland county. Greater Bergen or Bergen Metropolitan Area as defined by Statistics Norway, has a population of as of , ....
.
The Sinking of the Tirpitz
On 12 November 1944 Avro LancasterAvro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
bombers of 9 and 617
No. 617 Squadron RAF
No. 617 Squadron is a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron based at RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland. It currently operates the Tornado GR4 in the ground attack and reconnaissance role...
Squadrons raided the Tirpitz
German battleship Tirpitz
Tirpitz was the second of two s built for the German Kriegsmarine during World War II. Named after Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, the architect of the Imperial Navy, the ship was laid down at the Kriegsmarinewerft in Wilhelmshaven in November 1936 and launched two and a half years later in April...
in Tromsø fjord. Major Ehrler scrambled to intercept at the head of a formation of JG 5 Bf 109G's, but the fighters were too late. The Tirpitz was sunk with the loss of a thousand sailors. Ehrler was court martialed and sentenced to three years Festungshaft, and stripped of his command. (He was killed flying with JG 7 on 4 April 1945).
Surviving aircraft that served with JG 5
About twenty of JG 5's Messerschmitt Bf 109Messerschmitt Bf 109 Survivors
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 was a German World War II fighter aircraft. It was one of the first true modern fighters of the era, including such features as an all-metal monocoque construction, a closed canopy, and retractable landing gear...
s, comprising six E-models, eight 109F-models and seven G-models; and five of JG 5's Focke-Wulf Fw 190s, four of them A-models and one F-model, survive into the 21st century, believed to be (at about 27 aircraft) the highest number of surviving World War II-era piston-engined German combat aircraft from any single Geschwader-designated operational unit. The oldest existing aircraft of all that served with JG 5 in World War II is the Bf 109E-3 with Werknummer 1983 that was assigned to JG 5's 5th Staffel, housed at Charleston Aviation Services, Colchester, England in the UK currently undergoing restoration, with the oldest Fw 190 remaining in the world, the A-2 model that served with JG 5, bearing Werknummer 5476, existing in Texas awaiting restoration. The lone surviving Fw 190F model that served with JG 5 is under restoration in Florida to possibly become the first restored, original F-series BMW 801
BMW 801
The BMW 801 was a powerful German air-cooled radial aircraft engine built by BMW and used in a number of German military aircraft of World War II. The engine's cylinders were in two rows of seven cylinders each, the bore and stroke were both 156 mm , giving a total capacity of 41.8 litres...
radial-engined Fw 190 since the end of World War II to fly again in coming years with The White 1 Foundation in Kissimmee, Florida.
Condition code:
(A) = Airworthy
(D) = Display
(R) = Under restoration
(S) = Stored
(W) = Wreck
(U) = Unknown Location
JG 5's Messerschmitt Bf 109E survivors
- Bf 109E-3 1983, ex-5/JG 5 "Red ?", Charleston Aviation Services, ColchesterColchesterColchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
, UK (R)
- Bf 109E-3 2023, ex-Bf 109E-7, ex-8/JG 5 "Black 9" (pilot Ofw. Walter Sommer) - crashed 27 May 1943,
Fighter Factory Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA (R)
- Bf 109E-3 3285, ex-Bf 109E-7, ex-4/JG 5 "Black 12", "White 4", "Yellow 2", Finnish AF Museum, Tikkakoski (S)
- Bf 109E-3 3523, ex-CS + AJ, ex-Bf 109E-7, ex-5/JG 5 "Red 6", Jim Pearce, Sussex, UK (S)
with pre-restoration video
- Bf 109E-7 5975, ex-6/JG 5 "Yellow 4" - shot down 10 May 1942, Mighty Eighth Air Force MuseumMighty Eighth Air Force MuseumThe Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum is a non-profit 501 organization located in Pooler, Georgia, in the western suburbs of Savannah. It educates visitors through the use of exhibits, artifacts, archival materials, and stories, most of which are dedicated to the history of the Eighth Air Force...
, Savannah, Georgia, USA (D)
- note: cockpit section from Bf 109G-2
JG 5's Bf 109F survivors
- Bf 109F-4 7108, ex-NE + ML, ex-9/JG 5, Central Finland Aviation Museum, Tikkakoski, Finland (D)
- Bf 109F-4 7485, ex-9/JG 5 "Black 1" Charleston Aviation Services, UK (S)
- Bf 109F-4 10144, ex-6/JG 5 "Yellow 7" (pilot Fw. Albert Brunner) - crashed 5 September 1942,
Air Assets International, Bloomfield, Colorado (R)
- Bf 109F-4 10212, ex-JG 5,Air Assets International, Bloomfield, Colorado, USA (S) : note: wings and parts
- Bf 109F-4 10256, ex-11/JG 5 "<", Air Assets International, Bloomfield, Colorado, USA (S)
- Bf 109F-4 10276, ex-JG 5, Air Assets International, Bloomfield, Colorado, USA (S)
- Bf 109F-4 w/rn unknown, ex-JG 5 "White 4", Belgian (R)
JG 5's Bf 109G survivors
- Bf 109G-2 10394, ex-6/JG 5 "Yellow 2" (pilot Fw. Erwin Fahldieck) - crashed 29 April 1943, Malcolm Laing, Texas, USA (R)
- Bf 109G-2 13427, ex-9/JG 5 "Yellow 2", Russia (S)
- Bf 109G-2/R1 13470, ex-CI + KS, ex-8/JG 5 "White 4",Norsk Luftfartsmuseum, Bodo, Norway (R)
- Bf 109G-2/R6 13927, ex-6/JG 5 "Yellow 6", USA (W)
- Bf 109G-1/R2 14141, ex-DG + UF, ex-2/JG 5 "Black 6", Flyhistorisk Museum, Sola, Norway (R)
- Bf 109G-2 14658, ex-KG-WF, ex-6/JG 5 "Yellow 2", Museum of the Air Forces of the Northern Fleet, Severomorsk, Russia (D)
- Bf 109G-2 14798 (VH-EIN), ex-GJ+QP, ex-8/JG 5 "Black 10", Christopher Kelly, Seaforth, Australia (R)
- Bf 109G-6 411768 ex-FN + RX, ex-RW + ZI, ex-II/JG 5 "Black 1", " Black 1 ", Vadim Zadorozny Technical Museum, Moscow, Russia (D)
JG 5's Focke-Wulf Fw 190 survivors
- Fw 190 A-2, Wk. Nr. 5476, from JG 5, owned by Wade S. Hayes and currently located in Texas USA. It is thought to be one of the oldest Fw 190s still in existence. (R)
- Fw 190 A-3, Wk. Nr. 2219, from IV./JG 5, recovered from underwater location, currently being rebuilt for the Norwegian Air Force Museum. (R)
- Fw 190 A-8, Wk. Nr. 350177, from 12./JG 5, owned by Jon W. Houston and located at the Texas Air Museum in Rio Hondo, Texas, USA. (R)
- Fw 190 A-8, Wk. Nr. 732183, from 12./JG 5 as flown by Rudi LinzRudi LinzRudi Linz was a Luftwaffe fighter ace during the Second World war. Linz was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for a total of 70 aerial victories claimed...
, a German ace with 79 victories, this aircraft was shot down over Norway by a British Mustang during the 'Black Friday'Black Friday (1945)On 9 February 1945 a force of Allied Bristol Beaufighter aircraft suffered heavy casualties during an unsuccessful attack on German destroyer Z33 and escorting vessels; the operation was labelled "Black Friday" by the surviving Allied aircrew...
raid on 9 February 1945. The aircraft is currently owned by John W. Houston and currently under restoration at the Texas Air Museum. (R)
- Fw 190 F-8, Wk. Nr. 931862, from 9./JG 5, the "White 1" as flown by Unteroffizier Heinz Orlowski, who examined his former aircraft personally in 2005, during its restoration. Shot down by P-51s over Norway, and is a second surviving Axis aircraft from the February 9, 1945 "Black Friday" engagement. Under restoration in Kissimmee, Florida, USA by The White 1 Foundation, and is expected to be returned to airworthy status. (R)
Geschwaderkommodore
- Oberstleutnant Gotthard HandrickGotthard HandrickKarl Hermann Gotthard Handrick was a German Olympic athlete and German fighter pilot during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.-Career:...
, May 1942 - June 1943 - Oberstleutnant Günther Scholz, June 1943 - May 1944
- Major Heinrich EhrlerHeinrich EhrlerHeinrich Ehrler was a German World War II fighter ace whose distinguished Luftwaffe combat career ended in tragic controversy. Along with Theodor Weissenberger, Ehrler shared the honors of "top-ace" in Jagdgeschwader 5, amassing 208 kills - including eight in the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter...
, May 1944 - February 1945 - Oberstleutnant Günther Scholz, February 1945 - May 1945
I./JG 5
- Major Joachim Seegert, January 1942 - April 1942
- Hauptmann Gerhard von Wehren, April 1942 - February 1943
- Hauptmann Gerhard Wengel, February 1943 - 10 January 1944
- Oberleutnant Robert Müller, 10 January 1944 - 25 January 1944
- Major Erich Gerlitz, 25 January 1944 - 16 March 1944
- Major Horst Carganico, 26 March 1944 - 27 May 1944
- Hauptmann Theodor WeissenbergerTheodor WeissenbergerMajor Theodor Weissenberger was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1936 until the end of World War II in 1945. He flew more than 500 combat missions claiming 208 enemy aircraft shot down...
, 4 June 1944 - 14 October 1944
II./JG 5
- Major Hennig Strümpell, January 1942 - April 1942
- Hauptmann Horst Carganico, April 1942 - 26 March 1944
- Hauptmann Theodor Weissenberger, 26 March 1944 - 3 June 1944
- Oberleutnant Hans Tetzner, 4 June 1944 - 19.7 1944
- Oberstleutant Franz Wienhusen, 1 September 1944 - October 1944
- Hauptmann Herbert Treppe, February 1945 - May 1945
III./JG 5
- Hauptmann Günther Scholz, March 1942 - June 1943
- Major Heinrich EhrlerHeinrich EhrlerHeinrich Ehrler was a German World War II fighter ace whose distinguished Luftwaffe combat career ended in tragic controversy. Along with Theodor Weissenberger, Ehrler shared the honors of "top-ace" in Jagdgeschwader 5, amassing 208 kills - including eight in the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter...
, June 1943 - May 1944 - Hauptmann Franz DörrFranz DörrFranz Dörr was a German World War II fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.- Biography :Franz Dörr was born on 10 February 1913 in Mannheim...
, May 1944 - May 1945 - Oberleutnant Rudolf Glöckner, 1944/1945
IV./JG 5
- Hauptmann Hans Kriegel, unknown - April 1944
- Oberleutnant Rudolf Lüder, 3 October 1943 - unknown
- Hauptmann Fritz Stendel, 15 May 1944 - May 1945
13. (Z)/JG 5
- Olt Felix Maria Brandis, 25.1.42 - 2.2.42
- Olt Max Franzisket,Max Franzisket was the brother of Ludwig FranzisketLudwig FranzisketProf. Dr. Ludwig Franzisket was a German World War II Luftwaffe fighter ace. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat...
. Max was killed in action on 19 July 1943 on the Eastern Front. February 1942 - March 1942 - Oberleutnant Karl-Fritz Schloßstein, March 1942 - June 1942
- Oberleutnant Hans Kirchmeier, June 1943 - September 1943
- Hauptmann Herbert Treppe, September 1943 - July 1944
14. (Jabo)/JG 5
- Hauptmann Friedrich-Wilhelm Strakeljahn, February 1943 - February 1944