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''Jagdgeschwader'' 3 (JG 3) "Udet" was a ''
The ''Geschwader'' took part in
Luftwaffe
The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'' fighter wing
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is expres ...
of World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The ''Geschwader'' operated on all the German fronts in the European Theatre of World War II
The European theatre of World War II was one of the two main Theater (warfare), theatres of combat during World War II. It saw heavy fighting across Europe for almost six years, starting with Nazi Germany, Germany's invasion of Poland on 1 Sept ...
. It was named after Ernst Udet
Ernst Udet (26 April 1896 – 17 November 1941) was a German pilot during World War I and a ''Luftwaffe'' Colonel-General (''Generaloberst'') during World War II.
Udet joined the Imperial German Air Service at the age of 19, and eventually ...
, an important figure in the development of the Luftwaffe, in 1942.
History
1940
Jagdschwader 3 "Udet" was formed on 1 May 1939 in Bernburg/Saale from JG 231. JG 3 was one of the ''Luftwaffes fighter units that took part in theBattle of France
The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...
.
A particularly fruitful period over France occurred from 14 to 17 May 1940. Allied sorties over the area of German advance had attempted to prevent the German armour from crossing the Meuse
The Meuse ( , , , ; wa, Moûze ) or Maas ( , ; li, Maos or ) is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a t ...
and sent waves of inadequately protected bombers to do the job. As a result, 90 Allied bombers were shot down and the 14 May became known as the "day of the fighters" within the ''Luftwaffe''. I./JG 3 destroyed seven fighters without loss on this day. On 15 May five were destroyed, again for no losses. On 17 May an entire formation of 13 Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until ...
s were shot down by I./JG 3. A total of 19 Allied aircraft were shot down by I./JG 3 alone on that day. The unit claimed some 179 aircraft shot down. ''Oberleutnant
() is the highest lieutenant officer rank in the German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces.
Austria
Germany
In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Trans ...
'' Lothar Keller was top claimant with 10 kills, and I./JG 3 ''Gruppenkommandeur'' Maj. Günther Lützow
Günther Lützow (4 September 1912 – 24 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe aviator and fighter ace credited with 110 enemy aircraft shot down in over 300 combat missions. Apart from five victories during the Spanish Civil War, most of his cl ...
scored 9. I./JG3 was the most successful ''Gruppe'', with 88 enemy aircraft destroyed for ten Bf 109s lost while six pilots were killed and one wounded.
JG 3 later flew intensively in the Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...
. On 21 August 1940, ''Oberstleutnant'' Lützow was appointed ''Kommodore'' of JG 3. He recorded 8 more victories during the aerial battles over England. Lützow was awarded the ''Ritterkreuz'' (Knights Cross) on 18 September. By the end of 1940 its most successful pilots were Oblt. Erwin Neuerberg (11 claims) and Lt Helmut Meckel (9 claims). The Geschwader lost some 51 pilots killed or POW July–December 1940. I ''Gruppe'' alone had destroyed exactly 50 enemy machines, but in exchange of 32 Messerschmitts of which 20 were lost to enemy action. Ten pilots were killed or missing while a further 11 were captured.
1941
The ''Geschwader'' took part in Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after ...
from 22 June 1941 onwards, and during the offensive against the Soviets JG 3 claimed its 1,000th aircraft destroyed on 30 August. Lützow became the second ''Experte'' to achieve 100 victories when he downed three Russian fighters near Moscow on 24 October. Lützow was then grounded. On 27 June 1941, ''Hauptmann'' Gordon Gollob was made ''Gruppenkommandeur'' II./JG 3, following the mid-air collision death of ''Hauptman'' Lothar Keller. He claimed 18 victories in August and achieved 37 victories in October, including 9 aircraft shot down over the Perekop
Perekop (Ukrainian & Russian: Перекоп; ; ) is an urban-type settlement located on the Perekop Isthmus connecting the Crimean peninsula to the Ukrainian mainland. It is known for the fortress Or Qapi that served as the gateway to Crimea. The ...
Isthmus on 18 October and 6 aircraft on 22 October. He was awarded the ''Eichenlaub'' (Oak Leaves) on 26 October for 85 victories. He led II./JG 3 until November 1941.
In the period 22 June – 5 December 1941, the unit destroyed 1,298 Soviet aircraft in return for 58 losses in aerial combat and losing 10 aircraft on the ground.
II./JG 3, under the command of Captain Karl-Heinz Krahl was transferred to Comiso
Comiso ( scn, U Còmisu), is a comune of the Province of Ragusa, Sicily, southern Italy. As of 2017, its population was 29,857.
History
In the past Comiso has been incorrectly identified with the ancient Greek colony of Casmene.
Under the Byza ...
on Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
in January 1942 to bolster JG 53 and the ''Regia Aeronautica
The Italian Royal Air Force (''Regia Aeronautica Italiana'') was the name of the air force of the Kingdom of Italy. It was established as a service independent of the Royal Italian Army from 1923 until 1946. In 1946, the monarchy was abolis ...
'' which were carrying out sustained attacks against Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. At this time the unit was equipped with Bf 109F-4 Trops. At the end of April II ''Gruppe'' departed Sicily for a brief stay in Germany before being redeployed to the Eastern front.
1942
In mid-September, I./JG 3 were ordered back to Germany for rest and refit. However, a number of I. ''Gruppe'' pilots remained in Russia serving with III./JG 3. After refitting with Bf 109F-4 fighters, I./JG 3 was ordered to relocate to bases in the Netherlands in December 1941. On 6 January 1942, it became II./ JG 1, with a new I. ''Gruppe'' being raised. By early 1942, JG 3 was awarded the honour name "Udet" (after Ernst Udet) and was then often simply referred as "Jagdgeschwader Udet" thereafter. In May 1942, Lützow led most of JG 3 back to Russia and commenced operations in theKharkiv
Kharkiv ( uk, wikt:Харків, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest List of cities in Ukraine, city and List of hromadas of Ukraine, municipality in Ukraine.Southern Front, reaching 2,000 claims on 28 May 1942. On 12 August, Major Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke was appointed ''Kommodore'' of JG 3.
In June 1942 II ''Gruppe'' was transferred back to the East, where it joined in the advance on the Stalingrad front, suffering heavy losses. During the Battle of Stalingrad, Stab./JG 3 were based at
With the increased pressure caused by the American bombing raids against targets in Germany through late 1943 and early 1944, a new method of attacking the bombers was proposed for specially armoured fighters to get in as close to the bombers as possible before opening fire, even (as a last resort) deliberately ramming the bomber. A special Staffel was formed to test the tactical viability. ''Sturmstaffel'' 1 was the first experimental unit to fly the so-called '' Sturmböcke'' (Battering Ram) up-gunned Focke-Wulf Fw 190A aircraft, and was attached to JG 3, following the general demise of the ''Zerstörergruppen'' as 
On 7 July 1944 a force of 1,129
In November 1944 II./JG 3 was separated from the ''Geschwader'' in order to re-equip with the
Pitomnik Airfield
The Pitomnik airfield (russian: питомник, lit. plant nursery) was an airfield in Russia. During the Second World War, it was the primary of seven airfields used by the German Wehrmacht during the Battle of Stalingrad.
Flights originatin ...
, where Wilcke directed all day fighter operations over the city. During the summer offensive of 1942 the ''Geschwaderstab''/JG 3 recorded 137 victories, of which Wilcke claimed 97.
When Russian forces encircled Stalingrad, the ''Geschwaderstab''/JG 3 was transferred to ''Morozovskaya-Öst'', outside the pocket. In mid-November 1942 JG 3 then provided the famous ''Platzschutzstaffel'' (airfield defence squadron) which defended the besieged 6th Army in Stalingrad
Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), geographical renaming, formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stal ...
until late 1942. On a rotational basis up to six volunteer pilots drawn from I. and II./JG 3 formed a defence ''Staffel'' within the rapidly contracting Stalingrad perimeter. The ''Staffel'', among others, included ''Oberleutnant'' Werner Lucas
Werner Georg Emil Lucas (27 December 1917 – 24 October 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 106 enemy aircraft shot down. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Fr ...
, ''Leutnant'' Gustav Frielinghaus
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awar ...
, ''Feldwebel'' Kurt Ebener, and ''Feldwebel'' Hans Grünberg
Hans "Specker" Grünberg (8 July 1917 – 16 January 1998) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 82, aerial victories—that is, 82 aerial combat encounters result ...
. Their purpose was to cover the Junkers Ju 52 transports flying supplies into Pitomnik Airfield and to protect the aircraft while on the ground. Despite often only having 2 or 3 Bf 109's serviceable, in the last 6 weeks of the siege (until mid January) claimed some 130 Soviet aircraft shot down. In return JG 3 lost 90-victory ''experte'' Leut. Georg Schentke
Georg 'Peterle' Schentke (23 November 1919 – 25 December 1942) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield brav ...
over the city on 25 December 1942. In mid-January the pilots were ordered to fly out of the pocket and rejoin their parent unit, although some thirty ground crew remaining became prisoners when the city surrendered to the Soviets on 2 February 1943.
1943
II./JG 3 was relocated to theKuban bridgehead
The Kuban Bridgehead (german: Kuban-Brückenkopf), also known as the "Goth's head position" (), was a German military position on the Taman Peninsula, Russia, between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. Existing from January to October 1943, the ...
in February 1943. Oblt. Wolf-Udo Ettel
Wolf-Udo Ettel (26 February 1921 – 17 July 1943) was a German World War II Luftwaffe flying ace and a posthumous recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of ...
proved the 'star' of JG 3 around this time, claiming 28 kills in March 1943, 36 in April, and 20 in May. Intensive operations around the Kerch
Kerch ( uk, Керч; russian: Керчь, ; Old East Slavic: Кърчевъ; Ancient Greek: , ''Pantikápaion''; Medieval Greek: ''Bosporos''; crh, , ; tr, Kerç) is a city of regional significance on the Kerch Peninsula in the east of t ...
peninsula followed in April. In July 1943 II./JG 3 and III./JG 3 at this time were part of ''Luftlotte'' 4 and flew in Operation Zitadelle
The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history. ...
, the tank offensive launched around the Kursk
Kursk ( rus, Курск, p=ˈkursk) is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym rivers. The area around Kursk was the site of a turning point in the Soviet–German stru ...
salient. On 5 July 1943 alone, II./JG 3 claimed 77 Soviet aircraft from a total claimed of 432, Oblt. Joachim Kirschner
Joachim Kirschner (7 June 1920 – 17 December 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 188 aerial victories achieved in 635 combat missions. This figure includes 168 aerial victories ...
claiming 9 kills and ''Gruppenkommandeur'' Hpt. Kurt Brändle claiming 5.
As Allied air operations over Germany increased during mid 1943 each of the gruppen of JG 3 were in turn recalled to Germany to defend the homeland on so called ''Reichsverteidigung'' ("Defense of the Reich
The Defence of the Reich (german: Reichsverteidigung) is the name given to the strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany over German-occupied Europe and Germany during World War II. Its aim was to prevent the ...
") duty.
I. /JG 3 moved back to Germany in April 1943, but did not go operational until June 1943. Equipped with the new Bf 109G-6 ''Kanonenboote'' with two 20mm cannons in underwing gondolas, I./JG 3 were slowly worked up as a 'bomber-killer' unit. This long training period paid dividends as the gruppe started to shoot down impressive numbers of USAAF bombers without the heavy losses incurred by many ''Jagdgeschwadern'' thrown into the battle with less preparation.
Lt. Franz Schwaiger
Franz Schwaiger (1 February 1918 – 24 April 1944) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or succ ...
was by this time I./JG 3's current top scorer with 56 claims.
By late summer 1943 III./JG3 were also flying the Bf 109G-6 and Bf 109G-6/R6. On its return to Germany, the ''Stab''/JG 3 was based at Mönchengladbach
Mönchengladbach (, li, Jlabbach ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine, halfway between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border.
Geography Municipal subdivisions
Since 2009, the territory of Mönchengladbac ...
. On 4 December 1943 Hpt. Wilhelm Lemke
Wilhelm Lemke (27 September 1920 – 4 December 1943) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. Lemke was credited with 131 aerial victories—that is, 131 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft. All bu ...
(131 kills) was killed in combat with P-47s of the 352nd Fighter Group
The 352nd Fighter Group was a unit of the Eighth Air Force that was located in the European Theater of Operations, United States Army, European Theater of Operations during World War II.
The unit served as bomber escort, counter-air patrols, and ...
.
As with most fighter units operating over Germany and occupied Europe, JG 3 suffered heavy losses through early 1944 against the increasing numbers of USAAF escort fighters, losing many of its experienced personnel and commanders. Wilcke was shot down and killed by fighters of the 4th Fighter Group. Wilcke's successor as commander of JG 3 was Major Friedrich-Karl "Tutti" Müller
Friedrich-Karl "Tutti" Müller (25 December 1916 – 29 May 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 140 aerial victories claimed in more than 600 combat mission ...
, the CO of IV. /JG 3. He was killed in a landing accident at Salzwedel
Salzwedel (, officially known as Hansestadt Salzwedel; Low German: ''Soltwedel'') is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is the capital of the district (''Kreis'') of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, and has a population of approximately 21,500. Salz ...
on 29 May 1944.
1944
With the increased pressure caused by the American bombing raids against targets in Germany through late 1943 and early 1944, a new method of attacking the bombers was proposed for specially armoured fighters to get in as close to the bombers as possible before opening fire, even (as a last resort) deliberately ramming the bomber. A special Staffel was formed to test the tactical viability. ''Sturmstaffel'' 1 was the first experimental unit to fly the so-called '' Sturmböcke'' (Battering Ram) up-gunned Focke-Wulf Fw 190A aircraft, and was attached to JG 3, following the general demise of the ''Zerstörergruppen'' as bomber destroyer
Bomber destroyers were World War II interceptor aircraft intended to destroy enemy bomber aircraft. Bomber destroyers were typically larger and heavier than general interceptors, designed to mount more powerful armament, and often having twin en ...
s earlier in 1944. The ''Sturmstaffel'' was expanded into a specialised bomber 'killer' ''Gruppen'', IV./JG 3, led by ''Hauptmann'' Wilhelm Moritz. ''Sturmstaffel 1'' was redesignated 11./JG 3 in May 1944.
On 7 July 1944 a force of 1,129 B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
es and B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...
s of the United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
(USAAF) Eighth Air Force
The Eighth Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) is a numbered air force (NAF) of the United States Air Force's Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). It is headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. The command serves as Air Force ...
set out from England to bomb aircraft factories in the Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
area and the synthetic oil plants at Boehlen, Leuna
Leuna is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, eastern Germany, south of Merseburg and Halle, on the river Saale.
The town is known for the ''Leunawerke'', at 13 km2 one of the biggest chemical industrial complexes in Germany, where a very wide range of ...
-Merseburg
Merseburg () is a town in central Germany in southern Saxony-Anhalt, situated on the river Saale, and approximately 14 km south of Halle (Saale) and 30 km west of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese ...
and Lützkendorf. This formation was intercepted by a German ''Gefechtsverband'' composed of IV.(Sturm) / JG 3 escorted by two ''Gruppen'' of Bf 109s from Jagdgeschwader 300
''Jagdgeschwader'' 300 (JG 300) was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. JG 300 was formed on June 26, 1943 in Deelen as Stab/Versuchskommando Herrmann, from July 18, 1943 as Stab/JG Herrmann and finally renamed on August 20, 1943 to Stab ...
led by ''Major
Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
'' Walther Dahl
Walther Dahl (27 March 1916 – 25 November 1985) was a German pilot and a fighter ace during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Dahl claimed some 128 enemy aircraft shot do ...
. Dahl drove the attack to point-blank range behind the Liberators of the 492nd Bomb Group before opening fire. 492nd Bomb Group was temporarily without fighter cover. Within about a minute the entire squadron of twelve B-24s had been destroyed. The USAAF 2nd Air Division lost 28 Liberators that day, the majority to the Sturmgruppe attack. IV./JG 3 lost nine fighters shot down and three more suffered damage and made crash landings; five of the unit's pilots were killed.
II./JG 3 and III./JG 3 were thrown into the Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...
air battles over the Normandy beach-head in June 1944, and, with the other 23 ''Gruppen'' committed were decimated by the hordes of Allied fighters present. On 10 August, 10.(''Sturm'')/JG 3 was renamed 13.(''Sturm'')/JG 3. On 16 August 1944, 13./JG 3 ''Staffelkaptän'' Oblt. Ekkehard Tichy
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The decoration was awarded for a wide range of ...
(25 kills) was killed when he rammed a B-17; Tichy had lost an eye a year earlier but had continued flying combat missions. By 5 September 1944, when the ''Gruppe'' was withdrawn from the battle, III./JG 3 alone had lost a staggering 56 pilots killed or missing, 23 wounded and 4 POW, while claiming some 54 Allied aircraft shot down. Just the ''Gruppenkommandeur'', 3 ''Staffelkapitäne'' and 4 replacement pilots had survived the three months over the invasion front.
On 2 November the two ''Sturmgruppen'' of IV./JG 3 and II./JG 4
''Jagdgeschwader'' 4 (JG 4) was a ''Luftwaffe'' fighter wing of World War II.
Sturmgruppen 1944
''Jagdgeschwader'' 4 became one of only three ''Luftwaffe'' ''geschwader'' to operate the specialised 'bomber-killer' ''gruppen'' designated ''St ...
successfully intercepted American bomber formations near Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
. IV./JG 3 attacked the 91st Bomb Group
The 91st Bomb Group (Heavy) was an air combat unit of the United States Army Air Forces during the Second World War. Classified as a heavy bombardment group, the 91st operated B-17 Flying Fortress aircraft and was known unofficially as "The Ragg ...
and claimed 13 Fortresses, including two by ramming, while II./JG 4 claimed nine Fortresses from the 457th Bomb Group. The fighter escorts cost JG 3 15 out of their 39 Sturmböcke aircraft, and JG 4 lost 16 out of 22 committed.
II./JG 3 on the same day was much less successful when scrambled with other Gruppen to intercept American raids against oil plants in Merseburg. Its Bf 109s ran into the more than 209 P-51 Mustangs
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team headed by James ...
of the 20th, 352nd, 359th and 364th Fighter groups which escorted the 1st Bombardment Division
First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1).
First or 1st may also refer to:
*World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement
Arts and media Music
* 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...
. II./JG 3 lost 23 Bf 109s and claimed only three Mustangs and a B-17 shot down.
On 5 December 1944, Major Moritz was relieved from command of IV./ JG 3 due to a complete nervous breakdown.
1945
In November 1944 II./JG 3 was separated from the ''Geschwader'' in order to re-equip with the Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262, nicknamed ''Schwalbe'' (German: "Swallow") in fighter versions, or ''Sturmvogel'' (German: "Storm Bird") in fighter-bomber versions, is a fighter aircraft and fighter-bomber that was designed and produced by the German ...
jet fighter and become part of the first jet fighter ''Geschwader'', ''Jagdgeschwader'' 7. A newly formed II./JG 3 was raised from a former bomber unit at the end of 1944; this new ''Gruppe'' was transferred to the East in early 1945 to counter the Soviet air offensive.
During Operation Bodenplatte
Operation Bodenplatte (; "Baseplate"), launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the Second World War. The goal of ''Bodenplatte'' was to gain air superiority during th ...
, the massed attack on Allied airfields on 1 January 1945, ''Jagdschwader'' 3 was one of the few German fighter units to carry out their operations successfully despite fielding the smallest German force that day. The 22 Fw 190s committed destroyed 43 Typhoon
A typhoon is a mature tropical cyclone that develops between 180° and 100°E in the Northern Hemisphere. This region is referred to as the Northwestern Pacific Basin, and is the most active tropical cyclone basin on Earth, accounting for a ...
s and Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Griff ...
s and damaged 60 more in a 20-minute attack on the 2nd TAF airfield at Eindhoven
Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II
An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose.
The word is derived from ...
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
* * Hayward, Joel S. (2001). ''Stopped at Stalingrad: The Luftwaffe and Hitler's Defeat in the East 1942-1943''. University Press of Kansas. * * * * * * * * {{Authority control Jagdgeschwader 003 Military units and formations established in 1939 Military units and formations disestablished in 1945 German units at the Battle of Stalingrad