''Jagdgeschwader'' 134 (JG 134) "Horst Wessel" was a Luftwaffe fighter-

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...

prior to

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. JG 134 was formed on 4 January 1936 with III. ''Gruppe'' in Döberitz. The ''Geschwader'' was given the honorific name

Horst Wessel Horst Ludwig Georg Erich Wessel (9 October 1907 – 23 February 1930) was a member of the Sturmabteilung (SA), the paramilitary wing of the Nazi Party, who became a propaganda symbol in Nazi Germany following his murder in 1930 by two members ...

on 24 March 1936. II. ''Gruppe'' was formed on 15 March 1936 in Werl and was followed by the ''Geschwaderstab'' and I. ''Gruppe'' on 1 April 1936 in

Dortmund Dortmund (; ; ) is the third-largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia, after Cologne and Düsseldorf, and the List of cities in Germany by population, ninth-largest city in Germany. With a population of 614,495 inhabitants, it is the largest city ...

. It would later become one of the premier ''Zerstörer'' wings of the Luftwaffe, as ''

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 t ...

''.

The Pre-War Years

On 7 March 1936, Hptm. Oskar Dinort, the Kommandeur of III. '' Gruppe'' (3rd group) of JG 134, was tasked with a mission to assist Hitler in the reoccupation of Germany's western border states. At noon on 8 March two ''Staffeln'' (squadrons) from the III. ''Gruppe'' were to circle the cathedral of Köln, and then land at the Köln civil airport. With no resistance or push-back from the allies the ''Gruppe'' settled in at the airport with their

Heinkel He 51 The Heinkel He 51 was a German single-seat biplane fighter aircraft. A seaplane variant and a ground-attack version were also developed. It was a development of the earlier He 49. Design and development In 1931, Heinkel recruited the tal ...

fighters.

Commanding Officers

''Kommodore''

* ''Oberstleutnant''

Kurt-Bertram von Döring Generalleutnant Kurt-Bertram von Döring (18 February 1889 in Ribbekardt – 9 July 1960 in Medingen (Bad Bevensen), Medingen) was a Nazi Germany, German World War II Generalleutnant of Luftwaffe. He began his career as a flying ace in World War ...

, 15 March 1936 – 1 November 1938

''Gruppenkommandeure''

;I. ''Gruppe'' * ''Major''

Josef Kammhuber Josef Kammhuber (August 19, 1896 – January 25, 1986) was a career officer who served in the Imperial German Army, the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany and the post-World War II German Air Force. During World War II, he was the first general of night ...

, 15 March 1936 – 1 March 1937 * ''Oberstleutnant'' Hermann Frommherz, 1 March 1937 – 1 November 1938 ;II. ''Gruppe'' * ''Major''

Theo Osterkamp Theodor "Theo" Osterkamp (15 April 1892 – 2 January 1975) was a German fighter pilot during World War I and World War II. A flying ace, he achieved 32 victories in World War I. In World War II, he led ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 up to the Battle of B ...

, 15 March 1936 – November 1937 * ''Major'' Friedrich Vollbracht, November 1937 – 1 November 1938 ;III. ''Gruppe'' * ''Major'' Oskar Dinort, 4 January 1936 – 15 March 1937 ;IV.(l) ''Gruppe'' * ''Hauptmann''

Johann Schalk Johann (Hans) Schalk (19 September 1903 – 9 November 1987) was a Nazi German flying ace and high-ranking officer in the German Luftwaffe during World War II. He is credited with 15 aerial victories, 4 of which on the Eastern Front, claimed in ...

, 1 August 1938 – 31 August 1939

References

Citations

Bibliography

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Bundesarchiv
{{Jagdgeschwader of the Luftwaffe Fighter wings of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945 Military units and formations established in 1936 Military units and formations disestablished in 1938