Jagdgeschwader 4
Encyclopedia
Jagdgeschwader 4 was a Luftwaffe
fighter
-wing
of World War II
. JG 4 was formed as a full Geschwader on June 15, 1944 in Ansbach from Stab/Jagdgeschwader z.b.V.
and its first Geschwaderkommodore
was Major
Gerhard Schöpfel
.
I./JG 4 was formed earlier on August 7, 1942 in Mizil
, Romania
from the Ölschutzstaffel/JG 77, with 2./JG 4 formed December 1, 1942. Stab I, 3. and 4./JG 4 were formed on January 10, 1943 at Mizil, and the I Gruppe was now complete. II. Gruppe was formed in July 1944 at Salzwedel
from I./ZG1 and partially from Sturmstaffel 1. III. Gruppe was formed in July 1944 at Rotenburg
from III./ZG1. IV./JG 4 was formed on October 20, 1944 at Finsterwalde
from II./JG 5.
I./JG 4 was assigned in early 1943 as defensive protection of the Mizil and Ploesti Oil complexes in Romania. I./JG 4 first saw action in combat against the force of B-24 Liberators dispatched on the low-level attack against Ploesti on 1 August 1943, code-named Operation “Tidal Wave”, claiming 12 B-24 bombers downed.
The unit saw further action over the Balkans against the USAAF 15th Air Force heavy bombers flying from bases in North Africa and Italy. The unit was later deployed to the defence of Rome and northern Italy. I./JG 4 first saw action in combat against a strike force of B-24 Liberators dispatched on the celebrated low level attack against Ploesti on 1 August 1943 as Operation “Tidal Wave”. Stab and I./JG 4 claimed twelve B-24 bombers shot down.
JG 4 was then deployed in the German defensive campaign in Italy during the first half of 1944, prior to being shifted to the France for the Normandy invasion. Over the Lake Bracciano
area on 7 May 1944, I./ JG4 encountered Spitfires of No. 72 Squadron, who claimed nine Bf 109's shot down; I gruppe lost 4 killed and 2 wounded in the action. During their Italian campaign, I./JG 4 lost 40 men killed or missing, 26 wounded, and 7 taken prisoner.
JG 4 were then withdrawn after heavy losses back to the Reich in September 1944.
4./JG 4 was the Rumanian Staffel Escadrilla 53, which left again in December 1943. A new 4./JG 4 was formed in June 1944. In September 1944 2./JG 4 and 8./JG 53 exchanged designations. I./JG 4 was disbanded on March 19, 1945.
from I./Zerstörergeschwader 1
(ZG 1) and from elements of Major Günter von Kornatzki's Sturmstaffel 1. The gruppe was equipped with the modified and heavily armoured FW 190A-8/R2. While the heavily armoured fighters proved effective against the heavy bombers of the USAAF, they proved vulnerable to the numerous escort fighters and hence suffered heavy losses.
III./JG 4 was also formed in July 1944 from III./ZG 1 in Rotenburg
.
In common with other fighter units engaged in Reichsverteidigung
operations the Geschwader were sported unique coloured markings in mid 1944. JG 4's marking was a black-white-black band on the rear fuselage.
On 11 September 1944 II.(Sturm) and III. Gruppen intercepted a USAAF bombing raid near Chemnitz
. Attacking the 100th and 95th Bomb Groups the geschwader claimed some 13 destroyed bombers. Intercepted by the 339th and 55th Fighter Groups JG 4 was severely mauled, and lost 21 pilots killed during the mission.
In October 1944 IV./JG 4 was formed from elements of II./JG 5 in Finsterwalde
, equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf-109G and K.
On 2 November the Sturmgruppe, in conjunction with IV./JG 3, intercepted American bomber formations in the Leipzig
area. II./JG 4 attacked the 457th Bomb Group and destroyed nine B-17s, although the gruppe lost 16 FW-190s out of 22 committed to the massed US fighter escorts.
From November 1944 onwards the Geschwader, operating from Frankfurt took heavy losses flying against the Allied air offensive. Apart from for II.(Sturm)/JG 300, heavy losses meant the Sturmgruppen had virtually ceased to exist by late November 1944, and with the transfer to Babenhausen
in December 1944 the remnants of II./JG 4 would carry out the same fighter and ground attack operations as their sister units for the rest of their existence, and would not claim another heavy bomber.
During Operation Bodenplatte on 1 January 1945 JG 4, along with all other units taking part, again took very heavy losses. With 75 JG 4 aircraft tasked with various targets, including an attack on Le Culot airfield, I, II and IV gruppen were hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire and the massed formation became scattered and therefore impossible to co-ordinate an effective attack, with only 12 or so aircraft locating or attacking any intended objective. Overall, some 26 fighters were lost and 6 damaged; with nearly half the participating aircraft lost, JG 4 suffered the highest percentage losses of all the units taking part in the operation.
By late January 1945 JG 4 was deployed in Guben-Jüterbog until the end of the war in May.
On 21 January 1945 the four gruppen of JG 4 were switched to Luftlotte 6 on the Eastern Front and pitchforked wholesale into ground-attack missions, for which the unit was ill-equipped and pilots untrained. By early February 1945 II.(Sturm)/JG 4 were located at Neuhausen
under Major Gerhard Schroeder in defence of Cottbus
.
Although nearly 400 vehicles were claimed destroyed, losses during the month inevitably emasculated the unit, with some 57 aircraft lost, with 26 pilots killed or missing and 14 wounded.
I./JG 4 was dissolved during March 1945 and the remustering of the unit personnel as infantry followed. Elemnts of JG 4 flew their last sorties against the Soviet armies and air forces around Berlin and in late April 1945 the unit withdrew to the Schleswig-Holstein area and disbanded on 8 May 1945.
This insignia was first used by II. Gruppe, but later also appeared on other JG 4 Gruppen aircraft.
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...
. JG 4 was formed as a full Geschwader on June 15, 1944 in Ansbach from Stab/Jagdgeschwader z.b.V.
Jagdgeschwader z.b.V.
Jagdgeschwader z.b.V. was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. JG z.b.V. was formed April 20, 1944 in Kassel, to control III./JG 3, I./JG 5, II./JG 27, III./JG 54 and II./JG 53. On June 15, 1944 it was redesignated Stab/JG 4 and its first Geschwaderkommodore was Major Gerhard Michalski...
and its first 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...
was 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. ...
Gerhard Schöpfel
Gerhard Schöpfel
Gerhard Schöpfel was a German World War II Luftwaffe 45-victory flying ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He held the position of Geschwaderkommodore of fighter wing Jagdgeschwader 26....
.
I./JG 4 was formed earlier on August 7, 1942 in Mizil
Mizil
Mizil is a town in Prahova County, Romania. Located in the southeastern part of the county, it lies along the road between the cities of Ploieşti and Buzău, and to the northeast of the national capital, Bucharest. Its position led it to become a thriving market town beginning in the 18th century,...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
from the Ölschutzstaffel/JG 77, with 2./JG 4 formed December 1, 1942. Stab I, 3. and 4./JG 4 were formed on January 10, 1943 at Mizil, and the I Gruppe was now complete. II. Gruppe was formed in July 1944 at Salzwedel
Salzwedel
Salzwedel of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, and has a population of approximately 21,500. Salzwedel is located on the German Framework Road.-Geography:...
from I./ZG1 and partially from Sturmstaffel 1. III. Gruppe was formed in July 1944 at Rotenburg
Rotenburg an der Fulda
Rotenburg an der Fulda is a town in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse, Germany lying, as the name says, on the river Fulda.- Geography :- Location :...
from III./ZG1. IV./JG 4 was formed on October 20, 1944 at Finsterwalde
Finsterwalde
Finsterwalde is a town in the Elbe-Elster district , in Brandenburg, Germany.-Overview:It is situated on the Schackebach, a tributary of the Kleine Elster, 28 m. W.S.W of Cottbus by rail. Pop. 18,840. The town has a Gothic church , a castle, schools, cloth and cigar factories, iron-foundries,...
from II./JG 5.
I./JG 4 was assigned in early 1943 as defensive protection of the Mizil and Ploesti Oil complexes in Romania. I./JG 4 first saw action in combat against the force of B-24 Liberators dispatched on the low-level attack against Ploesti on 1 August 1943, code-named Operation “Tidal Wave”, claiming 12 B-24 bombers downed.
The unit saw further action over the Balkans against the USAAF 15th Air Force heavy bombers flying from bases in North Africa and Italy. The unit was later deployed to the defence of Rome and northern Italy. I./JG 4 first saw action in combat against a strike force of B-24 Liberators dispatched on the celebrated low level attack against Ploesti on 1 August 1943 as Operation “Tidal Wave”. Stab and I./JG 4 claimed twelve B-24 bombers shot down.
JG 4 was then deployed in the German defensive campaign in Italy during the first half of 1944, prior to being shifted to the France for the Normandy invasion. Over the Lake Bracciano
Lake Bracciano
Lake Bracciano is a lake of volcanic origin in the Italian region of Lazio, northwest of Rome. It is the second largest lake in the region and one of the major lakes of Italy...
area on 7 May 1944, I./ JG4 encountered Spitfires of No. 72 Squadron, who claimed nine Bf 109's shot down; I gruppe lost 4 killed and 2 wounded in the action. During their Italian campaign, I./JG 4 lost 40 men killed or missing, 26 wounded, and 7 taken prisoner.
JG 4 were then withdrawn after heavy losses back to the Reich in September 1944.
4./JG 4 was the Rumanian Staffel Escadrilla 53, which left again in December 1943. A new 4./JG 4 was formed in June 1944. In September 1944 2./JG 4 and 8./JG 53 exchanged designations. I./JG 4 was disbanded on March 19, 1945.
Sturmgruppen 1944
Jagdgeschwader 4 became one of only three Luftwaffe geschwader to operate the specialised 'bomber-killer' gruppen designated Sturmgruppe. II./JG 4 Sturmgruppe was formed on 12 July 1944 at SalzwedelSalzwedel
Salzwedel of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, and has a population of approximately 21,500. Salzwedel is located on the German Framework Road.-Geography:...
from I./Zerstörergeschwader 1
Zerstörergeschwader 1
Zerstörergeschwader 1 or ZG 1 was a Luftwaffe heavy/destroyer Fighter Aircraft-wing of World War II.-History:...
(ZG 1) and from elements of Major Günter von Kornatzki's Sturmstaffel 1. The gruppe was equipped with the modified and heavily armoured FW 190A-8/R2. While the heavily armoured fighters proved effective against the heavy bombers of the USAAF, they proved vulnerable to the numerous escort fighters and hence suffered heavy losses.
III./JG 4 was also formed in July 1944 from III./ZG 1 in Rotenburg
Rotenburg
Rotenburg is the name of the following three towns in Germany:*Rotenburg an der Wümme, near Verden in Lower Saxony*Rotenburg an der Fulda, near Kassel in Hesse*Rothenburg ob der Tauber, in the Franconia region of Bavaria...
.
In common with other fighter units engaged in Reichsverteidigung
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...
operations the Geschwader were sported unique coloured markings in mid 1944. JG 4's marking was a black-white-black band on the rear fuselage.
On 11 September 1944 II.(Sturm) and III. Gruppen intercepted a USAAF bombing raid near Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
. Attacking the 100th and 95th Bomb Groups the geschwader claimed some 13 destroyed bombers. Intercepted by the 339th and 55th Fighter Groups JG 4 was severely mauled, and lost 21 pilots killed during the mission.
In October 1944 IV./JG 4 was formed from elements of II./JG 5 in Finsterwalde
Finsterwalde
Finsterwalde is a town in the Elbe-Elster district , in Brandenburg, Germany.-Overview:It is situated on the Schackebach, a tributary of the Kleine Elster, 28 m. W.S.W of Cottbus by rail. Pop. 18,840. The town has a Gothic church , a castle, schools, cloth and cigar factories, iron-foundries,...
, equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf-109G and K.
On 2 November the Sturmgruppe, in conjunction with IV./JG 3, intercepted American bomber formations 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. II./JG 4 attacked the 457th Bomb Group and destroyed nine B-17s, although the gruppe lost 16 FW-190s out of 22 committed to the massed US fighter escorts.
From November 1944 onwards the Geschwader, operating from Frankfurt took heavy losses flying against the Allied air offensive. Apart from for II.(Sturm)/JG 300, heavy losses meant the Sturmgruppen had virtually ceased to exist by late November 1944, and with the transfer to Babenhausen
Babenhausen
Babenhausen is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hesse, Germany.-Geography:It is situated on the river Gersprenz, 25 km southeast of Frankfurt, and 14 km west of Aschaffenburg. South of its general borders, the mountain range of the Odenwald is situated about 15 km away...
in December 1944 the remnants of II./JG 4 would carry out the same fighter and ground attack operations as their sister units for the rest of their existence, and would not claim another heavy bomber.
During Operation Bodenplatte on 1 January 1945 JG 4, along with all other units taking part, again took very heavy losses. With 75 JG 4 aircraft tasked with various targets, including an attack on Le Culot airfield, I, II and IV gruppen were hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire and the massed formation became scattered and therefore impossible to co-ordinate an effective attack, with only 12 or so aircraft locating or attacking any intended objective. Overall, some 26 fighters were lost and 6 damaged; with nearly half the participating aircraft lost, JG 4 suffered the highest percentage losses of all the units taking part in the operation.
By late January 1945 JG 4 was deployed in Guben-Jüterbog until the end of the war in May.
On 21 January 1945 the four gruppen of JG 4 were switched to Luftlotte 6 on the Eastern Front and pitchforked wholesale into ground-attack missions, for which the unit was ill-equipped and pilots untrained. By early February 1945 II.(Sturm)/JG 4 were located at Neuhausen
Neuhausen
Neuhausen may refer to:*Neuhausen am Rheinfall, a town in the canton of Schaffhausen, Switzerland*Neuhausen auf den Fildern, a municipality in Baden-Württemberg, Germany*Neuhausen , a municipality in Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
under Major Gerhard Schroeder in defence of Cottbus
Cottbus
Cottbus is a city in Brandenburg, Germany, situated around southeast of Berlin, on the River Spree. As of , its population was .- History :...
.
Although nearly 400 vehicles were claimed destroyed, losses during the month inevitably emasculated the unit, with some 57 aircraft lost, with 26 pilots killed or missing and 14 wounded.
I./JG 4 was dissolved during March 1945 and the remustering of the unit personnel as infantry followed. Elemnts of JG 4 flew their last sorties against the Soviet armies and air forces around Berlin and in late April 1945 the unit withdrew to the Schleswig-Holstein area and disbanded on 8 May 1945.
Insignia
Some JG 4 aircraft displayed on the engine cowling the Geschwaderzeichen, a blue escutcheon with a grey or silver knight’s helmet with a red (red-white) plume.This insignia was first used by II. Gruppe, but later also appeared on other JG 4 Gruppen aircraft.
Geschwaderkommodore
- Major Gerhard Schöpfel, 15 June 1944 – 6 August 1944
- Oberstleutnant Gerhard MichalskiGerhard MichalskiGerhard Michalski was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.-Military career:...
, 7 August 1944 – 8 May 1945
I./JG 4
- Hauptmann Franz Hahn, 10 January 1943 – 22 January 1944
- Hauptmann Wilhelm SteinmannWilhelm SteinmannWilhelm Steinmann was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.-World War II:...
, 23 January 1944 – 14 February 1944 - Hauptmann Walter Hoeckner, 15 February 1944 – 25 August 1944
- Hauptmann Wilhelm Steinmann, 26 August 1944 – March 1945
II./JG 4
- Oberleutnant Hans-Günther von Kornatzki, 12 July 1944 – 12 September 1944
- Major Rudolf Schröder, 13 September 1944 – March 1945
- 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...
, March 1945 – 8 May 1945
III./JG 4
- Hauptmann Friedrich Eberle, 12 July 1944 – 8 January 1945
- Hauptmann Gerhard Strasen, 9 January 1945 – 8 May 1945
IV./JG 4
- Hauptmann Franz Wienhusen, 20 October 1944 – 3 December 1944
- Hauptmann Ernst Laube, 19 December 1944 – 3 April 1945