Jagdgeschwader 400
Encyclopedia
Jagdgeschwader 400 was a Luftwaffe
fighter
-wing
of World War II
. JG 400 was formed on 1 February 1944 in Brandis
with Stab
only for the Messerschmitt Me 163
rocket fighter, as the only military aviation unit of any size in history, to actively use rocket-powered combat aircraft in wartime.
Major Wolfgang Späte
, of JG 54 was transferred into the experimental flying unit Erprobungskommando 16 at Bad Zwischenahn
in Northern Germany, where the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet was under development and tactical testing.
Once the Me-163B was declared operational in July 1944, Späte was given command of the formally raised JG 400, ultimately the only front-line unit to use the Me-163 operationally.
Due to the meteoric rate of climb and limited endurance of the Komet, the Luftwaffe intended to locate individual Staffeln of Komets at strategic points in Germany to intercept Allied bomber formations enroute to targets.
JG 400 was initially based at Venlo
, Netherlands before moving to Brandis near Leipzig
, Germany.
The Me 163B-1a fighters first flew operationally on 6 August 1944, 2 Me 163s reportedly claiming 3 P-51 Mustang
s of the 352nd Fighter Group. JG 400 intercepted formations of B-17 Flying Fortress bombers for the first time on 16 August 1944. Leutnant Ryll engaged the B-17s but was shot down and killed by two P-51s of the 359th Fighter Group
.
On 24 August 1944, Several B-17's were attacked, with Fw. Schubert claiming two B-17s downed (another is claimed by other pilots). His wingman also downed a B-17. One Komet was shot down by bomber gunners.
On 11 September 7 aircraft attacked a United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF) bomber formation, and 3 B-17's were claimed shot down. On 7 October two B-17s were claimed, but two more Komets were lost.By 24 September JG 400 had 11 serviceable Me 163s available, but was short of competent pilots to fly them. The Komets flew operationally on 5 days during the month, but highest number of rocket fighters involved was on 28 September, when 9 were committed. During the same month the two main factories producing the volatile fuel were seriously damaged in bombing raids, and the resulting shortage of fuel would hamper JG 400 for the rest of the war
Tactics were soon developed; typically to zoom through the bomber formations up to an altitude of 40000 feet (12,192 m), and then to power-dive down through the formation again. This theoretically gave the pilot two chances to aim and fire a few bursts of 30mm cannon fire before gliding back towards the home airfield.
Allied fighter formations countered the Komet in several ways; the extremely short endurance was soon noted, and once in a glide the Komet was highly vulnerable to any escort fighter. Brandis was quickly identified as JG 400's home airfield and strafing attacks curtailed operations.
Many other tactical issues faced the JG 400 pilots apart from the inherent instability of the aircraft and its fuel. It was found very difficult to aim and fire the guns accurately at such high approach speeds. A number of solutions were tried out, the most innovative being fitting a battery of six 50mm mortars
, firing upwards. The mortars were fired by activation by a photocell in the upper surface of the aircraft. When the Komet flew under the bomber, the shadow of the aircraft above triggered the mortar rounds to be fired. Research suggests this arrangement was only used once in combat, reportedly destroying an Royal Air Force
(RAF) Halifax bomber.
Although over 300 Me 163B's were produced (including a few Me 163-Cs with increased fuel), only 9 confirmed air victories were credited to JG 400 by the end of the war, for 14 Komets lost from all causes ( mainly crashes and accidents).
I./JG 400 was disbanded at Brandis in April 1945, while II. Gruppe disbanded at Husum.
s mounted under the wings.
Fw. Kurt Schiebeler flew 20 missions in the Me 163, gaining two victories both B 17s in September-October 1944.
Fw. Rolf "Bubi" Glogner claimed a single aerial victory in the Me 163 when he claimed to have shot down a DeHavilland Mosquito over Leipzig on 16 March 1945. The Mosquito however (NS795 of No. 544 Squadron
, flown by P/O R.M. Hays) was able to escape and force-landed in France, according to Hayes' report in "Coastal Command Review, Vol.IV, No. 3, March, 1945".
Oblt.Franz Woidich
, as Staffelkapitän
of 6./JG 400, claimed one victory on 22 April 1945.
Fw. Siegfried Schubert was considered the most successful pilot with 3 four-engine-bombers confirmed. He was killed in action 7 October 1944.
Lt. Fritz Kelb claimed a B-17 with JG 400 on 10 April 1945, and also claimed a victory flying the Me 262, before being killed on 30 April 1945.
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 400 was formed on 1 February 1944 in Brandis
Brandis, Germany
Brandis is a town in the Leipzig district, in the Free State of Saxony, Germany. It is situated 16 km east of Leipzig....
with Stab
Stab (Luftwaffe designation)
During World War II, the suffix Stab was used in the German Luftwaffe to designate a headquarters unit. This applied to subordinate units in each Gruppe or Geschwader — the equivalent units to wings and groups in other air forces.These command units used the green colour of their aircraft...
only for the Messerschmitt Me 163
Messerschmitt Me 163
The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Lippisch, was a German rocket-powered fighter aircraft. It is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational. Its design was revolutionary, and the Me 163 was capable of performance unrivaled at the time. Messerschmitt...
rocket fighter, as the only military aviation unit of any size in history, to actively use rocket-powered combat aircraft in wartime.
Major Wolfgang Späte
Wolfgang Späte
Major Wolfgang Späte was a German World War II Luftwaffe flying ace. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, of JG 54 was transferred into the experimental flying unit Erprobungskommando 16 at Bad Zwischenahn
Bad Zwischenahn
Bad Zwischenahn is a village and a municipality in the low-lying Ammerland district, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the lake Zwischenahner Meer, approx...
in Northern Germany, where the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet was under development and tactical testing.
Once the Me-163B was declared operational in July 1944, Späte was given command of the formally raised JG 400, ultimately the only front-line unit to use the Me-163 operationally.
Due to the meteoric rate of climb and limited endurance of the Komet, the Luftwaffe intended to locate individual Staffeln of Komets at strategic points in Germany to intercept Allied bomber formations enroute to targets.
JG 400 was initially based at Venlo
Venlo
Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,...
, Netherlands before moving to Brandis 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...
, Germany.
JG 400 in action
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...
s of the 352nd Fighter Group. JG 400 intercepted formations of B-17 Flying Fortress bombers for the first time on 16 August 1944. Leutnant Ryll engaged the B-17s but was shot down and killed by two P-51s of the 359th Fighter Group
359th Fighter Group
The 359th Fighter Group is an inactive United States Army 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....
.
On 24 August 1944, Several B-17's were attacked, with Fw. Schubert claiming two B-17s downed (another is claimed by other pilots). His wingman also downed a B-17. One Komet was shot down by bomber gunners.
On 11 September 7 aircraft attacked a 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) bomber formation, and 3 B-17's were claimed shot down. On 7 October two B-17s were claimed, but two more Komets were lost.By 24 September JG 400 had 11 serviceable Me 163s available, but was short of competent pilots to fly them. The Komets flew operationally on 5 days during the month, but highest number of rocket fighters involved was on 28 September, when 9 were committed. During the same month the two main factories producing the volatile fuel were seriously damaged in bombing raids, and the resulting shortage of fuel would hamper JG 400 for the rest of the war
Tactics were soon developed; typically to zoom through the bomber formations up to an altitude of 40000 feet (12,192 m), and then to power-dive down through the formation again. This theoretically gave the pilot two chances to aim and fire a few bursts of 30mm cannon fire before gliding back towards the home airfield.
Allied fighter formations countered the Komet in several ways; the extremely short endurance was soon noted, and once in a glide the Komet was highly vulnerable to any escort fighter. Brandis was quickly identified as JG 400's home airfield and strafing attacks curtailed operations.
Many other tactical issues faced the JG 400 pilots apart from the inherent instability of the aircraft and its fuel. It was found very difficult to aim and fire the guns accurately at such high approach speeds. A number of solutions were tried out, the most innovative being fitting a battery of six 50mm mortars
Jagdfaust
The SG 500 Jagdfaust was an experimental airborne anti-bomber recoilless rifle designed for use in the Me 163 Komet rocket plane by the German Luftwaffe during World War II...
, firing upwards. The mortars were fired by activation by a photocell in the upper surface of the aircraft. When the Komet flew under the bomber, the shadow of the aircraft above triggered the mortar rounds to be fired. Research suggests this arrangement was only used once in combat, reportedly destroying an Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) Halifax bomber.
Although over 300 Me 163B's were produced (including a few Me 163-Cs with increased fuel), only 9 confirmed air victories were credited to JG 400 by the end of the war, for 14 Komets lost from all causes ( mainly crashes and accidents).
I./JG 400 was disbanded at Brandis in April 1945, while II. Gruppe disbanded at Husum.
Pilots
Oberleutnant Adolf Niemeyer flew a more than 30 combat missions in the Komet, developing the variant equipped with 24 R4M rocketR4M rocket
The R4M rocket, nicknamed the Hurricane due to its distinctive smoke trail when fired, was an anti-aircraft rocket. It was developed by the German Luftwaffe during World War II.-Development:...
s mounted under the wings.
Fw. Kurt Schiebeler flew 20 missions in the Me 163, gaining two victories both B 17s in September-October 1944.
Fw. Rolf "Bubi" Glogner claimed a single aerial victory in the Me 163 when he claimed to have shot down a DeHavilland Mosquito over Leipzig on 16 March 1945. The Mosquito however (NS795 of No. 544 Squadron
No. 544 Squadron RAF
No. 544 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as a photographic reconnaissance squadron in World War II.-Formation in World War II:...
, flown by P/O R.M. Hays) was able to escape and force-landed in France, according to Hayes' report in "Coastal Command Review, Vol.IV, No. 3, March, 1945".
Oblt.Franz Woidich
Franz Woidich
Franz Woidich was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. Wernitz was credited with 110 aerial victories claimed in roughly 1000 combat missions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, as 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....
of 6./JG 400, claimed one victory on 22 April 1945.
Fw. Siegfried Schubert was considered the most successful pilot with 3 four-engine-bombers confirmed. He was killed in action 7 October 1944.
Lt. Fritz Kelb claimed a B-17 with JG 400 on 10 April 1945, and also claimed a victory flying the Me 262, before being killed on 30 April 1945.
I. Gruppe
- Hauptmann Robert OlejnikRobert Olejnik (pilot)Robert Olejnik was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. He was credited with 41 aerial victories claimed in some 680 combat missions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, April 1944 - Hauptmann Wilhelm Fulda, 25 November 1944 – 19 April 1945