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__NOTOC__ ''Jagdverband'' 44 (JV 44) was a German Luftwaffe special operations unit during
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 ...
. It was formed during the last months of
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 ...
to operate the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter.


History

The commander of JV 44 was General Adolf Galland, the former '' General der Jagdflieger'' (General of Fighter pilots) who had recently been sacked from his staff post by
Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...
for criticizing the operational policies, strategic doctrine, and tactics mandated by the Luftwaffe High Command in the " Fighter Pilots' Revolt". Galland was charged with setting up a small Me 262 unit to demonstrate the capabilities of the jet fighter, as Göring taunted him to "prove what you've always said about the 262's great potential." Additionally, Göring saw this as a way of possibly disposing of Galland and fellow members of the Fighter Pilot's Revolt, rather than forcing their suicides, which had been overruled by Hitler. JV 44 comprised a core of experienced pilots ('' Experten'') chosen from Galland's former staff or recruited from units which had been disbanded or were being re-equipped. JV 44 performed well during its brief history, achieving a 4-to-1 kill ratio. However, it had relatively few operational jet planes available for any single sortie and was repeatedly forced to relocate due to the approach of Allied ground forces. Its complement included 50 pilots and 25 airplanes. Galland was injured on 26 April after attacking B-26 bombers, and Heinrich Bär assumed command of the unit. As the German surrender approached, Galland disbanded the unit, releasing any pilots willing to leave, and lead the rest to the American occupation zone. This "whole-unit" defection was a major part of Operation LUSTY, as the Americans gained a wealth of knowledge about jet technology (similar to Operation Paperclip). Many JV-44 pilots went on to fly for the Bundesluftwaffe post-war, and formed the backbone of the establishment of the
Bundeswehr The (, ''Federal Defence'') are the armed forces of the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. The is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part consists of the four armed forces: Germ ...
.


Notable pilots

JV-44 was renowned among the late-war Luftwaffe for being a "Squadron of Experts," as many aces transferred to the unit in the final months of the war. A (false) rumor was even started to the effect that having the Knight's Cross was a prerequisite to joining the unit. Some of the most notable pilots were: * Adolf Galland, unit commander, former General of Fighter Pilots, holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, and 104-victory ace * Heinrich Bär, second-in-command, holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds, and 208-victory ace * Johannes Steinhoff, operations officer, holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, Bundesluftwaffe general, and 176-victory ace * Gerhard Barkhorn, holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, and second-highest-scoring ace of all time with 301 victories * Walter Krupinski, holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, one of the Luftwaffe's most colorful figures, and 197-victory ace * Günther Lützow, Galland's adjutant, holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, and 110-victory ace * Erich Hohagen, unit technical officer, '' Bundesluftwaffe'' general, holder of the Knight's Cross, and 56-victory ace * Klaus Neumann, '' Bundesluftwaffe'' officer and among the first German pilots to fly the
Lockheed F-104 Starfighter The Lockheed F-104 Starfighter is an American single-engine, supersonic interceptor. Created as a day fighter by Lockheed as one of the " Century Series" of fighter aircraft for the United States Air Force (USAF), it was developed into an ...
, holder of the Knight's Cross, and 37-victory ace * Franz Stigler, unit technical officer and protagonist of the Brown-Stigler Incident.


References


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Further reading

* {{Jagdgeschwader of the Luftwaffe Luftwaffe Special Commands Military units and formations established in 1945 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945