Schlachtgeschwader 1 " Schlachtgeschwader " 1 ( SchlG 1 , since 1943 rather SG 1 ) was a German ground - attack wing during World War II . The first formation was on 13 January 1942 , from the II . ( Schl ) / Lehrgeschwader 2 , initially with two " Gruppen " each made of four " Staffeln " . The second formation was on 18 October 1943 , by renaming the existing Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 ( StG 1 ) . The new unit ' s name became abbreviated simply SG 1 . The first formation . " Schlachtgeschwader " 1 of the " Luftwaffe " was formed on 13 January 1942 at Werl . I / SchlG 1 was outfitted with Messerschmitt Bf 109E - 7 s . As of II / SchlG 1 , the 5th and 6th " Staffeln " were equipped with Henschel Hs 129B - 1 s , and the 7th " Staffel " with Henschel Hs 123 As . The 7th " Staffel " took over the aircraft of the 8th " Staffel " in April 1942 . In the same month , the training was completed , and the wing was ordered to the Crimea for duty with " IV Fliegerkorps " , " Luftflotte 4 " . The 4th " Staffel " and the 8th " Staffel " , while formally part of SchlG 1 , operated independently . Crimea 1942 - 3 . After arrival operations started with ground attack missions in the Eastern Crimea in May 1942 , and then over the Izyum Salient southeast of Kharkov to the end of the month . Outfitted with Bf 109E - 7s , I / SchlG 1 was based at Itshki - Grammatikovo , the Gruppe was assigned to VIII Fliegerkorps for support of 11th Army ' s in the Kerch Peninsula . Attacks were carried out against Soviet positions along the front , on troop and supply columns immediately behind the front . Such was the effect that that German infantry assault units were able to break through the forward defenses on 8 May , the first day of the attack , and took the town of Kerch on 15 May . Losses to the Gruppe were two Bf 109E - 7s on 11 May , both shot down by AA fire . Three Hs 129B - 1s were shot down by AA fire on 23 May . Altogether SchlG 1 flew nearly 1 , 500 sorties during May 1942 with a 1 , 000 - plus missions with the Bf 109E , 259 with the Hs 123 and some 180 with the new Hs 129A . The unit later moved to Tatsinskaya in July and Tusov in August to support the 6th Army during the drive to the Don , and later Stalingrad , which began on June 25 . Few losses were recorded during intense action , but I / SchlG 1 did lose two Bf 109E - 7s , one shot down over Voronezh and the other on the Don on 4 July . II " Gruppe " was temporarily split up during this period with the " Staffeln " operating independently on the central sector of the front . 6th " Staffel " lost two Hs 129B - 1s to AA on 28 June and three Hs 123As from 7th " Staffel " were lost northeast of Kursk on 29 June . The rapid advance of the German forces resulted in rapid transfers though the summer . Autumn losses in the Stalingrad area were very light . Around mid - August 1942 , a further move was made to Tusov which became the home base for the I Gruppe until late November . North Africa . 5th " Staffel " was transferred to East Prussia in October to rest and refit with the Hs 129B - 2 . It departed for North Africa on 5 November 1942 and arrived in Tunis on 29 November . It flew its first combat mission the next day against British tanks and vehicle columns near Tebourba , followed by numerous missions over the next month . It was renamed 8 . ( Pz ) / SchlG 2 in January 1943 . A few weeks later , the new 5 . / SchlG 1 was formed in Germany , equipped with the Fw 190 . The retreat in Russia . The Soviet counter - offensive at Stalingrad erupted on 19 November 1942 causing surprise and mayhem . On 22 November I / SchlG 1 was forced to blow up several its unserviceable Bf 109E - 7s , just days after the start of the Soviet counter - offensive that eventually encircled the German 6th Army . The unit was forced to abandon its base at Oblivskaya on 26 November and withdraw to the west . II " Gruppe " also began a maximum effort around Stalingrad at the cost of at least eight Hs 129Bs , Hs 123As and Bf 109Es lost in ground attack missions or blown up to prevent capture by the on - coming Russians . Four Bf 109E - 7s of I " Gruppe " were lost in December , two to Soviet fighters , as I / SchlG 1 was forced back to Millerovo . On 31 December the 3 . Staffel lost " Staffelkapitän " Oblt . Josef Graf von und zu Hönsbröck , killed by ground fire . By 22 December what was left of II / SG 1 had also been pulled back , to Voroshilovgrad . In 1942 II " Gruppe " had flown 3 , 128 Hs 129 sorties , 1 , 532 Hs 123 sorties , and 1 , 938 Bf 109 sorties , claimed 107 aircraft shot down or destroyed , and lost 20 Hs 129s , 16 Bf 109s , and 5 Hs 123s to enemy action . During early 1943 the staff was located in the Donets Basin area , two Bf 109E - 7s from 2nd " Staffel " being lost to enemy fire on 10 February . On 16 February , the Soviets recaptured Kharkov and the Germans counter - attacked to retake the city two weeks later . SG 1 supported , and as soon as the city was again under German control it moved to Kharkov - North on 14 March . The SG 1 continued operations during the spring and summer while converting to the Focke Wulf Fw 190 . The conversion of I " Gruppe " was completed by the end of April , though several Bf 109s remained on strength . II " Gruppe " converted to the Fw 190A - 5 which was completed by early March , transferring to central Ukraine for a month of training before moving back to the front in April 1943 . The ground attack missions in support of the cut - off 17th Army in the Kuban bridgehead were intense and costly , as the Soviet Air Force outnumbered the Luftwaffe four - to - one and large numbers of AA guns were present in the area . 7 Fw 190A - 5s of II " Gruppe " were shot down in May 1943 , most falling to AA fire . June also saw the first arrivals of the new heavily armoured Fw 190F - 3 aircraft . Kursk 1943 . Participating in the Operation " Zitadelle " during July 1943 , the I / SchlG 1 was ordered north to Orel to pin down the Soviet counter - offensive . Non - stop operations between 8 July and 2 August saw I " Gruppe " loss of eight Fw 190s to AA fire , including one piloted by Obstlt . Horst - Wilhelm Hossfeld , a general staff officer on 17 July . II / SchlG 1 did not get involved in heavy fighting until the Russian spearheads began to close around in early August . As the Soviets advanced , Orel fell on 4 August and I " Gruppe " was forced back , to Bryansk . By September the " Gruppe " was shifted to the northern Ukraine to support defence of Kiev . Hptm . Johannes Meinecke , " Staffelkapitän " of the 1st " Staffel " , was killed by AA fire near Mutino on 4 September 1943 . Three Fw 190F - 3s were lost on 27 September and another F - 3 and on 6 October a Fw 190A - 6 was shot down , killing the new " Staffelkapitän " of 1st " Staffel " Hptm . Josef Menapace . On 13 October , two more Fw 190F - 3s were shot down by Soviet fighters . II / SchlG 1 was forced to withdraw to the west to Kiev - South . Losses in September and October were relatively light , averaging one aircraft per week . Independent 4 . ( Pz ) / SchlG 1 . The 4th " Staffel " was formed in January 1942 as a component of II / SchlG 1 with Bf 109Es provided by the disbanded II ( Schl . ) / LG 2 . It operated as an independent , autonomous unit for much of its existence . It flew under VIII " Fliegerkorps " after receiving 16 of the new Henschel Hs 129 B - 1 . Commencing operations on 7 May 1942 the unit attacked various ground targets , shot down an Polikarpov I - 16 fighter and destroyed some 40 other aircraft during low - level strafing attacks on enemy airfields in Eastern Crimea . In mid - May the " Staffel " moved with the rest of II " Gruppe " and took part in the heavy fighting to the south and south - east of Kharkov . In early June the aircraft were fitted with the new MK - 101 30 mm cannon ' underbelly ' pack , and first went into action against Soviet tanks retreating along the Don River . Their first loss was a Hs 129 on 6 July . Following the Soviet counter - offensive at Stalingrad the " Staffel " was deployed west of Stalingrad . After withdrawing to Stalino it was re - equipped with the new Hs 129B - 2 and transferred to Stalino - North during April . The Staffel supported the German ground forces on the Taman Peninsula , south west of Rostov . In June 1943 the staffel was sent back to Germany , to be fitted with the new 30 mm MK - 103 armour - piercing cannon , ready for the upcoming Operation Zitadelle . Losses were heavy in July with 7 Hs 129B - 2s falling to AA fire . The Staffel then assisted in the defence against the Soviet counter - attack towards Orel of 13 July . The unit moved to Poltava at the end of August . 6 aircraft were lost in September as the Staffel retreated through central Ukraine . Independent 8 . ( Pz ) / SchlG 1 . Although 8 . ( Pz ) / SchlG 1 was officially a " Staffel " of I / SchlG 1 from January 1942 , it operated independently . It returned to Germany in April 1942 , and re - equipped with Bf 109E - 7s , and their Hs 123 biplanes turned over to 7th Staffel . After its conversion to the Hs 129 in January 1943 it was categorized as a " tank - buster " unit . 8 . ( Pz ) / SchlG 1 returned to southern Russia in February 1943 . By April it was sent to the North Caucasus to support the Kuban bridgehead . Very heavy losses were suffered in the fighting over Kuban , nine aircraft being lost by the end of May . 8 . ( Pz ) / SchlG 1 withdrew the southern Ukraine in June 1943 to re - equip . In July , the " Staffel " was deployed for Operation Zitadelle , the German offensive against the Kursk salient . Losses were again heavy as the " Staffel " attacked Soviet armour east of Kursk . The unit was ordered to Orel - West on 15 July to counter the powerful attack toward Orel which begun two days earlier . In September 1943 , the " Staffel " was committed in the rear - guard fighting between Kharkov and Kiev . After losing five Hs 129s that month , it moved to Kiev . Disbanding and the second formation . SchlG 1 gradually withdrew to become fully stationed in Kiev in October 1943 . On 18 October 1943 , the " Stab " ( staff ) was disbanded and the personnel used to form the staffs of IV / SG 9 , NSGr 3 , and NSGr 7 . Both " Gruppen " moved to other formations : the I / SchlG 1 was renamed the II / SG 77 , except for the 1st " Staffel " which was disbanded and incorporated into the other " Staffeln " , and the II / SchlG 1 was renamed the II / SG 2 , with 5th " Staffel " becoming 8th " Staffel " and the others retaining their numbers . At the same time the independent " Staffeln " also became renamed : the 4 . ( Pz ) / SchlG 1 was renamed to the 10 . ( Pz ) / SG 9 , and the 8 . ( Pz ) / SchlG 1 was renamed 11 . ( Pz ) / SG 9 .