Jagdgeschwader 3
Encyclopedia
Jagdgeschwader 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
in 1942.
.
A particularly fruitful period over France occurred from 14–17 May 1940. Allied bombers had attempted to prevent the German armour from crossing the Meuse
and sent waves of inadequately protected bombers to do the job. As a result 90 Allied bombers were shot down and the 14 May became known as the "day of the fighters" within the Luftwaffe. I./JG 3 destroyed seven fighters without loss on this day. On 15 May five were destroyed, again for no losses. On 17 May an entire formation of 13 Bristol Blenheim
s were shot down by I./JG 3. A total of 19 Allied aircraft were shot down by I./JG 3 alone on that day.
The unit claimed some 179 aircraft shot down. Oberleutnant
Lothar Keller
was top claimant with 10 kills, and I./JG 3 Gruppenkommandeur Maj. Günther Lützow
scored 9. I./JG3 was the most successful Gruppe, with 88 enemy aircraft destroyed for ten Bf 109s lost while six pilots were killed and one wounded.
JG 3 later flew intensively in the Battle of Britain
. On 21 August 1940, Oberstleutnant Lützow was appointed Kommodore of JG 3. He recorded 8 more victories during the aerial battles over England. Lützow was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 18 September. By the end of 1940 its most successful pilots were Oblt. Erwin Neuerberg (11 claims) and Lt Helmut Neckel (9 claims). The Geschwader lost some 51 pilots killed or POW July–December 1940. I Gruppe alone had destroyed exactly 50 enemy machines, but in exchange of 32 Messerschmitts of which 20 were lost to enemy action. Ten pilots were killed or missing while a further 11 were captured.
from 22 June 1941 onwards, and during the offensive against the Soviets JG 3 claimed its 1,000 aircraft destroyed on 30 August. Lützow became the second Experte to achieve 100 victories, when he downed three Russian fighters near Moscow on 24 October. Lützow was then grounded. On 27 June 1941, Hauptmann Gordon Gollob
was made Gruppenkommandeur II./JG 3. He claimed 18 victories in August and achieved 37 victories in October, including 9 aircraft shot down covering over the Perekop
Isthmus on 18 October and 6 aircraft on 22 October. He was awarded the Eichenlaub on 26 October for 85 victories. He led II./JG 3 until November 1941.
In the period 22 June - 5 December 1941 the unit destroyed 1,298 Soviet aircraft, in return for 58 losses in aerial combat and 10 aircraft on the ground.
was transferred to Comiso
on Sicily
in January 1942 to bolster JG 53 and the Regia Aeronautica
which were carrying out sustained attacks against Malta
. At this time the unit was equipped with Bf 109F-4 Trops. On 14 April Hptm. Krahl, who was credited with 24 victories, was shot down and killed by anti-aircraft fire as he attempted a low altitude attack on ground targets on Malta. Oberleutnant Kurt Brändle
was posted in from 5/JG 53 to take his place. At the end of April II Gruppe departed Sicily for a brief stay in Germany before being redeployed to the Eastern front.
By early 1942 JG 3 was awarded the honour name "Udet" (after Ernst Udet) and was then often simply referred as "Jagdgeschwader Udet" thereafter. In May 1942, Lützow led most of JG 3 back to Russia and commenced operations in the Kharkiv
area. There followed intensive operations through the Crimea, and in the drive towards Stalingrad. Again JG 3 was one of the Luftwaffes top units, fighting on the Southern Front
, reaching 2,000 claims on 28 May 1942. On 12 August, Major Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke
was appointed Kommodore of JG 3.
In June 1942 II Gruppe was transferred back to the East where it joined in the advance on the Stalingrad front
, suffering heavy losses. During the Battle of Stalingrad, Stab./JG 3 were based at Pitomnik Airfield
, where Wilcke directed all day fighter operations over the city. During the summer offensive of 1942 the Geschwaderstab/JG 3 recorded 137 victories, of which Wilcke claimed 97. On 19 September Leutnant Wilhelm Lemke
was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 59 Victories.
When Russian forces encircled Stalingrad, the Geschwaderstab/JG 3 was transferred to Morozovskaya-Öst, outside the pocket. In mid-November 1942 JG 3 then provided the famous Platzschutzstaffel which defended the besieged 6th Army in Stalingrad until late 1942. On a rotational basis up to six volunteer pilots drawn from I and II./JG 3 formed a defence Staffel within the rapidly contracting Stalingrad perimeter. Their purpose was to cover the Junkers Ju 52 transports flying supplies into Pitomik airfield and to protect the aircraft while on the ground. Despite often only having 2 or 3 Bf 109's
serviceable, in the last 6 weeks of the siege (until mid January) claimed some 130 Soviet aircraft shot down. In return JG 3 lost 90-victory experte Leut. Georg Schentke
over the city on 25 December 1942. In mid-January the pilots were ordered to fly out of the pocket and rejoin their parent unit, although some thirty ground crew remaining became prisoners when the city surrendered to the Soviets on 2 February 1943.
bridgehead in February 1943. Oblt. Wolf-Udo Ettel
proved the 'star' of JG 3 around this time, claiming 28 kills in March 1943, 36 in April, and 20 in May. Intensive operations around the Kerch
peninsula followed in April. In July 1943 II. and III./JG 3 at this time were part of Luftlotte 4 and flew in Operation Zitadelle
, the tank offensive launched around the Kursk
salient. On 5 July 1943 alone the II gruppe claimed 77 Soviet aircraft from a total claimed of 432, Oblt. Joachim Kirschner
claiming 9 kills and Gruppenkommandeur Hpt. Kurt Brändle
claiming 5.
As Allied bombing raids in Germany increased during mid 1943 each of the gruppen of JG 3 were in turn recalled to Germany to defend the homeland on so called Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich
) duty.
I. /JG 3 moved back to Germany in April 1943, but did not go operational until June 1943. Equipped with the new Bf 109G-6 Kanonenboote with two 20mm cannons in underwing gondolas, I./JG 3 were slowly worked up as a 'bomber-killer' unit. This long training period paid dividends as the gruppe started to shoot down impressive numbers of USAAF bombers without the heavy losses incurred by many Jagdgeschwadern thrown into the battle with less preparation.
Lt. Franz Schwaiger
was by this time I./JG 3's current top scorer with 56 claims.
By late summer 1943 III./JG3 were also flying the Bf 109G-6 and Bf 109G-6/R6. On its return to Germany, the Stab/JG 3 was based at Mönchengladbach
. On 4 December 1943 Hpt. Wilhelm Lemke (131 kills) was killed in combat with P-47s
of the 352nd Fighter Group.
As with most Reich Defence fighter units, JG 3 suffered heavy losses through early 1944 against the increasing numbers of USAAF escort fighters, losing many irreplaceable experten.
On 15 March 1944, Hpt. Emil Bitsch
(108 kills) was shot down and killed by 352nd Fighter Group P-47s. On 23 March 1944 Wilcke led JG 3 in an attack on a USAAF bomber formation near Braunschweig
. During combat, Wilcke shot down a P-51
for his 162nd victory, but was then shot down and killed by fighters of the 4th Fighter Group. On 19 April 1944, Oblt. Otto Weßling
(83 kills) was shot down and killed in combat near Eschwege. Wilcke's successor as Geschwaderkommodore
of JG 3 was Major Friedrich-Karl "Tutti" Müller, the CO of IV. /JG 3. The 140-kill experte was however killed in a landing accident at Salzwedel
on 29 May 1944.
; simply for specially armoured fighters to get in as close to the bombers as possible before opening fire, even (as a last resort) deliberately ramming the bomber. It was dangerous and, to most experienced aces, foolhardy, but predicted results were such that a special Staffel was formed to test the tactical viability. Sturmstaffel 1 was the first experimental unit to fly the so-called Sturmböcke (Battering Rams) Focke-Wulf Fw 190
aircraft and was attached to JG 3. Such was their success that in April–May 1944 the Sturmstaffel was expanded into a specialised bomber 'killer' gruppen, IV./JG 3, led by Hauptmann Wilhelm Moritz
. Sturmstaffel 1 was redesignated 11./JG 3 in May 1944. On 12 February 1944, Major Müller was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV.(Sturm)/JG 3. He claimed three USAAF four-engined bombers on 8 March to record his 120th-122nd victories.
On 7 July 1944 a force of 1,129 B-17 Flying Fortresses and B-24 Liberator
s of the United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF) Eighth Air Force
set out from England to bomb aircraft factories in the Leipzig
area and the synthetic oil plants at Boehlen, Leuna
-Merseburg
and Lützkendorf. This formation was intercepted by a German Gefechtsverband composed of IV.(Sturm) Gruppe JG 3 escorted by two Gruppen of Bf l09s from Jagdgeschwader 300
led by Major
Walther Dahl
. Dahl drove the attack to point-blank range behind the Liberators of the 492nd Bomb Group before opening fire. 492nd Bomb Group was temporarily without fighter cover. Within about a minute the entire squadron of twelve B-24s had been annihilated. The USAAF 2nd Air Division lost 28 Liberators that day, the majority to the Sturmgruppe attack. IV./JG 3 lost nine fighters shot down and three more suffered damage and made crash landings; five of the unit's pilots were killed.
Flying modified Fw 190A-R8's with extra armour and wing-mounted 30mm MK-108 cannons, IV.(Sturm)/JG 3 became both renowned with the Lufwaffe and feared by the USAAF bomber crews. Oblt. Werner Gerth, Staffelkapitän
14./JG 3, was shot down 11 times and was finally killed when his parachute failed to open after ramming a B-17 (his 27th claim). Due to their added weight (some 400 lbs) and lack of speed, the Sturmböcke aircraft had to be escorted by conventional fighters.
II. and III. gruppe, JG 3 were thrown into the Operation Overlord
air battles over the Normandy beach-head in June 1944, and, with the other 23 Gruppen committed were decimated by the hordes of Allied fighters present. On 10 August, 10.(Sturm)/JG 3 was renamed 13.(Sturm)/JG 3. On 16 August 1944, 13./JG 3 Staffelkaptän Oblt. Ekkehard Tichy
(25 kills) was killed when he rammed a B-17; Tichy had lost an eye a year earlier but had continued flying combat missions. By 5 September 1944, when the Gruppe was withdrawn from the battle, III/JG 3 alone had lost a staggering 56 pilots killed or missing, 23 wounded and 4 POW, while claiming some 54 Allied aircraft shot down. Just the Gruppenkommandeur, 3 Staffelkapitäne and 4 replacement pilots had survived the three months over the invasion front.
On 2 November the two Sturmgruppen of IV./JG 3 and II./JG 4 successfully intercepted American bomber formations near Leipzig
. IV./JG 3 attacked the 91st Bomb Group
and claimed 13 Fortresses, including two by ramming, while II./JG 4 claimed nine Fortresses of the 457th Bomb Group. The fighter escorts cost JG 3 15 out of their 39 Sturmbock aircraft, and JG 4 lost 16 out of 22 committed.
On 5 December 1944, Major Moritz was relieved from command of IV./ JG 3 due to a complete nervous breakdown.
. A newly formed II./JG 3 was raised from a former bomber unit at the end of 1944; this new Gruppe was transferred to the East in early 1945 to counter the Soviet air offensive. Hopelessly outnumbered and hampered by lack of fuel, II./JG 3 fought on until the collapse of the Reich.
Some 6,400 air victories were claimed by JG 3 by this time.
During Operation Bodenplatte, the massed attack on Allied airfields on 1 January 1945, Jagdschwader 3 was one of the few German fighter units to carry out their operations successfully despite fielding the smallest German force that day. The 22 Fw 190s committed destroyed 43 Typhoon
s and Spitfire
s and damaged 60 more in a 20 minute attack on the 2nd TAF airfield at Eindhoven (JG 3 claimed 116 destroyed). However the loss of 16 pilots was a serious blow to the unit. Six were captured, 6 were killed while four were posted as missing. Six pilots returned, three of them were wounded.
In February 1945, IV./JG 3 moved to the Eastern Front, undertaking freie-Jagd and ground attack missions on the Oder front. IV./JG 3 veteran Obfw. 'Willi' Maximowitz, of 14./JG 3, quickly amassed some 12 Soviet aircraft shot down, including being credited with three Soviet Boston bombers and a fighter shot down on 11 March alone. However on 20 April Maximowitz was shot down and killed, having attained 27 claims exclusively with JG 3.
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....
of 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...
. The Geschwader operated on all the German fronts in the European Theatre of World War II
European Theatre of World War II
The European Theatre of World War II was a huge area of heavy fighting across Europe from Germany's invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939 until the end of the war with the German unconditional surrender on May 8, 1945...
. It was named after Ernst Udet
Ernst Udet
Colonel General Ernst Udet was the second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I. He was one of the youngest aces and was the highest scoring German ace to survive the war . His 62 victories were second only to Manfred von Richthofen, his commander in the Flying Circus...
in 1942.
Campaign in the West (1940)
Jagdschwader 3 "Udet" was formed on 1 May 1939 in Bernburg/Saale from JG 231. JG 3 was one of the Luftwaffes fighter units that took part in the Battle of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
.
A particularly fruitful period over France occurred from 14–17 May 1940. Allied bombers had attempted to prevent the German armour from crossing the Meuse
Meuse
Meuse is a department in northeast France, named after the River Meuse.-History:Meuse is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
and sent waves of inadequately protected bombers to do the job. As a result 90 Allied bombers were shot down and the 14 May became known as the "day of the fighters" within the Luftwaffe. I./JG 3 destroyed seven fighters without loss on this day. On 15 May five were destroyed, again for no losses. On 17 May an entire formation of 13 Bristol Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
s were shot down by I./JG 3. A total of 19 Allied aircraft were shot down by I./JG 3 alone on that day.
The unit claimed some 179 aircraft shot down. Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
Lothar Keller
Lothar Keller
Lothar Keller 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. On 26 June 1941 Lothar Keller was killed after he...
was top claimant with 10 kills, and I./JG 3 Gruppenkommandeur Maj. Günther Lützow
Günther Lützow
Colonel Günther Lützow was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and a leader in the "Fighter Pilots Revolt". Lützow was credited with 110 victories achieved in over 300 combat missions. He scored 5 victories during the Spanish Civil War...
scored 9. I./JG3 was the most successful Gruppe, with 88 enemy aircraft destroyed for ten Bf 109s lost while six pilots were killed and one wounded.
JG 3 later flew intensively in the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. On 21 August 1940, Oberstleutnant Lützow was appointed Kommodore of JG 3. He recorded 8 more victories during the aerial battles over England. Lützow was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 18 September. By the end of 1940 its most successful pilots were Oblt. Erwin Neuerberg (11 claims) and Lt Helmut Neckel (9 claims). The Geschwader lost some 51 pilots killed or POW July–December 1940. I Gruppe alone had destroyed exactly 50 enemy machines, but in exchange of 32 Messerschmitts of which 20 were lost to enemy action. Ten pilots were killed or missing while a further 11 were captured.
Campaign in the East (1941)
The Geschwader took place in Operation BarbarossaOperation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
from 22 June 1941 onwards, and during the offensive against the Soviets JG 3 claimed its 1,000 aircraft destroyed on 30 August. Lützow became the second Experte to achieve 100 victories, when he downed three Russian fighters near Moscow on 24 October. Lützow was then grounded. On 27 June 1941, Hauptmann Gordon Gollob
Gordon Gollob
Gordon M. Gollob was an Austrian-born German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe from 1938 to 1945 during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat...
was made Gruppenkommandeur II./JG 3. He claimed 18 victories in August and achieved 37 victories in October, including 9 aircraft shot down covering over the Perekop
Perekop
Perekop is a village located at the Perekop Isthmus connecting Crimean peninsula to the Ukrainian mainland. It is known for the Fortress Or Qapi that served as the gateway to Crimea...
Isthmus on 18 October and 6 aircraft on 22 October. He was awarded the Eichenlaub on 26 October for 85 victories. He led II./JG 3 until November 1941.
In the period 22 June - 5 December 1941 the unit destroyed 1,298 Soviet aircraft, in return for 58 losses in aerial combat and 10 aircraft on the ground.
II
Gruppe; Sicily and Malta (1942) II./JG 3, under the command of Hauptmann Karl-Heinz KrahlKarl-Heinz Krahl
Karl-Heinz Krahl 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 transferred to Comiso
Comiso
Comiso is an Italian municipality in the Province of Ragusa in Sicily.-Geography:Comiso consists of three boroughs: Comiso, Pedalino, and Quaglio. It lies some 22 km west of Ragusa in the South of Sicily...
on Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in January 1942 to bolster JG 53 and the Regia Aeronautica
Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946...
which were carrying out sustained attacks against Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. At this time the unit was equipped with Bf 109F-4 Trops. On 14 April Hptm. Krahl, who was credited with 24 victories, was shot down and killed by anti-aircraft fire as he attempted a low altitude attack on ground targets on Malta. Oberleutnant Kurt Brändle
Kurt Brändle
Kurt-Werner Brändle was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II...
was posted in from 5/JG 53 to take his place. At the end of April II Gruppe departed Sicily for a brief stay in Germany before being redeployed to the Eastern front.
Reorganisation and the Battle for Stalingrad(1942)
In mid-September, I./JG 3 were ordered back to Germany for rest and refit. However, a number of I. Gruppe pilots remained in Russia serving with III./ JG 3. After refitting with Bf 109F-4 fighters, I./JG 3 was ordered to relocate to bases in Holland in December 1941. On 6 January 1942, it became II./JG 1, with a new I. Gruppe being raised.By early 1942 JG 3 was awarded the honour name "Udet" (after Ernst Udet) and was then often simply referred as "Jagdgeschwader Udet" thereafter. In May 1942, Lützow led most of JG 3 back to Russia and commenced operations in the Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
area. There followed intensive operations through the Crimea, and in the drive towards Stalingrad. Again JG 3 was one of the Luftwaffes top units, fighting on the Southern Front
Army Group South
Army Group South was the name of a number of German Army Groups during World War II.- Poland campaign :Germany used two army groups to invade Poland in 1939: Army Group North and Army Group South...
, reaching 2,000 claims on 28 May 1942. On 12 August, Major Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke
Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke
Wolf-Dietrich "Fürst" Wilcke was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 until his death. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat...
was appointed Kommodore of JG 3.
In June 1942 II Gruppe was transferred back to the East where it joined in the advance on the Stalingrad front
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad was a major battle of World War II in which Nazi Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad in southwestern Russia. The battle took place between 23 August 1942 and 2 February 1943...
, suffering heavy losses. During the Battle of Stalingrad, Stab./JG 3 were based at Pitomnik Airfield
Pitomnik Airfield
The Pitomnik airfield was an airfield in Russia, the primary of the seven airfields used by the German Wehrmacht during the Battle of Stalingrad within the city....
, where Wilcke directed all day fighter operations over the city. During the summer offensive of 1942 the Geschwaderstab/JG 3 recorded 137 victories, of which Wilcke claimed 97. On 19 September Leutnant Wilhelm Lemke
Wilhelm Lemke
Wilhelm Lemke was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. Lemke was credited with 131 victories. All but six of his victories were claimed over the Soviet Air Forces in over 700 combat missions....
was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 59 Victories.
When Russian forces encircled Stalingrad, the Geschwaderstab/JG 3 was transferred to Morozovskaya-Öst, outside the pocket. In mid-November 1942 JG 3 then provided the famous Platzschutzstaffel which defended the besieged 6th Army in Stalingrad until late 1942. On a rotational basis up to six volunteer pilots drawn from I and II./JG 3 formed a defence Staffel within the rapidly contracting Stalingrad perimeter. Their purpose was to cover the Junkers Ju 52 transports flying supplies into Pitomik airfield and to protect the aircraft while on the ground. Despite often only having 2 or 3 Bf 109's
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
serviceable, in the last 6 weeks of the siege (until mid January) claimed some 130 Soviet aircraft shot down. In return JG 3 lost 90-victory experte Leut. Georg Schentke
Georg Schentke
Georg Schentke 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.Feldwebel Schentke served with 9./JG 3 from March 1940...
over the city on 25 December 1942. In mid-January the pilots were ordered to fly out of the pocket and rejoin their parent unit, although some thirty ground crew remaining became prisoners when the city surrendered to the Soviets on 2 February 1943.
Continued fighting in the East, and home defence (1943)
II./JG 3 was relocated to the KubanKuban
Kuban is a geographic region of Southern Russia surrounding the Kuban River, on the Black Sea between the Don Steppe, Volga Delta and the Caucasus...
bridgehead in February 1943. Oblt. Wolf-Udo Ettel
Wolf-Udo Ettel
Wolf-Udo Ettel was a German World War II Luftwaffe 124 victories Flying ace and a posthumous recipient of the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
proved the 'star' of JG 3 around this time, claiming 28 kills in March 1943, 36 in April, and 20 in May. Intensive operations around the Kerch
Kerch
Kerch is a city on the Kerch Peninsula of eastern Crimea, an important industrial, transport and tourist centre of Ukraine. Kerch, founded 2600 years ago, is considered as one of the most ancient cities in Ukraine.-Ancient times:...
peninsula followed in April. In July 1943 II. and III./JG 3 at this time were part of Luftlotte 4 and flew in Operation Zitadelle
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk took place when German and Soviet forces confronted each other on the Eastern Front during World War II in the vicinity of the city of Kursk, in the Soviet Union in July and August 1943. It remains both the largest series of armored clashes, including the Battle of Prokhorovka,...
, the tank offensive launched around the Kursk
Kursk
Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
salient. On 5 July 1943 alone the II gruppe claimed 77 Soviet aircraft from a total claimed of 432, Oblt. Joachim Kirschner
Joachim Kirschner
Hauptmann Joachim Kirschner was a German World War II Luftwaffe 188 victories Flying ace. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
claiming 9 kills and Gruppenkommandeur Hpt. Kurt Brändle
Kurt Brändle
Kurt-Werner Brändle was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II...
claiming 5.
As Allied bombing raids in Germany increased during mid 1943 each of the gruppen of JG 3 were in turn recalled to Germany to defend the homeland on so called 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...
) duty.
I. /JG 3 moved back to Germany in April 1943, but did not go operational until June 1943. Equipped with the new Bf 109G-6 Kanonenboote with two 20mm cannons in underwing gondolas, I./JG 3 were slowly worked up as a 'bomber-killer' unit. This long training period paid dividends as the gruppe started to shoot down impressive numbers of USAAF bombers without the heavy losses incurred by many Jagdgeschwadern thrown into the battle with less preparation.
Lt. Franz Schwaiger
Franz Schwaiger
Franz Schwaiger 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 by this time I./JG 3's current top scorer with 56 claims.
By late summer 1943 III./JG3 were also flying the Bf 109G-6 and Bf 109G-6/R6. On its return to Germany, the Stab/JG 3 was based at Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach , formerly known as Münchengladbach, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine half way between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border....
. On 4 December 1943 Hpt. Wilhelm Lemke (131 kills) was killed in combat with P-47s
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
of the 352nd Fighter Group.
As with most Reich Defence fighter units, JG 3 suffered heavy losses through early 1944 against the increasing numbers of USAAF escort fighters, losing many irreplaceable experten.
On 15 March 1944, Hpt. Emil Bitsch
Emil Bitsch
Emil Bitsch was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. He was one of the most successful pilots in the Eastern Front. Emil Bitsch was credited with 108 aerial victories...
(108 kills) was shot down and killed by 352nd Fighter Group P-47s. On 23 March 1944 Wilcke led JG 3 in an attack on a USAAF bomber formation near Braunschweig
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
. During combat, Wilcke shot down a P-51
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
for his 162nd victory, but was then shot down and killed by fighters of the 4th Fighter Group. On 19 April 1944, Oblt. Otto Weßling
Otto Weßling
Otto Weßling was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Otto...
(83 kills) was shot down and killed in combat near Eschwege. Wilcke's successor as 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 3 was Major Friedrich-Karl "Tutti" Müller, the CO of IV. /JG 3. The 140-kill experte was however killed in a landing accident at Salzwedel
Salzwedel
Salzwedel of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, and has a population of approximately 21,500. Salzwedel is located on the German Framework Road.-Geography:...
on 29 May 1944.
Battering Rams (1944)
With the increased pressure caused by the American bombing raids through late 1943 and early 1944, a new method of attacking the bombers was proposed by Major H.-G. Von Kornatski, an associate of Adolf GallandAdolf Galland
Adolf "Dolfo" Joseph Ferdinand Galland was a German Luftwaffe General and flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions, and fought on the Western and the Defence of the Reich fronts...
; simply for specially armoured fighters to get in as close to the bombers as possible before opening fire, even (as a last resort) deliberately ramming the bomber. It was dangerous and, to most experienced aces, foolhardy, but predicted results were such that a special Staffel was formed to test the tactical viability. Sturmstaffel 1 was the first experimental unit to fly the so-called Sturmböcke (Battering Rams) Focke-Wulf Fw 190
Focke-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...
aircraft and was attached to JG 3. Such was their success that in April–May 1944 the Sturmstaffel was expanded into a specialised bomber 'killer' gruppen, IV./JG 3, led by Hauptmann Wilhelm Moritz
Wilhelm Moritz
Wilhelm Moritz 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...
. Sturmstaffel 1 was redesignated 11./JG 3 in May 1944. On 12 February 1944, Major Müller was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV.(Sturm)/JG 3. He claimed three USAAF four-engined bombers on 8 March to record his 120th-122nd victories.
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
s of the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF) Eighth Air Force
Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Global Strike Command . It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana....
set out from England to bomb aircraft factories in the Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
area and the synthetic oil plants at Boehlen, Leuna
Leuna
Leuna is a town in the Saalekreis, Saxony-Anhalt, eastern Germany, south of Merseburg and Halle. It is known for the Leunawerke , at 13 km2 one of the biggest chemical industrial complexes in Germany, where a very wide range of chemicals and plastics is produced...
-Merseburg
Merseburg
Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg....
and Lützkendorf. This formation was intercepted by a German Gefechtsverband composed of IV.(Sturm) Gruppe JG 3 escorted by two Gruppen of Bf l09s from Jagdgeschwader 300
Jagdgeschwader 300
Jagdgeschwader 300 was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. JG 300 was formed on June 26, 1943 in Deelen as Stab/Versuchskommando Herrmann, from July 18, 1943 as Stab/JG Herrmann, and then finally redesignated on August 20, 1943 to Stab/JG 300...
led by Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Walther Dahl
Walther Dahl
Walther Dahl was a German Oberst Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military...
. Dahl drove the attack to point-blank range behind the Liberators of the 492nd Bomb Group before opening fire. 492nd Bomb Group was temporarily without fighter cover. Within about a minute the entire squadron of twelve B-24s had been annihilated. The USAAF 2nd Air Division lost 28 Liberators that day, the majority to the Sturmgruppe attack. IV./JG 3 lost nine fighters shot down and three more suffered damage and made crash landings; five of the unit's pilots were killed.
Flying modified Fw 190A-R8's with extra armour and wing-mounted 30mm MK-108 cannons, IV.(Sturm)/JG 3 became both renowned with the Lufwaffe and feared by the USAAF bomber crews. Oblt. Werner Gerth, Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän is a position in flying units of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a Staffelkapitän is of Oberstleutnant or Major rank....
14./JG 3, was shot down 11 times and was finally killed when his parachute failed to open after ramming a B-17 (his 27th claim). Due to their added weight (some 400 lbs) and lack of speed, the Sturmböcke aircraft had to be escorted by conventional fighters.
II. and III. gruppe, JG 3 were thrown into the Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the code name for the Battle of Normandy, the operation that launched the invasion of German-occupied western Europe during World War II by Allied forces. The operation commenced on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy landings...
air battles over the Normandy beach-head in June 1944, and, with the other 23 Gruppen committed were decimated by the hordes of Allied fighters present. On 10 August, 10.(Sturm)/JG 3 was renamed 13.(Sturm)/JG 3. On 16 August 1944, 13./JG 3 Staffelkaptän Oblt. Ekkehard Tichy
Ekkehard Tichy
Ekkehard Tichy 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...
(25 kills) was killed when he rammed a B-17; Tichy had lost an eye a year earlier but had continued flying combat missions. By 5 September 1944, when the Gruppe was withdrawn from the battle, III/JG 3 alone had lost a staggering 56 pilots killed or missing, 23 wounded and 4 POW, while claiming some 54 Allied aircraft shot down. Just the Gruppenkommandeur, 3 Staffelkapitäne and 4 replacement pilots had survived the three months over the invasion front.
On 2 November the two Sturmgruppen of IV./JG 3 and II./JG 4 successfully intercepted American bomber formations near Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. IV./JG 3 attacked the 91st Bomb Group
91st Bomb Group
The 91st Bomb Group 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 Ragged Irregulars" or as "Wray's Ragged Irregulars", after the...
and claimed 13 Fortresses, including two by ramming, while II./JG 4 claimed nine Fortresses of the 457th Bomb Group. The fighter escorts cost JG 3 15 out of their 39 Sturmbock aircraft, and JG 4 lost 16 out of 22 committed.
On 5 December 1944, Major Moritz was relieved from command of IV./ JG 3 due to a complete nervous breakdown.
Jet fighters and the final offensives (late 1944-1945)
In November 1944 II./JG 3 was separated from the Geschwader in order to re-equip with the Me 262 jet fighter and become part of the first jet fighter Geschwader, Jagdgeschwader 7Jagdgeschwader 7
Jagdgeschwader 7 Nowotny was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II and the first operational jet fighter wing in the world.It was created late in 1944 and served until the end of the war in May 1945, and it operated the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter exclusively.JG 7 was formed under the...
. A newly formed II./JG 3 was raised from a former bomber unit at the end of 1944; this new Gruppe was transferred to the East in early 1945 to counter the Soviet air offensive. Hopelessly outnumbered and hampered by lack of fuel, II./JG 3 fought on until the collapse of the Reich.
Some 6,400 air victories were claimed by JG 3 by this time.
During Operation Bodenplatte, the massed attack on Allied airfields on 1 January 1945, Jagdschwader 3 was one of the few German fighter units to carry out their operations successfully despite fielding the smallest German force that day. The 22 Fw 190s committed destroyed 43 Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
s and Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
s and damaged 60 more in a 20 minute attack on the 2nd TAF airfield at Eindhoven (JG 3 claimed 116 destroyed). However the loss of 16 pilots was a serious blow to the unit. Six were captured, 6 were killed while four were posted as missing. Six pilots returned, three of them were wounded.
In February 1945, IV./JG 3 moved to the Eastern Front, undertaking freie-Jagd and ground attack missions on the Oder front. IV./JG 3 veteran Obfw. 'Willi' Maximowitz, of 14./JG 3, quickly amassed some 12 Soviet aircraft shot down, including being credited with three Soviet Boston bombers and a fighter shot down on 11 March alone. However on 20 April Maximowitz was shot down and killed, having attained 27 claims exclusively with JG 3.
Geschwaderkommodoren
- Obslt. Max IbelMax IbelMax Ibel is credited among others as one of the creators of the Luftwaffe. Ibel organized JG 27 and led it successfully during the Battle of France. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross August 22, 1940, three months later he was given a staff position...
1.5.39 - Obst. Karl Vieck 26.9.39
- Obst. Günther LützowGünther LützowColonel Günther Lützow was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and a leader in the "Fighter Pilots Revolt". Lützow was credited with 110 victories achieved in over 300 combat missions. He scored 5 victories during the Spanish Civil War...
21.8.40 - Major Wolf-Dietrich WilckeWolf-Dietrich WilckeWolf-Dietrich "Fürst" Wilcke was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 until his death. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat...
12.8.42 - Major Friedrich-Karl "Tutti" Müller 24.3.44
- Major Heinrich BärHeinrich BärOskar-Heinz "Pritzl" Bär was a German Luftwaffe flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat...
1.6.44 - Major Werner SchröerWerner SchröerWerner Schröer was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1937, initially as a member of the ground staff, until the end of World War II in Europe on 8 May 1945...
14.2.45
I./JG 3
- Major Otto Heinrich von Houwald, 1 May 1939
- Hauptmann Günther LützowGünther LützowColonel Günther Lützow was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and a leader in the "Fighter Pilots Revolt". Lützow was credited with 110 victories achieved in over 300 combat missions. He scored 5 victories during the Spanish Civil War...
, 3 November 1939 - Oberleutnant Lothar KellerLothar KellerLothar Keller 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. On 26 June 1941 Lothar Keller was killed after he...
, 24 August 1940 - Hauptmann Hans von HahnHans von HahnHans von Hahn 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...
, 27 August 1940 - Hauptmann Georg Michalek, 1 March 1942
- Major Klaus Quaet-Faslem, 31 August 1942
- Hauptmann Joachim von Wehren, 1 February 1944
- Hauptmann Josef HaiböckJosef HaiböckJosef "Pepsch" Haiböck 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. Josef Haiböck joined the Austrian Bundesheer...
, 8 February 1944 - Major Dr. Langer, 25 February 1944
- Hauptmann Helmut Mertens, 14 April 1944
- Hauptmann Ernst Laube, 1 July 1944
- Hauptmann Horst Haase, 30 October 1944
- Hauptmann Albert Wirges, 27 November 1944
- Oberleutnant Alfred Seidel, December 1944
II./JG 3
- Hauptmann Erich von SelleErich von SelleErich von Selle was a German Luftwaffe Flying ace during World War II. He also held various senior command positions in the Luftwaffe including Geschwaderkommodore of the Jagdgeschwader 1 fighter wing.In his private life he was married to Harda Jenny Auguste von Langendorff. The couple had 3...
, 1 February 1940 - Hauptmann Erich WoitkeErich WoitkeErich Woitke was a fighter pilot 'ace' serving in the German Luftwaffe during World War II.Woitke was born 29 January 1912 in Mülheim, near Duisberg...
, 1 October 1940 - Hauptmann Lothar KellerLothar KellerLothar Keller 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. On 26 June 1941 Lothar Keller was killed after he...
, 24 November 1940 - Hauptmann Gordon GollobGordon GollobGordon M. Gollob was an Austrian-born German fighter pilot and flying ace in the Luftwaffe from 1938 to 1945 during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat...
, 27 June 1941 - Hauptmann Karl-Heinz KrahlKarl-Heinz KrahlKarl-Heinz Krahl 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...
, 21 November 1941 - Major Kurt BrändleKurt BrändleKurt-Werner Brändle was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II...
, 15 April 1942 - Hauptmann Heinrich Sannemann, 3 November 1943
- Hauptmann Wilhelm Lemke, November 1943
- Hauptmann Heinrich Sannemann, 4 December 1943
- Hauptmann Detlev RohwerDetlev RohwerDetlev Rohwer 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. Detlev Rohwer was wounded on 29 March 1944 after a...
, February 1944 - Hauptmann Heinrich Sannemann, 30 March 1944
- Hauptmann Hermann Freiherr Kapherr, 22 April 1944
- Leutnant Leopold MünsterLeopold MünsterLeopold Münster was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. Leopold Münster claimed 95 victories, 25 on the Western Front...
, 24 April 1944 - Hauptmann Gustav Frielinghaus, 1 May 1944
- Hauptmann Hans Ekkehard BobHans Ekkehard BobHans Ekkehard Bob was a German Fighter pilot, serving with the Luftwaffe. During World War II, Bob flew approximately seven hundred combat missions, and claimed sixty victories; thirty-seven of which were on the eastern front....
, 25 June 1944 - Hauptmann Herbert Kutscha, July 1944
- Hauptmann Gerhard Baeker, 25 November 1944
III./JG 3
- Hauptmann Walter Kienitz, 1 March 1940
- Hauptmann Wilhelm BalthasarWilhelm BalthasarMajor Wilhelm Balthasar was a German World War II Luftwaffe flying ace, commander of Jagdgeschwader 2 and a winner of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery...
, 1 September 1940 - Hauptmann Walter OesauWalter OesauWalter "Gulle" Oesau was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1934 until his death in 1944...
, 11 November 1940 - Hauptmann Werner Andres, 1 August 1941
- Oberleutnant Herbert Kijewski, 1 September 1941
- Major Karl-Heinz GreisertKarl-Heinz GreisertMajor Karl-Heinz Greisert was German World War II Luftwaffe Ace and a Geschwaderkommodore of JG 2 and recipient of the German Cross in Gold on 5 June 1942....
, 18 May 1942 - Major Wolfgang EwaldWolfgang EwaldWolfgang Ewald was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II...
, 23 July 1942 - Major Walther DahlWalther DahlWalther Dahl was a German Oberst Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military...
, 20 July 1943 - Major Karl-Heinz Langer, 21 May 1944
IV./JG 3
- Major Franz BeyerFranz Beyer (pilot)Franz Beyer was a Luftwaffe fighter 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. Franz Beyer was killed on 11 February near Venlo,...
, 1. June 1943 - Hauptmann Heinz Lang, 11 February 1944
- Major Friedrich-Karl Müller, 26 February 1944
- Hauptmann Heinz Lang, 11 April 1944
- Major Wilhelm MoritzWilhelm MoritzWilhelm Moritz 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...
, 18 April 1944 - Hauptmann Hubert-York Weydenhammer, 5 December 1944
- Major Erwin Bacsila, 5 January 1945
- Oberleutnant Oskar RommOskar RommOskar "Ossi" Romm 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...
, 17 February 1945 - Hauptmann Gerhard KoallGerhard KoallGerhard "Knall" Koall 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. Gerhard Koall was killed on 27 April 1945 after...
, 25 April 1945 - Hauptmann Günther SchackGünther SchackGünther Schack was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1939 until the end of World War II in 1945. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He claimed 174 enemy aircraft shot down,...
, 1 Mai 1945
External links
- http://www.feldgrau.com/JG3.htm A list of commanders and the organisation of JG 3