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JG54 |
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Name : JG54 Country : Germany |
I./JG 54 was initially formed as I./JG 70 near Nuremberg in July 1939, just two short months before hostilities broke out. As was to become tradition within Grunherzgeschwader, the Gruppe took the Nurember coat-of-arms (a veritcally divided shield with a black heraldic bird on the left, and red and white diagonal stripes on the right) to represent the region the unit came from. |
Known Service Details : | |||||||
Pilot or Aircrew | Rank | Start of Service | End of Service | Known Dates | Aircraft | Airframes | Notes |
Major | 1940 | 7th August 1944 | Killed in Action | ||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | unknown | |||||
Oberfeldwebel | unknown | unknown | |||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | unknown | |||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | unknown | |||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | unknown | |||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | unknown | |||||
Leutnant | unknown | unknown | |||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | unknown | |||||
Leutnant | unknown | unknown | |||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | unknown | |||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | unknown | |||||
Oberleutnant | 1940 | 6th March 1943 | Killed in Action | ||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | 13th January 1943 | Taken prisoner. | ||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | unknown | |||||
Leutnant | unknown | unknown | |||||
Oberleutnant | unknown | unknown | |||||
Fahnrich | unknown | unknown | |||||
unknown | 11th November 1943 | Killed in Action | |||||
Hauptmann | unknown | 15th May 1943 | Killed in Action | ||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | 16th June 1944 | Killed in Action | ||||
1943 | 1945 | ||||||
Feldwebel | unknown | unknown | |||||
unknown | 1942 | ||||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Hauptmann | unknown | 30th July 1943 | Killed in Action | ||||
Oberleutnant | unknown | unknown | |||||
Oberleutnant | unknown | 15th May 1941 | Killed in Action | ||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | unknown | |||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Leutnant | unknown | unknown | |||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | 8th May 1945 | Deserted Killed in Action | ||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Major | July 1943 | February 1945 | |||||
Leutnant | unknown | 15th May 1943 | Killed in Action | ||||
Leutnant | unknown | 16th July 1943 | Killed in Action | ||||
May 1942 | 1945 | ||||||
Leutnant | unknown | 26th November 1944 | Killed in Action | ||||
Leutnant | October 1940 | March 1945 | |||||
Oberleutnant | unknown | 8th May 1945 | Surrendered | ||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | 23rd June 1944 | Killed in Action | ||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | 8th May 1945 | Killed in Action | ||||
Oberleutnant | unknown | unknown | |||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
| Pilots and Aircrew for : JG54 | ||
| A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | ||
| Name | Info | |
| Ademeit, Horst Click the name above to see a profile of Ademeit, Horst
| Ademeit, Horst Major Horst Ademeit was born 8 February 1912 in Breslau, he 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. On the 7th August 1944, Ademeit went missing in action near Dünaburg most likely Killed in action. In the spring of 1940, Unteroffizier Ademeit was transferred to 3./JG 54 and participated in the Battle of Britain. He claimed his first victory on 18 September 1940 shortly afterwards he was shot down over the Channel. He bailed out and was rescued unharmed. In June 1941, after the attack on the Soviet Union, he accompanied I./JG 54 to the Eastern Front. In quick succession he achieved aerial victories, promotions and awards. In the beginning of August 1944, Ademeit was appointed acting Kommodore of JG 54. On 7 August 1944, Ademeit, flying a Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-5 (factory number 5960) pursued a Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft eastwards over Russian lines near Dünaburg, however he failed to return from this mission and is considered Missing in action since. Horst Ademeit was credited with 166 victories in over 600 missions. He recorded 164 of his victories over the Eastern front. He was posthumously promoted to Major | |
| Adler, Richard Click the name above to see a profile of Adler, Richard | Adler, Richard | |
| Ahrendt, Werner Click the name above to see a profile of Ahrendt, Werner | Ahrendt, Werner | |
| Albrecht, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Albrecht, Karl | Albrecht, Karl | |
| Altendorf, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Altendorf, Erich | Altendorf, Erich | |
| Amberger, Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Amberger, Josef | Amberger, Josef | |
| Ambrusch, Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Ambrusch, Josef | Ambrusch, Josef | |
| Angeli, Hans-Eberhard Click the name above to see a profile of Angeli, Hans-Eberhard | Angeli, Hans-Eberhard | |
| Anhl, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Anhl, Heinrich | Anhl, Heinrich | |
| Arnecke, Dieter Click the name above to see a profile of Arnecke, Dieter | Arnecke, Dieter | |
| Asche, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Asche, Heinrich | Asche, Heinrich | |
| Assmann, Jakob Click the name above to see a profile of Assmann, Jakob | Assmann, Jakob | |
| Beisswenger, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Beisswenger, Hans
| Beisswenger, Hans Hans “Beisser” Beisswenger was born on 8 November 1916 at Mittelfischhach in the Schwäbisch-Hall region of Württemberg. In 1937, he was serving in the army but transferred to Flak artillery. In 1938, he underwent fighter pilot training. Beisswenger became an instructor and served in this role until winter 1940. In winter 1940, Beisswenger was transferred to JG 54. Leutnant Beisswenger was assigned to 6./JG 54. He recorded his first victory on 7 April 1941, when he shot down a Yugoslavian Hurricane fighter during the invasion of the Balkans. Later, over the Eastern front, serving with 3./JG 54, Beisswenger became a leading scorer in I. Gruppe. He recorded his 20th victory on 24 August and by the end of 1941 had 32 victories to his tally. On 6 April 1942, Beisswenger recorded his 40th victory and his 50th on 8 May. Leutnant Beisswenger was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 9 May for 50 victories. On 11 August 1942, Beisswenger was appointed Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 54. He recorded his 75th victory on 15 August. On 23 August, Beisswenger shot down five Russian aircraft (88-92). He recorded his 100th victory on 26 September. Beisswenger was awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr 130) on 30 September. By the end of 1942, Beisswenger’s victory total stood at 119. Oberleutnant Beisswenger recorded his 125th victory on 23 January 1943 and his 135th on 11 February. He shot down five enemy aircraft on 5 March (146-150). Beisswenger shot down two Russian LaGG-3 fighters near Lake Ilmen on 6 March 1943. However, while attacking another, his Bf 109 G-2 (W.Nr. 14236) “Yellow 4” was rammed by Soviet ace Starshii Leitenant Ivan Kholodov (26 victories) of 32 GIAP, VVS. Kholodov successfully baled out but Beisswenger crashed to his death. Oberleutnant “Beisser” Beisswenger was credited with 152 victories in over 500 missions. He recorded all but one of his victories over the Eastern front. | |
| Bertram, Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Bertram, Gunther | Bertram, Gunther | |
| Beutin, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Beutin, Gerhard
| Beutin, Gerhard | |
| Bob, Hans-Ekkehard Click the name above to see a profile of Bob, Hans-Ekkehard
| Bob, Hans-Ekkehard After success in the Battle of Britain, Hans-Ekkehard Bob took over leadership of 9./JG54 in 1940. The following year he was awarded the Knight's Cross. Transferring to the Eastern Front his victories rose steadily to 50 by September 1942. His Group later transferred back to the West for a short period, where in April 1943, he rammed a B-17 Fortress. Returning to the Eastern Front as Kommander of IV./JG3, he ended the war as Adjutant of Galland's JV44 in the West. In his 700 missions he scored 60 victories. | |
| Bonin, Hubertus von Click the name above to see a profile of Bonin, Hubertus von
| Bonin, Hubertus von | |
| Brandt, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Brandt, Helmut | Brandt, Helmut Taken prisoner on 13th January 1943 when his Fw190A-4 0142310 of JG54 was shot down by Russian aircraft of 158 IAP and crash landed on frozen Lake Lagoda. | |
| Brandt, Paul Click the name above to see a profile of Brandt, Paul | Brandt, Paul | |
| Bremer, Peter Click the name above to see a profile of Bremer, Peter | Bremer, Peter | |
| Breuer, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Breuer, Wilhelm | Breuer, Wilhelm | |
| Broch, Hugo Click the name above to see a profile of Broch, Hugo | Broch, Hugo Vital to all fighter units are the pilots who make such superb wingmen that their leaders are loath to part with them. Hugo Broch was one such wingman. Having joined VI./JG54 in January he flew first with Horst Adameit (166 victories), and later with 'Bazi' Sterr (130 victories), but soon demonstrated his own skill in combat. By the end of 1944 he had lifted his personal score to 71 victories. One of JG54's great Fw190 Aces, Hugo Broch saw combat on the Eastern and Baltic Fronts, and completed the war having flown 324 combat missions, and claiming 81 victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross. | |
| Broennle, Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Broennle, Herbert
| Broennle, Herbert | |
| Bulow, Hakon von Click the name above to see a profile of Bulow, Hakon von
| Bulow, Hakon von | |
| Caleme, Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Caleme, Herbert | Caleme, Herbert | |
| Carstens, Click the name above to see a profile of Carstens, | Carstens, | |
| Clerico, Max Click the name above to see a profile of Clerico, Max | Clerico, Max | |
| Cordes, Karlheinz Click the name above to see a profile of Cordes, Karlheinz | Cordes, Karlheinz | |
| Crump, Peter Click the name above to see a profile of Crump, Peter | Crump, Peter | |
| Dobele, Anton Click the name above to see a profile of Dobele, Anton
| Dobele, Anton Born in 1910, Anton Dobele scored a total of 94 victories on the eastern fornt. He was killed when he rammed a Russian Sturmovik with his Fw190, and was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross. | |
| Dortenmann, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Dortenmann, Hans | Dortenmann, Hans | |
| Drees, Gustav Click the name above to see a profile of Drees, Gustav | Drees, Gustav Born in 1923, Gustav Drees was called up for military service in 1942, and with a passion for flying joined the Luftwaffe. After training as a fighter pilot he was immediately posted to the Eastern Front with his first front-line unit - JG54 Green Hearts, where he flew the Me 109. In very early 1943 he became one of the first of the JG54 pilots to fly the Fw190A in combat. With four air victories to his credit with JG54 in Russia, towards the end of the war he was posted to join JG 108 in Austria, where he stayed until the end. | |
| Eckerle, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Eckerle, Franz
| Eckerle, Franz | |
| Eisenach, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Eisenach, Franz
| Eisenach, Franz From 1940 Franz Eisenach flew with various Groups, until joining 9./JG 54 on the Eastern Front in October 1942. As Squadron Leader of 3./JG 54 he had considerable success until, flying an Fw190A in December 1943, he was kit by flak and badly wounded. After convalescence heymned I./JG 54, becoming its Gruppenkommandeur but in September 1944 he was wounded again, this time after an encounter with a bomber. Awarded the Knights Cross he returned to the Front until the wars end. His final tally was 129 victories, 52 of which were IL-2s, and flew 317 combat missions. He died 21st August 1998. | |
| Fink, Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Fink, Gunther
| Fink, Gunther | |
| Friedrich, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Friedrich, Gerhard | Friedrich, Gerhard | |
| Frohling, Dietrich Click the name above to see a profile of Frohling, Dietrich
| Frohling, Dietrich KIlled on 16th June 1944 when his Fw190A-6 0530354 Black 16 of JG54 was damaged in a landing accident at Malmi airfield. | |
| Fuchs, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Fuchs, Karl
| Fuchs, Karl | |
| Gotz, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Gotz, Hans
| Gotz, Hans | |
| Grollmuss, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Grollmuss, Helmut
| Grollmuss, Helmut | |
| Gross, Alfred Click the name above to see a profile of Gross, Alfred | Gross, Alfred | |
| Hager, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Hager, Rudolf | Hager, Rudolf | |
| Hannig, Horst Click the name above to see a profile of Hannig, Horst
| Hannig, Horst | |
| Hannig, Norbert Click the name above to see a profile of Hannig, Norbert
| Hannig, Norbert Norbert Hannig began operations with JG54 on the Eastern Front near Leningrad in early 1943, flying first the Messerschmitt Bf109G, later converting to the Fw190. He became a Staffelkapitan with JG54, notching up an impressive 42 victories. Towards the end of the war, in early 1945, he converted to fly the new jet fighter, the Me262, and flew it in combat with III./JG7 from their airfield base at Brandenberg-Briest. Norbert Hannig died on 21st February 2014. | |
| Hauer, Michael Click the name above to see a profile of Hauer, Michael | Hauer, Michael | |
| Hausmann, Richard Click the name above to see a profile of Hausmann, Richard | Hausmann, Richard | |
| Heckner, E Click the name above to see a profile of Heckner, E | Heckner, E On 9th October 1943, his Me109G-6 0019696 White 12 of JG54 was shot down by American aircraft and crashed near St Toroje. He is thought to have baled out and survived. | |
| Hein, Kurt Click the name above to see a profile of Hein, Kurt | Hein, Kurt | |
| Heinbockel, Hans-Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Heinbockel, Hans-Erich | Heinbockel, Hans-Erich | |
| Heyer, Hans-Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Heyer, Hans-Joachim
| Heyer, Hans-Joachim | |
| Hier, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Hier, Karl
| Hier, Karl | |
| Hoffmann, Reinhold Click the name above to see a profile of Hoffmann, Reinhold
| Hoffmann, Reinhold | |
| Hrabak, Dieter Click the name above to see a profile of Hrabak, Dieter
| Hrabak, Dieter Dieter Hrabak was shot down in his first aerial combat during the Polish Campaign. He survived to become one of the Luftwaffes most respected and popular leaders. He scored his first victory in the Battle of France, and got 15 more during the Battle of Britain. By Eagle Day he was in command of II./JG 54, which he led until taking command of JG 52 in 1942. He was the first JG 54 Ace to be awarded the Knights Cross. He ended the war back in command of JG 54, and was credited with 125 victories. He died on 15th September 1995. | |
| Jung, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Jung, Heinrich
| Jung, Heinrich | |
| Kempf, Karl-Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Kempf, Karl-Heinz
| Kempf, Karl-Heinz | |
| Kiening, Georg Click the name above to see a profile of Kiening, Georg | Kiening, Georg | |
| Kittel, Otto Click the name above to see a profile of Kittel, Otto
| Kittel, Otto Otto Kittel was Born in 1917, a calm young pilot, but even so he developed into one of the top scoring fighter aces of World War II. In the fall of 1941 the short-in-growth 24-year-old Unteroffizier Otto Kittel had just received his ”wings” and was posted to the Bf 109-equipped 2./J.G. 54 on the northern sector of the Eastern Front. Otto Kittel; was awarded with the Iron Cross of the First Class (EK I) on September 29, 1941. Until May 1942, Otto managed to score fifteen victories on the Eastern Front. But his real successes in air combat commenced only after he had exchanged his Bf 109 for an FW 190 in early 1943. Intercepting large formations of Il-2s in the Leningrad sector on 19 February 1943, J.G. 54 Grünherz claimed thirty Soviet aircraft shot down. With one of the last kills on that day, Feldwebel Otto Kittel scored his 39th and the 4,000th victory of the Geschwader. On 15 March 1943 Kittel force-landed in Soviet-held territory and was listed as missing but managed to return to the German lines. ”Bruno” as Kittel was called, reached his 100-victory-mark. On 29 October 1943, Oberfeldwebel Otto Kittel was awarded with the Knight’s Cross (RK). Following his 150th victory on 8 April 1944, he was promoted to Leutnant and became Staffelkapitän of 2./J.G. 54. Three days later, Kittel was awarded with the Oak Leaves (EL). On 15 August 1944, Kittel’s 2./J.G. 54 achieved its 1,000th aerial victory. On 25 November 1944, when Kittel’s victory tally stood at 230, he was awarded with the Swords (S) to the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves. On 16 February 1945 four FW 190 A-8s led by Oberleutnant Otto Kittel of 2./J.G. 54 took off from an airbase in the Kurland pocket. The mission was free hunting over the frontline area near Dzukste. This was Kittel’s 583rd combat sortie. After only seven minutes the German fighters spotted fourteen Il-2s that were bombing and shooting rockets at German ground troops from an altitude of 150 metres. Oberleutnant Kittel radioed an attack order. The Il-2 Shturmoviks were flying in a row, one after another, and Kittel attacked from the right hand side. Otto’s wingman Oberfähnrich Renner put these words down in writing: "Flying at a distance of about 100 metres from Oblt. Kittel I saw him dive beneath and behind an Il-2 and attack it. Behind us two other Il-2s pulled up sharply. In the next moment an explosion was seen in his cockpit and the aircraft started to descend". Otto’s FW 190 tore into the ground with its starboard wing, caught fire, and then exploded. Otto Kittel, victor in 267 aerial combats and the highest scoring fighter pilot to fall prey to an enemy, had no chance whatsoever of surviving. He was buried in Sabile/Lithuania. | |
| Klamm, R Click the name above to see a profile of Klamm, R | Klamm, R Injured on 14th May 1943 when his Me109G of JG54 was shot down by German ground fire near Eckenforde. | |
| Klemm, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Klemm, Rudolf | Klemm, Rudolf | |
| Koall, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Koall, Gerhard | Koall, Gerhard | |
| Kodderitzsch, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Kodderitzsch, Gerhard
| Kodderitzsch, Gerhard Staffelkapitan of 1./I./JG54. Killed on 15th May 1941 when his Me109F-2 0005442 of JG54 was destroyed in an accident on take off from Blankensee airfield. | |
| Koller, Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Koller, Herbert | Koller, Herbert Posted to II./JG54 on the Eastern Front, Herbert Koller flew Fw190s with 5./JG54, scoring his first victory on 19th February 1943, over an Il-2. By the end of the year his victory claims had risen to 12, including 8 Il-2 Shturmoviks, and a Boston bomber. The year 1944 saw intense combat 5./JG54 on an almost daily basis, and month by month Herbert Kollers victories continued to mount, by the end of 1944 his tally had risen to 48. His final, and 49th victory came on 9th April 1945 when he downed a Yak 3. On 18th June 1944 his Fw190A Black 12 of JG54 was destroyed in a crash at Malmi airfield. He was uninjured. | |
| Kroschinski, Hans-Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Kroschinski, Hans-Joachim | Kroschinski, Hans-Joachim | |
| Lang, Emil Click the name above to see a profile of Lang, Emil
| Lang, Emil Hauptmann Emil "Bully" Lang was born 14 January 1909 he was a Luftwaffe Flying 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. Emil Lang was credited with 173 aerial victories—144 on the Eastern Front, 29 on the Western Front—claimed in 403 combat missions. Hauptmann Lang was posted to a fighter wing on the Eastern front; Lang claimed his first aerial victories in March 1943. He is credited with 72 victories in a three-week period, among them an unsurpassed total of 18 on 3 November 1943. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 November 1943 for his 119 victories to that time. By March 1944, his claims totalled 144, for which he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 11 April 1944. Transferred to the Western front, he claimed his 150th victim over the Normandy Invasion front on 14 June 1944. He scored his last three victories on 26 August 1944; on 3 September 1944, he was killed in action over Belgium. His career in the Luftwaffe Having served as a transport pilot since 26 August 1939 with the Fliegerhorst Kompanie (Airfield Company) at Gablingen, Lang was 33 years old when he was accepted for fighter pilot training in 1942. He undertook courses at the 1st Fighter Pilot Preparation School - 3 July 1942 – 14 August 1942. and 5th Fighter Pilot School -15 August 1942–5 January 1943. He was then assigned to the Fighter Group East on 6 January 1943 and then to JG 54—54th Fighter Wing, on the Eastern Front on 11 February 1943. Serving with 1./JG 54 (1st Squadron of the 54th Fighter Wing), Then Leutnant (Second Lieutenant) Lang was 34 and considered exceptionally old for a novice fighter pilot. His first three aerial victories were claimed in March 1943, and within a month he was transferred to 5./JG 54 (5th Squadron of the 54th Fighter Wing) of which he became Staffelkapitän (Squadron Leader) on 20 August 1943 Before the year's end, Lang's kill tally stood at over 100 victories, with a remarkable 72 scored around Kiev in just three weeks during October and November 1943. This series of multiple victories included ten on 13 October 1943 and 12 (victories 61–72) in three combat missions on 21 October 1943 ,which earned Lang his first of two references in the Wehrmachtbericht, an information bulletin issued by the headquarters of the Wehrmacht. Lang set an all-time world record of 18 aerial victories claimed from four combat missions in one day on 3 November 1943, making him aviation history's leading ace in a day. This achievement led to him appearing on the cover of the 13 January 1944 Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung (Berlin's Illustrated Magazine). Lang was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after 119 aerial victories on 22 November 1943, followed three days later by the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold). In the picture below Emil Lang (2nd from left) is receiving the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves from Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring. Anton Hafner is shaking Hitler's hand On 9 April 1944, Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant) Lang was appointed Staffelkapitän of the 9./JG 54 (9th Squadron of the 54th Fighter Wing) engaged in Defense of the Reich on the Western Front. He became the 448th recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 11 April 1944 after 144 aerial victories, all claimed on the Eastern Front. In June, Lang claimed 15 aerial victories, including his 150th—a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) P-47 Thunderbolt on 14 June 1944—and four P-51 Mustang fighters shot down in four minutes on 20 June 1944, plus another four P-51s on 24 June. Hauptmann (Captain) Lang was then made Gruppenkommandeur (Group Commander) of the II./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—2nd Group of the 26th Fighter Wing) on 28 June 1944. On 9 July, he claimed three Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfires (victories 160–162), on 15 August 1944 two P-47s, and on 25 August 1944 three P-38 Lightning fighters in five minutes. He claimed three Spitfires in two missions for his final victories (victories 171–173) on 26 August. Between 24 May and 28 August 1944, Lang had claimed 29 aerial victories on the Western Front including nine P-51s. His group was the first to reach 100 aerial victories since the beginning of the Normandy Invasion on 6 June 1944, earning him and his group a second and final reference in the Wehrmachtbericht on 30 August.
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| Lange, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Lange, Heinz
| Lange, Heinz At the outbreak of war Heinz Lange was with I./JG21 scoring his first victory in October 1939. He flew 76 missions in the Battle of Britain with 8./JG54, and never lost a wingman. After flying in the Balkan campaign he took part in the invasion of Russia, scoring 7 victories during the first week. In October 1941 he was given command of 1./JG54 and in 1942 command of 3./JG51. In January 1944 Heinz Lange returned to JG54 to command 1.Gruppe and then back to JG51 where he was appointed Kommodore of JG51 Molders, leading IV./JG51 at the same time. Heinz Lange flew over 628 missions and achieved 70 victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross. Born 2nd October 1917, died 26th February 2006. | |
| Leiste, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Leiste, Hermann
| Leiste, Hermann | |
| Leykauf, Erwin Click the name above to see a profile of Leykauf, Erwin | Leykauf, Erwin Born in January 1918, Erwin Leykauf learned to fly at glider school and Luftkriegschule, before being called up to fly at the beginning of the war. He flew with JG21 at the beginning of the Battle of Britain, which soon became JG54 where he scored his first 7 victories. Transferring to the Balkans and later the Eastern Front he was forced into an emergency landing behind enemy lines during Operation Barbarossa, eventually making his way back to rejoin his unit. On the night of 22nd - 23rd June 1942, he claimed 6 victories in less than one hour. In August 1943, Leykauf began converting with JG54 to the Fw190 fighter. At the end of the war he was with JG7, flying the Me262, although he did not get a chance to fly any missions on the jet fighter. Erwin was awarded the Iron Cross I and II and his victories had climbed to 33. | |
| Lignitz, Arnold Click the name above to see a profile of Lignitz, Arnold
| Lignitz, Arnold | |
| Loos, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Loos, Gerhard
| Loos, Gerhard | |
| Mader, Anton Click the name above to see a profile of Mader, Anton
| Mader, Anton | |
| Mischkot, Bruno Click the name above to see a profile of Mischkot, Bruno | Mischkot, Bruno | |
| Missner, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Missner, Helmut
| Missner, Helmut | |
| Muller, Siegfried Click the name above to see a profile of Muller, Siegfried | Muller, Siegfried Born in 1924, Siegfried Muller first flew with JG1 Molders in the south of France. In 1943 he took part in the air battles over Salerno and Monte Cassino. He joined IV./JG3 Udet in June 1944, where he was promoted to Staffelkapitan of 16 Staffel /IV Sturm Gruppe flying heavily armoured Fw190s. With this Gruppe he took part in the Ardennes Offensive and on 1st January 1945, Operation Bodenplatte. At the end of the war he was attached to JG7 for training on the Me262 jet fighter. Awarded the Iron Cross 1 and 2, he scored 17 victories, including 9 four-engined bombers. | |
| Muller, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Muller, Wilhelm
| Muller, Wilhelm | |
| Munderloh, Georg Click the name above to see a profile of Munderloh, Georg
| Munderloh, Georg | |
| Mutherich, Hubert Click the name above to see a profile of Mutherich, Hubert
| Mutherich, Hubert | |
| Nitsch, L Click the name above to see a profile of Nitsch, L | Nitsch, L Interred after deserting on 8th May 1945 and flying his Fw190A-8 0739137 of JG54 to Sweden. | |
| Nowotny, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Nowotny, Walter
| Nowotny, Walter Walter Nowotny was one of the most popular Luftwaffe leaders. Joining 9./JG54 in 1941, he achieved his first victories in July, but was forced to ditch in the Baltic, spending three days adrift. In 1942 he took command of 9./JG54, and in June 1943 he downed 41 enemy aircraft in one month, another 49 in August, and 45 in September. By 4th September his tally was past 200, and on 14th October he reached 250, at the time the leading Luftwaffe fighter pilot. In August 1943 he was appointed Kommandeur of I./JG54, in February 1944 he became Kommodore of the Schulgeshwader 101 in France, and early in July commanded the unit testing the Me262 as a fighter. Walter Nowotny was killed on 8th November when he crashed on landing, his victories stood at 258. He had been awarded the Knights Cross, Oak Leaves with Swords, and Diamonds. | |
| Ostermann, Max-Hellmuth Click the name above to see a profile of Ostermann, Max-Hellmuth
| Ostermann, Max-Hellmuth Born in Hamburg on 11th December 1917, Max-Hellmuth Ostermann joined the Luftwaffe in March 1937. He flew Me110s with I./ZG1, participating in the invasion of Poland before transferring to JG21 in April 1940. During the Battle of France, he claimed his first victory, shooting down a French fighter on 20th May 1940. He claimed one more victory during the French campaign before the squadron was redesignated JG54 and fought in the Battle of Britain, where Ostermann claimed a further 6 victories. Participating in the Balkans campaign, he shot down a Yugoslavian Me109 fighter, before moving to fight the Russians on the eatern front. With 29 victories claimed, he was awarded the Knights Cross on 4th September 1941. He scored his 50th victory on 20th January 1942, increasing his total to 70 by the 20th of March that year. Early in May, after scoring his 97th victory, Ostermann was shot down but was unharmed. Returning to action, he scored his 100th victory on 12th May 1942, and was the 7th pilot to score this total. He was shot down on the same mission, suffering sufficient wounds to keep him out of action until August. On 9th August 1942, he scored his 102nd victory, but was shot down and killed by Russian fighters soon afterwards. | |
| Pausinger, Paul Click the name above to see a profile of Pausinger, Paul | Pausinger, Paul | |
| Philipp, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Philipp, Hans
| Philipp, Hans Oberst Hans Philipp was born 13 March 1917 in Meißen, Saxony, he was killed in action 8 October 1943 near Neuenhaus in the Netherlands, he was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1936 until he was killed in action 8 October 1943 by a P-47 Thunderbolt-pilot. It is believed that he was shot down by Robert S. Johnson. Philipp managed to bail out but his parachute never opened. As part of I./JG 76 (later to renumber as II./Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) Philipp first flew operations over Poland and scored his first victory. Serving later during the Battles of France and Britain, Hans Philipp was Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 54 by the end of 1940. On November 4, 1940 he was awarded the Knight’s Cross for twenty victories. During the Balkans campaign in April 1941, JG 54 engaged the Bf 109's of Jugoslovensko Kraljevsko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo in a massive air battle. Hans Philipp claimed two of the JKRV 109s. Operation Barbarossa saw Philipp's score begin to escalate. On August 24, 1941, Philipp became the 33rd member recipient of the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. Philipp appointed as Kommandeur I./JG 54. In March 1942, he became the first member of JG 54 to be awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross and on March 31, 1942 Philipp became the fourth Luftwaffe fighter pilot to achieve 100 victories. In April 1943 Philipp was transferred to Defence of the Reich duties as Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 1, flying high altitude interception operations over North Sea and Northern Germany. On 4 October 1943 Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring is said to have issued the following instructions after another attack by Eighth Air Force. 1.There are no meteorological conditions which would prevent fighters from taking off and engaging in combat. 2.Every fighter pilot taking off in a machine not showing any sign of combat, or without having recorded a victory will be prosecuted by a court-martial. 3.In the case of where a pilot uses up his ammunition, or if his weapons are unusable, he should ram the enemy bomber. Geschwaderkommodore Philipp's response was "As far as I'm concerned, I categorically refuse to allow myself to be held to such advice; I know what I have to do!” On 8 October 1943, the US Eighth Air Force attacked with 156 bombers on targets in Bremen and Vegesack. The bombers were escorted by 250+ Thunderbolts from six different fighter groups. Phillipp's flight were intercepted by P-47's of the 56th Fighter Group. The Stab Flight of the Geschwader heard Philipp announce a victory over a Thunderbolt. The last transmission from him was, "Reinhardt, attack!" Feldwebel Reinhardt was Philipp's wingman on this day. He last saw the Kommodore's aircraft disappear in a cloud. Reinhardt was wounded after colliding with an enemy aircraft, but made a successful forced landing. Later that evening, the Geschwader learned that their Kommodore had been shot down and killed. Hans Philipp had claimed 206 enemy aircraft shot down, 178 on the Eastern front, 29 against the Western Allies. He flew over 500 sorties. | |
| Philipp, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Philipp, Wilhelm | Philipp, Wilhelm | |
| Pohs, Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Pohs, Josef | Pohs, Josef | |
| Rademacher, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Rademacher, Rudolf
| Rademacher, Rudolf Rudolf “Rudi” Rademacher was born on 19 July 1913 at Lüneburg. Unteroffizier Rademacher served with 3./JG 54 on the Eastern front from 1 December 1941. He achieved his first victory on 9 January 1942 on his fifth combat mission. He was awarded the Ehrenpokal on 19 October 1942. By the end of 1942 he had claimed 22 victories. In March 1943, he was transferred to 1./JG 54, the famous “Nowotny Schwarm” led by Walter Nowotny (258 victories, RK-Br, killed in action 8 November 1944) and also including Anton Döbele (94 victories, RK, killed in action 11 November 1943) and Karl “Quax” Schnörrer (46 victories, RK). Together the pilots of the Schwarm were to total over 500 victories between them. He claimed seven enemy aircraft shot down in one day on 5 July 1943 to record his victories 39 through 45. Rademacher was promoted Oberfeldwebel whilst serving with 1./JG 54. On 30 April 1943 he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz. On 30 August 1944 he was transferred to 1./Jagdgruppe Nord, redesignated Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 1 on 4 November 1944, based at Sagan, to undertake instructing duties. Despite his training duties Rademacher was able to engage in aerial combat and claimed five enemy aircraft shot down, including four four-engined bombers and P-47, during his stay with the unit. On 18 September 1944, during an attack on a formation of USAAF bombers, he was badly wounded when he was shot down in Fw 190 A-8 “White 13”. On 30 September 1944, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross for 81 victories. In January 1945, Leutnant Rademacher transferred to 11./JG 7 where he undertook conversion training on to the Me 262 jet fighter. The training consisted of six flights totalling 150 minutes before he was declared operational. On 1 February 1945, he gained his first victory flying the jet, a RAF Spitfire over Braunschweig. In February 1945, he scored at least seven victories according to some sources. Rademacher was to be credited with at least 16 victories, including several Herausschüsse, flying the Me 262, although sources do differ over his final tally crediting him with scores as low as eight and as high as 24. “Rudi” Rademacher survived the war only to be killed in a glider crash at Lüneburg on 13 June 1953. Rudolf Rademacher’s final score is a matter of some conjecture. Sources claim his total to be 97, 102 and 126 in more than 500 missions. Some claim he had an additional 23 unconfirmed victories. It is thought he gained 76 victories over the Eastern front with JG 54, including 21 Il-2 Stormoviks and 7 Pe-2, and a further five whilst with JGr. Nord. To this can be added his jet victories, at least 16, including 11 four-engine bombers. | |
| Repple, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Repple, Walter | Repple, Walter | |
| Romm, Karl-Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Romm, Karl-Heinz | Romm, Karl-Heinz On 8th May 1945, his Fw190A-8 of JG54 ran out of fuel and was damaged in a crash landing near Holeby. He was uninjured. | |
| Rudorffer, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Rudorffer, Erich
| Rudorffer, Erich Erich Rudorffer joined I./JG2 'Richthofen' in November 1939, and was soon flying combat patrols. He took part in the Battle of France, and the Battle of Britain, becoming Adjutant of II./JG2 in June 1941. In December 1942 he was transferred to North Africa. In July 1943 he was posted to command II./JG54 in Russia. In February 1945 he took command of I./JG7 flying the Me262. Erich Rudorffer was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot. This included 8 RAF aircraft in 32 minutes in December 1943, 7 in 20 minutes a few days later. In Russia he shot down 5 aircraft in only 4 minutes. He ended the war with 222 victories from over 1000 missions. He was awarded the Knight's Cross, with Oak Leaves and Swords. He died on 8th April 2016. | |
| Rupp, Friedrich Click the name above to see a profile of Rupp, Friedrich
| Rupp, Friedrich | |
| Sattig, Carl Click the name above to see a profile of Sattig, Carl
| Sattig, Carl | |
| Schätzel, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Schätzel, Hans | Schätzel, Hans | |
| Scheel, Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Scheel, Gunther
| Scheel, Gunther | |
| Schilling, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Schilling, Wilhelm | Schilling, Wilhelm | |
| Schleinhege, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Schleinhege, Hermann
| Schleinhege, Hermann Born in 1916 Hermann Schleinhage joined I./JG3 as an Unteroffizier in 1941 before being posted to join II./JG54 Green Hearts in May 1942. He then flew continuously with JG54 through to the end of the war, by which time he was Staffelkapitan of 8./JG54. Flying a total of 484 combat missions, by the end of the war Hermann Schleinhage had reached a total of 98 victories, including 38 Soviet Il-2 Shturmoviks. In February 1945 he was awarded the Knights Cross. | |
| Schnell, Siegfried Click the name above to see a profile of Schnell, Siegfried
| Schnell, Siegfried | |
| Schnorrer, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Schnorrer, Karl | Schnorrer, Karl Injured on 30th March 1945 when his Me262A-1 of JG7 was shot down by an American P-51 Mustang and crashed near Hamburg. | |
| Scholz, Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Scholz, Gunther | Scholz, Gunther After seeing action in the Spanish campaign, Gunther Scholz flew with 7./JG54 in Poland and France, and during the Battle of Britain. Transferring to the Eastern Front he flew with III./JG5 from February 1942, later with Geschwaderstab JG5. In July 1944 he was posted to Norway. Scholz was awarded the Iron Cross I and finished the war with 33 victories. | |
| Scholz, Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Scholz, Gunther | Scholz, Gunther After seeing action in the Spanish campaign, Gunther Scholz flew with 7./JG54 in Poland and France, and during the Battle of Britain. Transferring to the Eastern Front he flew with III./JG5 from February 1942, later with Geschwaderstab JG5. In July 1944 he was posted to Norway. Scholz was awarded the Iron Cross I and finished the war with 33 victories. | |
| Schroer, Werner Click the name above to see a profile of Schroer, Werner
| Schroer, Werner | |
| Seiler, Reinhard Click the name above to see a profile of Seiler, Reinhard
| Seiler, Reinhard | |
| Selle, Erich von Click the name above to see a profile of Selle, Erich von | Selle, Erich von | |
| Sinner, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Sinner, Rudolf | Sinner, Rudolf Scored 2 of his victories in the Me262 jet. Rudolf “Rudi” Sinner was born in 1915 in Austria. In 1936, he was serving in the Austrian Army in the horsedrawn artillery. During the invasion of Poland, he served with an anti-aircraft artillery unit before transferring to the Luftwaffe in 1940. Sinner began his aerial combat career with JG 3, based on the Western front, but was then transferred to JG 27 serving in North Africa. He was assigned to 2./JG 27. It was with JG 27 that Sinner gained his greatest successes. He claimed his first victory on 12 October 1941, when he shot down a RAF P-40 fighter near Sidi Omar. On 4 June 1942, Sinner was appointed Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 27. On 10 June, Oberleutnant Sinner was shot down near Bir Hacheim by the British Ace, Charles Overton (5.5 confirmed, 1 probable and 0.5 damaged victories), flying a Spitfire Vb fighter of 145 Squadron, RAF. Then, on 24 June, Sinner’s aircraft was hit in the engine during combat with RAF Hurricane fighters and he was forced to make a forced-landing. On 10 July, he shot down a Hurricane fighter with only one of his 7.92mm MG 17 machine-guns functioning. Sinner recorded his 10th victory on 13 July and his 20th on 24 July. On 31 August, Sinner shot down a Hurricane near Alam el Haifa. His victim was South African Ace, John “Harry” Gaynor (5.5 destroyed and 6 damaged victories) of 1 Sqn, SAAF, who crash-landed unhurt. He claimed his 30th victory on 3 September. In June 1943, Hauptmann Sinner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur IV./JG 27 then based at Kalamaki, Greece. However, his stay with the unit was destined to brief. On 30 July 1943, Sinner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV./JG 54, based on the Russian front, taking over from Hauptmann Erich Rudorffer (224 victories, RK-S). Sinner led the Gruppe until 10 February 1944. He added three further victories to his victory total during his time with the unit. In March 1944, Hauptmann Sinner became Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 54 located on the Western front. On 6 March 1944, Sinner shot down a USAAF B-17 four-engine bomber for his 36th victory. However, his aircraft was hit by the bombers’ defensive fire and Sinner was badly wounded. He successfully baled out of his stricken Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 410 557) "2". By 12 June 1944, Sinner was again serving with JG 27, based on the Invasion front in France, in command of I. Gruppe. He was to lead the Gruppe until 1 August 1944. On 1 January 1945, Major Sinner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 7 flying Me 262 jet fighters. At this time his victory total stood at 36, including 32 victories achieved over North Africa. Sinner was to add three confirmed victories to his tally flying the jet, including two USAAF B-24 four-engine bombers near Rathenow on 3 March. On 4 April, Sinner led seven other Me 262s off from Rechlin. Emerging from the clouds shortly after take-off, the flight was bounced by P-51 fighters of the 339th Fighter Group, USAAF. In the ensuing combat “Rudi” Sinner’s aircraft was hit. With his face and hands badly burned, he baled out at low level. His parachute deployed at the last moment, but did not completely fill, and he was hanging by just the left strap when he hit the ground heavily in a ploughed field and dragged into a barbed wire fence. He reported that the P-51s then attempted to strafe him, but he feigned death and, as the P-51 fighters departed, he made his way to the safety of a deep furrow. Sinner’s wounds were serious enough to keep him out of the rest of war. Rudolf Sinner was credited with 39 victories in 305 missions. 36 of his victories were achieved over the Western front, including three four-engine bombers and three flying the Me 262 jet fighter. Three victories were achieved over the Eastern front. He was shot down 12 times, baling out on three occasions, and was wounded five times. | |
| Spate, Wolfgang Click the name above to see a profile of Spate, Wolfgang | Spate, Wolfgang | |
| Stangl, Anton Click the name above to see a profile of Stangl, Anton | Stangl, Anton | |
| Sterr, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Sterr, Heinrich
| Sterr, Heinrich Heinrich Sterr 24 September 1919 – died 26 November 1944. He was a German World War II Luftwaffe 130 victories Flying ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross. | |
| Stotz, Maximilian Click the name above to see a profile of Stotz, Maximilian
| Stotz, Maximilian Hauptmann Max Stotz was born 13 February 1912 in Mannswörth, Lower Austria. He was presumed to have been killed in action on 19 August 1943 near Vitebs. Max Stotz was a German former Luftwaffe flying ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Max Stotz was officially credited with shooting down 189 enemy aircraft claimed in more than 700 combat missions. Following aerial combat on 19 August 1943 with a large formation of Yakovlev fighters Stotz bailed out and was not seen again. He was last seen drifting down over Soviet held territory. His awards: Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Fighter Pilots in Gold with Pennant German Cross in Gold on 1 December 1941 as Oberfeldwebel in the 4./JG 54 Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st class Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 19 June 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 5./JG 54 137th Oak Leaves on 30 October 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 5./JG 54 | |
| Szuggar, Willy Click the name above to see a profile of Szuggar, Willy | Szuggar, Willy | |
| Tangermann, Kurt Click the name above to see a profile of Tangermann, Kurt | Tangermann, Kurt | |
| Tegtmeier, Fritz Click the name above to see a profile of Tegtmeier, Fritz
| Tegtmeier, Fritz Born in 1917 he joined 2/JG-54 in October 1940, but after being injured in a crash it wasn't until 1941 that he achieved his first victory. A brief time as a fighter Instructor in 1943 he returned to the Russian Front and his score soon started to mount, By May 1944 he had over 100 victories. August 1944 saw his appointment as Staffelkapitan of 3/JG-54. In March 1945 he transferred to JG-7 flying Me262 Jet. By the end of the war he had flown 700 combat missions and had 146 victories. He was awarded the Knights Cross. Fritz Tegtmeier died on 8th April 1999 aged 81. | |
| Teumer, Alfred Click the name above to see a profile of Teumer, Alfred
| Teumer, Alfred Born 11th February 1918. He scored a total of 76 victories, of which 10 were on the western front. | |
| Thyben, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Thyben, Gerhard
| Thyben, Gerhard Gerhard Thyben was born on 24th February 1922 in Kiel, Germany. Gerhard Thyben volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe in late 1940 and by summer 1941 gained his pilots licence. Gerhard Gerd Thyben flew 385 combat missions and claimed 157 aerial victories. He claimed 152 victories on the Eastern Front, including 28 II-2 Sturmoviks and five victories on the Western Front. He flew 22 fighter-bomber missions on which he claimed two aircraft and seven trucks destroyed on the ground. On 8th May 1945 he claimed his last victory over the Baltic Sea. Thyben shot down a Petlyakov Pe2 that was almost certainly looking for German refugee ships escaping from the besieged Courland Pocket. Thyben caught the reconnaissance Pe2 at 07:54 and achieved what very well might have been the last Fw190 victory of World War II. The Pe2 crew, consisting of Starshiy Leytenantt Grigoriy Davidenko, Kapitan Aleksey Grachev, and Starshina Mikhail Murashko were all killed in the engagement. Thyben surrendered to the British on touching down. He was released in 1946 and later servied as an instructor with the Colombian Air Force. He died on 4th September 2006. | |
| Trautloft, Hannes Click the name above to see a profile of Trautloft, Hannes
| Trautloft, Hannes Hannes Trautloft is one of the Luftwaffe's great fighter leaders, scoring his first air victory in the Spanish Civil War in August 1936. Returning to Germany in 1937 he joined the national aerobatics team flying the Me109. Soon after the outbreak of World War II, Hannes took command of I./JG20 taking part in the Battle of Britain, before moving to the Balkans as Kommodore of JG54. Now leading the group on the Russian Front, JG54 took part in the heavy fighting, first in the Me109, then the Fw190. In the summer of 1943 Hannes Trautloft joined General Galland's staff. As a 'mutineer' he was sacked by Goering, thus ending an illustrious combat career comprising 550 combat missions and 57 aerial victories. he died 11th January 1995. | |
| Venjakob, Otto Click the name above to see a profile of Venjakob, Otto
| Venjakob, Otto Killed in action, 23rd June 1944. | |
| Vinzent, Otto Click the name above to see a profile of Vinzent, Otto | Vinzent, Otto | |
| Vogel, R Click the name above to see a profile of Vogel, R | Vogel, R On 8th May 1945 he deserted, taking Fw190A-8 0682790 Blue 11 of JG54 to Sweden. | |
| Wandel, Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Wandel, Joachim
| Wandel, Joachim | |
| Wefers, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Wefers, Heinrich
| Wefers, Heinrich | |
| Weiss, Robert Click the name above to see a profile of Weiss, Robert
| Weiss, Robert | |
| Wernicke, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Wernicke, Heinz
| Wernicke, Heinz | |
| Wernitz, Ulrich Click the name above to see a profile of Wernitz, Ulrich
| Wernitz, Ulrich | |
| Wettstein, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Wettstein, Helmut | Wettstein, Helmut | |
| Wohnert, Ulrich Click the name above to see a profile of Wohnert, Ulrich
| Wohnert, Ulrich | |
| Wolf, Albin Click the name above to see a profile of Wolf, Albin
| Wolf, Albin Albin Wolf born on 28 October 1920. Wolf was a German World War II Luftwaffe 144 victories Flying ace and a posthumous recipient of the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. He was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and killed in action on 2 April 1944. Wolf was transferred to the 6th squadron of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in May 1942 on the Eastern front.[Notes 1] He achieved his aerial victories 37–40 on 3 August 1943. By 4 September 1943 he had accumulated 78 victories. Wolf received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for 117 victories on 22 November 1943. Wolf crash landed on a transfer flight on 29 December 1943 and was severely wounded. He was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 6./JG 54 on 11 March 1944. Albin Wolf's 135th aerial victory claimed on 23 March 1944 was also Jagdgeschwader 54's 7000th of the war. Wolf was killed in action south-east of Pskov on 2 April 1944. His Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 took a direct hit from an anti-aircraft shell. He was posthumously promoted to Oberleutnant and honoured with the 464th Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 27 April 1944. | |
| Wubke, Waldemar Click the name above to see a profile of Wubke, Waldemar | Wubke, Waldemar | |
| Wunschelmeyer, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Wunschelmeyer, Karl | Wunschelmeyer, Karl | |
| Wuppermann, Kurt Click the name above to see a profile of Wuppermann, Kurt | Wuppermann, Kurt Kurt Wupperrnann was called up in 1942, and with a love of flying, joined the Luftwaffe. After completing his pilot training, he was posted to join JG54 Greenhearts flying the Fw190A-8. Transferring to the northern sector of the Eastern Front, he notched up three quick victories and flew oil combat operations continually until 18 December 1944, when he was shot down over the Baltic near Riga, making an emergency landing. On theground, he was rescued by Strafgeschwader 291, but had suffered bad facial injuries. So great was the need for experienced pilots in the last months of the war however that after six weeks in hospital he was patched up and flying combat again. | |
| Zilken, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Zilken, Helmut | Zilken, Helmut | |
| Zweigart, Eugen-Ludwig Click the name above to see a profile of Zweigart, Eugen-Ludwig
| Zweigart, Eugen-Ludwig | |
Died : 7 / 8 / 1944
Historical Notes :
13-01-1943 - Shot down by Russian aircraft of 158 IAP and crash landed on frozen Lake Ladoga. Unteroffizier Helmut Brandt taken prisoner.
13-01-1943 - Shot down by Russian aircraft of 158 IAP and crash landed on frozen Lake Ladoga. Unteroffizier Helmut Brandt taken prisoner.
Historical Notes :
16-06-1944 - Damaged in landing accident at Malmi airfield. Unteroffizier Dietrich Frohling killed.
16-06-1944 - Damaged in landing accident at Malmi airfield. Unteroffizier Dietrich Frohling killed.
Historical Notes :
08-05-1945 - 'Lost' when Unteroffizier R Vogel deserted and flew the aircraft to Sweden.
08-05-1945 - 'Lost' when Unteroffizier R Vogel deserted and flew the aircraft to Sweden.
Historical Notes :
08-05-1945 - 'Lost' when Unteroffizier L Nitsch deserted and flew the aircraft to Sweden.
08-05-1945 - 'Lost' when Unteroffizier L Nitsch deserted and flew the aircraft to Sweden.
Historical Notes :
07-08-1944 - Flown by Horst Ademeit, he engaged a Russian fighter near Dunaburg and failed to return, believed killed in action.
07-08-1944 - Flown by Horst Ademeit, he engaged a Russian fighter near Dunaburg and failed to return, believed killed in action.
Historical Notes :
15-05-1941 - Destroyed in accident during take off from Blankensee airfield. Staffelkapitan Oberleutnant Gerhard Kodderitzsch killed.
15-05-1941 - Destroyed in accident during take off from Blankensee airfield. Staffelkapitan Oberleutnant Gerhard Kodderitzsch killed.
Historical Notes :
17-05-1943 - Damaged beyond repair in landing accident at Malmi airfield.
17-05-1943 - Damaged beyond repair in landing accident at Malmi airfield.
Historical Notes :
06-03-1943 - Flown by Hans Beisswenger as he shot down two Russian LaGG-3 fighters, when it was rammed by the aircraft of Russian Ace Ivan Kholodov. Kholodov baled out, but the Me109 of Beisswenger crashed and he was killed.
06-03-1943 - Flown by Hans Beisswenger as he shot down two Russian LaGG-3 fighters, when it was rammed by the aircraft of Russian Ace Ivan Kholodov. Kholodov baled out, but the Me109 of Beisswenger crashed and he was killed.
Historical Notes :
19-05-1943 - Damaged beyond repair in combat with American aircraft and subsequent forced landing near Hesselbjerg.
19-05-1943 - Damaged beyond repair in combat with American aircraft and subsequent forced landing near Hesselbjerg.
Historical Notes :
09-10-1943 - Damaged in combat with American aircraft and crashed near St Toroje. Feldwebel E Heckner is thought to have baled out and survived.
09-10-1943 - Damaged in combat with American aircraft and crashed near St Toroje. Feldwebel E Heckner is thought to have baled out and survived.
Historical Notes :
09-10-1943 - Damaged in landing accident at Kastrup airfield.
09-10-1943 - Damaged in landing accident at Kastrup airfield.
Known Individual Aircraft of JG54 : | ||||||||
Type | Serial | Codes | First Flew | Squadron History | Aircrew History | History Notes | Engine | Factory |
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Black 16 | - | |||||||
Blue 11 | - | |||||||
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- | no information | |||||||
Yellow 4 | - | |||||||
- | no information | |||||||
White 12 | - | |||||||
- | no information | |||||||
| Aircraft for : JG54 | ||
| A list of all aircraft associated with JG54. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
| Aircraft | Info | |
Fw190 
Manufacturer : Fokke-Wulf Production Began : 1940 Retired : 1945 | Fw190 The Focke-Wulf 190 development project began in 1937. Conceived as a hedge against total dependence on the Messerchmitt 109, the 190 was designed by Kurt Tank utilizing a radial engine. This was against generally accepted design criteria in Germany, and many historians believe that the decision to produce a radial engine fighter was largely due to the limited manufacturing capacity for in-line, water-cooled engines which were widely used on all other Luftwaffe aircraft. Despite these concerns, Tanks design was brilliant, and the 190 would become one of the top fighter aircraft of WWII. The first prototype flew in mid-1939. The aircraft had excellent flying characteristics, a wonderful rate of acceleration, and was heavily armed. By late 1940 the new fighter was ordered into production. Nicknamed the butcher bird, by Luftwaffe pilots, early 190s were quite successful in the bomber interceptor role, but at this stage of the war many Allied bombing raids lacked fighter escort. As the war dragged on, Allied bombers were increasingly accompanied by fighters, including the very effective P-51 Mustang. The Allies learned from experience that the 190s performance fell off sharply at altitudes above 20,000 feet. As a result, most Allied bombing missions were shifted to higher altitudes when fighter opposition was likely. Kurt Tank had recognized this shortcoming and began working on a high-altitude version of the 190 utilizing an in-line, water-cooled engine. Utilizing a Jumo 12-cylinder engine rated at 1770-HP, and capable of 2,240-HP for short bursts with its methanol injection system, the 190D, or Long Nose or Dora as it was called, had a top speed of 426-MPH at 22,000 feet. Armament was improved with two fuselage and two wing mounted 20mm cannon. To accommodate the changes in power plants the Dora had a longer, more streamlined fuselage, with 24 inches added to the nose, and an additional 19 inches added aft of the cockpit to compensate for the altered center of gravity. By mid 1944 the Dora began to reach fighter squadrons in quantity. Although the aircraft had all the right attributes to serve admirably in the high altitude interceptor role, it was not generally focused on such missions. Instead many 190Ds were assigned to protect airfields where Me-262 jet fighters were based. This was due to the latter aircrafts extreme vulnerability to Allied attack during takeoff and landing. The 190Ds also played a major role in Operation Bodenplatte, the New Years Day raid in 1945 which destroyed approximately 500 Allied aircraft on the ground. The High Command was impressed with the 190Ds record on this raid, and ordered most future production of the Doras to be equipped as fighter-bombers. In retrospect this was a strategic error, and this capable aircraft was not fully utilized in the role for which it was intended. | |
Me109 
Manufacturer : Messerschmitt Production Began : 1937 Retired : 1945 Number Built : 33984 | Me109 Willy Messerschmitt designed the BF109 during the early 1930s. The Bf109 was one of the first all metal monocoque construction fighters with a closed canopy and retractable undercarriage. The engine of the Me109 was a V12 aero engine which was liquid-cooled. The Bf109 first saw operational service during the Spanish Civil War and flew to the end of World War II, during which time it was the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter squadrons. During the Battle of Britian the Bf109 was used in the role of an escort fighter, a role for which it was not designed for, and it was also used as a fighter bomber. During the last days of May 1940 Robert Stanford-Tuck, the RAF ace, got the chance to fly an Me109 which they had rebuilt after it had crash landed. Stanford-Tuck found out that the Me109 was a wonderful little plane, it was slightly faster than the Spitfire, but lacked the Spitfire manoeuvrability. By testing the Me109, Tuck could put himself inside the Me109 when fighting them, knowing its weak and strong points. With the introduction of the improved Bf109F in the spring of 1941, the type again proved to be an effective fighter during the invasion of Yugoslavia and during the Battle of Crete and the invasion of Russia and it was used during the Siege of the Mediteranean island of Malta. The Bf109 was the main fighter for the Luftwaffe until 1942 when the Fw190 entered service and shared this position, and was partially replaced in Western Europe, but the Me109 continued to serve on the Eastern Front and during the defence of the Reich against the allied bombers. It was also used to good effect in the Mediterranean and North Africa in support of The Africa Korps. The Me109 was also supplied to several German allies, including Finland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia. The Bf109 scored more kills than any other fighter of any country during the war and was built in greater numbers with a total of over 31,000 aircraft being built. The Bf109 was flown by the three top German aces of the war war. Erich Hartmann with 352 victories, Gerhard Barkhorn with 301 victories and Gunther Rall with 275 kills. Bf109 pilots were credited with the destruction of 100 or more enemy aircraft. Thirteen Luftwaffe Aces scored more than 200 kills. Altogether this group of pilots were credited with a total of nearly 15,000 kills, of which the Messerschmitt Bf109 was credited with over 10,000 of these victories. The Bf109 was the most produced warplane during World War II, with 30,573 examples built during the war, and the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 units produced up to April 1945. Bf109s remained in foreign service for many years after World War II. The Swiss used their Bf109Gs well into the 1950s. The Finnish Air Force did not retire their Bf109Gs until March 1954. Romania used its Bf109s until 1955. The Spanish Hispanos flew even longer. Some were still in service in the late 1960s. | |
Last edited : 15:44, November 18, 2013
Last editor : kc
  Tribute to Dieter Hrabak by Ivan Berryman. |   Tribute to Heinz Lange by Ivan Berryman. |   Tribute to Hugo Broch by Ivan Berryman. |   Tribute to Major Erich Rudorffer by Ivan Berryman. (PC) |
JG54 Artwork |
  Erich Rudorffer - Eastern Front Ace by Brian Bateman. (P) |   Clipped Signature - Hans-Ekkehard Bob. |   Clipped Signature - Hugo Broch. |
  The Last Patrol by David Pentland. |   Hannes Trautloft by Graeme Lothian. |   Green Hearts by Ivan Berryman. |
  Savage Skies by Robert Taylor. |   Green Heart Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. (B) |   Bitter Engagement by Robert Taylor. |
  Tribute to Major Erich Rudorffer by Ivan Berryman. | Tribute to Hugo Broch by Ivan Berryman. | Tribute to Heinz Lange by Ivan Berryman. |
Tribute to Dieter Hrabak by Ivan Berryman. |   Holding the Line, Dunaburg, Latvia, 21st July 1944 by David Pentland. |   Hunting Sturmoviks by David Pentland. |
  Jagers by David Pentland. |   Messerschmitt versus Messerschmitt by David Pentland. |   Ikarus Downed by David Pentland. |
  New Enemy by David Pentland. |   Bomber's Bane by David Pentland. |   A Nimble Foe by David Pentland. |
  Ice Warriors by Nicolas Trudgian. |
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