Jagdgeschwader 77
Encyclopedia
Jagdgeschwader 77 Herz As ("Ace of Hearts") was a Luftwaffe
fighter Geschwader (US "wing"/UK "group") during World War II
. It served in all the German theaters of war, from Western Europe to the Eastern Front, and from the high north in Norway to the Mediterranean.
All three gruppen (US "groups"/UK "wings") within the Geschwader operated variants of the Messerschmitt Bf 109
. However, II. Gruppe is notable as the only German unit entirely equipped, albeit only during November–December 1943, with the Macchi C.205
, a highly-regarded Italian
fighter.
from the II(J)./JG 186. I./ JG 77 was reorganized on 21 November 1940 into IV./JG 51
and a new I./JG 77 was established. In January 1942 I./JG 77 was transferred to I./JG 5 and a new I./JG 77 was created. In April 1942 1. Staffel was transferred to Romania
and designated the defence unit for the Ploieşti
oil fields at Mizil. (This staffel was redesignated 1./JG 4
in August 1942.)
on 1 September 1939, while attached to Luftflotte 3
. II./JG 77 took part in the first Jagdwaffe victories in the West, which occurred on 4 September 1939, when II./JG 77 shot down 2 RAF
bombers over the North Sea.
In April 1940 JG 77 took part in Operation Weserübung
, the invasion of Norway
. A third Gruppe was created in Norway in July, while the original two Gruppen took part in the Battle of France
from 10 May 1940.
After the successful invasion of France
I. Gruppe initially supported X. Fliegerkorps
(under Luftflotte 5
) in operations against Britain
from bases in Norway. While the I./JG 77 was based in France during the Battle of Britain
, III./JG 77 remained deployed around Berlin
. 7. & 8. Staffel was transferred to Dinan, France, in late 1940.
While stationed in Norway and Denmark in 1940 II./JG 77 claimed some 79 victories, for 6 pilots killed, before leaving in November 1940 for defence duties in Brest
. Their greatest achievement was the shooting down of an entire formation of 12 Bristol Blenheim
s of No. 82 Squadron on 13 August 1940.
While I./JG 77 was based in Norway and Denmark, in May 1941 II. and III./JG 77 were used in support of the invasion of Greece
and the paratroop assault on Crete. In fighter-bomber operations against the Royal Navy, III./JG 77 claimed some 34,000 tonnes of shipping sunk, including the 22,000 ton freighter 'Hellas' as well as damaging the RN cruiser HMS Fiji
and a destroyer. On 22 May, Oblt Wolf Huy and Oblt Kurt Ubben
attacked the Royal Navy’s Force “C” off the islands of Kythera and Antikythera. Both pilots gained bomb hits on the battleship HMS Warspite.
, a process that would be completed shortly after the attack on the Soviet Union began. As Operation Barbarossa
, the invasion of the Soviet Union
, started on 22 June 1941, II. and III. Gruppe plus Stab supported the advance East as part of Army Group South
, while I. Gruppe served on the Finland front. The Jagdgeschwader scored quickly ; Oblt. Walter Hoeckner of 6./JG77 claimed 8 of 10 Tupolev SB
s claimed on 25 June by III./JG 77 and on 26 June Oblt. Kurt Ubben shot down 4 SB. That same day Ofw. Reinhold Schmetzer claimed 5 SB shot down.
In the period 22 June - 5 December 1941 the unit, and its attachment I.(J)/LG 2, destroyed 1,166 Soviet aircraft, in return for 52 losses in aerial combat and two aircraft on the ground.
By early 1942 German Army Group South and Luftflotte 4
in the eastern Ukraine had three fighter units at his disposal: III./JG 52 at Kharkov-Rogan, I.(J)/LG 2 (later redesignated I./JG 77) at Mariupol, and III./JG 77 on the Crimean.
Due to the adverse weather and the numerical weakness of the Soviets in the region, III gruppe and its sister units had little contact with the enemy, so that in January 1942, III./JG 77 recorded a 2.7 to 1 victories to loss ratio, a ratio far below the average for the other eastern Front Jagdgruppen.
The war in the Crimea flared up in late February 1942 after a Soviet offensive aimed at relieving the Sevastopol area and pushing the Germans from the Crimea. III./JG 77's Oblt. Wolf-Dieter Huy claimed the Gruppe's 600th victory on 11 March, but was badly injured. Although combats on 16 March yielded 10 victory claims, three Bf 109s were lost. Soon after, III./JG 77 was returned to Germany for a period of rest. Replacing III gruppe was II./JG 77 after a three-month refit in Germany. Led by the capable and experienced Hptm. Anton Mader
, the gruppe claimed 21 Soviet aircraft for no losses on 19 March. Four days later, II./ JG 77 bounced a group of 247 lAP Yak-1s and shot down two, killing 21-kill ace Major Mikhail Fedoseyev. In ten days of intensive operations II./JG 77 managed to achieve sixty victories against just four combat losses.
Meantime in the Southern Ukraine sector of Mius were I./JG 77, commanded by Hptm. Herbert Ihlefeld
. Of the 62 victories claimed by I./JG 77 in April 1942, (without losses) some 43 were claimed by Ihlefeld and his wingman, Oblt. Friedrich Geisshardt
. On 22 April, Ihlefeld passed the 100-victory mark, while Geisshardt attained his 60th claim. Two days later Ihlefeld was awarded the 'Swords' to the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes and was promoted to the rank of Major. Shortly afterwards he was taken out of operations to be trained as a Geschwaderkommodore.
Hauptmann
Gordon Gollob
(86 kills) was sent from the Test Centre at Rechlin
to take over as Geschwaderkommodore
on 16 May 1942, and Hauptmann Heinrich 'Pritzl' Bär
(91 victories) was transferred from IV./JG 51 as Gruppekommandeur to command I./JG 77. The total victory claims tally of Jagdgeschwader 77 by 19 May was 2,011.
The fighter units directed against Sevastopol - III./JG 3, plus II./JG 77 and the returned III./JG 77 - were led by Hptm.Gollob. When Sevastopol fell after a month's battle, the Germans had claimed 123 Soviet aircraft shot down against 30 of their own destroyed or severely damaged.
During the summer of 1942, Bär and Gollob would dominate the air war over the Kerch area. Gollob became the first fighter pilot to claim 150 air victories in August 1942 and left JG 77 soon after, being replaced by Major Joachim Müncheberg
from Jagdgeschwader 26
.
During operations against Malta
from June-Oct 1942, I./JG 77, still commanded by Bär, claimed 99 aircraft shot down to add to the 900 claimed in Russia. Oblt. Freytag claimed 25 kills over Malta, Obfw. Walter Brandt claiming 14.
III./JG 77, with Geschwaderkommodore Maj. Müncheberg, arrived direct from the Russian Front, replacing Jagdgeschwader 27
in North Africa
in October 1942. II./JG 77 arrived in December 1942, with 1,300 victories claimed on the Eastern Front. The two Gruppen had claimed between them a total of 775 Soviet aircraft in the last four months, with a quarter of these claimed by just four pilots (Setz
, Hackl
, Clausen and Reinhardt).
JG 77 saw extensive action against the Desert Air Force
fighter-bombers, the unit's aces continuing to build their scores. During the Mareth
offensive in Feb-March 1943, JG 77 claimed 18 Kittyhawks on 26 February.
Total Allied air superiority led to the various JG 77 bases in Tunisia
coming under constant air attack, and a large number of Bf109's were written off on the ground. After claiming a further 23 kills, Maj. Müncheberg was killed in action with USAAF Spitfires on 23 March. It was as a tribute to Müncheberg that the red heart emblem was adopted as JG 77's badge. (Müncheberg had been Staffelkapitän
of 7. JG 26 in 1940-41 who had first used the red heart motif.)
The experienced Oberstleutnant Johannes Steinhoff
took over as Kommodore.
Even under increasingly difficult circumstances, the Geschwader did their utmost to protect the retreating Afrika Korps
forces. Hpt. Bär claimed 61 victories during their African service (45 over Tunisia), while Oblt Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert
of II./JG 77 claimed another 51 kills and I/JG 77's Oblt. Freytag claimed 19. By the 20 April 1943, JG 77 were the sole fighter presence in Northern Africa. The unit flew out on 8 May, withdrawing to Sicily, leaving most of their ground crews behind. The Wing had suffered heavy losses in the air and on the ground, while claiming 333 air kills in total in North Africa. While I. and II./JG 77 returned to Germany to re-equip, III./JG 77 remained in Italy, based at Foggia
, north-east of Naples
and flying sorties into Sardinia and Sicily.
In mid June I./JG 77 flew into Sciacca
on Sicily.
and Sicily
the Geschwader, now part of II. FliegerKorps
(Süd), prepared for the Allies to invade Sicily. For a vivid account of Luftwaffe operations at this time see Steinhoff's book Messerschmitts over Sicily: Diary of a Luftwaffe Fighter Commander (Stackpole Military History Series).
During the rest of 1943 and 1944 JG 77 was stationed on the Southern Front, mainly in the Balkans
, Sardinia
and Italy
, but also in Romania
. On 24 April 1944 III./JG 77 intercepted USAAF heavy bombers raiding Ploieşti
, losing Hpt. Emil Omert
(70 kills) killed in action. By June 1944, just two gruppen of JG 77 were the sole air defense left in Italy and the eastern Mediterranean.
). In the last months of the war part of JG 77 was employed against the Soviet Air Force in Silesia
. In this area on 7 March 1945 Kommodore Major Erich Leie
, a 118-kill ace, was killed in combat with Yak-9 fighters.
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 Geschwader (US "wing"/UK "group") during 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...
. It served in all the German theaters of war, from Western Europe to the Eastern Front, and from the high north in Norway to the Mediterranean.
All three gruppen (US "groups"/UK "wings") within the Geschwader operated variants of the Messerschmitt Bf 109
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...
. However, II. Gruppe is notable as the only German unit entirely equipped, albeit only during November–December 1943, with the Macchi C.205
Macchi C.205
The Macchi C.205 Veltro was an Italian World War II fighter aircraft built by the Aeronautica Macchi. Along with the Reggiane Re.2005 and Fiat G.55, the Macchi C.205 was one of the three "Serie 5" Italian fighters built around the powerful Daimler-Benz DB 605 engine...
, a highly-regarded Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
fighter.
Formation and unit restructures
JG 77 was formed in May 1939 with I. and II. Gruppe. III./JG 77 was formed on 5 July 1940 in TrondheimTrondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
from the II(J)./JG 186. I./ JG 77 was reorganized on 21 November 1940 into IV./JG 51
Jagdgeschwader 51
Jagdgeschwader 51 Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders in 1942. JG 51's pilots won more Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes than any other Jagdgeschwader, and flew combat from 1939 in all major theatres of war. Flying Bf 109s and then...
and a new I./JG 77 was established. In January 1942 I./JG 77 was transferred to I./JG 5 and a new I./JG 77 was created. In April 1942 1. Staffel was transferred to 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...
and designated the defence unit for the Ploieşti
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
oil fields at Mizil. (This staffel was redesignated 1./JG 4
Jagdgeschwader 4
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....
in August 1942.)
Invasion of Poland, campaign in the West and the Balkans
I./JG 77 took part in the Invasion of PolandInvasion of Poland (1939)
The Invasion of Poland, also known as the September Campaign or 1939 Defensive War in Poland and the Poland Campaign in Germany, was an invasion of Poland by Germany, the Soviet Union, and a small Slovak contingent that marked the start of World War II in Europe...
on 1 September 1939, while attached to Luftflotte 3
Luftflotte 3
Luftflotte 3 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on February 1, 1939 from Luftwaffengruppenkommando 3 in Munich and redesignated Luftwaffenkommando West on September 26, 1944...
. II./JG 77 took part in the first Jagdwaffe victories in the West, which occurred on 4 September 1939, when II./JG 77 shot down 2 RAF
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...
bombers over the North Sea.
In April 1940 JG 77 took part in Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung
Operation Weserübung was the code name for Germany's assault on Denmark and Norway during the Second World War and the opening operation of the Norwegian Campaign...
, the invasion of Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. A third Gruppe was created in Norway in July, while the original two Gruppen took part in the Battle of France
Battle 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...
from 10 May 1940.
After the successful invasion of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
I. Gruppe initially supported X. Fliegerkorps
10th Air Corps (Germany)
X. FliegerkorpsFor more details see Luftwaffe Organization was a formation of the German Luftwaffe in World War II, which specialised in coastal operations. It was formed 2 October 1939, in Hamburg from the 10...
(under Luftflotte 5
Luftflotte 5
Luftflotte 5 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed 12 April 1940 in Hamburg for the invasion of Norway....
) in operations against Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
from bases in Norway. While the I./JG 77 was based in France during 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...
, III./JG 77 remained deployed around Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
. 7. & 8. Staffel was transferred to Dinan, France, in late 1940.
While stationed in Norway and Denmark in 1940 II./JG 77 claimed some 79 victories, for 6 pilots killed, before leaving in November 1940 for defence duties in Brest
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
. Their greatest achievement was the shooting down of an entire formation of 12 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 of No. 82 Squadron on 13 August 1940.
While I./JG 77 was based in Norway and Denmark, in May 1941 II. and III./JG 77 were used in support of the invasion of Greece
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
and the paratroop assault on Crete. In fighter-bomber operations against the Royal Navy, III./JG 77 claimed some 34,000 tonnes of shipping sunk, including the 22,000 ton freighter 'Hellas' as well as damaging the RN cruiser HMS Fiji
HMS Fiji (C58)
HMS Fiji was a Crown Colony-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the island group, and at that time, the Crown colony of Fiji. She has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name.-Early career:...
and a destroyer. On 22 May, Oblt Wolf Huy and Oblt Kurt Ubben
Kurt Ubben
Kurt "Kuddel" Ubben , was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 until his death on 27 April 1944. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
attacked the Royal Navy’s Force “C” off the islands of Kythera and Antikythera. Both pilots gained bomb hits on the battleship HMS Warspite.
Invasion of the Soviet Union
Following the operations in Crete, JG 77 was withdrawn to Romania in order to prepare for Operation Barbarossa. During this time, III. Gruppe was in the process of converting to the new Bf 109FMesserschmitt 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...
, a process that would be completed shortly after the attack on the Soviet Union began. As Operation Barbarossa
Operation 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...
, the invasion of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
, started on 22 June 1941, II. and III. Gruppe plus Stab supported the advance East as part of Army Group South
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...
, while I. Gruppe served on the Finland front. The Jagdgeschwader scored quickly ; Oblt. Walter Hoeckner of 6./JG77 claimed 8 of 10 Tupolev SB
Tupolev SB
The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name Tupolev SB , and development co-name TsAGI-40, was a high speed twin-engined three-seat monoplane bomber, first flown in 1934....
s claimed on 25 June by III./JG 77 and on 26 June Oblt. Kurt Ubben shot down 4 SB. That same day Ofw. Reinhold Schmetzer claimed 5 SB shot down.
In the period 22 June - 5 December 1941 the unit, and its attachment I.(J)/LG 2, destroyed 1,166 Soviet aircraft, in return for 52 losses in aerial combat and two aircraft on the ground.
By early 1942 German Army Group South and Luftflotte 4
Luftflotte 4
Luftflotte 4 was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on March 18, 1939 from Luftwaffenkommando Österreich in Vienna. The Luftflotte was redesignated on April 21, 1945 to Luftwaffenkommando 4, and became subordinated to Luftflotte 6. It was the...
in the eastern Ukraine had three fighter units at his disposal: III./JG 52 at Kharkov-Rogan, I.(J)/LG 2 (later redesignated I./JG 77) at Mariupol, and III./JG 77 on the Crimean.
Due to the adverse weather and the numerical weakness of the Soviets in the region, III gruppe and its sister units had little contact with the enemy, so that in January 1942, III./JG 77 recorded a 2.7 to 1 victories to loss ratio, a ratio far below the average for the other eastern Front Jagdgruppen.
The war in the Crimea flared up in late February 1942 after a Soviet offensive aimed at relieving the Sevastopol area and pushing the Germans from the Crimea. III./JG 77's Oblt. Wolf-Dieter Huy claimed the Gruppe's 600th victory on 11 March, but was badly injured. Although combats on 16 March yielded 10 victory claims, three Bf 109s were lost. Soon after, III./JG 77 was returned to Germany for a period of rest. Replacing III gruppe was II./JG 77 after a three-month refit in Germany. Led by the capable and experienced Hptm. Anton Mader
Anton Mader
Oberstleutnant Anton Mader was German World War II Luftwaffe 86 victories Flying ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, the gruppe claimed 21 Soviet aircraft for no losses on 19 March. Four days later, II./ JG 77 bounced a group of 247 lAP Yak-1s and shot down two, killing 21-kill ace Major Mikhail Fedoseyev. In ten days of intensive operations II./JG 77 managed to achieve sixty victories against just four combat losses.
Meantime in the Southern Ukraine sector of Mius were I./JG 77, commanded by Hptm. Herbert Ihlefeld
Herbert Ihlefeld
Herbert Ihlefeld was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1936 until the very end of World War II in May 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
. Of the 62 victories claimed by I./JG 77 in April 1942, (without losses) some 43 were claimed by Ihlefeld and his wingman, Oblt. Friedrich Geisshardt
Friedrich Geisshardt
Friedrich "Fritz" Geißhardt 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. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat...
. On 22 April, Ihlefeld passed the 100-victory mark, while Geisshardt attained his 60th claim. Two days later Ihlefeld was awarded the 'Swords' to the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes and was promoted to the rank of Major. Shortly afterwards he was taken out of operations to be trained as a Geschwaderkommodore.
Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
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...
(86 kills) was sent from the Test Centre at Rechlin
Rechlin-Lärz Airfield
Rechlin-Lärz Airfield is an airfield in the village of Rechlin, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany, which is certified for aviation equipment up to 14 tons weight...
to take over 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...
on 16 May 1942, and Hauptmann Heinrich 'Pritzl' Bär
Heinrich Bär
Oskar-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...
(91 victories) was transferred from IV./JG 51 as Gruppekommandeur to command I./JG 77. The total victory claims tally of Jagdgeschwader 77 by 19 May was 2,011.
The fighter units directed against Sevastopol - III./JG 3, plus II./JG 77 and the returned III./JG 77 - were led by Hptm.Gollob. When Sevastopol fell after a month's battle, the Germans had claimed 123 Soviet aircraft shot down against 30 of their own destroyed or severely damaged.
During the summer of 1942, Bär and Gollob would dominate the air war over the Kerch area. Gollob became the first fighter pilot to claim 150 air victories in August 1942 and left JG 77 soon after, being replaced by Major Joachim Müncheberg
Joachim Müncheberg
Joachim Müncheberg was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace 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. He is credited with 135 enemy aircraft shot down claimed in over 500 combat missions...
from Jagdgeschwader 26
Jagdgeschwader 26
Jagdgeschwader 26 Schlageter was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. It operated mainly in Western Europe against Great Britain, France the United States but also saw service against Russia. It was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a World War I veteran and Freikorps member arrested and...
.
Service in the Mediterranean
I. Gruppe, which was still based in Norway, was reorganized into I. Gruppe/JG 5 in January 1942, and the entire JG 77 (with a newly created I. Gruppe) was then transferred south to the Mediterranean area from June - December 1942.During operations 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...
from June-Oct 1942, I./JG 77, still commanded by Bär, claimed 99 aircraft shot down to add to the 900 claimed in Russia. Oblt. Freytag claimed 25 kills over Malta, Obfw. Walter Brandt claiming 14.
III./JG 77, with Geschwaderkommodore Maj. Müncheberg, arrived direct from the Russian Front, replacing Jagdgeschwader 27
Jagdgeschwader 27
Jagdgeschwader 27 Afrika was a World War II Luftwaffe Geschwader. It was most famous for service in the North African Campaign, supporting the Deutsches Afrikakorps.- Formation:...
in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
in October 1942. II./JG 77 arrived in December 1942, with 1,300 victories claimed on the Eastern Front. The two Gruppen had claimed between them a total of 775 Soviet aircraft in the last four months, with a quarter of these claimed by just four pilots (Setz
Heinrich Setz
Heinrich Setz was a German World War II Luftwaffe 138 victories Flying ace and recipient of the coveted Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat...
, Hackl
Anton Hackl
Anton "Toni" Hackl was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords during World War II...
, Clausen and Reinhardt).
JG 77 saw extensive action against the Desert Air Force
Desert Air Force
The Desert Air Force , also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, AHQ Western Desert, the Western Desert Air Force, Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force , was an Allied tactical air force initially created from No...
fighter-bombers, the unit's aces continuing to build their scores. During the Mareth
Mareth
Mareth is a town and commune in Tunisia. In 2004 it had a population of 10,923.-References:...
offensive in Feb-March 1943, JG 77 claimed 18 Kittyhawks on 26 February.
Total Allied air superiority led to the various JG 77 bases in Tunisia
Tunisia
Tunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
coming under constant air attack, and a large number of Bf109's were written off on the ground. After claiming a further 23 kills, Maj. Müncheberg was killed in action with USAAF Spitfires on 23 March. It was as a tribute to Müncheberg that the red heart emblem was adopted as JG 77's badge. (Müncheberg had been 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 7. JG 26 in 1940-41 who had first used the red heart motif.)
The experienced Oberstleutnant Johannes Steinhoff
Johannes Steinhoff
Johannes Steinhoff was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace of World War II, and later a senior West German air force officer and military commander of NATO. Steinhoff was one of very few Luftwaffe pilots who survived to fly operationally through the whole of the war period 1939-45...
took over as Kommodore.
Even under increasingly difficult circumstances, the Geschwader did their utmost to protect the retreating Afrika Korps
Afrika Korps
The German Africa Corps , or the Afrika Korps as it was popularly called, was the German expeditionary force in Libya and Tunisia during the North African Campaign of World War II...
forces. Hpt. Bär claimed 61 victories during their African service (45 over Tunisia), while Oblt Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert
Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert
Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords 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...
of II./JG 77 claimed another 51 kills and I/JG 77's Oblt. Freytag claimed 19. By the 20 April 1943, JG 77 were the sole fighter presence in Northern Africa. The unit flew out on 8 May, withdrawing to Sicily, leaving most of their ground crews behind. The Wing had suffered heavy losses in the air and on the ground, while claiming 333 air kills in total in North Africa. While I. and II./JG 77 returned to Germany to re-equip, III./JG 77 remained in Italy, based at Foggia
Foggia
Foggia is a city and comune of Apulia, Italy, capital of the province of Foggia. Foggia is the main city of a plain called Tavoliere, also known as the "granary of Italy".-History:...
, north-east of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and flying sorties into Sardinia and Sicily.
In mid June I./JG 77 flew into Sciacca
Sciacca
Sciacca , also Schiacca, is a town and comune in the province of Agrigento on the southwestern coast of Sicily...
on Sicily.
Defence of the South Front
Now based in ItalyItaly
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and 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,...
the Geschwader, now part of II. FliegerKorps
2nd Air Corps (Germany)
II. FliegerkorpsFor more details see Luftwaffe Organization was formed 11 October 1939 in Frankfurt am Main from the 2. Flieger-Division. The Corps was relocated to the Mediterranean theatre of operations on 15 November 1941...
(Süd), prepared for the Allies to invade Sicily. For a vivid account of Luftwaffe operations at this time see Steinhoff's book Messerschmitts over Sicily: Diary of a Luftwaffe Fighter Commander (Stackpole Military History Series).
During the rest of 1943 and 1944 JG 77 was stationed on the Southern Front, mainly in the Balkans
Balkans
The Balkans is a geopolitical and cultural region of southeastern Europe...
, Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, but also in 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...
. On 24 April 1944 III./JG 77 intercepted USAAF heavy bombers raiding Ploieşti
Ploiesti
Ploiești is the county seat of Prahova County and lies in the historical region of Wallachia in Romania. The city is located north of Bucharest....
, losing Hpt. Emil Omert
Emil Omert
Emil Omert was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Omert claimed 70 aerial victories in over 700 missions, including 125 fighter-bomber and ground attack mission. He also claimed 25 aircraft destroyed on the ground...
(70 kills) killed in action. By June 1944, just two gruppen of JG 77 were the sole air defense left in Italy and the eastern Mediterranean.
Back to Germany
In 1945 JG 77 was relocated to Germany itself to help with the Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the ReichDefense 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...
). In the last months of the war part of JG 77 was employed against the Soviet Air Force in Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
. In this area on 7 March 1945 Kommodore Major Erich Leie
Erich Leie
Erich Leie was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe until his death on 7 March 1945...
, a 118-kill ace, was killed in combat with Yak-9 fighters.
Geschwaderkommodore
- Oberstleutnant Eitel Roediger von Manteuffel, 1 October 1939
- Major Bernhard WoldengaBernhard WoldengaOberst Bernhard Woldenga was born 4 December 1901 in Hamburg and died 19 January 1999. During World War II Woldenga served in the German Luftwaffe commanding the JG 27 and JG 77 fighter wings. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, 22 December 1940 - Major Gotthard HandrickGotthard HandrickKarl Hermann Gotthard Handrick was a German Olympic athlete and German fighter pilot during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.-Career:...
, 23 June 1941 - Major Gordon M. Gollob, 16 May 1942
- Major Joachim MünchebergJoachim MünchebergJoachim Müncheberg was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace 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. He is credited with 135 enemy aircraft shot down claimed in over 500 combat missions...
, 1 October 1942 - Oberstleutnant Johannes SteinhoffJohannes SteinhoffJohannes Steinhoff was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace of World War II, and later a senior West German air force officer and military commander of NATO. Steinhoff was one of very few Luftwaffe pilots who survived to fly operationally through the whole of the war period 1939-45...
, 1 April 1943 - Major Johannes WieseJohannes WieseJohannes Wiese was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 until the end of World War II on 8 May 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, 1 December 1944 - Major Siegfried FreytagSiegfried FreytagSiegfried Freytag was a German World War II fighter ace and member of the French Foreign Legion. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, 26 December 1944 - Major Erich LeieErich LeieErich Leie was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe until his death on 7 March 1945...
, 29 December 1944 - Major Siegfried FreytagSiegfried FreytagSiegfried Freytag was a German World War II fighter ace and member of the French Foreign Legion. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, 7 March 1945 - Major Fritz LosigkeitFritz LosigkeitMajor Fritz Losigkeit was a German World War II Luftwaffe Flying ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership...
, 1 April 1945
I./JG 77
- Hauptmann Johannes Janke, 1 May 1939
- Hauptmann Walter Grommes, February 1941
- Major Joachim Seegert, June 1941
- Hauptmann Herbert IhlefeldHerbert IhlefeldHerbert Ihlefeld was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1936 until the very end of World War II in May 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
, 6 January 1942 - Major Heinz Bär, 11 May 1942
- Oberstleutnant Armin Köhler, 31 July 1943
- Hauptmann Lutz-Wilhelm Burkhardt, 19 August 1943
- Hauptmann Theo Lindemann, 30 November 1943
- Hauptmann Armin Köhler, May 1944
- Hauptmann Lothar Baumann, 1 August 1944
- Major Münnichow, 24 December 1944
- Hauptmann Joachim Deicke, 10 Januar 1945
- Hauptmann Heinz Grosser, 17 April 1945
II./JG 77
- Oberstleutnant Carl-August Schumacher, 1 May 1939
- Major Hilmer von Bülow-Bothkamp, 30 November 1939
- Hauptmann Karl Hentschel, 31 March 1940
- Hauptmann Franz-Heinz Lange, 9 September 1940
- Hauptmann Helmut Henz, 23 April 1941
- Major Anton MaderAnton MaderOberstleutnant Anton Mader was German World War II Luftwaffe 86 victories Flying ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, 26 May 1941 - Oberleutnant Heinz Dudeck, 7 March 1943
- Major Siegfried FreytagSiegfried FreytagSiegfried Freytag was a German World War II fighter ace and member of the French Foreign Legion. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
, 13 March 1943 - Hauptmann Emil OmertEmil OmertEmil Omert was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Omert claimed 70 aerial victories in over 700 missions, including 125 fighter-bomber and ground attack mission. He also claimed 25 aircraft destroyed on the ground...
, 29 January 1944 - Major Armin Köhler, 4 April 1945
III./JG 77
- Major Heinrich Seeliger, 5 July 1940
- Major Alexander von Winterfeldt, October 1940
- unknown, 2 August 1941
- Major Kurt UbbenKurt UbbenKurt "Kuddel" Ubben , was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 until his death on 27 April 1944. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves...
, 5 September 1941 - Hauptmann Karl Bresoschek, 10 March 1944
- Hauptmann Emil Omert, 3 April 1944
- Hauptmann Karl Bresoschek, 24 April 1944
- Oberleutnant Erhard Niese, 6 June 1944
- Major Armin Köhler, August 1944
Ergänzungsgruppe/JG 77
- Oberleutnant Schultz, March 1941
- Major Albert Blumensaat, May 1941
- Major Kurt Fischer, 1 July 1941
Pilots attached to JG 77
- 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...
- Heinrich EhrlerHeinrich EhrlerHeinrich Ehrler was a German World War II fighter ace whose distinguished Luftwaffe combat career ended in tragic controversy. Along with Theodor Weissenberger, Ehrler shared the honors of "top-ace" in Jagdgeschwader 5, amassing 208 kills - including eight in the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter...
- Erich Ett
- 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...
- Reinhard HeydrichReinhard HeydrichReinhard Tristan Eugen Heydrich , also known as The Hangman, was a high-ranking German Nazi official.He was SS-Obergruppenführer and General der Polizei, chief of the Reich Main Security Office and Stellvertretender Reichsprotektor of Bohemia and Moravia...
- Karl-Fritz Schlosstein
- Johannes SteinhoffJohannes SteinhoffJohannes Steinhoff was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace of World War II, and later a senior West German air force officer and military commander of NATO. Steinhoff was one of very few Luftwaffe pilots who survived to fly operationally through the whole of the war period 1939-45...
- Maximilian VolkeMaximilian VolkeOberfeldwebel Maximilian Volke was a German 37-victory fighter ace of the World War II Luftwaffe's Jagdgeschwader 77....