Having seen action on all fronts of World War 2, JG 52 would go on to become the most successful fighter unit of all times boasting well over 10 000 air-to-air kills. Among its members were over seventy Knight’s Cross recipients and the three highest scoring aces of the Luftwaffe: Erich Hartmann, Gerhard Barkhorn and Günther Rall.
The unit’s early days: November 1, 1938 – September 1, 1939
November 1, 1938 saw the establishment of I./JG 433 at Ingolstadt-Manching under the command of Hptm. Dietrich Graf von Pfeilund Klein-Ellguth. The new unit was initially equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109 D-1 fighters, but in March 1939 it took delivery of its first E-1 models. On April 20, 1939 I./JG 433 moved to Böblingen where it was re-designated I./JG 52 on May 1, 1939. After an intensive work-up period the unit deployed to Bonn-Hangelar on August 29,1939 with a task of protecting Germany’s western borders during the imminent invasion of France.
Back at Böblingen airfield Stab/JG 52 was stood up on August 19, 1939 with Maj. Hubert Merhart von Bernegg as the CO.
On September 13, 1939 the existing 4., 5. and 6. Staffeln JG 52 were merged into
II./JG 52, whose first commander was Hptm. Hans-Günther von Kornatzki.
The last JG 52 Gruppe to be formed was III./JG 52 which was activated at Böblingen on March 1, 1939 under Hptm. Wolf-Heinrich von Houwald. The unit was equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1 and E-3 fighters.
The Phony War: September 3, 1939 – May 9, 1940
On September 3, 1939 Great Britain and France declared war on the German Reich. Within hours of the formal war declaration the aircraft of I. and II./JG 52 launched combat patrols over the western border of Germany. In the late afternoon of September 8, 1939, while on patrol over the Rhine, Lt. Paul Eberhard Gutbrod from 6./JG 52 downed a French reconnaissance aircraft from GAO 553. The ill-fated Mureaux ANF 115 was the first kill of JG 52. The first victory for I./JG 52 was scored by Lt. Hans Berthel on October 6, 1939 when he shot down a LeO 451 near Wachendorf. On October 13, 1939 Lt. Kurt Kirchner from 1./JG 52 dispatched a British Blenheim bomber over Duisburg. By the end of the Phony War the pilots of JG 52 scored six air-to-air kills for a loss of one aircrew killed in action and one wounded.
The Western Campaign: May 5, 1940 – June 25, 1940
May 10, 1940 – the beginning of the invasion of France and the Low Countries – saw JG 52 stationed near Mannheim. Both Geschwaderstab and I. and II. Gruppen were directly subordinated to the V. Fliegerkorps, which was responsible for supporting the left flank of the advancing Armeegruppe A. III./JG 52 was tasked with protecting airspace over the German border. On May 14, 1940 the II./JG 52 crews engaged Allied bombers attacking Wehrmacht troops crossing the Meuse River and claimed no fewer than eleven enemy aircraft destroyed. May 18, 1939 was the day of the baptism of fire for the pilots of III./JG 52. The Luftwaffe fighters shot down four Curtiss Hawk H-75A aircraft, but two of the Messerschmitts suffered serious battle damage and had to make forced landings behind the German lines. It was during that engagement that the future ace, Lt. Günther Rall, scored his first aerial victory. By the end of the war Rall’s tally would stand at 275 air-to-air kills. The only kill claimed by the pilots of I./JG 52 in the French campaign was a Curtiss H-75A downed by Fw. Alfons Bacher from 3./JG 52 on May 26, 1940 near Chatilly. In total, the Geschwader pilots claimed 37 air-to-air kills during the fighting in the West in the spring of 1940.
Combat operations over England: June 26, 1940 – June 9, 1941
After the fall of France the only JG 52 aircraft patrolling the Channel were from the Geschwaderstab. It was not until July 22, 1940 that the aircrews and ground equipment of III./JG 52 arrived at Coquelles airfield. The Gruppe flew its first combat sortie from their new base on July 24, 1940 – a fighter sweep over Kent’s coast. The Germans were bounced by a formation of Spitfires and lost three pilots in quick succession: Gruppenkommandeur. Wolf-Heinrich von Houwald, Staffelkapitän 7./JG 52 Oblt. Herbert Fermer and Gefr. Erich Frank from 7./JG 52. In another sortie launched later that day the CO of 8./JG 52, Oblt. Lothar Ehrlich was shot down and later listed as MIA. The only victory on that day was claimed by Uffz. Josef Zwernemann from 7./JG 52, who would later become an ace with 126 kills to his credit. The Gruppe did not fare much better on the following day, July 25: the unit lost four more pilots to enemy action, including two flight commanders, and claimed only a single air-to-air kill. The pilots from III./JG 52 flew their final sortie over England on July 29,1940 and this time managed to down two RAF fighters without own losses. Having suffered serious losses among its senior commanders, the unit was withdrawn to Leeuwarden on July 7, 1940 and then transferred to Zerbst in Germany.
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.
In the meantime II./JG 52 continued eastwards providing support for Panzergruppe 3 blasting its way across Lithuania in an attempt to assault the Belarusian capital Minsk from the north. The Soviets desperately tried to stop the advancing armor by sending wave after wave of bombers, which, without a proper fighter escort, were sitting ducks to the pilots from II./JG 52. By the end of June II./JG 52 had added 13 more kills to its tally. Fighting became much more intense in the first week of July: between July 1 and July 7, 1941 the Luftwaffe pilots from II./JG 52 shot down as many as 55 enemy aircraft without a single loss among their own ranks.
After the fall of Minsk the bulk of the fighting took place around the city of Smolensk. By the end of July II./JG 52 had claim additional 50 enemy aircraft destroyed, while losing four pilots killed or missing in action and two wounded.
On August 1, 1941 III./JG 52 began combat operations from Biyala Tserkov in support of the assault on Kiev. In the first week of fighting the unit’s tally grew by 37 kills and on August 7, 1941 the tally stood at 100 air-to-air kills achieved from the beginning of the war in September 1939. It was during that period that Lt. Hermann Graf, a future ace with 212 kills to his credit, scored his first aerial victory. During heavy fighting in the Kiev area the pilots of III./JG 52 shot down additional 61 Soviet aircraft.
Until September 12, 1941 the aircrews of III./JG 52 provided support for the German ground troops crossing the Dnieper River. The Luftwaffe pilots downed 23 enemy aircraft before moving to Berislav airfield to take part in the German push toward the Crimea through Perekop. On September 13, 1941 the unit’s pilots shot down three Soviet aircraft, followed by three more over the following three days. On September 17 III./JG 52 returned to the Kiev area to provide support for the German ground forces finishing off besieged Red Army troops. During the operation the unit’s pilots added three more kills to their tallies.
On September 24, 1941 III./JG 52 began combat operations from Poltava airfield in support of the German 17th Army pushing towards Kharkov. During the month-long battle the unit’s fighters destroyed 115 enemy aircraft.
On August 5, 1941 II./JG 52 deployed to Solzy airfield near Lake Ilmen. During the first days of operations in the north the unit achieved only two kills, since the rainy weather greatly affected the tempo of air operations. The rains stopped on August 14 and over the following week the pilots from II./JG 52 claimed 15 air-to-air kills while losing two aircrews to enemy action. On August 20, 1941 II./JG 52 was transferred to Spasskaya-Polist airfield from where it would launch combat sorties over Leningrad and Lake Ladoga. By the end of August II./JG 52 had amassed 39 kills. More rains interrupted the unit’s lucky streak and soon II./JG 52 moved yet again, this time to Lyuban airfield which featured much better runways. In September 1941 the pilots of II./JG 52 chalked up 58 more aerial victories. Own losses included three pilots killed in action and five aircraft destroyed.
On October 2, 1941 II./JG 52 began combat operations from Stabna airfield, some 500 km south of the unit’s previous area of responsibility. The Gruppe’s main task was support for German ground forces fighting near Vyasma. After Kalinin had been captured II./JG 52 took residence at the local airfield to take part in the German assault toward Moscow. By the end of October the unit’s pilots had claimed 19 kills.
After the launch of Operation Typhoon (the German offensive against Moscow)
I./JG 52 joined its sister Gruppen on the Eastern Front. Fighting alongside II./JG 52 the unit provided support for the German ground forces in the mid section of the offensive front. In November 1941 Rusa airfield, located just 90 km from the Soviet capital, became the main operating base for JG 52 fighters. On December 2,1941 Oblt. Johannes Steinhoff from 4./JG 52 scored his 50th and 51st kills becoming the first JG 52 pilot to achieve such a feat.
During the same time III./JG 52 continued operations over the Crimea, the Azov Sea and Rostov. It was during that time that the Gruppe was augmented by the addition of a Croat outfit (15.(kroat.)/JG 52), whose pilots scored six air-to-air kills between October 1 and December 5, 1941 losing two pilots in the process.
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