Jagdgeschwader 2

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Jagdgeschwader 2
JG 2 Richthofen
Active	1939-1945
Country	Germany
Branch	Air Force
Type	Fighter Aircraft
Role	Air superiority
Size	Air Force Wing
Nickname	Richthofen

Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2) Richthofen was a World War II Luftwaffe wing. It was named after World War I fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen.

1 History
2 Geschwaderkommodore
3 Sources
4 See also

[edit] History

Jagdgeschwader 2 was formed from parts of Jagdgeschwader 131 'Richthofen' on 1 May 1939 in Döberitz and its first commander was Oberst Robert Ritter von Greim. At the outbreak of the war JG 2 was tasked with defence of the Reich and based in the Berlin area under Luftgaukommando III'. Stab and II. Gruppe were equipped with the Bf 109 E and were located at Döberitz with 10.(N) staffel flying the Bf 109 D in Straussberg.

10.(N) Staffel was one of the first night fighter units formed in the Luftwaffe. Later this staffel was expanded into IV.(N) Gruppe. This Gruppe gained Luftwaffe’s first night kill over RAF Bomber Command on the night of 25/26 on April 1940 when Ofw Förster shot down a Hampden.

The unit saw little combat until the Western offensive against France and the low countries from 10 May 1940 onwards. During the campaign against France, JG 2 was tasked with escorting raids and defending German airspace to the south of Guderians Panzer forces which were encircling the French and the British Expeditionary Force farther north. Leutnant Helmut Wick, who later became part of a trio of outstanding aces (including Adolf Galland from JG 26 and Werner Mölders from JG 51) in the Battle of Britain, attained his first and the Geschwader's second kill on 22 November 1939, a French Curtiss Hawk 75. The first victory for the JG 2 was scored by Oberfeldwebel Kley (3. Staffel) at the same day.

[edit] Battle of Britain

JG 2 took part in the Battle of Britain, operating the Bf 109 E over the South Coast of England and the English Channel from bases in Cherbourg and Normandy. Major Helmut Wick emerged as one of the Battle’s top Luftwaffe aces, claiming 31 kills for a personal total of 56, before being killed (MIA) in action versus Spitfires of No. 609 squadron in November 1940. Interestingly, Wick was seen to bail out successfully, but was not found by German Air/Sea Rescue attempts. In addition, the Spitfire who dispatched him was immediately shot down by Oberleutnant Rudolf Pflanz. Ofw. Schnell, Ofw. Machold and Olt. Hans “Assi” Hahn also claimed heavily during this period, with 16 kills each. Some 42 JG 2 pilots were killed or made POW during the Battle.

[edit] European Service

In preparation for the invasion of Soviet Russia in June 1941 most fighter units had departed East by May 1941. Two Jagdgeschwader were left for the defence of North Western Europe, JG 2 and JG 26 ('Schlageter').

For the next two years these two Geschwader were the main adversaries to the RAF’s day offensives over Europe. The two Jagdgeschwader maintained around 120 serviceable Bf 109 E and F’s to face the increasing number of RAF Fighter Command sweeps conducted to both wear down the Luftwaffe in a war of attrition and so to relieve pressure on the Eastern Front. Careful husbanding of resources and astute tactical awareness meant JG 2 and JG 26 kept their losses to a minimum while inflicting maximum damage on the RAF Spitfires. This became even more evident with the arrival of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190A to units in late 1941 - early 1942, which outclassed the current Spitfire Mark Vb in service with the RAF.

Six members of JG 2 received the Ritterkreuz in 1941, but no award was made to JG 2 pilots in 1942, although Olt. Josef "Sepp" Wurmheller was awarded the Eichenlaub (oakleaves) award to the Ritterkruez in late 1942, for achieving 60 western front claims.

In March 1942 I./JG 2 converted to Focke-Wulf Fw 190A and the other gruppen followed month by month. The year saw most of JG 2 convert to the Focke-Wulf 190 A, and apart from 11. Staffel by July 1942 JG 2 was an exclusive Fw 190 unit. The 11. Staffel was a high altitude squadron, which experimented with pressurized cabins and other technical refinements. In March II./JG2 was operational in Theville and Morlaix and at the end of April I./JG 2 was operational in Maupertus, Morlaix and St. Brieuc flying the Fw 190 A-2.

On 11 February 1942 the two heavy battlecruisers Gneisenau and Scharnhorst made a successful Channel Dash through the English channel in daylight towards the Northern German ports. JG 2 was one of several units providing air cover, shooting down several RAF bombers and Spitfires in the process. The fighter cover was organized by Adolf Galland.

On 19 August 1942 Allied forces made their first large Commando–style raid into continental Europe at Dieppe. JG 2 was in intensive action during the operation, flying 430 operations, losing 14 aircraft (8 killed) and claiming 59 Allied aircraft shot down.

By late 1942 JG 2 was in the forefront of the battle against the increasing USAAF Eighth Air Force daylight bombing offensive into occupied Europe. Gruppekommandeur of II./JG 2, Major Egon Mayer, was central in devising 'head-on' attacks against the B-17 Flying Fortress that became standard practice throughout the Jagdwaffe.

[edit] Service in Africa and the Mediterranean

II./JG 2, headed by Oberleutnant Adolf Dickfeld was transferred to Tunisia in November 1942. Two pilots of II. Gruppe, Oberleutnant Kurt Bühlingen and Lt. Erich Rudorffer, would claim over half of the 150 kills that II./JG 2 claimed in Tunisia. After arriving in North Africa, II./JG 2 was attached to JG 53 near Bizerta. II. Gruppe's Focke-Wulfs flew in mixed formations with JG 53's Bf 109's, conducting sweeps and bomber escort.

On 9 February Rudorffer's 6. staffel intercepted a USAAF bombing raid of B-17's and an escort of P-38's, P-40’s and Spitfire Mk V. During the fight, Rudorffer claimed six aircraft shot down. He later shot down two more P-38's, making his claims for the day eight kills.

In addition to JG 2's Focke-Wulfs, the Bf 109 G-1 equipped 11. Staffel, lead by Olt. Julius Meimberg, were located in central Tunisia at this time. On the 4th of December 11. Staffel encountered a formation of Bristol Bisleys from 18 Squadron, RAF, and shot 11 down, Meimberg himself claiming three. In total, II./JG 2 had claimed 150 kills against 8 losses in combat (and 8 in accidents) during the 5 month stay in North Africa, before returning to France in March 1943. Rudorffer was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II. gruppe as they re-equipped with Bf 109 G-6's. Owing to the intensity of action and the lack of verifiable evidence, recent research has suggested JG 2's claims were probably exaggerated.

Two years later, elements of JG 2 were back in the Mediterranean theatre, this time countering the invasion at Anzio in January 1944. I./JG 2, led by Major Erich Hohagen and flying Fw 190 A-6's, were stationed at Castiglione del Lago and later Canino. However the Allied forces had overwhelming air superiority over the area. Over 700 bombers provided support for the beach head. Fighting against the more potent Spitfire VIII and IX proved extremely dangerous and with bombers of the tactical 12th Air Force and Desert Air Force continually bombing their airfields, I./JG 2 was withdrawn to France in April 1944 after heavy losses and having had minimal effect on the military situation.

[edit] Back to Western Europe

Despite JG 2 scoring its 2,000th kill in January 1944, the ongoing defensive operations against the USAAF bomber offensive took its toll on the Jagdgeschwaders, JG 2 being no exception; Many novices and replacement pilots were killed through the first half of 1944, and more importantly the ever fewer experienced and irreplaceable Experten were also being lost. JG 2's Kommodore and 102-kill ace Major Egon Mayer was shot down and killed in March 1944 and just over one month later his successor Major Kurt Ubben was also killed versus US fighters.

JG 2 was the main Luftwaffe unit to see action against Allied Air Forces during the D-day landings on 6 June 1944. Stationed at Cormeilles-en-Vexin 60 kilometres from the coast, I./JG 2 was one of the nearest fighter units to the Allied beachheads. JG 2 Geschwaderkommodore Major Bühlingen shot down a P-47 Thunderbolt over the Orne before the Gruppe became embroiled in a dogfight with RAF Typhoons near Caen. Six were claimed, and JG 2 claimed 18 kills for the day without loss (Total Luftwaffe claims were 24 shot down). The overwhelming superority of the Allied forces soon took effect, however, as Gruppenkommandeur Hptm. Hubert Huppertz (68 victories) was shot down and killed two days later by a P-47. His successor was another irreplacable veteran, Hptm. Josef "Sepp" Wurmheller (102 kills, 93 with JG 2 against the Western Allies). He would die after colliding with his wingman during a dogfight, just two weeks later.

Towards the year’s end JG 2 received the first examples of the Fw 190 D-9 'Dora'. Stab and III. Gruppe were first to convert and before the end of 1944 JG 2 was operating from near Frankfurt.

Operation Bodenplatte ('Base Plate') was a mass fighter attack against the Allied airfields in the Low countries and France on New Years Day 1945. It was hoped to regain temporary aerial superiority for the new German offensive through the Ardennes, but instead it delivered crippling losses to the Luftwaffe. Numerically, of all the fighter units JG 2 suffered most in this ill fated operation, suffering 37 pilots killed and nearly 40% losses. It took several weeks for JG 2 to regain operational status.

As the end of war drew near, all gruppen of JG 2 were equipped with Fw 190 D-9 'Dora'. Against numerically far superior Allies, they could not hope to postpone the inevitable defeat. During winter and spring JG 2 moved from the Rhine area into Bavaria.

Jagdgeschwader 2 'Richthofen' was formally de-activated near Munich on 7 May 1945 by Geschwaderkommodore (and JG 2 top scorer with 112 kills) Kurt Bühlingen