Jagdgeschwader 1 ( World War II ) " Jagdgeschwader " 1 ( JG 1 ) was a German World War II fighter unit or " wing " which used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke - Wulf Fw 190 aircraft , between 1940 – 1944 . The name of the unit derives from " Jagd " , meaning " hunt " and " Geschwader " , meaning " wing " . First formed in May 1939 in eastern Prussia , I . / JG 1 was one of the original groups created by the " Luftwaffe " as part of its expansion plans . Between 1940 and 1942 , JG 1 operated primarily over the Western Front and northern occupied Europe . During the initial days of the war , JG 1 faced little resistance , apart from occasional Royal Air Force ( RAF ) excursions . The unit was rarely engaged in large - scale confrontations during this time . From late 1942 onwards it was tasked with defence of the Reich . After D - Day , elements of JG 1 were moved to France and were tasked with air support to the army " Wehrmacht " , along with their air defence role . Operation Bodenplatte severely reduced the strength of JG 1 . Towards the end of the war , the unit was disbanded and its remaining pilots and aircraft were re - organized . What remained of these groups surrendered to Allied forces at the end of the war . JG 1 was the first unit to attempt ' aerial bombing ' techniques against the United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) heavy bomber formations . It was the only unit to be equipped with the Heinkel He 162 jet fighter . In 1944 the " " Oesau " " suffix was added to the unit ' s title , after its late " Geschwaderkommodore " " Oberst " Walter Oesau ( 127 kills ) , who was killed in action . Some 700 enemy aircraft were claimed shot down during the war by the unit . Formation history . In 1938 the " Luftwaffe " envisaged a five - year expansion plan that utilized the single - engined Messerschmitt Bf 109 s for short - range domestic defence duties and the twin - engined Messerschmitt Bf 110 for external long - range offensive roles . In the summer of 1939 , Luftwaffe replaced its long - term expansionist plans for fast mobilization with creation of five new " Geschwader " starting in July 1939 . Even those plans failed to materialize and several groups ( " Gruppen " ) were created from existing groups . One such group , I . / " Jagdgeschwader " 131 ( JG 131 ) , was thus created from II . / " Jagdgeschwader " 132 " Richthofen " ( JG 132 ) . The new group , I . / JG 131 , was commanded by Major Bernhard Woldenga , and was based in Jesau , East Prussia ( modern Nivenskoye in Russia ) . The unit was re - equipped with the Bf 109E by June 1939 . In May 1939 , the entire organization of the Luftwaffe was changed . As a result , a large number of units were re - designated and many command title changes took place . I . / JG 131 was given the designation I . / JG 1 . The high - profile and most senior home front wing , JG 2 " Richthofen " had coveted that designation , but was left in " second place " . However , on 7 May , just before the invasion of France and the Low Countries , I . / JG 1 was merged with " Jagdgeschwader " 27 and re - designated as III . / " Jagdgeschwader " 27 ( JG 27 ) . This temporarily dissolved JG 1 as a unit . Seven months later , on 7 December 1940 a new unit I . / JG 1 was formed at Jever out of several defensive units based on the North Sea coast . JG 1 ' s role was to provide air cover over a large portion of the North Sea coastline . Its commander was " Oberstleutnant " Carl - August Schumacher . Their operational area stretched from the Netherlands to Southern Norway . On 5 January 1942 , Schumacher handed over command to Major Erich von Selle to become commander of the fighter forces for " Luftflotte " 5 ( " Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen " ) . Reorganization . Similar to its parent " Jagdgeschwader " 2 , " Jagdgeschwader " 1 was designated to be a " donor " unit in forming a new unit called " Jagdgeschwader " 11 ( JG 11 ) on 31 March 1943 . I and II " Gruppen " JG 1 were transferred to JG 11 . IV " Gruppe " was re - designated as I . / JG 1 . A new III " Gruppe " was formed in Leeuwarden , Netherlands , commanded by Major Karl - Heinz Leesmann The new " Jagdgeschwader " 1 was moved to Deelen to protect occupied Dutch territory , and " Jagdgeschwader " 11 tasked with protecting the North German border between Netherlands and Denmark . Erich Mix was replaced by Major Hans Philipp as " Geschwaderkommodore " . By mid 1943 , JG 1 came under the control of " Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte " , which went on to form " Luftflotte Reich " . Organization structure . Generally , the organization of JG 1 followed the standard " Luftwaffe " organization for any typical wing ( " Geschwader " ) . It was commanded by a " Geschwaderkommodore " , equivalent to a USAAF Wing Commander or RAF Group Captain . A " Geschwaderkommodore " was supposed to have the rank of Lieutenant Colonel ( " Oberstleutnant " ) or Colonel ( " Oberst " ) , but the position could be filled by a relatively junior officer . Initially most " Luftwaffe " fighter wings consisted of three groups ( " Gruppe " ) , which were the equivalent of USAAF group s or RAF Wing s . Groups were identified using Roman numerals , followed by the unit number ; e . g . I . / JG 1 . In 1942 JG 1 was the first unit to be expanded to incorporate a fourth group . Partly as a result of JG 1 ' s expansion , other " Luftwaffe " fighter wings incorporated a fourth group from mid - 1943 . Each group usually consisted of three to four squadrons ( " Staffeln " ) , which were identified using numbers ; e . g . 3 . / JG 1 . Each squadron also had a subordinate headquarters flight ( " Stabschwarm " ) associated with it . A squadron with an establishment of 12 – 16 aircraft usually consisted of three to four flights ( " Schwärme " ) of four aircraft usually flying in the " finger - four " formation . The commanding officer of a squadron ( " Staffelkapitän " ) usually held a rank of Senior Lieutenant ( " Oberleutnant " ) or Captain ( " Hauptmann " ) . The flights of a squadron were color - coded " Red " , " Blue " , " Yellow " and " Green " . Headquarters Flight JG 1 . A " Geschwaderstab " was essentially a Headquarters Unit ( " Stabschwarm " ) for the entire wing . There were headquarters units also at gruppe level . Initially when JG 1 was re - formed in Jever , it was constituted as a Regional Fighter Command ( " Jagdfliegerführer " 2 ) on 30 November 1939 with an intention to co - ordinate with Navy ( " Kriegsmarine " ) flak and signals units . This autonomous command defending the coastline was placed under " Oberstleutnant " Carl - August Schumacher . " Geschwaderstab " JG 1 ( Stab . JG 1 ) was also alternatively called " JG Nord " or " JG Schumacher " and was equipped with Bf 109 ' D ' and ' E ' variants . Group I . / JG 1 . I . / JG 1 consisted of one Headquarters Flight ( " Gruppenstab " ) and 1 . , 2 . and 3 " Staffels " . When the Battle of France commenced on 10 May 1940 , I . / JG 1 was put under the administrative control of JG 27 . After seeing extensive service , the group was re - designated III . / JG 27 on 5 July 1940 . 1 . / JG 1 was reformed on 7 December 1940 in Vlissingen from the " Holland " Squadron ( " Jasta " Holland ) . 2 . / JG 1 was formed on 5 July 1941 in Katwijk , Netherlands , from the " Münster - Loddenheide " Squadron ( " Jasta Münster - Loddenheide " ) of " Luftflotte " 2 while 3 . / JG 1 was formed on 1 March 1941 in De Kooy from parts of the Training / Supplement squadron of JG 52 ( " Ergänzungsstaffel Gruppe " / JG 52 ) . These three units operated independently until September 1941 when they were grouped into I . / JG 1 under Major Erich Mix . 3 . / JG 1 was ordered to Sicily and later Africa , and re - designated as 6 . / JG 51 on 30 November 1941 . Another 3 . / JG 1 was formed in Wangerooge on the same day . In January 1944 , the 18 " Staffel " unit was transferred to Dortmund where they were located next to I . / JG 1 . Here they were subordinated to Major Rudolf - Emil Schnoor , the commander of I . / JG 1 . On 15 August 1944 , 9 . / JG 77 was transferred to reinforce I . / JG 1 , becoming 4 . / JG 1 . Group II . / JG 1 . In September 1941 , " Hauptmann " Hans von Hahn ' s I . / " Jagdgeschwader " 3 ( JG 3 ) was transferred from the Eastern front to Germany for rest and re - supply . In November 1941 , it was transferred to the northern Netherlands and on 15 January 1942 re - designated II . / JG 1 in Katwijk . The group had been involved in the Battle of France and the Eastern Front campaigns as I . / JG 3 , and had 421 kills to its name by September 1941 . While at Katwijk and Vlissingen , they were assigned the task of coastal defence and protection of shipping routes . In early 1944 , the Reichsluftministerium ( Reich Air Ministry — RLM ) reinforced the day - fighters of " Defence of Reich " with additional units from the Eastern Front . On 15 August 1944 , II . / JG 1 was increased to four " staffeln " with the addition of 7 . / JG 51 equipped with the Bf 109G - 6 " " Gustav " " from its base at Brest - Litovsk . On arrival in May 1944 at Störmede , they were re - equipped with the Focke - Wulf Fw 190 and re - designated 8 . / JG 1 on 15 August 1944 . 4 . / JG 1 was re - designated to 7 . / JG 1 . From this point until the end in 1945 , II . / JG 1 would consist of its Headquarters Flight , " Stab " II . / JG 1 , as well as 5 . , 6 . , 7 . and 8 . / JG 1 . Group III . / JG 1 . By January 1942 , most fighting wings ( " Jagdgeschwader " ) of the " Luftwaffe " had created their own Training Group ( " Ergänzungsgruppe " ) , with which to prepare trainees for operational service with their parent wing . Each training group had its own operating squadron ( " Einsatzstaffel " ) that doubled as a supplemental squadron , consisting of instructors and trainees . It was from such " Einsatzstaffel " that III . / JG 1 was formed . III . / JG 1 was formed in January 1942 in Husum . 7 . / JG 1 consisted of supplemental flights ( " Einsatz - Schwärme " ) of fighter pilot schools ( " Jagdfliegerschule " or " JFS " ) Gleiwitz , Breslau and Königsberg . III . / JG 1 was re - designated I . / JG 11 on 1 April 1943 and a new III . / JG established on 23 May in Leeuwarden led by Major Karl - Heinz Leesmann . Group IV . / JG 1 . JG 1 expanded to include a 4th group ( " Gruppe " ) around the same time as III . / JG 1 , and was also formed using the training groups ( " Ergänzungsgruppen " ) and training squadrons ( " Einsatzstaffeln " ) of other wings . On 21 March 1942 IV . / JG1 was re - designated as III . / JG 5 . It was re - established on the same day in Werneuchen with elements of the previous IV . / JG 1 and training squadrons of fighter schools 1 and 4 . On 1 April 1943 , IV . / JG 1 was re - designated as I . / JG 1 Aircraft of Jagdgeschwader 1 . When JG 1 was formed , it primarily used the Messerschmitt Bf 109E - 1 . In mid - 1942 , II . , III . and IV . / JG 1 started converting to the Fw 190 ; although I . / JG 1 continued to operate the Bf 109 ' E ' and ' F ' and later ' G ' models , including the specialized ' F - 4 / Z ' and ' G - 1 ' ( the latter also being pressurized ) high - altitude fighter with GM - 1 boost . By April 1943 , I . / JG 1 had largely transitioned to the FW 190A , while III . / JG 1 returned to the Bf 109G . In April 1944 , III . / JG 1 was one of the first Luftwaffe units to have been equipped with the Bf 109G - 5 / AS with improved supercharger and methanol - water MW - 50 boost . I . and II . JG 1 were the first units to equip with the Heinkel He 162A - 2 " Spatz " ( Sparrow , Heinkel ' s name for the design ) , with deliveries of the He 162 in February 1945 to I . / JG 1 at Parchim . Around April 1945 , II . / JG 1 moved to Rostock - Marienehe near the Heinkel factory to receive the deliveries of the new aircraft . Unit emblem and color schemes . When JG 1 was initially formed as I . / JG 1 , its emblem was designed by Major Woldenga as a German Crusader ' s cross on which a flight of three Bf 109s was transposed . When I . / JG 1 was incorporated into JG 27 , I . / JG 1 ' s original emblem became that of III . / JG 27 . When JG 1 was reformed in 1940 , II . / JG 1 ' s emblem was the " Tatzelwurm " , a mythical Norse serpent with origins with JG 3 . I . / JG 1 was the only group that displayed individual aircraft numerals on the engine cowling until it was re - designated III . / JG 27 . Each of the " staffeln " also had its own emblems . For example , 2 . / JG 1 had a sword slicing Chamberlain ' s umbrella in two . The badge of 9 . / JG 1 depicted a flintlock pistol on a heart surrounded by the words , ( translated from German ) " Who Shoots first gets more out of life " . After his appointment as " Geschwaderkommodore " Oberstlt . Walter Oesau introduced a new emblem on 12 November 1943 and used by all of JG 1 ; a red – winged ‘ 1 ’ inside a white diamond surrounded by a black circle . There seem to have been some disputes over emblem details , with one version enclosing the white diamond with a red circle instead of a black one . In spring 1943 I . / JG 1 briefly introduced high - visibility geometric patterns of alternating black and white horizontal stripes on the engine cowling , with other units of JG 1 ( formerly IV . / JG 1 ) using checkerboard patterns on the cowling . I . / JG 1 was unique in using a variation of a more colorful identification scheme of checkerboard black - and - white - striped engine cowlings . The checkerboards were divided into black - white , black - red and black - yellow for the 1 . , 2 . and 3 . " Staffeln " respectively . Following the general adoption of aft coloured fuselage bands identification by all Jagdgeschwaders , I . / JG 1 utilised black and white bands . I . / JG 1 started painting red aft fuselage bands to distinguish from JG 11 and the " Sturmstaffel " aircraft . Use of these colored fuselage bands was generally abandoned by mid - 1944 . At one point , a color scheme of painting the tail rudder in white was trialled for units dedicated to " Defence of Reich " duties . Wartime history . The original I . / JG 1 based in Jesau , played little part in the Invasion of Poland . Within Eastern Prussia , they were re - deployed to three forward bases ; Heiligenbeil , Schippenbeil and Arys - Rostken . I . / JG 1 had negligible involvement and no enemy aircraft were downed . The only casualty was a pilot of 2 . / JG 1 injured by friendly flak . On 5 September 1939 , the group returned to Jesau . After a ten - day stop in Lübeck - Blankensee , the group arrived at Vörden . Although I . / JG 1 came under administrative control of JG 27 , I . / JG 1 was temporarily put under administrative control of JG 77 on 4 June 1940 . It came back under control of JG 27 few days later . Upon arrival at Vörden the first aircraft credited to I . / JG 1 was a Bristol Blenheim of No . 110 Squadron RAF shot down on a reconnaissance mission . In February 1940 , Major Bernhard Woldenga was promoted to the position of " Inspectorate of Fighters " and was succeeded by Joachim Schlichting . The unit went on to participate extensively in the Battle of France . I . / JG 1 claimed 82 air victories during the Battle of France , with " Hauptmann " Wilhelm Balthasar top scorer with 23 kills , and " Leutnant " Ludwig Frantisek with 9 . After being re - established in December 1940 , I . / JG 1 ' s primary responsibility was the air defence of Germany and its Northern occupied territories . In this role , the unit almost exclusively worked in the Netherlands prior to its transfer to central West Germany . Its main opponents through 1940 – 41 were therefore lone RAF reconnaissance aircraft , the anti - shipping aircraft of RAF Coastal Command and the medium bombers of RAF Bomber Command ' s 2 Group , although the group would see little action compared to other theaters during 1941 . During this time , this sector was considered relatively safe compared to other theaters . Defence of the Reich 1942 – 1943 . Because RAF bombers and their escorts had insufficient range to reach German airspace , JG 1 was somewhat isolated from the RAF ' s " Lean into Europe " fighter offensive of 1941 that involved JG 2 and JG 26 . " Oberstleutnant " Erich Mix , a veteran of World War I and over 40 years of age , claimed a Blenheim as his 13th kill in mid - 1941 . JG 1 did however take part in the famed Channel Dash , as part of the air cover plan ( Operation Donnerkeil ) for the German " Kriegsmarine " battlecruisers and , with cruiser on 13 February 1942 . By May II . / JG 1 was assigned to Woensdrecht and Katwyk . Its first victory was scored by " Unteroffizier " Meisner of 6 . / JG 1 . By early 1942 , the group had started re - equip from the earlier Bf 109F - 4 to the Focke - Wulf Fw 190 , completing by 12 May 1942 . One notable ace from early 1942 was " Oberfeldwebel " Gerhardt , leading scorer of JG 1 with a tally of 9 by 17 February 1942 . From late 1942 onwards , the increasing USAAF bomber offensive now brought JG 1 to the forefront of the Defence of the Reich , operating at high altitudes against the American bomber streams of the 8th Air Force . Equipped with the Bf 109G " Gustav " with pressurized cabins , JG 1 experimented with several official and unofficial ways of downing the heavy bombers – with varying degrees of success . One of the unofficial methods Leutnant Heinz Knoke developed was " air bombing " the bombers from above using a delay - fused 250 kg bomb with a 15 second fuse , although the loss of aircraft performance and vulnerability of the bomb - carrying aircraft to fighters meant the method was not widely adopted . Knoke ' s initial operation using air bombs was from above the bomber formation on 22 March 1943 , and he reported breaking the wing off one of the bombers , although the only B - 17 lost that day was to III . / JG 1 . JG 1 also pioneered the use of underwing " Werfer - Granate " ( " Wfr . Gr . " or " WGr " ) 21 rockets as a " stand - off " anti - bomber weapon in mid - 1943 , although they proved too heavy for the fighter aircraft and were removed later in the year . By the start of 1943 , JG 1 were mainly equipped with the Fw 190 - A , excepting I . / JG 1 still using the Bf 109G - 1 . The first large - scale air battle between JG 1 and VIII Bomber Command occurred when the latter bombed the naval base at Wilhelmshaven on 27 January 1943 with a force of 64 B - 17 Flying Fortress ( B - 17 ) and 27 B - 24 Liberator s ( B - 24 ) . Facing them were I . , II . and IV . / JG 1 . With their Jever base below the route I . / JG 1 attacked in full strength under " Hauptmann " Günther Beise . In broken cloud cover , they intercepted at . The lack of heavy armament on the Bf 109 and the lack of experience of I . / JG 1 meant had less than satisfactory results . The US crews noted the Bf 109s did not press home their attacks . Although most of the B - 17s had some combat damage , only one failed to return , with first American casualty of " Defence of Reich " campaign Captain Vance Beckham ' s 305th Bomber Group B - 17F ( 41 - 24637 ) . There were five claims ( one unconfirmed ) and the bomber was shot down by either " Oberleutnant " Hugo Frey of 2 . / JG 1 or by " Feldwebel " Siegfried Zick of 2 . / JG 1 , as his second kill . Five of the Bf 109s went down with three pilots killed , although damage to the naval base was minimal . Cloud cover over the target and bad radio communication meant the B - 24 formation broke up . The smaller B - 24 formation lost their way and crossed into the Netherlands near Woensdrecht . After wandering over North Netherlands they turned north towards the North Sea where they ditched their bombs . II . and IV . / JG 1 took off from Woensdrecht and München - Gladbach to intercept while 5 . and 6 . / JG 1 refuelled at Schiphol . 4 . / JG 1 made one pass at the bombers and two Liberators were claimed but not confirmed . 12 . / JG 1 intercepted over Terschelling , downing two Liberators . Of these , one was the result of a collision with a downed Fw - 190 that cut the bomber ' s tail , 12 . / JG 1 ' s only loss . On 4 February 1943 the night - fighter wing " Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 " ( NJG 1 ) , equipped with Bf 110 twin - engined night fighters , joined the fray along with I . / JG 1 , II . / JG 1 and IV . / JG 1 . Due to poor weather conditions only 3 . / JG 1 was able to find the formation at first , claiming one B - 17 . II . / JG 1 and IV . / JG 1 claimed six B - 17 downed at the cost of two fighters . I . / JG 1 claimed four B - 17s and four B - 24s on 26 February 1943 during an attack on the Wilhelmshaven U - boat yards and two Liberators were confirmed lost . One was claimed by " Oberleutnant " Heinz Knoke , and the other claimed by " Unteroffizier " Leo Demetz of 3 . / JG 1 . Thirteen B - 17s were claimed downed by JG 1 in total . On 18 March 1943 , 76 B - 17s and 27 B - 24s were sent to bomb Vegesack U - Boat Yards near Bremen . I . / JG 1 , IV . / JG 1 and parts of III . / JG 1 along with " Nachtjagdgeschwader " formations intercepted the bombers southwest of Heligoland . Knoke and his wingman Dieter Gerhardt each attacked one B - 24 bomber head on . Knoke ' s target exploded but was also claimed by " Oberleutnant " Walter Borchers of 8 . / " Nachtjagdgeschwader " 3 ( NJG 3 ) . Gerhardt ' s target B - 24 limped back to England while he was shot down over the North Sea by another bomber return fire . The fight lasted for two hours , and four B - 17s and five B - 24s were claimed shot down for the loss of two pilots and three aircraft . Only one B - 24 and one B - 17 was actually lost . On 1 April 1943 , " Oberfeldwebel " Fritz Timm of 3 . / JG 1 shot down a Lancaster . On 17 April 1943 , " Hauptmann " Fritz Losigkeit , " Gruppenkommandeur " of I . / JG 1 shot down his first B - 17 , and his unit claimed a total of three of which two were confirmed for the loss of one pilot and two Fw 190s . 17 other B - 17s were claimed shot down by JG 1 and JG 11 . On 11 June 1943 , Leesmann ' s III . / JG 11 saw action for the first time . The group intercepted a formation of B - 17s approaching Wilhelmshaven . " Leutnant " Eugen Wintergerst , Staffelkapitän of 9 . / JG 1 claimed one B - 17 for his twenty - first victory . VIII Bomber Command organized its first large attack on the Ruhr Area on 22 June 1943 . The main objective involving bombing the synthetic rubber plant in Hüls by ten B - 17 groups . JG 1 intercepted and was credited with fifteen bombers . On 25 June 1943 , another B - 17 formation headed into Germany . However , both primary and secondary targets were covered with cloud and the bombers attacked two convoys off the Frisian Islands . Some eight assorted groups of fighters intercepted , among them III . / JG 1 , who claimed seven bombers , Leesmann responsible for one of them . III . / JG 1 lost two pilots including Adjutant " Oberleutnant " Friedrich Hardt , and three pilots were injured . The weather on 25 July was so poor that two bomber formations of VIII Bomber Command selected their secondary target and a third abandoned its mission . III . / JG 1 downed three bombers , but lost Leesmann , who crashed into the North Sea along with his 37th victim . Next day , the bombers went after rubber factories in Hannover , along with Hamburg U - Boat Yards . " Feldwebel " Alfred Miksch of 8 . / JG 1 and Hauptmann Robert Olejnik of III . / JG 1 each claimed one bomber . 30 July 1943 was the last day of what was dubbed " Blitz Week " . Mission No . 80 targeted the Fieseler factory in Kassel . III . / JG 1 did scrambled until the bombers had bombed and were returning , and , along with III . / JG 11 , intercepted the bombers near the Dutch border over Emmerich am Rhein . They were unexpectedly confronted by one hundred USAAF P - 47 Thunderbolt s and III . / JG 1 had three Bf 109G aircraft damaged , of which two were beyond repair . " Leutnant " Wintergerst of 9 . / JG 1 shot down one P - 47 , the first P - 47 lost in the " Defence of Reich " campaign . The 56th Fighter Group and 78th Fighter Group recorded the loss of one fighter each . Two bombers were also shot down . On 12 August 1943 , 330 B - 17s bombed targets in Western Germany , escorted for the first time by P - 47s with drop tanks . II . / JG 1 had six Fw 190s force - land and another six suffered heavy damage , losing one pilot . On 8 October 1943 , JG 1 lost high scoring ace " Oberstleutnant " Hans Philipp , killed by the P - 47 fighters of the 56th Fighter Group . The " geschwaderstab " heard Philipp announce a victory over a Thunderbolt , and his last transmission was to wingman " Oberfeldwebel " Reinhardt , stating " Reinhardt , attack ! " . . Reinhardt last saw Philipp ' s aircraft disappear into a cloud . Reinhardt was wounded after colliding with an enemy aircraft , but made a successful forced landing . II . / JG 1 were reinforced with several " experten " at this time , including " Hauptmann " Karl - Heinz Weber ( 136 kills in 500 + missions with 7 . / JG 51 ) " Oberleutenant " Friedrich Krakowitzer ( 23 kills by June 1944 ) and Obfw . Günther Heckmann ( 12 kills ) . It was during late 1943 that Walter Oesau was appointed " Kommodore " of JG 1 . On 28 December 1943 , 6 . / JG 1 lost " Unteroffizier " Gerhard Hartwig and Rudolf Wezulek over Mesum and " Oberfeldwebel " Werner Essinger bailing out over Burgsteinfurt . " Hauptmann " Hans - Georg Hackbarth , who had joined JG 1 on 15 November was promoted to replace Hans Ehlers in I . / JG 1 , killed on 22 December 1943 . D - Day and beyond 1944 . Major Hans - Günther von Kornatzki had formed an experimental unit to evaluate new methods of bomber attack . " Sturmstaffel " 1 consisted entirely of volunteers trained to engage the enemy bombers in extremely close quarters , utilising specially armed and up - armored Fw 190 ' s ( so - called " Sturmböcke " ) or Battering Rams ) . These were intended to attack the bombers from the rear in tight arrowhead formations , closing to extreme close range , as replacements for the formerly - dedicated " Zerstörer " twin - engined heavy fighters , which themselves were being shot down in ever - increasing numbers by Allied escort fighters . In January 1944 , the 18 " Staffel " unit was transferred to Dortmund where they were subordinated to Major Rudolf - Emil Schnoor and his I . / JG 1 . By January 1944 , II . / JG 1 was based in Northern Germany as a " Defence of the Reich " ( " Reichsverteidigung " ) unit under " Hauptmann " Walter Höckner ( 62 kills ) . Over the following few months II . / JG 1 now had three noted " experts " transferred in ; " Hauptmann " Hermann Segatz ( 33 kills ) , " Oberleutnant " Georg - Peter Eder ( 33 kills ) and Major Heinz Bär ( 179 kills ) . " Oberleutnant " Georg - Peter Eder was assigned as " Staffelkapitän " of 6 . / JG 1 on 15 March 1944 , after recovering from wounds suffered while serving with JG 2 . On 4 February 1944 " Hauptmann " Hermann Segatz replaced " Hauptmann " Walter Hoeckner as commander of II . / JG 1 . Although Major Bär had led I . / JG 77 , his out spoken criticism of the " Luftwaffe " leadership led " Reichsmarschall " Göring to demote him to Staffelkapitän leading an operation training group . He was transferred on 21 January 1944 to 6 . / JG 1 as an ordinary pilot . Walter Oesau welcomed him with assurances to High Command that Bär would not have command responsibilities . Oesau however managed to utilize Bär ' s skills as formation leader after the death of Segatz on 8 March 1944 , and Bär was appointed as acting commander of II . / JG 1 . On 24 February 1944 , the Eighth Air Force attempted to repeat the success of 20 February . 1st and 2nd Divisions flew due east towards Germany and the 3rd Division east - northeast without escort . After crossing into Schleswig - Holstein they attacked targets along the Baltic sea coast . The 1st and 2nd Divisions were considered to be the main thrust of the attack and the 3rd Division went unmolested . The B - 24 bombers of the 2nd Division were scheduled to bomb Gotha and JG 1 were directed to attack these B - 24s . Due to strong tailwinds and flying at lower altitude , the bombers were separated from their escorting fighters and JG 1 reached Gotha before the bombers . Major Heinz Bär led II . / JG 1 in a diving attack and claimed four B - 24s while I . / JG 1 attacked head - on and claimed five B - 24s downed . At the time an " assembly directive " in place dictated that the senior pilot landing at any fighter airfield would assume command of all other fighter pilots ( irrespective of unit ) landing on that airfield with a serviceable aircraft . This enabled large ad - hoc formations of fighters to be quickly thrown back into the battle . JG 1 ' s Walter Oesau led one such attack with improvised command . On 6 March 1944 , Jimmy Doolittle ordered 730 bombers to bomb Berlin for the first time . They were escorted by 644 fighters from 8th Air Force , 9th Air Force and the RAF . The Commander of I . " Jagdkorps " requested and received reinforcements from II . " Jagdkorps " and 7 Jagd - Division . Oesau led Stab . / JG 1 and I . / JG 1 , Major Bär led II . / JG 1 , and accompanied by I . / JG 11 and III . / JG 54 they initially intercepted sixteen B - 17s of 100th Bomb Group who were escorted by P - 47s of the 78th Group . Ten B - 17s went down in the first wave , and in several waves of attacks on the bombers from multiple directions most of the pilots ended up exhausting their ammunition , resulting in twenty bombers being shot down in the 25 minutes before the escorting P - 47s arrived . During the first half of 1944 , Allied attacks on railway networks had thoroughly frustrated " Reichsmarschall " Hermann Göring . Göring was not at all happy with the inability to stop the bombing , and he questioned the commitment of several fighter wing leaders who were not flying and personally leading their units on a regular basis . On 11 May 1944 , 1 , 000 B - 17 and B - 24 bombers of the 8th Air Force attacked vital railway networks in north east Belgium and eastern France , escorted by an even greater number of fighters . Oesau was sick and in bed at the time but , angered by Göring ' s insinuations , took off with two other fighters of the Headquarters Flight in his " Green 12 " Bf 109 . There are various versions regarding his death . One version suggested that his wingman reported damage and was asked to break off . Alone over the Ardennes , he was engaged by at least four escorting P - 38 s or possibly by P - 51 s . In the ensuing 20 minute dogfight , he was killed crashing near St . Vith . In his memory , " Jagdgeschwader " 1 was granted the " Oesau " suffix . Bär was transferred to JG 3 on 21 May 1944 , having claimed 23 victories in four months with II . / JG 1 , replaced by " Oberleutnant " Georg - Peter Eder . " Hauptmann " Weber was appointed to command III . / JG 1 on 7 June 1944 . The wing had served almost exclusively in North Germany and the Netherlands until now , when it was transferred to Central and Western Germany before moving to France , providing air cover over the Army ( " Wehrmacht " ) during the Battle of Normandy . On D - Day , II . / JG 1 received orders to transfer west from their base near Störmede . 32 Fw 190A - 8s took off under the command of " Oberleutnant " Eder , and headed for Essay . By late afternoon all the aircraft landed at Montdidier . News that their original destination had been bombed meant a diversion to Le Mans . The newly added " Staffel " 7 . / JG 51 ( later 8 . / JG 1 ) was attacked by Mustangs near Le Mans , Lt . Johann Brünnler being shot down and killed . I . / JG 1 and II . / JG 1 , along with II . / JG 53 , were based at Le Mans with a complement of 100 Fw 190s and Bf 109s . The next day saw the notable loss of " Hauptmann " Karl - Heinz Weber , commander of III . / JG 1 who was shot down and killed by Mustangs . It was from Le Mans that JG 1 started to perform fighter - bomber ( " Jagdbomber " or " Jabo " ) missions , even though I . nor II . / JG 1 had any specialised training . On 8 June 1944 both " gruppen " were sent off on ground - attack missions . 25 Fw 190s of II . / JG 1 attacked Allied shipping off the Normandy coast unmolested . RAF aircraft bombed Le Mans airfield on the night of 9 June , resulting in II . / JG 1 losing seven aircraft and five damaged . " Oberleutnant " Rüdiger von Kirchmayr flew back to 4 . / JG 1 after hospitalization on 12 June in Störmede , and en route he was attacked by Spitfires over Flers , claiming an unconfirmed kill as a result . There was a follow - up bombing attack on 15 June resulting in a loss of two more Fw 190s . On 15 June 1944 , " Feldwebel " Günther Henschel of 8 . / JG 1 downed a Mustang north of Caen . One Fw 190 was downed without human loss . On 16 June 1944 , II . / JG 1 moved its complement of 25 Fw 190s to Essay and was tasked with defending the skies over the beaches of Normandy . During the transfer , 8 . / JG 1 , was probably attacked by the P - 51s of the 354th Fighter Wing , near Alençon . JG 1 lost three pilots and one mechanic riding passenger , and also lost were two other aircraft without human loss with a claiming of two P - 51s downed credited to " Lt . " Friedrich Krakowitzer ( 24th kill ) and " Oberfeldwebel " Günther Heckmann ( 13th kill ) . The base at Essay was bombed the same day by B - 24 Liberators , making the airfield unsuitable for missions . This prompted a transfer to a landing ground at Semallé , south - east of Alençon . As the unit was establishing itself here , they came under fresh attack from Mustangs , which shot up the airfield , destroying 15 Fw 190s and putting II . / JG 1 out of the battle . Around 11 non - operational Fw 190s were also destroyed – resulting in the final losses of II . / JG 1 in Normandy . In ten weeks in Normandy , II . / JG 1 had lost 27 pilots , 3 captured and 2 wounded . A total of 106 aircraft were lost for various reasons . On 17 August 1944 , II . / JG 1 transferred back to Reinsehlen , Germany , for training and re - equipping with the new Heinkel He 162 " Spatz " lightweight jet fighters . On 21 November , 1 , 149 bombers and 858 fighters of the 8th Air Force attacked the Merseburg oil yard . In poor flying conditions , many of the new inexperienced pilots of I . / JG 1 were lost , some 20 aircraft being shot down . I . / JG 1 was then assigned to support preparations for the Ardennes counter - offensive , which would restart the Battle of the Bulge Providing air support to the army in the Bastogne area was as hard for II . / JG 1 , losing several experienced pilots . On 26 December 1944 , " Leutnant " Horst Ertmann , " Oberfeldwebel " Georg Hutter and " Oberfeldwebel " Reinhard Flecks of 5 . / JG 11 and 6 . / JG 11 were all lost . Other pilots lost included " Unteroffizier " Ferdinand Nüsse and Johann Ruburg and " Leutnant " Heinz Fresia , " Oberführer " Paul Brühl and " Oberführer " Helmut Bullenkampof 8 . / JG 1 . Operation Bodenplatte . In late 1944 , the " Luftwaffe " Operation " Bodenplatte " with the aim of crippling Allied tactical air forces based in the Low Countries , and thus reviving the bogged - down progress of the " Wehrmacht " during the Battle of the Bulge . The operation was launched on New Year ' s Day , 1945 . JG 1 participated in this action with orders to destroy as many enemy aircraft on the ground as possible . Although a large number of allied aircraft were destroyed , the " Luftwaffe " lost a large number of pilots that were irreplaceable . JG 1 ' s targets included : JG 1 lost ten pilots killed , seven missing and eight captured . During a fight with No . 308 Squadron Spitfires , by Flight Sergeant Józef Stanowski engaged " Hauptmann " Georg Hackbarth ( 30 kills ) and his Fw 190A - 8 crashed near St . Pieters railway station , his body being thrown clear of the wreckage . " Fw . " Karl Hahn was also shot down by Stanowski , as was " Feldwebel " Harry Klints ' I . / JG 1 Fw 190 " Green 5 " which crashed near Zwijnaarde . Flying Officer Tadeusz Szlenkier also claimed the Fw 190 piloted by Klints . Szlenkier in turn was attacked and crash - landed . However , Stanowski had to crash - land due to lack of fuel . As No . 308 Squadron returned to base they shot down four more of the I . / JG 1 fighters . It was then that II . / JG 1 arrived . " Fw . " Edger Ardner of 5 . / JG 1 was engaged by two Spitfires and shot down , bailing out and taken prisoner . No . 317 Squadron then joined the " mêlée " upon arrival . Warrant Officer Stanisław Piesik shot down another Fw 190 . One eye witness account suggested some of the downed JG 1 pilots faced the wrath of Belgium civilians , citing that the body of one of the pilots was stripped and attacked by an angry mob . Another pilot , " Unteroffizier " Fritz Hoffman , barely escaped by surrendering to Allied forces after being shot down by Flight Lieutenant Czesław Mroczyk of 317 Squadron . " Feldwebel " Paul Mayr and " Leutnant " Ernst Von Johannides were also shot down by No . 317 Squadron . In turn , Flight Lieutenant Tadeusz Powierza was shot down and killed . Another Allied pilot crash - landed after downing a German aircraft . Pilot Officer Andrzej Dromlewicz was credited for downing another German aircraft and Flight Lieutenant Mach shot down another German aircraft after a chase at ground level . Another German Fw 190 was shot down by his wing man , Warrant Officer Stanisław Bednarczyk . The remaining pilots of I . / JG 1 and II . / JG 1 started their homeward journey , some of whom , like " Fw . " Paul Wunderlich , were downed by enemy flak . They also came under fire from friendly flak , downing even more pilots . In all , JG 1 claimed 32 Spitfires , one B - 17 and one Short Stirling on the ground . However , RAF records state only 13 Spitfires were destroyed , with 8 shot down in aerial combat . Just 4 were listed as lost in aerial engagements with JG 1 . Defence of the Reich 1945 . After the disastrous losses of Operation " Bodenplatte " , and failing to maintain air superiority over the Ardennes area , a severely weakened II . / JG 1 transferred to Insterburg in East Prussia ( modern Chernyakhovsk in Russia ) . I . / JG 1 faced British fighters over Hengelo - Twente on 14 January 1945 . JG 1 lost 12 pilots with 7 being killed , 3 wounded and 2 missing . Spitfires shot down the entire 1 . and 2 . staffels of JG 1 at Twente airport as they took off ( for the loss of two ) . Ihlefeld threatened to court martial Major G . Capito , the new leader of I . / JG 1 , for such a disastrous loss but was unable to during the transferring to the Eastern front . In Poland JG 1 were briefly assigned to " Luftflotte Reich " ( the Air Fleet assigned to defend what was left of Germany from the final Allied offensives ) . It was during this time that the unit began converting to the new jet - propelled Heinkel He 162A " " Volksjäger " " . I . / JG 1 started training on the new jet aircraft in March 1945 . Some 12 pilots were killed in accidents flying the new unfamiliar fighter . I . / JG 1 had moved back to Parchim , performing " Defence of the Reich " duties , and one of the bases of the pioneering German jet fighter wing , JG 7 . Since this was not far from Rostock - Marienehe , where the Heinkel factory was located , it was easier for the pilots of I . / JG 1 to pick up the new jets . However , with Germany on the brink of collapse , transportation and fuel supply was getting difficult with the increased Allied air attacks . On 7 April 1945 , 134 B - 17 Flying Fortresses bombed the field at Parchim . In two days , I . / JG 1 relocated to a nearby airfield at Ludwigslust . They moved again a week later to Leck . Around this time , II . / JG 1 had moved to airfield at Marienehe and also started taking delivery of the He 162 . These new jet aircraft would never see widespread combat with JG 1 due to their late introduction and a shortage of pilots , aircraft and fuel . JG 1 could no longer field their full complement or effectively fly operations as required . The new He 162 had about 30 minutes worth of fuel . This endurance was simply not enough , and at least two JG 1 pilots were killed making Deadstick landing after exhausting their fuel . By April , I . / JG 1 had scored a number of kills , but at the cost of 13 He 162s and 10 pilots . The losses were mostly attributed to issues with the He 162 such as engine flame - outs or occasional structural failures , which can most probably be attributed to poor design and insufficient development time . On 24 April 1945 , III . / JG 1 was disbanded . On 19 April at least one He 162 of 3 . / JG 1 fell victim to a Hawker Tempest of 222 Squadron . " Leutnant " Gerhard Steimer wrote : " We took off from the concrete runway in Leck , Kirchner ( Fhj . Fw Günther Kirchner ) stayed 30 metres behind me on my right side as usual ; . . . We climbed up to about 200 metres , when suddenly two Thunderbolts appeared behind us and instantly shot down Günther Kirchner ' s plane . I saw him jettison canopy and catapult but his parachute did not deploy . I was very lucky that the Thunderbolts did not press on with another attack . " The combat matches an account by Flight Lieutenant G . Walkington of 222 Squadron who reported shooting down an unusual looking German aircraft while on armed reconnaissance in the area . This was the first loss of an He 162 in combat . Dissolution . On 30 April 1945 , II . / JG 1 was combined with I . / JG 1 at Leck to form two new groups ( " Gruppen " ) : I . ( Einsatz ) / JG 1 and II . ( Sammel ) / JG 1 ; a combined total of about 50 pilots and aircraft . On 4 May 1945 , all of JG 1 ' s surviving He - 162s were formed into a special consolidated " Intervention groups " ( " Einsatzgruppen " ) . However on 5 May 1945 , the war ended and there was a ceasefire which , effectively grounded the He 162s . Surviving JG 1 crews collectively turned their He 162s over to the Allies . Notable successes and losses . One of the most famous group commanders ( " Gruppenkommandeure " ) of JG 1 was Major Heinz " Pritzl " Bär , before he was promoted as wing commander of JG 3 . Credited with 220 kills , Bär was the 8th ranking aerial " Ace " of all time . Other notable aces were " Oberstleutnant " Georg - Peter Eder , the highest - scoring " Luftwaffe " ace against the USAAF , who would go on to become a " jet ace " , scoring at least 12 and possibly 24 victories in an Me 262 while serving with " Kommando Nowotny " and JG 7 . The Gruppe ' s 700th victory occurred on 29 April 1944 , credited to " Oberlt . " von Kirchmayr as his 15th kill . There were several high - scoring pilots associated with JG 1 . For example , Alfred Grislawski had a score of 134 to his name , Georg - Peter Eder had 78 , and Walter Oesau had 127 confirmed prior to his death . However , losses were also high . Five of the fourteen Group commanders ( " Gruppenkommandeure " ) of II . / JG 1 were killed in action while serving with II . / JG 1 . The notable losses were " Oberleutnant " Rohwer , and " Hauptmanns " Kijewski , Wickop , Seegatz and Dähne . During early 1944 , prior to D - Day , II . / JG 1 was led by one of its four experienced formation commanders . These were " Hauptmann " Segatz , Major Bär , and " Oberleutnants " von Kirchmayr and Eder . Yet the unit suffered heavy losses ( along with most other wings in the West ) of 48 pilots killed , 23 wounded , and 158 aircraft destroyed for 164 confirmed victories . Of these , 119 were USAAF four - engined bombers . Significantly , the highly experienced and irreplaceable experts were among the losses . The most notable loss of II . / JG 1 was its " Kommandeur " , " Hauptmann " Seegatz ( KIA 8 March 1944 , 40 kills ) . The Group also lost seven experienced team leaders ( " Rottenführer " ) and flight leaders ( " Schwarmführer " ) . When 8 . / JG 1 ( originally 7 . / JG 51 ) was transferred from Eastern front , it had 15 pilots in May 1944 . By August , twelve pilots had been killed , one captured and another severely wounded ; only " Lieutenant " Günther Heckmann was the sole pilot remaining . The " Luftwaffe " units committed to battle after the D - Day landings suffered further catastrophic losses against the overwhelming numbers of allied fighters present . In the ten weeks of action following D - Day , II . / JG 1 lost 106 aircraft ( 41 in air combat ) and 30 pilots , for just 32 air claims . Many experienced and irreplaceable " Experte " were killed during this time . " Hauptmann " Karl - Heinz Weber , " Gruppenkommandeur " of III . / JG 1 ( 136 claims ) was killed in action against Polish Wing Mustangs on 7 June 1944 , north of Paris , while on 17 June 1944 , " Leutnant " ' Toni ' Piffer ( 35 claims ) was shot down and killed in aerial combat with USAAF fighters over La Cordonnerie . On 16 June 1944 , while 8 . / JG 1 was moving from Le Mans to Essay , France came under attack by the P - 51s of 354th Fighter Wing , near Alençon . In the ensuing dogfight , 8 . / JG 1 lost three pilots and one mechanic riding passenger . Those were " Uffz . " Günther Henschel , " Uffz . " Franz Zechner , and " Feldwebel " Helmuth Heidemann . The mechanic was " Uffz . " Herbert Redlich . Also lost were two other aircraft without loss of life . Total pilot losses in World War II were 464 killed in action , 174 wounded , 94 killed in accidents , and 16 POW . Commanding officers . Wing Commanders ( Geschwaderkommodore ) . Originally JG 1 was formed as a single Group I . / JG 1 in 1938 . A full wing was formed only in November 1939 . The first Wing Commander was Schumacher . Group Commanders ( Gruppenkommandeure ) . I . / JG 1 . Originally JG 1 was formed only as a single group I . / JG 1 under Woldenga . That group was re - designated as III . / JG 27 . JG 1 thus temporarily ceased to exist . It was reactivated 7 months later under Schumacher in November 1939 . But a formal I . / JG 1 came to exist in September 1941 . III . / JG 1 . In April 1943 , III . / JG 1 was re - designated as I . / JG 11 . A new group was added to JG 1 as III . / JG 1 based on Operation squadrons of Fighter schools . IV . / JG 1 . IV . / JG 1 was re - designated as I . / JG 1 in April 1943 . Afterward there was no IV . / JG 1 added to JG 1 and JG 1 continued to exist as three group wing until its dissolution .