''Jagdgeschwader'' 6 (JG 6) ''
Horst Wessel
Horst Ludwig Georg Erich Wessel (9 October 1907 – 23 February 1930) was a Berlin ''Sturmführer'' ("Assault Leader", the lowest commissioned officer rank) of the ''Sturmabteilung'' (SA), the Nazi Party's stormtroopers. After his killing in 1 ...
'' was a
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German '' Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the '' Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabt ...
fighter wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
. Created late in the war as one of the last ''Jagdgeschwader'', JG 6 fought on the Western and Eastern Fronts and in the
Defence of the Reich
The Defence of the Reich (german: Reichsverteidigung) is the name given to the military strategy, strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany over German-occupied Europe and Germany during World War II. Its aim w ...
over Germany. This period of the air war was characterised by few successes and heavy losses among the German fighter arm.
Organisation
A Luftwaffe ''Geschwader'' (wing formation) was the largest homogenous flying formation. It typically was made up of three groups (''gruppen''). Each group contained approximately 30 to 40 aircraft in three squadrons (''staffeln''). A ''Jagdgeschwader'' could field 90 to 120
fighter aircraft. In some cases a wing could be given a fourth ''gruppe''. Each wing had a ''
Geschwaderkommodore
{{unreferenced, date=May 2019
''Geschwaderkommodore'' (short also ''Kommodore'') is a ''Luftwaffe'' position or appointment (not rank), originating during World War II. A ''Geschwaderkommodore'' is usually an OF5-rank of ''Oberst'' (colonel) or K ...
'' (wing commander) supporting by three ''
Gruppenkommandeur
''Gruppenkommandeur'' is a Luftwaffe position (not rank), that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air forces. A ''Gruppenkommandeur'' usually has the rank of Major or '' Oberstleutnant'' (Lieutenant Colonel), and comma ...
'' (Group Commanders). Each squadron was commanded by a ''
Staffelkapitän
''Staffelkapitän'' is a position (not a rank) in flying units ( ''Staffel'') of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a ''Staffelkapitän'' is of ''Oberstleutnant'' or '' Major'' rank.
In the ...
'' (squadron leader). The ''staffel'' contained approximately 12 to 15 aircraft. The identification in records were different depending on the type of formation. A ''gruppe'' was referred to in
roman numeral
Roman numerals are a numeral system that originated in ancient Rome and remained the usual way of writing numbers throughout Europe well into the Late Middle Ages. Numbers are written with combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet, eac ...
s, for example I./JG 27, while ''staffeln'' were described with their number (1./JG 27). The wing could be subordinated to a ''Fliegerkorps'', ''Fliegerdivision'' or ''Jagddivision'' (Flying Corps, Division and Fighter Division) all of which were subordinated to ''Luftflotten'' (Air Fleets). The use of ''Fliegerdivision'' became redundant and the description ''Fliegerkorps'' supplanted it until the use of ''Jagddivision'' later in the war.
Formation
The backdrop to JG 6 and its creation was a general deterioration of Germany's military position. In the air war, the Luftwaffe had been driven from
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...
in May 1943, and by the end of the year was largely absent from the
Italian Campaign. The
Combined Bomber Offensive
The Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) was an Allied offensive of strategic bombing during World War II in Europe. The primary portion of the CBO was directed against Luftwaffe targets which was the highest priority from June 1943 to 1 April 1944. T ...
had ground the Luftwaffe down severely in the first half of 1944. The
Oberkommando der Luftwaffe
The (; abbreviated OKL) was the high command of the air force () of Nazi Germany.
History
The was organized in a large and diverse structure led by Reich minister and supreme commander of the Air force (german: Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaf ...
had finally decided to abandon the
cult of the offensive
The cult of the offensive refers to a strategic military dilemma in which leaders believe that offensive advantages are so great that a defending force would have no hope of repelling the attack and therefore choose to attack. It is most often us ...
, and focus on the production of
fighter aircraft. On the
Eastern Front, the Luftwaffe had long since lost
air superiority
Aerial supremacy (also air superiority) is the degree to which a side in a conflict holds control of air power over opposing forces. There are levels of control of the air in aerial warfare. Control of the air is the aerial equivalent of comm ...
, from the
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history. ...
in July 1943.
Operation Bagration
Operation Bagration (; russian: Операция Багратио́н, Operatsiya Bagration) was the codename for the 1944 Soviet Byelorussian strategic offensive operation (russian: Белорусская наступательная оп� ...
collapsed the front in June 1944, cleared the majority of
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previou ...
forces from the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
while on the
Western Front,
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norm ...
and the
Normandy landings
The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as ...
were pushing the Germans out of France.
Hugo Sperrle
Wilhelm Hugo Sperrle (7 February 1885 – 2 April 1953), also known as Hugo Sperrle, was a German military aviator in World War I and a Generalfeldmarschall in the Luftwaffe during World War II.
Sperrle joined the Imperial German Army in 1903. H ...
's
Luftflotte 3
''Luftflotte'' 3For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet 3) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on 1 February 1939 from ''Luftwaffeng ...
was bled white over Normandy.
The Stabstaffel, I and II ''Gruppen'' were established at
Königsberg
Königsberg (, ) was the historic Prussian city that is now Kaliningrad, Russia. Königsberg was founded in 1255 on the site of the ancient Old Prussian settlement ''Twangste'' by the Teutonic Knights during the Northern Crusades, and was na ...
, part of an effort to increase the size of the single-engine fighter force in late July 1944. The ''gruppen'' were created from
Zerstörergeschwader 26
''Zerstörergeschwader'' 26 (ZG 26) "Horst Wessel" was a Luftwaffe heavy fighter wing of World War II.
Formed on 1 May 1939, ZG 26 was initially armed with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 single-engine interceptor due to production shortfalls with ...
(Heavy Fighter Wing 26) which had flown the
Messerschmitt Bf 110
The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often known unofficially as the Me 110,Because it was built before ''Bayerische Flugzeugwerke'' became Messerschmitt AG in July 1938, the Bf 110 was never officially given the designation Me 110. is a twin-engine (Des ...
and
Messerschmitt Me 410
The Messerschmitt Me 410 ''Hornisse'' (Hornet) is a German heavy fighter and '' Schnellbomber'' used by the ''Luftwaffe'' during World War II. Though an incremental improvement of the Me 210, it had a new wing plan, longer fuselage and engi ...
, then hopelessly vulnerable types in the era of long-range and numerous American
fighter escort
The escort fighter was a concept for a fighter aircraft designed to escort bombers to and from their targets. An escort fighter needed range long enough to reach the target, loiter over it for the duration of the raid to defend the bombers, an ...
s. This reclassification ended the Zerstörergeschwader. Stab, I and II ''Gruppen'' ZG 26 became Stab, I and II ''Gruppen'' JG 6.
Oberstleutnant
() is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The S ...
Johann Kogler was appointed ''Geschwaderkommodore''. I and III/JG 6 were formed in October and November 1944 leaving I ''Gruppe'' and Stabstaffel the only units available in August 1944.
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 in contemporary German means 'main', it also has and originally had the meaning of 'head', i.e. ' literally ...
Willi Elstermann commanded II ''Gruppe''. This ''gruppe'' converted to the Fw 190A-8 at Königsberg–
Neumark
The Neumark (), also known as the New March ( pl, Nowa Marchia) or as East Brandenburg (), was a region of the Margraviate of Brandenburg and its successors located east of the Oder River in territory which became part of Poland in 1945.
Cal ...
.
World War II
II ''Gruppe'' replaced some of the depleted German fighter units from Normandy.
General der Jagdflieger
Inspector of Fighters (German language: ''Inspekteur der Jagdflieger'' redesignated to ''General der Jagdflieger'' (General of Fighters)) was not a rank but a leading position within the High Command of the German Luftwaffe in Nazi Germany
...
Adolf Galland
Adolf Josef Ferdinand Galland (19 March 1912 – 9 February 1996) was a German Luftwaffe general and flying ace who served throughout the Second World War in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions, and fought on the Western Front and in the Defen ...
strongly objected to the move, which ultimately cost the ''gruppe'' 19
killed in action and four
wounded in action
Wounded in Action (WIA) describes combatants who have been wounded while fighting in a combat zone during wartime, but have not been killed. Typically, it implies that they are temporarily or permanently incapable of bearing arms or continui ...
in a short time. On 23 August 1944, it was ordered to
Herpy near
Reims
Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne.
Founded ...
. According to one member of the unit,
Feldwebel
''Feldwebel '' (Fw or F, ) is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in several countries. The rank originated in Germany, and is also used in Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The rank has also been used in Russia, Austria-Hungary, occupi ...
Fritz Bucholz, who arrived with 11 hours of experience on single-engine fighters and no
dogfight
A dogfight, or dog fight, is an aerial battle between fighter aircraft conducted at close range. Dogfighting first occurred in Mexico in 1913, shortly after the invention of the airplane. Until at least 1992, it was a component in every maj ...
ing experience, the airfield was nothing more than flat ground surrounded by trees to hide their aircraft. Tents were provided for shelter, and much attention was paid to camouflage. The ''gruppe'' used nearby cattle to roam the airfield while no flights were ongoing to obscure the tracks made by the landing gear and deceive Allied reconnaissance aircraft. The Normandy campaign was coming to an end, two days after their arrival
Paris was liberated. Hauptmann Willi Elstermann led the ''gruppe'' in action towards the battle zone near
St Quentin
Saint Quentin ( la, Quintinus; died 287 AD) also known as Quentin of Amiens, was an early Christian saint.
Hagiography
Martyrdom
The legend of his life has him as a Roman citizen who was martyred in Gaul. He is said to have been the son of a ...
that day, 25 August.
Near
Clastres
Clastres () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Population
See also
* Communes of the Aisne department
The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne.
The commu ...
, they observed
Lockheed P-38 Lightning
The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...
s from the US
394th Fighter Squadron
The 394th Fighter Squadron is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was assigned to the 367th Fighter Group and was last stationed at Seymour Johnson Field, North Carolina, where it was inactivated on 7 November 1945.
The squadron was ...
strafing the airbase. In their first action, they shot down six of the P-38s. Distress calls summoned the P-38s from the
367th Fighter Group 367th may refer to:
*367th Fighter Group, later the 133d Operations Group, the flying component of the Minnesota Air National Guard's 133d Airlift Wing
*367th Fighter Squadron Inactivated in 1945, then reactivated at Homestead Air Reserve Base in 20 ...
which lost one further P-38 but accounted for 16 of the ''gruppe'' fighters destroyed plus several more damaged. The two formations were numerically even, and the
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' ("Shrike") is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, th ...
was more than a match for the P-38, but the Germans had little dogfighting experience. During the disastrous action, which cost the ''Gruppe'' half its strength, ''
Leutnant
() is the lowest Junior officer rank in the armed forces the German-speaking of Germany (Bundeswehr), Austrian Armed Forces, and military of Switzerland.
History
The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") from Middle High Germa ...
'' Rudi Dassow, a 22-victory ace on the Bf 110 and Me 410, was killed. The following day the ''gruppe'' was in action again over the
Seine
The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plate ...
area, and Fritz Bucholz was shot down. He was picked up by a
Waffen SS
The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's '' Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands.
The grew from t ...
rearguard and crossed the Seine by ferry. His wounds kept him out of action for six weeks. On his return, just four of the 40 pilots remained from the original cohort. The experience of II ''Gruppe'' JG 6 was repeated in many of the German fighter units over Normandy. Willi Elstermann was relieved of his command. The lack of tactical training on the Fw 190 contributed to the losses.
On 26 September 1944 III/ZG 26, which provided most of its personnel to
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed ''Schwalbe'' (German: "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ''Sturmvogel'' (German: "Procellariidae, Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produc ...
unit ErprKdo 262, was renamed III ''Gruppe'' JG 6. The ''gruppe'' was committed to battle on 26 November as the US
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Forces ...
made a maximum effort in the
Hannover
Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...
area. The target of the
1st Bombardment Division
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and reco ...
and
2nd Bombardment Division
The 2nd Air Division (2nd AD) is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with Military Airlift Command, assigned to Twenty-Third Air Force, being stationed at Hurlburt Field, Florida. It started operations on ...
targeted the Misburg hydrogenation plant. It flew as top cover for I and II/
JG 1. JG 1 managed to dispatch three
91st Bombardment Group
The 91st Bomb Group (Heavy) 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 Ragg ...
B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
bombers before the
356th Fighter Group
The 356th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Air Force organization. Its last assignment was with the Army Service Forces, being stationed at Camp Kilmer, New Jersey. It was inactivated on 10 November 1945.
During World War II the gro ...
reacted. JG 6 lost 12
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...
s; six killed and six wounded. Their charges lost 15 Fw 190s, 12 killed and three wounded. The days fighting cost
Luftflotte Reich
Luftflotte ReichFor an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet ''Reich'') was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on February 5, 1944 in Berlin ...
62 killed, 32 wounded and 122 fighters in exchange for 42 US bombers and 11 fighters; a ruinous loss rate.

In December 1944, JG 6 was allocated to the
Ardennes Offensive
The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...
,
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...
's last gamble on the Western Front, designed to split the British Commonwealth and American armies by capturing
Antwerp. On 14 December, east of
Bonn
The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ru ...
, the II ''Jagdkorps'' organised a conference by
Dietrich Peltz
Dietrich Peltz (9 June 1914 – 10 August 2001) was a German World War II Luftwaffe bomber pilot and youngest general of the Wehrmacht. As a pilot he flew approximately 320 combat missions, including roughly 130 as a bomber pilot on the Eastern ...
. Kogler attended and was surprised to hear that a bomber pilot and commander was to control fighter operations and the ambitious nature of the plans. Kogler briefed his ''
Staffelkapitän
''Staffelkapitän'' is a position (not a rank) in flying units ( ''Staffel'') of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a ''Staffelkapitän'' is of ''Oberstleutnant'' or '' Major'' rank.
In the ...
'' and ''
Gruppenkommandeure'' immediately, and provided detailed maps and plans for the
Offensive counter air
Offensive counter-air (OCA) is a military term for the suppression of an enemy's military air power, primarily through ground attacks targeting enemy air bases: disabling or destroying parked aircraft, runways, fuel facilities, hangars, air traffi ...
operation at
Volkel
Volkel ( Brabantian: ''Vollekul'') is a village in the Netherlands. It is situated in the north-east corner of the province of North Brabant, south-east of the town of Uden. On 1 January 2021, Volkel had 3,435 inhabitants. It used to be part of t ...
airfield. He even went so far as to build a sand model of the airfield. This all-out
air superiority
Aerial supremacy (also air superiority) is the degree to which a side in a conflict holds control of air power over opposing forces. There are levels of control of the air in aerial warfare. Control of the air is the aerial equivalent of comm ...
attack was to be carried out by 1,100 German fighters before the
Waffen SS
The (, "Armed SS") was the combat branch of the Nazi Party's '' Schutzstaffel'' (SS) organisation. Its formations included men from Nazi Germany, along with volunteers and conscripts from both occupied and unoccupied lands.
The grew from t ...
and
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previou ...
forces advanced. The Luftwaffe commanders present were more hopeful for a German success than they had been in months; but the attack did not take place immediately. On 16 December 1944, the German offensive began under bad weather, holding off most of the Allied tactical air forces. On
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas Day, the festival commemorating the birth of Jesus. Christmas Day is observed around the world, and Christmas Eve is widely observed as a full or partial holiday in anticipati ...
, 1944, JG 6 joined I/
JG 27
''Jagdgeschwader'' 27 (JG 27) "''Afrika''" was a fighter wing of the Luftwaffe during World War II. The wing was given the name "Africa" for serving in the North African Campaign predominantly alone in the period from April 1941 to Septemb ...
and
JG 3
''Jagdgeschwader'' 3 (JG 3) "Udet" was a ''Luftwaffe'' fighter wing of World War II. The ''Geschwader'' operated on all the German fronts in the European Theatre of World War II. It was named after Ernst Udet, an important figure in the develo ...
in anti-bomber missions over the front. A large air battle developed with
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...
groups protecting the bombers. Described as the "greatest air battle" of the offensive, JG 6 reported 13 pilots killed. JG 27 lost four pilots killed or missing, while JG 3 reported the loss of 20 pilots killed or missing. Later in the day two ''gruppen'' were in action with elements of the
RAF Second Tactical Air Force
The RAF Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF) was one of three tactical air forces within the Royal Air Force (RAF) during and after the Second World War. It was made up of squadrons and personnel from the RAF, other British Commonwealth air forces ...
. Later in the day the wing flew with JG 27 and JG 3 against the Eighth Air Force. The German fighters shot down four B-17s, including that of
Brigadier General
Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed t ...
Frederick Walker Castle
Frederick Walker Castle (October 14, 1908–December 24, 1944) was a general officer in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II, and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. He was killed in action leading the bombing mission for which he ...
. On
Christmas Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
, 1944, III/JG 6 and four other ''gruppen'' opposed the
9th Bombardment Division
The 19th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force formation. Its last assignment was with Eighth Air Force at Carswell Air Force Base, Texas, where it was inactivated on 30 September 1988.
During World War II, the unit was designat ...
, which committed 629
medium bomber
A medium bomber is a military bomber aircraft designed to operate with medium-sized bombloads over medium range distances; the name serves to distinguish this type from larger heavy bombers and smaller light bombers. Mediums generally carried ...
s against roads and rail targets in Germany and Belgium including
St. Vith
St. Vith (german: Sankt Vith ; french: Saint-Vith ; lb, Sankt Väit ; wa, Sint-Vit) is a city and municipality of East Belgium located in the Walloon province of Liège. It was named after Saint Vitus.
On January 1, 2006, St. Vith had a tot ...
. The P-51s of the
352nd Fighter Group
The 352nd Fighter Group was a unit of the Eighth Air Force that was located in the European Theater of Operations during World War II.
The unit served as bomber escort, counter-air patrols, and attacking ground targets. It initially flew P-47 Thu ...
protected the bombers. A total of 223 of the bombers were damaged, primarily by German
anti-aircraft artillery
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
. Later, III ''Gruppe'' took off from
Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to:
Places
*Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica
*Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany
** Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony
*Old ...
in a bid to stop the US
Ninth Air Force
The Ninth Air Force (Air Forces Central) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force headquartered at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina. It is the Air Force Service Component of United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), a joint De ...
; the Bf 109G-14s were intercepted by Allied fighters between
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
and
Düren
Düren (; ripuarian: Düre) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, between Aachen and Cologne on the river Rur.
History
Roman era
The area of Düren was part of Gallia Belgica, more specifically the territory of the Eburones, a pe ...
. In combat with
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon is a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was intended to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, but several design problems were encountered an ...
s from
No. 93 Squadron RAF
No. 93 Squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II. It was initially formed during World War I on 1 September 1917 but it did not become operational and was disbanded one year later in August 1918. The unit was ...
, the ''gruppe'' lost five. The RAF Squadron reported no loss.
Operation Bodenplatte and end of the war
The
airfield operation, planned for the 16 December 1944, was revived and put into action on 1 January 1945.
Operation Bodenplatte
Operation Bodenplatte (; "Baseplate"), launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the Second World War. The goal of ''Bodenplatte'' was to gain air superiority during th ...
mustered the remaining German fighter force in the west, numbering approximately 800 fighters, into one final effort to achieve air superiority and revive the stalled offensive. JG 6 was ordered to attack
Volkel Air Base
Volkel Air Base ( nl, Vliegbasis Volkel) is a military airbase used by the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) - Dutch: ''Koninklijke Luchtmacht (KLu)'', and is located near the village of Volkel in North Brabant, Netherlands. It is home to two F- ...
. The Fw 190G-1s equipped the ''staffeln''.
I and III./JG 6 were to attack while II./JG 6 was to provide cover against fighters. I./JG 6 got 29 of its 34 Fw 190s ready, while 25 of II./JG 6's fighters took part. Overall, most of the 99 Fw 190s were made available for the operation. III./JG 6 received orders to target petrol installations on the airfield only. 78 Fw 190s took off. JG 6 approached the airfield of Heesch and some of its pilots assumed it to be
Volkel airfield. It is unlikely that the Heesch strip, built in October 1944, was known to the ''Luftwaffe''.
No. 126 Wing RCAF was based there and had dispatched its 411 and
442 Squadrons on recce missions early that morning so the majority of its units were airborne. Its 401 Squadron was readying for take-off when JG 6 appeared.
Most of the German pilots had failed to notice the airfield, concentrating on keeping formation at low altitude. 401 Squadron
scrambled. Some of the German fighters were authorised to engage, while the main body continued to search for Volkel. Stab., and II./JG 6 stumbled on another strip at Helmond, which contained no aircraft. Several German pilots believed it to be Volkel and attacked, losing several of their number to ground fire. II./JG 6 suffered severely from Spitfire and Tempests based at Helmond. Very little damage was done at Heesch or Helmond. All four ''Gruppen'' failed to find Volkel and its
Hawker Tempest
The Hawker Tempest is a British fighter aircraft that was primarily used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The Tempest, originally known as the ''Typhoon II'', was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, intended to a ...
s remained untouched.
The only success JG 6 had was I./JG's erroneous attack on
Eindhoven
Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,[Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon is a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. It was intended to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, as a replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, but several design problems were encountered an ...]
, was shot down. Stab./JG 6 lost the ''Kommodore'', Kogler, as a
prisoner of war
A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610.
Belligerents hold prisoners of ...
. Of I./JG's 29 Fw 190s, seven were lost and two damaged; of II./JG 6's 25 Fw 190s, eight were destroyed and two damaged; III./JG 6 lost 12 out 20 Bf 109s. In total, JG 6 lost 43% of its strength and suffered 16 pilots killed or missing and seven captured. As well as Kogler, one other commanding officer was lost—''Gruppenkommandeure'' Helmut Kühle. Three ''Staffelkapitane'' were lost: ''Hauptmann'' Ewald Trost was captured, ''Hauptmann'' Norbert Katz was killed and Lothar Gerlach was posted missing, presumed killed.
Commanding officers
;Geschwaderkommodore
*Oberstleutnant Johann Kogler, July 1944 – 1 January 1945
*Major
Gerhard Barkhorn
Gerhard "Gerd" Barkhorn (20 March 1919 – 11 January 1983) was a German military aviator and wing commander in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he was the second most successful fighter pilot of all time after fellow p ...
, 16 January 1945 – 10 April 1945
*Major
Gerhard Schöpfel
Gerhard Schöpfel (19 December 1912 – 17 May 2003) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 45 aerial victories claimed in approximately 700 combat missions, all of wh ...
, 10 April 1945 – 17 April 1945
*Major
Richard Leppla
Richard Leppla (9 June 1914 – 4 August 1988) was a German fighter ace in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Leppla claimed 68 aerial victories claimed in over 500 combat missions. The ...
, 17 April 1945 – 8 May 1945
;Gruppenkommandeure;
I./JG 6
*Hauptmann Willi Elstermann 1 November 1944 – 2 February 1945
*Major
Otto Bertram
Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants ''Audo'', ''Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity".
The name is recorded ...
, February 1945 – May 1945
II./JG 6
*Hauptmann Willi Elstermann July 1944 – 31 August 1944
*Hauptmann
Johannes Naumann
Johannes Naumann (11 October 1917 – 22 March 2010) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 34 aerial victories claimed in roughly 350 combat missions, all of which claimed over the Western Front ...
1 September 1944 – 30 March 1945
*Hauptmann Günther Weyl – May 1945
III./JG 6
*Hauptmann
Theodor Weissenberger
Theodor Weissenberger (21 December 1914 – 11 June 1950) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II and a fighter ace credited with 208 enemy aircraft shot down in 375 combat missions. The majority of his victories were clai ...
, 14 October 1944 – 24 November 1944
*Major Helmut Kühle, November 1944
*Hauptmann Kurt Müller, 21 January 1945 – 4 April 1945
References
Citations
Bibliography
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See also
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Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II
An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose.
The word is derived fro ...
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Jagdgeschwader 006
Military units and formations established in 1944
Military units and formations disestablished in 1945