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JG26

Name : JG26 Country : Germany

Jagdgeschwader 26 Schlageter was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. It operated mainly in Western Europe against Great Britain, France and the United States but also saw service against Russia. It was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a World War I veteran and Freikorps member arrested and executed by the French for sabotage in 1923. Commanders of II. Gruppe JG 26 Hptm. Werner Palm, 1 May 1939 – 27 June 1939 Hptm Herwig Knüppel, 28 June 1939 – 19 May 1940 Hptm Karl Ebbighausen, 20 May 1940 – 31 May 1940 Hptm. Erich Noack, 1 June 1940 – 24 July 1940 Hptm Karl Ebbighausen, 25 July 1940 – 16 August 1940 Hptm Erich Bode, 17 August 1940 – 3.10.40 Hptm Walter Adolph, 4 October 1940 – 18 September 1941 Hptm Joachim Müncheberg, 19 September 1941 – 21 July 1942 Hptm Conny Meyer, 22 July 1942 – 2 January 1943 Maj Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland, 3 January 43 – 17 August 1943 Hptm Hans Naumann, 18 August 1943 – 8 September 1943 ObLt Johannes Seifert, 9 September 1943 – 25 November 1943 Maj Wilhelm Gäth, 26 November 1943 – 1 March 1944 Hptm Hans Naumann, 2 March 1944 – 28 June 1944 Hptm Emil Lang, 29 June 1944 – 3 September 1944 Hptm Georg-Peter Eder, 4 September 1944 – 8 October 1944 Maj Anton Hackl, 9 October 1944 – 29 January 45 ObLt Waldemar Radener, 30 January 1945 – 22 February 1945 Hptm Paul Schauder, 23 February 1945 – 1 May 1945

Known Service Details :
Pilot or Aircrew	Rank	Start of Service	End of Service	Known Dates	Aircraft	Airframes	Notes
Franz Afflerbach	Uffz	February 1944	10th April 1944	10th April 1944			10 April, 1944 when 8th AF bombers stuck the Florennes airfield. He was killed, when the hangar he was in, collapsed. Buried Lommel, Block 6/313 (Rosseels). Killed in Action
Peter Ahrens	Feldwebel	unknown	unknown	25th July 1943 05th November 1943
Lebrecht Altmann	Leutnant	unknown	unknown	21st January 1944
Hermann Ayerle	Unteroffizier	unknown	unknown	10th April 1944 24th April 1944
Rudolf Bellman	Unteroffizier	unknown	22nd April 1945		Fw190		Killed in Action
Bohm	Feldwebel	unknown	unknown	15th March 1944
Karl Borris	Hauptmann	unknown	unknown	08th March 1944	Fw190
Wilhelm Cadenbach	Leutnant	unknown	unknown	31st July 1942 17th August 1942
Konrad Carl	Feldwebel	unknown	unknown	28th July 1940 06th September 1940
Ernst Christof	Feldwebel	unknown	30th July 1943				Killed in Action
Peter Crump	Feldwebel	unknown	unknown	05th May 1944	Fw190
Hugo Dahmer	Unteroffizier	unknown	unknown	16th May 1940 15th October 1940
Adolf Galland	Oberstleutnant	June 1940	unknown	18th November 1941	Me109
Anton Hackl	Major	8th October 1944	January 1945
Josef Haibock		unknown	unknown
Walter Hoeckner	Hauptmann	unknown	unknown	16th February 1943 05th May 1943
Werner Hoffmann	Unteroffizier	unknown	9th April 1945		Fw190		Killed in Action
Karl Hott	Feldwebel	unknown	unknown	23rd April 1945	Fw190
Günther Kelch	Hauptmann	unknown	31st July 1943				Killed in Action
Georg Kreth	Unteroffizier	unknown	21st April 1945		Fw190		Killed in Action
Walter Krupinski	Hauptmann	September 1944	unknown	04th November 1944
Ottomar Kruse	Unteroffizier	unknown	unknown	16th August 1944 25th August 1944
Emil Lang		unknown	unknown
Hans Marischka	Feldwebel	unknown	17th April 1945		Fw190		Killed in Action
Molge	Gefreiter	unknown	unknown	25th April 1945	Fw190
Walter Napierski	Feldwebel	unknown	unknown	01st May 1945	Fw190	0210961
Johannes Naumann		unknown	August 1944
Wolfgang Neu	Oberleutnant	unknown	unknown	19th April 1944
Willi Niedermeyer	Feldwebel	unknown	15th April 1945		Fw190		Killed in Action
Gunther Pfeiffer	Unteroffizier	unknown	24th April 1945		Fw190		Killed in Action
Gerhard Schöpfel		unknown	unknown	19th May 1940 06th December 1942
Heinrich Schild	Leutnant	unknown	unknown	20th August 1942 19th September 1944	Fw190
Johannes Schlimper	Unteroffizier	unknown	unknown	29th April 1945	Fw190
Werner Schramm	Leutnant	unknown	29th April 1945		Fw190		Killed in Action
Erich Schumacher	Unteroffizier	unknown	20th April 1945		Fw190		Killed in Action
Joseph Simmer	Unteroffizier	unknown	20th April 1945		Fw190		Killed in Action
Peter-Paul Steindl	Hauptmann	unknown	unknown	20th October 1943	Me109
Horst Sternberg	Oberleutnant	unknown	22nd February 1944	26th June 1941		100	Killed in Action
Helmut Walter	Feldwebel	unknown	29th April 1945		Fw190		Killed in Action
Guenther Wiegand	Leutnant	unknown	16th May 1943	02nd January 1944 13th February 1944	Fw190		Killed in Action
Otto Wilck	Feldwebel	unknown	23rd April 1945		Fw190		Killed in Action

Pilots and Aircrew for : JG26
A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name.
Name	Info
Adam, Heinz-Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Adam, Heinz-Gunther    Died : 20 / 12 / 1942	Adam, Heinz-Gunther
Adolph, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Adolph, Walter    Died : 18 / 9 / 1941	Adolph, Walter KIA 18 September, 1941 after aerial combat with a Spitfire of RAF No. 602 Sq., piloted by F/O Cyril Babbage, when he crashed his new Fw 190A-1 "10028" into the Channel near Ostende, off Blankenberge. While escorting shipping, he was the squadrons first Fw 190 combat casualty. Three weeks later, his body washed up on a Belgian beach at Knokke. Plus one victory was in Spain. One known victory, his 1st, a Blenheim near Bad Driburg, 1 October, 1939. On 12 May, 1940, while still in 2/JG-1, he downed three Blenheims in the Maastricht & Lüttich areas. His 4th & 5th victories, both LeO-451s at Montdidier, 6 June, 1940. His 7th, a Hurricane over the Isle of Wight on 19 July, 1940. His 8th, a Blenheim in the Cherbourg area on 1 August, 1940. His 9th, a Spitfire S of Stanford on 7 September, 1940. Nos.10 & 11, both Spitfires at Maidstone on 11 October, 1940. His 15th, a Spitfire at Tonbridge on 8 November, 1940. His 20th, a Spitfire at Gravelines on 8 July, 1941. 79 missions. According to JG-26 author, Donald Caldwell, his victories may have been as high as 28
Afflerbach, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Afflerbach, Franz    Died : 10 / 4 / 1944	Afflerbach, Franz Joined I/JG-26 (joins 2/44), 3/JG-26 , KIA 10 April, 1944 when 8th AF bombers stuck the Florennes airfield. He was killed, when the hangar he was in, collapsed. Buried Lommel, Block 6/313 (Rosseels).
Ahrens, Peter Click the name above to see a profile of Ahrens, Peter    Died : 4 / 3 / 1945	Ahrens, Peter Killed in flying accident, 4th March 1945.
Aistleitner, Johann Click the name above to see a profile of Aistleitner, Johann	Aistleitner, Johann
Altmann, Lebrecht Click the name above to see a profile of Altmann, Lebrecht	Altmann, Lebrecht
Andel, Peter Click the name above to see a profile of Andel, Peter	Andel, Peter
Ayerle, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Ayerle, Hermann	Ayerle, Hermann
Babenz, Emil Click the name above to see a profile of Babenz, Emil	Babenz, Emil
Bartels, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Bartels, Heinrich    Died : 23 / 12 / 1944	Bartels, Heinrich
Beese, Artur Click the name above to see a profile of Beese, Artur	Beese, Artur
Bellman, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Bellman, Rudolf    Died : 22 / 4 / 1945	Bellman, Rudolf Killed on 22nd April 1945 when his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was shot down by British ground fire and crashed near Buchholz.
Benz, Siegfried Click the name above to see a profile of Benz, Siegfried	Benz, Siegfried
Beyer, Georg Click the name above to see a profile of Beyer, Georg	Beyer, Georg
Bierwirth, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Bierwirth, Heinrich    Died : 27 / 11 / 1942	Bierwirth, Heinrich
Bloemertz, Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Bloemertz, Gunther	Bloemertz, Gunther
Blume, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Blume, Walter	Blume, Walter
Bohm, Click the name above to see a profile of Bohm,	Bohm, Flying with JG26, he claimed Spitfire Mk.IX MJ126 of No.401 Sqn RCAF on 15th March 1944. Other reports suggest the Spitfire crash landed due to engine failure.
Bohn, Kurt Click the name above to see a profile of Bohn, Kurt    Died : 25 / 4 / 1942	Bohn, Kurt
Borreck, Hans-Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Borreck, Hans-Joachim	Borreck, Hans-Joachim
Borris, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Borris, Karl	Borris, Karl
Burschgens, Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Burschgens, Josef	Burschgens, Josef
Busch, Erwin Click the name above to see a profile of Busch, Erwin	Busch, Erwin
Cadenbach, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Cadenbach, Wilhelm	Cadenbach, Wilhelm
Carl, Konrad Click the name above to see a profile of Carl, Konrad	Carl, Konrad
Christof, Ernst Click the name above to see a profile of Christof, Ernst    Died : 30 / 7 / 1943	Christof, Ernst
Crump, Peter Click the name above to see a profile of Crump, Peter	Crump, Peter
Dahmer, Hugo Click the name above to see a profile of Dahmer, Hugo    Died : 1 / 8 / 2008	Dahmer, Hugo Hugo Dahmer . Flying with Adolf Galland's 6./JG26, Hugo Dahmer was one of II Gruppe's most successful pilots. By Feb 1941 Hugo Dahmer had in total 12 victories, built up during the Battles in France and Britain. He then served in Norway with 1./JG77 Dahmer was awarded the Knight's Cross during the invasion of Russia. For a short while back with JG26, then III./JG2. He scored 57 victories, flying a total of 309 missions. Hugo Dahmer passed away on 1st August 2008.
Dietze, Gottfried Click the name above to see a profile of Dietze, Gottfried	Dietze, Gottfried
Dippel, Hans-Georg Click the name above to see a profile of Dippel, Hans-Georg	Dippel, Hans-Georg
Dirksen, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Dirksen, Hans	Dirksen, Hans
Dorre, Edgar Click the name above to see a profile of Dorre, Edgar	Dorre, Edgar
Dortenmann, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Dortenmann, Hans	Dortenmann, Hans
Ebbinghausen, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Ebbinghausen, Karl    Died : 16 / 8 / 1940	Ebbinghausen, Karl
Ebeling, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Ebeling, Heinz	Ebeling, Heinz
Ebersberger, Kurt Click the name above to see a profile of Ebersberger, Kurt    Died : 24 / 10 / 1943	Ebersberger, Kurt Kurt Ebersberger joined JG26 during the Battle of Britain), and still commanding the 4. Staffel, Ebersberger lost his life on October 24 1943 after being hit by Spitfire's during an interception of B-26 Marauder's. Ebersberger bailed out but was too low for his parachute to open. He scored a total of 27 (possibly 28 )victories
Eder, Georg-Peter Click the name above to see a profile of Eder, Georg-Peter    Died : 11 / 3 / 1986	Eder, Georg-Peter
Edmann, Johann Click the name above to see a profile of Edmann, Johann	Edmann, Johann
Ehlen, Karl-Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Ehlen, Karl-Heinz    Died : 29 / 4 / 1942	Ehlen, Karl-Heinz
Ellenrieder, Xaver Click the name above to see a profile of Ellenrieder, Xaver	Ellenrieder, Xaver
Fast, Hans-Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Fast, Hans-Joachim    Died : 7 / 3 / 1943	Fast, Hans-Joachim
Freuworth, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Freuworth, Wilhelm	Freuworth, Wilhelm
Frolich, Hans-Jurgen Click the name above to see a profile of Frolich, Hans-Jurgen	Frolich, Hans-Jurgen
Galland, Adolf Click the name above to see a profile of Galland, Adolf    Died : 9 / 2 / 1996	Galland, Adolf Adolf Galland fought in the great Battles of Poland, France and Britain, leading the famous JG26 'Abbeville Boys'. He flew in combat against the RAF's best including Douglas Bader, Bob Stanford Tuck and Johnnie Johnson. In 1941, at the age of 29, he was promoted to 'Inspector of the Fighter Arm'. In 1942 Hitler personally selected Galland to organise the fighter escort for the 'Channel Dash'. He became the youngest General in the German High Command but open disagreements with Goering led to his dismissal at the end of 1944. He reverted to combat flying, forming the famous JV44 wing flying the Me262 jet fighter, and was the only General in history to lead a squadron into battle. With 104 victories, all in the West, Adolf Galland received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. Born 19th March 1912, died 9th February 1996. Born in 1911, Adolf Galland learned to fly at a state-sponsored flying club in the early 1930's. In 1933 he was selected to go to Italy for secret pilot training. Galland flew for a brief time as a commercial airline pilot prior to joining the clandestine Luftwaffe as a Second Lieutenant. In April of 1935 he was assigned to JG-2, the Richtofen Fighter Wing, and in 1937 he joined the ranks of the Condor Legion flying the He-51 biplane fighter in support of General Franco during the Spanish Civil War. Despite flying 280 missions, Galland attained no aerial victories, a rather inauspicious start for a pilot would go on to attain more than 100 aerial victories - the highest for any pilot who flew on the Western Front. During Germany's invasion of Poland, Galland was assigned to an attack squadron and he flew over fifty ground sorties. He was promoted to Captain for his efforts, but Galland was anxious to return to a fighter squadron, and he got his wish in October of 1939 when he was transferred to JG-27. It was with JG-27 that Galland first learned to fly the Bf-109. In May of 1940 JG-27 flew in support of the invasion of Belgium, and Galland achieved his first combat victory on May 12. Two months later his score had risen to more than a dozen, and at this time he was once again transferred to JG-26 situated on the Channel Coast. Engaging the RAF on a daily basis during the Battle of Britain, Galland's score rose steadily until it exceeded 40 victories by September. After a short leave Galland rejoined JG-26 in Brittany, where the squadron played a defensive role. Following Germany's invasion of Russia in June of 1941, JG-26 became one of only two German fighter squadrons left on the Channel Coast. This resulted in plenty of flying, and by late in 1941 Galland's victory totals had reached 70. Following a near brush with death when the fuel tank of his 109 exploded, Galland was grounded for a time, and sent to Berlin where he was made the General of the Fighter Arm, reporting directly to Goring and Hitler. Galland spent most of the next few years carrying out inspection tours, and was at odds with his superiors about the need for an adequate fighter defense to negate ever-increasing Allied bombing of Germany's cities. He continued to fly combat missions when the opportunity presented itself, despite Goring's orders to the contrary. In January of 1945 almost 300 fighters were lost in an all-out attack on Allied airfields in France, a mission Galland did not support. He was dismissed as General of the Fighter Arm for his insubordination, but reflecting his flying abilities Hitler ordered Galland to organize JV-44, Germany's first jet-equipped fighter squadron. By March of 1945 Galland had recruited 45 of Germany's best surviving fighter pilots, and this new squadron was given the difficult task of trying to counter the daily onslaught of 15th Air Force bombers coming at Germany from the South. Galland's final mission of the War occurred on April 26 when he attained his 102nd and 103rd confirmed aerial victories prior to crash landing his damaged Me262. Several days later the War was over for both Galland and Germany. General Galland died in 1996.
Galland, Paul Click the name above to see a profile of Galland, Paul    Died : 31 / 10 / 1942	Galland, Paul
Galland, Wilhelm-Ferdinand Click the name above to see a profile of Galland, Wilhelm-Ferdinand    Died : 17 / 8 / 1943	Galland, Wilhelm-Ferdinand
Gartner, Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Gartner, Josef	Gartner, Josef
Gath, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Gath, Wilhelm	Gath, Wilhelm
Genth, Karl-Georg Click the name above to see a profile of Genth, Karl-Georg	Genth, Karl-Georg 12th Staffel D-9 pilot Uffz Karl-Georg Genth, who flew with III./JG26. Genth was shot down in Yellow 15 near Enschede on 7th March 1945 by Tempests of No.3 Squadron, bailing out and hitting the tailplane of his D-9, and breakinghis left arm in the fall. Genth also flew the 109G-6, G-10 and K-4 variants, and flew with the extremely popular Hptm Walter Krupinski on several missions in which Krupinski was Gruppenkommandeur. Genth also took part in the air battle which brought down the famed Tempest ace Foob Fairbanks on 28th February 1945. Genth tallied a final total of 2 victories.
Gerhardt, Werner Click the name above to see a profile of Gerhardt, Werner    Died : 19 / 8 / 1942	Gerhardt, Werner
Glunz, Adolf Click the name above to see a profile of Glunz, Adolf    Died : 1 / 8 / 2002	Glunz, Adolf Adolf Glunz served with 4/JG-52 on both the Channel Coast and then in Russia. Returning to the English Channel with II./JG-25 he became one of the most successful fighter pilots on the Western Front. Adolf Glunz saw combat continuously right up to the war end and, remarkably, was never shot down or wounded in over 574 missions, many whilst flying the Fw190. Awarded the Knight's Cross in 1943, he acheived a personal score of 71 victories. He died 1st August 2002.
Gomann, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Gomann, Heinz	Gomann, Heinz
Gottlob, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Gottlob, Heinrich	Gottlob, Heinrich
Grunlinger, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Grunlinger, Walter	Grunlinger, Walter
Grzymalla, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Grzymalla, Gerhard	Grzymalla, Gerhard
Guhl, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Guhl, Hermann	Guhl, Hermann
Gunther, Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Gunther, Joachim	Gunther, Joachim
Guttmann, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Guttmann, Gerhard	Guttmann, Gerhard
Hackl, Anton Click the name above to see a profile of Hackl, Anton    Died : 9 / 7 / 1984	Hackl, Anton Anton "Toni" Hackl was born 25 March 1915 in Regensburg. Died 10 July 1984 in Regensburg. Anton was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords during World War II. He was one of the very few Luftwaffe 'first-to-last' who survived the whole war, serving from 1939 until 1945. Unteroffizier Hackl was serving with II/JG 77 when war broke out. By May 1940, Hackl was based in Norway, with JG 77 when he claimed his first in June 1940 shooting down two RAF Hudsons. On 27 June he shot down another Hudson, but was also wounded. He claimed four victories during his time in Norway. In July 1941 he was posted with JG 77 to the Eastern Front. By the end of year his score was 27. By early 1942 he was Staffelkapitän of 5 Staffel JG 77. His score rapidly increased during the spring of 1942, and by May 1942, after 51 victories he received the Knight’s Cross. During the month of July 1942, Anton Hackl amassed 37 enemy aircraft shot down in the aerial battles around Voronezh, including 6 victories in a day on both 21 July and 23 July. In August, he shot down three to record his 100th victory. After his 106th victory on 6 August he was awarded the Eichenlaub. He shot down his 118th enemy aircraft on the Eastern Front, (a LaGG-3), in September 1942. II/JG 77 were then transferred to Tunisia where Anton claimed 6 victories. In combat with P-38 Lightnings on 4 February 1943 he was badly wounded and was hospitalised for several months. Returning to duties in September 1943, Hackl next operated with III/JG 11 on Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) duties. On 1 October, he became Gruppenkommandeur III/JG 11. Hackl went on to claim 25 four-engined bombers shot down during his time with the III Gruppe. In April 1944, he commanded JG 11 briefly before being badly wounded in battle with a USAAF P-47 Thunderbolt. He was awarded the Schwerter on 13 July. During July 1944 he became Geschwaderkommodore of JG 76. On 8 October he became Gruppenkommandeur of II/JG 26 with 165 victories to his credit. By the end of the year he now had 172 victories. By late January 1945 he was acting Kommodore of JG 300 and, in late February, Kommodore of JG 11. His last 24 victories were never officially confirmed. Anton Hackl flew about 1000 combat missions and was officially credited with shooting down 192 enemy aircraft. 131 victories were claimed while serving on the Eastern Front, 6 victories have been claimed in Africa and 55 on the Western Front. Among these numbers are 34 four-engined bombers which puts him in second place behind Georg-Peter Eder as the leading daylight bomber claimant. 55 claims were made with JG 11, 10 with JG 26, 1 with JG 300, and 124 while flying with JG 77. He was shot down 8 times and wounded 4 times. Anton Hackl died on 9 July 1984 in Regensburg.
Haibock, Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Haibock, Josef	Haibock, Josef Flew Me109s & Fw190s in the West & East with JG26, JG52 & JG3 scoring 77 victories.
Hartigs, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Hartigs, Hans	Hartigs, Hans
Heckmann, Alfred Click the name above to see a profile of Heckmann, Alfred    Died : 21 / 7 / 1993	Heckmann, Alfred Born 24th June 1914. He claimed a total of 71 victories, of which 17 were on the western front.
Hein, Kurt Click the name above to see a profile of Hein, Kurt	Hein, Kurt
Heinemann, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Heinemann, Hans    Died : 5 / 12 / 1940	Heinemann, Hans
Henrici, Eberhard Click the name above to see a profile of Henrici, Eberhard    Died : 17 / 11 / 1940	Henrici, Eberhard
Hermichen, Rolf Click the name above to see a profile of Hermichen, Rolf	Hermichen, Rolf
Hilleke, Otto-Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Hilleke, Otto-Heinrich    Died : 26 / 6 / 1940	Hilleke, Otto-Heinrich
Hoeckner, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Hoeckner, Walter    Died : 25 / 8 / 1944	Hoeckner, Walter
Hoffmann, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Hoffmann, Hermann	Hoffmann, Hermann
Hoffmann, Werner Click the name above to see a profile of Hoffmann, Werner    Died : 9 / 4 / 1945	Hoffmann, Werner Killed on 9th April 1945 when his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was shot down, possibly by a British Spitfire, and crashed near Heist.
Hofmann, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Hofmann, Wilhelm	Hofmann, Wilhelm
Holl, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Holl, Walter	Holl, Walter
Hoppe, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Hoppe, Helmut	Hoppe, Helmut
Horten, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Horten, Walter	Horten, Walter
Hott, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Hott, Karl	Hott, Karl On 23rd April 1945 his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was damaged in combat with a British Spitfire of No.403 Sqn and force landed at Utersen airfield. He was uninjured.
Jessen, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Jessen, Heinrich	Jessen, Heinrich
Johannsen, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Johannsen, Hans    Died : 28 / 3 / 1942	Johannsen, Hans
Kehl, Dieter Click the name above to see a profile of Kehl, Dieter	Kehl, Dieter
Kelch, Günther Click the name above to see a profile of Kelch, Günther    Died : 31 / 7 / 1943	Kelch, Günther
Kemethmuller, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Kemethmuller, Heinz    Died : 1984	Kemethmuller, Heinz
Kempf, Karl-Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Kempf, Karl-Heinz    Died : 3 / 9 / 1944	Kempf, Karl-Heinz
Kiefner, Georg Click the name above to see a profile of Kiefner, Georg	Kiefner, Georg
Kiel, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Kiel, Hans	Kiel, Hans
Klein, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Klein, Erich	Klein, Erich
Klemm, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Klemm, Rudolf	Klemm, Rudolf
Knuppel, Herwig Click the name above to see a profile of Knuppel, Herwig	Knuppel, Herwig
Koch, Harry Click the name above to see a profile of Koch, Harry	Koch, Harry
Kreth, Georg Click the name above to see a profile of Kreth, Georg    Died : 21 / 4 / 1945	Kreth, Georg Killed on 21st April 1945 when his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was shot down by a British Tempest of No.486 Sqn and crashed north east of Wismar.
Krug, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Krug, Hans	Krug, Hans
Krupinski, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Krupinski, Walter    Died : 7 / 10 / 2000	Krupinski, Walter Walter Krupinski first saw combat against the RAF on the Western Front. Transferring to the east, he became a Squadron Commander in the legendary JG52. In 1943 his victories reached 150 but, in March 1944 with 177 victories to his name, he was transferred to Germany to command JG11. Flying high altitude Me109s, he chalked up another 12 victories before being wounded. In September 1944 he was promoted Kommandeur of III./JG26 and led them on Operation Bodenplatte before joining Galland's famous JV44. He completed the war with 197 victories in over 1100 missions. He received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. He died in 2000.
Kruse, Ottomar Click the name above to see a profile of Kruse, Ottomar    Died : 9 / 10 / 2009	Kruse, Ottomar Pilot, 8./JG26. Having started flying prior to the war, he was appointed as an flight instructor, but risked a court martial in turning down this appointment, in favour of becoming a fighter pilot. During one mission, he scored two confirmed victories, earning him the Iron Cross. Sadly, Ottomar Kruse passed away on 9th October 2009.
Kunz, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Kunz, Franz	Kunz, Franz
Lang, Emil Click the name above to see a profile of Lang, Emil    Died : 3 / 9 / 1944	Lang, Emil Hauptmann Emil "Bully" Lang was born 14 January 1909 he was a Luftwaffe Flying ace during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Emil Lang was credited with 173 aerial victories—144 on the Eastern Front, 29 on the Western Front—claimed in 403 combat missions. Hauptmann Lang was posted to a fighter wing on the Eastern front; Lang claimed his first aerial victories in March 1943. He is credited with 72 victories in a three-week period, among them an unsurpassed total of 18 on 3 November 1943. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 November 1943 for his 119 victories to that time. By March 1944, his claims totalled 144, for which he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 11 April 1944. Transferred to the Western front, he claimed his 150th victim over the Normandy Invasion front on 14 June 1944. He scored his last three victories on 26 August 1944; on 3 September 1944, he was killed in action over Belgium. His career in the Luftwaffe Having served as a transport pilot since 26 August 1939 with the Fliegerhorst Kompanie (Airfield Company) at Gablingen, Lang was 33 years old when he was accepted for fighter pilot training in 1942. He undertook courses at the 1st Fighter Pilot Preparation School - 3 July 1942 – 14 August 1942. and 5th Fighter Pilot School -15 August 1942–5 January 1943. He was then assigned to the Fighter Group East on 6 January 1943 and then to JG 54—54th Fighter Wing, on the Eastern Front on 11 February 1943. Serving with 1./JG 54 (1st Squadron of the 54th Fighter Wing), Then Leutnant (Second Lieutenant) Lang was 34 and considered exceptionally old for a novice fighter pilot. His first three aerial victories were claimed in March 1943, and within a month he was transferred to 5./JG 54 (5th Squadron of the 54th Fighter Wing) of which he became Staffelkapitän (Squadron Leader) on 20 August 1943 Before the year's end, Lang's kill tally stood at over 100 victories, with a remarkable 72 scored around Kiev in just three weeks during October and November 1943. This series of multiple victories included ten on 13 October 1943 and 12 (victories 61–72) in three combat missions on 21 October 1943 ,which earned Lang his first of two references in the Wehrmachtbericht, an information bulletin issued by the headquarters of the Wehrmacht. Lang set an all-time world record of 18 aerial victories claimed from four combat missions in one day on 3 November 1943, making him aviation history's leading ace in a day. This achievement led to him appearing on the cover of the 13 January 1944 Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung (Berlin's Illustrated Magazine). Lang was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after 119 aerial victories on 22 November 1943, followed three days later by the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold). In the picture below Emil Lang (2nd from left) is receiving the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves from Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring. Anton Hafner is shaking Hitler's hand On 9 April 1944, Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant) Lang was appointed Staffelkapitän of the 9./JG 54 (9th Squadron of the 54th Fighter Wing) engaged in Defense of the Reich on the Western Front. He became the 448th recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 11 April 1944 after 144 aerial victories, all claimed on the Eastern Front. In June, Lang claimed 15 aerial victories, including his 150th—a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) P-47 Thunderbolt on 14 June 1944—and four P-51 Mustang fighters shot down in four minutes on 20 June 1944, plus another four P-51s on 24 June. Hauptmann (Captain) Lang was then made Gruppenkommandeur (Group Commander) of the II./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—2nd Group of the 26th Fighter Wing) on 28 June 1944. On 9 July, he claimed three Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfires (victories 160–162), on 15 August 1944 two P-47s, and on 25 August 1944 three P-38 Lightning fighters in five minutes. He claimed three Spitfires in two missions for his final victories (victories 171–173) on 26 August. Between 24 May and 28 August 1944, Lang had claimed 29 aerial victories on the Western Front including nine P-51s. His group was the first to reach 100 aerial victories since the beginning of the Normandy Invasion on 6 June 1944, earning him and his group a second and final reference in the Wehrmachtbericht on 30 August.
Lange, Friedrich Click the name above to see a profile of Lange, Friedrich	Lange, Friedrich
Laub, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Laub, Karl	Laub, Karl
Lüders, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Lüders, Franz	Lüders, Franz
Leibold, Erwin Click the name above to see a profile of Leibold, Erwin    Died : 26 / 7 / 1942	Leibold, Erwin
Leuschel, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Leuschel, Rudolf	Leuschel, Rudolf
Lindelaub, Friedrich Click the name above to see a profile of Lindelaub, Friedrich	Lindelaub, Friedrich
Lindemann, Theo Click the name above to see a profile of Lindemann, Theo	Lindemann, Theo
Losigkeit, Fritz Click the name above to see a profile of Losigkeit, Fritz    Died : 14 / 1 / 1994	Losigkeit, Fritz
Marischka, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Marischka, Hans    Died : 17 / 4 / 1945	Marischka, Hans Killed on 17th April 1945 when his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was shot down by a British Spitfire of No.350 Sqn and crashed near Hamburg.
Matoni, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Matoni, Walter	Matoni, Walter
Mayer, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Mayer, Wilhelm	Mayer, Wilhelm
März, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of März, Walter	März, Walter
Menge, Robert Click the name above to see a profile of Menge, Robert    Died : 14 / 6 / 1941	Menge, Robert
Meyer, Otto Click the name above to see a profile of Meyer, Otto	Meyer, Otto
Meyer, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Meyer, Walter	Meyer, Walter
Mietusch, Klaus Click the name above to see a profile of Mietusch, Klaus    Died : 17 / 9 / 1944	Mietusch, Klaus
Molge, Click the name above to see a profile of Molge,	Molge, On 25th April 1945, his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was damaged in a landing accident at Utersen airfield. He was uninjured.
Muller, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Muller, Wilhelm    Died : 7 / 11 / 1940	Muller, Wilhelm
Muller-Duhe, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Muller-Duhe, Gerhard    Died : 18 / 8 / 1940	Muller-Duhe, Gerhard
Muncheberg, Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Muncheberg, Joachim    Died : 23 / 3 / 1943	Muncheberg, Joachim Joachim Müncheberg was born 18 December 1918 Joachim Müncheberg is credited with 135 enemy aircraft shot down claimed in over 500 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Western front with 33 claims over the Eastern Front. Of his 102 aerial victories achieved over the Western Allies are 46 Supermarine Spitfire fighters. Malta Operations From February 1941, Müncheberg's staffel became the first Bf-109 unit to operate in the Mediterranean theatre, and from bases in Sicily the staffel was to achieve success out of all proportion to its size, with some 52 victories claimed without losing a single pilot. Müncheberg claimed almost half of these victories. Flying missions over Yugoslavia in support of the German invasion of the Balkans, he also claimed a Yugoslav 'Hawker Fury biplane' on 6 April 1941 and claimed another destroyed on the ground (Both victories were in fact Avia BH-33 biplanes). In May 1941, Müncheberg was awarded the Oak Leaves and the Italian Medaglia d'Oro and by this time had 43 victories. A 2-month spell in Libya in mid 1941 to support the Afrika Korps saw a further 5 victories claimed. In August 1941, 7./JG 26 returned to France. Müncheberg was to claim a further 35 victories (including 34 Spitfires) by June 1942. On 19 September, Müncheberg was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann and became Gruppenkommandeur of II/JG 26. On 29 April 1942 Müncheberg probably shot down and killed the Northolt Wing Leader and Polish ace Wing Commander Marian Pisarek. Russia 1942 In July 1942, Müncheberg was posted to the Eastern Front, joining Jagdgeschwader 51. On 5 September, he claimed his 100th kill. On 9 September, he was awarded the 'Swords' following his 103rd victory. Müncheberg shot down 33 victories over Russian aircraft while being shot down twice himself. North Africa Major Müncheberg was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 77, operating over North Africa and Tunisia. He added 24 victories but force-landed unhurt in his Bf 109-G2 after combat with RAF Kittyhawk fighters on 10 December 1942. In the spring of 1943 Müncheberg became the second German fighter pilot to achieve 100 aerial victories over Anglo-American adversaries. Müncheberg was killed on 23 March 1943 over Tunisia when his 135th victim, a USAAF 52nd Fighter Group Spitfire exploded in front of him after a close burst of cannon fire. The Spitfire was piloted by Captain Sweetman. Müncheberg managed to bail and landed severely wounded with his parachute. Although the search team recovered him fairly quickly, Müncheberg died on the way to a field hospital.
Napierski, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Napierski, Walter	Napierski, Walter On 1st May 1945 his Fw190D-9 0210961 White 6 of JG26 was damaged in combat with a British Spitfire and landed at Klein-Kummersfeld airfield.
Naumann, Johannes Click the name above to see a profile of Naumann, Johannes    Died : 22 / 3 / 2010	Naumann, Johannes With III./JG26 at the outbreak of war, Johannes flew in all the campaigns of 1939 - 40, including the Battle of Britain. He led 6./JG26 on the Channel Front, and later 7./JG26. In March 1944 he became Kommandeur of II./JG26, and in August Kommandeur II./JG6. He flew 450 missions, scored 45 victories, all in the West, and was awarded the Knight's Cross in 1944.
Neu, Wolfgang Click the name above to see a profile of Neu, Wolfgang	Neu, Wolfgang
Neumann, Eduard Click the name above to see a profile of Neumann, Eduard    Died : 9 / 8 / 2004	Neumann, Eduard A veteran of the Spanish Campaign, Edward Neumann, at the start of the war, was leading 4./JG26 in France, later promoted Adjutant of I./JG27. He took part in the Balkan Campaign before moving in 1941 to North Africa, where I./JG27 was the only German fighter unit for the first nine months. In 1942 he became Kommodore of JG27, a position which he held throughout the remainder of the Desert Campaign. He was credited with moulding the careers of many outstanding pilots, the best known being the young Hauptmann Marseille. Following the defeat of Rommel's Afrika Korps at El Alamein JG27 covered their retreat back to Tunisia. When his wing left the desert, 'Edu' Neumann was transferred to the Staff of General of the Fighter Arm, where he remained until 1944. Promoted to Oberst in the autumn of that year, he took over as Fighter Commander of Northern Italy. Edu Neumann ended the war as one of the Luftwaffe's most highly respected Commanders. Died 9th August 2004.
Niedermeyer, Willi Click the name above to see a profile of Niedermeyer, Willi    Died : 15 / 4 / 1945	Niedermeyer, Willi Killed on 15th April 1945 when his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was shot down by a British Spitfire of No.80 Sqn and crashed near Winsen-Drebber.
Pfeiffer, Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Pfeiffer, Gunther    Died : 24 / 4 / 1945	Pfeiffer, Gunther Killed on 24th April 1945 when his Fw190D-9 of JG26 crashed near Lunow.
Philipp, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Philipp, Wilhelm	Philipp, Wilhelm
Pingel, Rolf Click the name above to see a profile of Pingel, Rolf	Pingel, Rolf
Polster, Wolfgang Click the name above to see a profile of Polster, Wolfgang	Polster, Wolfgang
Priller, Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Priller, Josef    Died : 20 / 5 / 1961	Priller, Josef
Reischer, Peter Click the name above to see a profile of Reischer, Peter	Reischer, Peter
Roch, Eckardt Click the name above to see a profile of Roch, Eckardt	Roch, Eckardt
Roth, Willi Click the name above to see a profile of Roth, Willi	Roth, Willi
Rysavy, Martin Click the name above to see a profile of Rysavy, Martin    Died : 2 / 2 / 1941	Rysavy, Martin
Schauder, Paul Click the name above to see a profile of Schauder, Paul	Schauder, Paul
Schöpfel, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Schöpfel, Gerhard    Died : 17 / 5 / 2003	Schöpfel, Gerhard Gerhard Schopfel was Staffelkapitan of 9./JG26 at the outbreak of war, and became Kommandeur of III./JG26 in August 1940. In December 1941 he succeeded Adolf Galland as Kommodore of JG26 until Januray 1943. Later, Kommodore of JG4 and JG6. He flew over 700 combat missions, achieving 40 victories, all in the West. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in 1940. Died 17th May 2003.
Scheyda, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Scheyda, Erich	Scheyda, Erich
Schild, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Schild, Heinrich	Schild, Heinrich Flew Fw190s with JG26, scoring 15 victories between 20th August 1942 and 19th September 1944. His victories included 6 bombers and 10 fighters : 5 Flying Fortresses, 1 Stirling, 3 Mustangs, 2 Thunderbolts, 2 Lightnings and 2 Hurricanes.
Schlimper, Johannes Click the name above to see a profile of Schlimper, Johannes	Schlimper, Johannes Injured on 29th April 1945 when his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was shot down by a British Spitfire of No.412 Sqn and crashed near Luhe.
Schmid, Johannes Click the name above to see a profile of Schmid, Johannes    Died : 6 / 11 / 1941	Schmid, Johannes Was killed when his Me109F-4, Black 1, clipped the sea as he circled a downed Spitfire.
Schmidt, Gottfried Click the name above to see a profile of Schmidt, Gottfried	Schmidt, Gottfried
Schneider, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Schneider, Walter    Died : 22 / 12 / 1941	Schneider, Walter
Scholz, Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Scholz, Gunther	Scholz, Gunther After seeing action in the Spanish campaign, Gunther Scholz flew with 7./JG54 in Poland and France, and during the Battle of Britain. Transferring to the Eastern Front he flew with III./JG5 from February 1942, later with Geschwaderstab JG5. In July 1944 he was posted to Norway. Scholz was awarded the Iron Cross I and finished the war with 33 victories.
Schramm, Werner Click the name above to see a profile of Schramm, Werner    Died : 29 / 4 / 1945	Schramm, Werner Killed on 29th April 1945 when his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was shot down by a British Spitfire of No.412 Sqn and crashed near Krumse.
Schulwitz, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Schulwitz, Gerhard	Schulwitz, Gerhard
Schumacher, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Schumacher, Erich    Died : 20 / 4 / 1945	Schumacher, Erich Killed on 20th April 1945 when his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was shot down by British ground fire and crashed near Soltau.
Schwarz, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Schwarz, Erich	Schwarz, Erich
Segatz, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Segatz, Hermann	Segatz, Hermann
Seifert, Johannes Click the name above to see a profile of Seifert, Johannes    Died : 25 / 11 / 1943	Seifert, Johannes
Simmer, Joseph Click the name above to see a profile of Simmer, Joseph    Died : 20 / 4 / 1945	Simmer, Joseph Killed on 20th April 1945 when his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was shot down by British ground fire and crashed near Soltau.
Soffing, Waldemar Click the name above to see a profile of Soffing, Waldemar	Soffing, Waldemar
Sprick, Gustav Click the name above to see a profile of Sprick, Gustav    Died : 28 / 6 / 1941	Sprick, Gustav
Staiger, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Staiger, Hermann    Died : 22 / 6 / 1964	Staiger, Hermann
Stammberger, Otto Click the name above to see a profile of Stammberger, Otto    Died : 11 / 7 / 2001	Stammberger, Otto 'Stotto' Stammberger joined the Luftwaffe at the outbreak of war, joining 9./JG26. In February 1942 he took part in the air cover for the Channel Dash, and later in the battles over the Dieppe landings. In February 1943 he was promoted Staffelkapitän of 4./JG26, before being shot down twice, and seriously injured. Returning to flying months later he became Adjutant of I./JG26. 'Stotto' flew 112 combat operations and was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class. He passed away on 11th July 2001.
Steindl, Peter-Paul Click the name above to see a profile of Steindl, Peter-Paul	Steindl, Peter-Paul
Steinhoff, Johannes Click the name above to see a profile of Steinhoff, Johannes    Died : 21 / 2 / 1994	Steinhoff, Johannes By early 1940 Macky Steinhoff was leading 4 / JG-52 during the Battle of Britain. He was then transferred to the eastern front where his success continued. In the final stages of the defence of the Reich he joined JV-44 flying the ME 262 in which he scored 6 victories before being seriously burned in a crash. He flew 939 missions scored 178 victories and was awarded the Knights Cross with Oak leaves and swords.
Sternberg, Horst Click the name above to see a profile of Sternberg, Horst    Died : 22 / 2 / 1944	Sternberg, Horst Sternberg was promoted to Staffelkapitan of the 5. Staffel, a position he retained until he was shot down and killed by a P-47 on 22 February 1944.
Szuggar, Willy Click the name above to see a profile of Szuggar, Willy	Szuggar, Willy
Tabbat, Adolf Click the name above to see a profile of Tabbat, Adolf	Tabbat, Adolf
Ulenberg, Horst Click the name above to see a profile of Ulenberg, Horst    Died : 12 / 7 / 1941	Ulenberg, Horst
Unzeitig, Robert Click the name above to see a profile of Unzeitig, Robert    Died : 12 / 4 / 1942	Unzeitig, Robert
Vandeveerd, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Vandeveerd, Heinrich	Vandeveerd, Heinrich
Vogt, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Vogt, Gerhard	Vogt, Gerhard
Walter, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Walter, Helmut    Died : 29 / 4 / 1945	Walter, Helmut Killed on 29th April 1945 when his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was shot down by a British Spitfire of No.412 Sqn and crashed near Butlingen.
Westphal, Hans-Jurgen Click the name above to see a profile of Westphal, Hans-Jurgen	Westphal, Hans-Jurgen
Wiegand, Guenther Click the name above to see a profile of Wiegand, Guenther    Died : 16 / 5 / 1943	Wiegand, Guenther
Wilck, Otto Click the name above to see a profile of Wilck, Otto    Died : 23 / 4 / 1945	Wilck, Otto Killed on 23rd April 1945 when his Fw190D-9 of JG26 was shot down by a British Spitfire of No.403 Sqn and crashed near Elzdorf.
Willius, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Willius, Karl    Died : 8 / 4 / 1944	Willius, Karl
Wunschelmeyer, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Wunschelmeyer, Karl	Wunschelmeyer, Karl
Zeller, Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Zeller, Joachim	Zeller, Joachim
Zink, Fulbert Click the name above to see a profile of Zink, Fulbert    Died : 14 / 3 / 1943	Zink, Fulbert
Zirngibl, Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Zirngibl, Josef	Zirngibl, Josef

Aircraft for : JG26
A list of all aircraft associated with JG26. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
Aircraft	Info
Fw190 Click the name above to see prints featuring Fw190 aircraft. Manufacturer : Fokke-Wulf Production Began : 1940 Retired : 1945	Fw190 The Focke-Wulf 190 development project began in 1937. Conceived as a hedge against total dependence on the Messerchmitt 109, the 190 was designed by Kurt Tank utilizing a radial engine. This was against generally accepted design criteria in Germany, and many historians believe that the decision to produce a radial engine fighter was largely due to the limited manufacturing capacity for in-line, water-cooled engines which were widely used on all other Luftwaffe aircraft. Despite these concerns, Tanks design was brilliant, and the 190 would become one of the top fighter aircraft of WWII. The first prototype flew in mid-1939. The aircraft had excellent flying characteristics, a wonderful rate of acceleration, and was heavily armed. By late 1940 the new fighter was ordered into production. Nicknamed the butcher bird, by Luftwaffe pilots, early 190s were quite successful in the bomber interceptor role, but at this stage of the war many Allied bombing raids lacked fighter escort. As the war dragged on, Allied bombers were increasingly accompanied by fighters, including the very effective P-51 Mustang. The Allies learned from experience that the 190s performance fell off sharply at altitudes above 20,000 feet. As a result, most Allied bombing missions were shifted to higher altitudes when fighter opposition was likely. Kurt Tank had recognized this shortcoming and began working on a high-altitude version of the 190 utilizing an in-line, water-cooled engine. Utilizing a Jumo 12-cylinder engine rated at 1770-HP, and capable of 2,240-HP for short bursts with its methanol injection system, the 190D, or Long Nose or Dora as it was called, had a top speed of 426-MPH at 22,000 feet. Armament was improved with two fuselage and two wing mounted 20mm cannon. To accommodate the changes in power plants the Dora had a longer, more streamlined fuselage, with 24 inches added to the nose, and an additional 19 inches added aft of the cockpit to compensate for the altered center of gravity. By mid 1944 the Dora began to reach fighter squadrons in quantity. Although the aircraft had all the right attributes to serve admirably in the high altitude interceptor role, it was not generally focused on such missions. Instead many 190Ds were assigned to protect airfields where Me-262 jet fighters were based. This was due to the latter aircrafts extreme vulnerability to Allied attack during takeoff and landing. The 190Ds also played a major role in Operation Bodenplatte, the New Years Day raid in 1945 which destroyed approximately 500 Allied aircraft on the ground. The High Command was impressed with the 190Ds record on this raid, and ordered most future production of the Doras to be equipped as fighter-bombers. In retrospect this was a strategic error, and this capable aircraft was not fully utilized in the role for which it was intended.
Me109 Click the name above to see prints featuring Me109 aircraft. Manufacturer : Messerschmitt Production Began : 1937 Retired : 1945 Number Built : 33984	Me109 Willy Messerschmitt designed the BF109 during the early 1930s. The Bf109 was one of the first all metal monocoque construction fighters with a closed canopy and retractable undercarriage. The engine of the Me109 was a V12 aero engine which was liquid-cooled. The Bf109 first saw operational service during the Spanish Civil War and flew to the end of World War II, during which time it was the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter squadrons. During the Battle of Britian the Bf109 was used in the role of an escort fighter, a role for which it was not designed for, and it was also used as a fighter bomber. During the last days of May 1940 Robert Stanford-Tuck, the RAF ace, got the chance to fly an Me109 which they had rebuilt after it had crash landed. Stanford-Tuck found out that the Me109 was a wonderful little plane, it was slightly faster than the Spitfire, but lacked the Spitfire manoeuvrability. By testing the Me109, Tuck could put himself inside the Me109 when fighting them, knowing its weak and strong points. With the introduction of the improved Bf109F in the spring of 1941, the type again proved to be an effective fighter during the invasion of Yugoslavia and during the Battle of Crete and the invasion of Russia and it was used during the Siege of the Mediteranean island of Malta. The Bf109 was the main fighter for the Luftwaffe until 1942 when the Fw190 entered service and shared this position, and was partially replaced in Western Europe, but the Me109 continued to serve on the Eastern Front and during the defence of the Reich against the allied bombers. It was also used to good effect in the Mediterranean and North Africa in support of The Africa Korps. The Me109 was also supplied to several German allies, including Finland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia. The Bf109 scored more kills than any other fighter of any country during the war and was built in greater numbers with a total of over 31,000 aircraft being built. The Bf109 was flown by the three top German aces of the war war. Erich Hartmann with 352 victories, Gerhard Barkhorn with 301 victories and Gunther Rall with 275 kills. Bf109 pilots were credited with the destruction of 100 or more enemy aircraft. Thirteen Luftwaffe Aces scored more than 200 kills. Altogether this group of pilots were credited with a total of nearly 15,000 kills, of which the Messerschmitt Bf109 was credited with over 10,000 of these victories. The Bf109 was the most produced warplane during World War II, with 30,573 examples built during the war, and the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 units produced up to April 1945. Bf109s remained in foreign service for many years after World War II. The Swiss used their Bf109Gs well into the 1950s. The Finnish Air Force did not retire their Bf109Gs until March 1954. Romania used its Bf109s until 1955. The Spanish Hispanos flew even longer. Some were still in service in the late 1960s.