I./JG 52 began combat operations over the Channel on August 2, 1940 and was joined four days later by pilots from II./JG 52. The first clash with the RAF fighters that took place on August 11 was a success for the crews of I./JG 52: they claimed four enemy aircraft destroyed without losses. The combat debut of II./JG 52 in the skies over England was, in contrast, an utter catastrophe: on August 12, 1940 the unit lost three pilots to enemy action without scoring a single kill. The first victory claimed by the Gruppe (a kill scored by Ofw. Erich Francke from 5./JG 52 on August 14, 1940) was no consolation indeed, as three more Luftwaffe pilots went down in the same fight resulting in II./JG 52 being withdrawn from combat operations over the English Channel just four days later.
On August 26, 1940 I./JG 52 added five more kills to the unit’s tally, but the victory was bitter-sweet as five of the Gruppe’s pilots were lost in the fight. It was not until August 31,1940 that I./JG 52 aircrews could celebrate a genuine success: on that day ten enemy aircraft were downed for a loss of a single Luftwaffe pilot. The lucky streak continued into the first half of September 1940. During that time I./JG 52 claimed 21 enemy aircraft destroyed for a loss of six of its own pilots. On September 15, 1940, remembered today as the Battle of Britain Day, the fighters of I./JG 52 fought over London and shot down eight RAF aircraft. One of the Luftwaffe pilots was also downed in the fight and became a POW. The pilots of I./JG 52 were again involved in major fighting on September 24, 1940 and added seven more kills to their tally without own losses.
On September 27, 1940 the aircraft from I. and II./JG 52 (the latter had returned to France just a week before) took part in a joint operation over the Channel. The crews of I./JG 52 shot down five enemy fighters losing a single aircrew in the process, while their sister Gruppe scored three kills for a loss of as many as five of their own. All men survived and became British POWs, while the sixth member of II./JG 52 suffered wounds, but managed to bail out safely and later returned to the unit.
At the end of October 1940 I./JG 52 was withdrawn from France having scored 72 air-to-air kills for a loss of 25 aircrew. II./JG 52 remained in France until June 9, 1941. By that time the unit had scored 25 kills and had lost 24 pilots killed or captured by the enemy.
Operations over the North Sea: December 27, 1940 – September 23, 1941
After a period of rest in Germany I./JG 52 went back into action on December 27, 1940, this time operating from Katwijkaan Zee and tasked with air defense of the Dutch, Danish and German North Sea coasts. It was not until February 15, 1941 that the unit first mixed it up with the RAF fighters and shot down three enemy aircraft. In the spring of 1941 individual Staffeln of I./JG 52 operated from a number of bases strewn along the North Sea coast. Between April and September 1941 the Gruppe’s tally grew by 41 air-to-air kills. Three of the unit’s pilots were killed in action and one became a POW.
Operations in the Balkans: October 15, 1940 – June 12, 1941
After the horrendous losses suffered during the Battle of Britain III./JG 52 was first transferred to Germany and then deployed to Romania, where its aircrews were tasked with protecting oilfields and providing combat training for members of Romanian air force in anticipation of war against the Soviet Russia. When combat operations against Yugoslavia and Greece began on April 6, 1941 the unit was forced to hand over a number of its own aircraft to other Luftwaffe outfits to compensate for combat attrition. On May 27, 1941 the aircrews of III./JG 52 began their Balkans campaign by providing fighter cover for German airborne assault on Crete. The Luftwaffe pilots encountered no enemy aircraft over the island.
The Russian offensive: June 22, 1941 – December 5,1941
When operation Barbarossa was launched II./JG 52 had already been deployed on the Eastern Front under operational subordination to JG 27, while III./JG 52 was still in Romania. Operating from Sobolevo airfield near Suwalki II./JG 52 went into action on the first day of the invasion and dispatched 16 enemy aircraft. One Luftwaffe pilot suffered wounds in the fighting. Two days later, on June 24, the fighters of III./JG 52 shot down 12 Soviet aircraft over Constanza for a loss of a single aircraft. More kills were added over the next two days: five enemy aircraft were claimed on June 25 and as many as 18 on June 26, 1941 – all without a single loss! III./JG 52 continued to operate over Romania until the end of July providing vital air cover for the port of Constanza and other strategic areas. By the time they were done fourteen more Soviet aircraft (mainly DB-3 and SB-2 bombers) fell victim to their guns. The unit lost only two aircrews killed in the fighting.
