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JG27

Name : JG27 Country : Germany

Jagdgeschwader 27 Afrika was a World War II Luftwaffe Geschwader. It was most famous for service in the North African Campaign, supporting the Deutsches Afrikakorps. Commanders of IV./JG 27 Hauptmann Rudolf Sinner, June 1943 Oberleutnant Dietrich Boesler (acting), September 1943 Oberleutnant Alfred Burk (acting), October 1943 Hauptmann Joachim Kirschner, 18 October 1943 Hauptmann Otto Meyer, 1 February 1943 Hauptmann Hanns-Heinz Dudeck, July 1944 Hauptmann Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert, 2 January 1945

Known Service Details :
Pilot or Aircrew	Rank	Start of Service	End of Service	Known Dates	Aircraft	Airframes	Notes
Dieter Ackermann	Gefreiter	unknown	unknown	28th May 1944
Hans-Joachim Ahlert	Leutnant	unknown	unknown	12th April 1944
Willi Althof	Oberleutnant	unknown	unknown	15th September 1942 19th October 1942
Albrecht von Ankum-Frank	Hauptmann	unknown	unknown	02nd June 1940 14th June 1940
Hans-Gunther Appel	Unteroffizier	unknown	unknown	27th July 1941
Walter Appel	Gefreiter	unknown	unknown	09th February 1944 12th May 1944
Walter Arnold		unknown	unknown
Bernhard von Arnswald	Unteroffizier	unknown	unknown	16th September 1942
Erwin Axthelm	Oberleutnant	unknown	unknown	10th May 1940 25th May 1940
Walter Baur		unknown	unknown
Hans Caleme	Oberleutnant	unknown	unknown	14th May 1944 27th June 1944
Eugen Caplan	Unteroffizier	unknown	unknown	29th June 1941
Adolf Galland	Hauptmann	October 1939	June 1940		Me109
Gunther Hannak	Oberleutnant	unknown	unknown	12th April 1943
Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert	Oberleutnant	2nd January 1944	March 1945
Hans Reithner	Unteroffizier	unknown	13th December 1941		Me109	0003200	Killed in Action
Gustav-Siegfried Rodel		1st October 1939	unknown	01st June 1940	Me109		Rödel was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) on 1 June 1940. Stab./JG 27 took part in the Battle of Dunkirk on 2 June and were peripherally involved in Operation Paula on 3 June. Rödel claimed a Supermarine Spitfire on 2 June. On 7 June he claimed his fourth victory and his last in France over a Potez 630 near Dunkirk
Dietmar Rothfelder	Oberfahnrich	unknown	27th September 1941		Me109	0003300	Killed in Action
Heinz Schmidt		unknown	unknown
Karl Von Lieres und Wilkau	Oberleutnant	unknown	11th June 1943				Killed in Action
Wilhelm Wiesinger	Oberleutnant	unknown	23rd June 1941	12th May 1940			Killed in Action

Pilots and Aircrew for : JG27
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
Ackermann, Dieter Click the name above to see a profile of Ackermann, Dieter	Ackermann, Dieter
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
Ahlert, Hans-Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Ahlert, Hans-Joachim    Died : 4 / 5 / 1944	Ahlert, Hans-Joachim Killed in flying accident, 4th May 1944.
Althof, Willi Click the name above to see a profile of Althof, Willi	Althof, Willi
Ankum-Frank, Albrecht von Click the name above to see a profile of Ankum-Frank, Albrecht von	Ankum-Frank, Albrecht von
Appel, Hans-Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Appel, Hans-Gunther	Appel, Hans-Gunther
Appel, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Appel, Walter	Appel, Walter KIA 14 June, 1944 during aerial combat in the Caen/Bayeux area. One known victory, his 1st, a Beaufighter S of Insel Samos on 9 February, 1944. A 2nd, a Beaufighter 4 km N of Insel Milos on 13 February, 1944. His 4th, a P-51 10 km N of Grubisno Polje on 23 April, 1944. His 5th, a B-17 on 12 May, 1944, no location.
Arnold, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Arnold, Walter	Arnold, Walter His G-6 reported lost on 18 August, 1944 during an emergency landing 30km NW of Paris, pilot returned. One known victory, his 1st, a B-17 SE of Marburg on 6 April, 1944. A 2nd, a Typhoon S of Evreux on 17 August, 1944. A 3rd, a B-26 60 km SW of Aachen on 3 October, 1944. A 4th, a P-47 at Mechernich on 17 December, 1944. His 7th, a P-51 in the Küstrin area on 24 March, 1945. His 8th, an Auster on 2 April, 1945
Arnswald, Bernhard von Click the name above to see a profile of Arnswald, Bernhard von	Arnswald, Bernhard von
Axthelm, Erwin Click the name above to see a profile of Axthelm, Erwin	Axthelm, Erwin
Bartels, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Bartels, Heinrich    Died : 23 / 12 / 1944	Bartels, Heinrich
Baur, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Baur, Walter	Baur, Walter Wounded on the th5 July, 1944 during aerial combat in the Seine-Mündung area. One known victory, his 2nd and 3rd, both B-17s, one of which was HSS, E of Nangis (Fr.?) on 14 June, 1944. He had flown Bf 109G-6 Werk # 440924 "Yellow 4 + I" (lost 7/5/44) and was with 9/JG-27 in France
Becker, Paul Click the name above to see a profile of Becker, Paul	Becker, Paul
Bendert, Karl-Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Bendert, Karl-Heinz    Died : 16 / 7 / 1983	Bendert, Karl-Heinz
Berking, Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Berking, Joachim	Berking, Joachim Joining the Luftwafte in November 1939, Joachim Berking was commissioned and trained as a pilot on Ju52s and He111s as part of KG53 based at Lille in northern France. In May 1942 he was posted to KG55 Grief in Russia, joining the 4th Staffel based in Djepropetrowsk, where he completed 291 combat missions, of which 60 were night operations. In November 1943 he returned to France to become head of training of 1 L/KG5 5 at Dijon. After this posting he converted to fighters, training on the Me109, and in April 1945 was posted to command 4./JG27 Marseille. He received the Iron Cross I and II, the German Cross in Gold, and a special honorary trophy from Reichsmarschall Hermann Goering for outstanding services in air combat.
Blazytko, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Blazytko, Franz	Blazytko, Franz
Blume, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Blume, Walter	Blume, Walter
Bock, Eberhard Click the name above to see a profile of Bock, Eberhard	Bock, Eberhard
Boerngen, Ernst Click the name above to see a profile of Boerngen, Ernst	Boerngen, Ernst
Braune, Erhard Click the name above to see a profile of Braune, Erhard	Braune, Erhard
Burk, Alfred Click the name above to see a profile of Burk, Alfred	Burk, Alfred
Caleme, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Caleme, Hans	Caleme, Hans
Caplan, Eugen Click the name above to see a profile of Caplan, Eugen	Caplan, Eugen
Clade, Emil Click the name above to see a profile of Clade, Emil    Died : 5 / 2010	Clade, Emil Born 26th February 1916, Emil Clade joined the Luftwaffe in April 1937. At the outbreak of war he was with 1 Staffel JG27 and took part in the Battle of France, the fighting over Dunkirk and then in 1940, based in the Pas de Calais, in the Battle of Britain, where he scored his first victory flying the Me109E. In early 1941 Emil was posted with JG27 to North Africa where he flew continually until the German forces were eventually defeated at the end of 1942. By the end of the war he had survived 6 bail outs and scored 26 air victories. He was awarded the German Gold Cross, and Iron Cross 1st Class. Sadly, Emil Clade passed away in May 2010.
Dobislav, Max Click the name above to see a profile of Dobislav, Max	Dobislav, Max
Dullberg, Ernst Click the name above to see a profile of Dullberg, Ernst	Dullberg, Ernst
Eickhoff, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Eickhoff, Heinrich	Eickhoff, Heinrich
Elles, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Elles, Franz	Elles, Franz
Espenlaub, Albert Click the name above to see a profile of Espenlaub, Albert    Died : 13 / 12 / 1941	Espenlaub, Albert
Ettel, Wolf Udo Click the name above to see a profile of Ettel, Wolf Udo    Died : 17 / 7 / 1943	Ettel, Wolf Udo
Fahrenberger, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Fahrenberger, Hans	Fahrenberger, Hans
Fluder, Emmerich Click the name above to see a profile of Fluder, Emmerich    Died : 31 / 5 / 1942	Fluder, Emmerich
Forster, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Forster, Hermann	Forster, Hermann
Framm, Gert Click the name above to see a profile of Framm, Gert	Framm, Gert
Franzisket, Ludwig Click the name above to see a profile of Franzisket, Ludwig	Franzisket, Ludwig
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.
Gerlitz, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Gerlitz, Erich	Gerlitz, Erich
Grimm, Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Grimm, Josef	Grimm, Josef
Gromotka, Fritz Click the name above to see a profile of Gromotka, Fritz	Gromotka, Fritz
Gruber, Viktor Click the name above to see a profile of Gruber, Viktor	Gruber, Viktor
Hannak, Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Hannak, Gunther	Hannak, Gunther
Heidel, Alfred Click the name above to see a profile of Heidel, Alfred	Heidel, Alfred
Heinecke, Hans-Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Heinecke, Hans-Joachim	Heinecke, Hans-Joachim
Hoffmann, Friedrich Click the name above to see a profile of Hoffmann, Friedrich    Died : 15 / 9 / 1942	Hoffmann, Friedrich
Hohagen, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Hohagen, Erich    Died : 8 / 3 / 1990	Hohagen, Erich
Homuth, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Homuth, Gerhard    Died : 2 / 8 / 1943	Homuth, Gerhard
Jenisch, Kurt Click the name above to see a profile of Jenisch, Kurt    Died : 26 / 6 / 1942	Jenisch, Kurt
Kageneck, Erbo Graf von Click the name above to see a profile of Kageneck, Erbo Graf von    Died : 12 / 1 / 1942	Kageneck, Erbo Graf von
Kaiser, Emil Click the name above to see a profile of Kaiser, Emil	Kaiser, Emil
Keppler, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Keppler, Gerhard	Keppler, Gerhard
Kientsch, Willy Click the name above to see a profile of Kientsch, Willy    Died : 20 / 12 / 1943	Kientsch, Willy
Kirschner, Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Kirschner, Joachim    Died : 17 / 12 / 1943	Kirschner, Joachim Hauptmann Joachim Kirchner was born on 7 June 1920 in Niederlössnitz b. Radebeul. Kirchner Joined German Air Force on 26 August 1939. On 17 December his flight of five Bf 109 G was spotted over Ston by six P-40 and seven P-47 Thunderbolts of 57th Fighter Group USAAF which shot down three Bf 109 including his Bf 109G-6 WNr. 20618 over Metkovi?. Joachim Kirchner managed to bail out but on the ground was captured by Yugoslav partisans from 29th Herzegovina division who sentenced him to death. He was shot by firing squad on 17 December 1943. Joachim Kirchner carried out over 600 combat missions and had 188 air victories out of which 21 US and British and 167 Soviet aircraft. 1 February 1943 - 1st Lt. 18 October 1943 - Captain (Hauptmann) Awards: 23 December 1942 - Knight's Cross 2 August 1943 - Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves Units: December 1941 - 5./Jagdgeschwader 3 'Udet' Commander of 5./JG3 18 October 1943 - Commander of IV/JG27
Kohl, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Kohl, Hermann	Kohl, Hermann
Korner, Friedrich Click the name above to see a profile of Korner, Friedrich    Died : 3 / 9 / 1998	Korner, Friedrich Born 24th January 1921. Friedrich Korner joined the Luftwaffe in November 1939 and after training joined II/.JG27 in North Africa. On 19th March 1942, over Tobruk, Korner claimed his first victory, and with his 10th victory, over an RAF P-40, he claimed the 1000th victory for JG-27. He scored a further 20 victories in June 1942, including 5 in a day where he shot down three South African Air Force P-40s and two RAF Spitfires. He became the 7th most successful Ace in North Africa, but was shot down in his Bf-109 while taking off to intercept a bomber group. He was taken prisoner, and sent to Canada as a PoW, released in 1947. He recorded a total of 36 victories flying the Bf109, was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 21st August 1941, and the Knights Cross on 7th September 1942, after his capture. After the war, he conitnued in the post-war Bundesluftwaffe, retiring from military service in June 1979. He died on 3rd September 1998, in Paris.
Kothmann, Willi Click the name above to see a profile of Kothmann, Willi    Died : 2 / 4 / 1942	Kothmann, Willi
Kowalski, Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Kowalski, Herbert	Kowalski, Herbert
Krafftschick, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Krafftschick, Rudolf    Died : 18 / 9 / 1940	Krafftschick, Rudolf
Krainik, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Krainik, Erich    Died : 26 / 10 / 1942	Krainik, Erich
Krenz, Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Krenz, Herbert    Died : 1 / 9 / 1942	Krenz, Herbert
Kutscha, Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Kutscha, Herbert	Kutscha, Herbert
Lass, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Lass, Hans	Lass, Hans
Lehmann, Georg Click the name above to see a profile of Lehmann, Georg    Died : 30 / 8 / 1940	Lehmann, Georg
Lippert, Wolfgang Click the name above to see a profile of Lippert, Wolfgang    Died : 3 / 12 / 1941	Lippert, Wolfgang
Marseille, Hans-Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Marseille, Hans-Joachim    Died : 30 / 9 / 1942	Marseille, Hans-Joachim Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Marseille was born 13 December 1919. He was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II. He is noted for his aerial battles during the North African Campaign and his bohemian lifestyle. Arguably one of the best fighter pilots of World War II, he was nicknamed the "Star of Africa". Marseille claimed all but seven of his "official" 158 victories against the British Commonwealth's Desert Air Force over North Africa, flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter for his entire combat career. No other pilot claimed as many Western Allied aircraft as Marseille. Marseille, of French Huguenot ancestry, joined the Luftwaffe in 1938. At the age of 20 he graduated from one of the Luftwaffe's fighter pilot schools just in time to participate in the Battle of Britain, without notable success. A charming person, he had such a busy night life that sometimes he was too tired to be allowed to fly the next morning. As a result, he was transferred to another unit, which relocated to North Africa in April 1941. Battle of Britain In his first dogfight over England on 24 August 1940, Marseille was involved in a four-minute battle with a skilled opponent, He defeated his opponent by pulling up into a tight chandelle, to gain an altitude advantage before diving and firing. The British fighter was struck in the engine, pitching over and diving into the English Channel; this was Marseille's first kill. Marseille was then engaged from above by more enemy fighters. By pushing his aircraft into a steep dive then pulling up metres above the water, Marseille escaped from the machine gun fire of his opponents: "skipping away over the waves, I made a clean break. No one followed me and I returned to Leeuwarden." Marseille did not take any pleasure in this kill and found it difficult to accept the realities of aerial combat. In a letter to his mother, dated 24 August, he said the following: “Today I shot down my first opponent. It does not sit well with me. I keep thinking how the mother of this young man must feel when she gets the news of her son's death. And I am to blame for this death. I am sad, instead of being happy about the first victory.â€� On his second sortie, he scored another victory, and by the fifth day had claimed his fourth kill. While returning from a bomber-escort mission on 23 September 1940, his engine failed after combat damage sustained over Dover; he tried to radio his position but was forced to bail out over the sea. He paddled around in the water for three hours before being rescued by a Heinkel He 59 float plane based at Schellingwoude. Severely worn out and suffering from exposure, he was sent to a field hospital. Marseille claimed his 7th aerial victory on 28 September 1940 but had to crash land near Théville due to engine failure in his Bf 109 E-7. Days later, Marseille was passed over for promotion and was now the sole Fähnrich in the Geschwader. This was a humiliation for him, suspecting that his abilities were being suppressed so the squadron leaders could take all the glory in the air. Another account recalled how Marseille once ignored an order to turn back from a fight when outnumbered by two to one, but seeing an enemy aircraft closing on his wing leader, Marseille broke formation and shot the attacking aircraft down. Expecting nothing but "a well done Jochen" when he landed, he was thoroughly criticised for his actions, receiving three days of confinement for failing to carry out an order. Shortly afterwards, in early October 1940, after having claimed seven aerial victories all them flying with I. /LG 2 Marseille was transferred to 4./Jagdgeschwader 52, flying alongside the likes of Johannes Steinhoff and Gerhard Barkhorn. He wrote off four aircraft as a result of operations during this period. Steinhoff, later recalled: “Marseille was extremely handsome. He was a very gifted pilot, but he was unreliable. He had girl friends everywhere, and they kept him so busy that he was sometimes so worn out that he had to be grounded. His sometime irresponsible way of conducting his duties was the main reason I fired him. But he had irresistible charm.â€� As punishment for "insubordination"—rumoured to be his penchant for American jazz music, womanising and an overt "playboy" lifestyle—and inability to fly as a wingman, Steinhoff transferred Marseille to Jagdgeschwader 27 on 24 December 1940. When he joined his new unit, it was difficult to foresee his outstanding career. His new Gruppenkommandeur, Eduard Neumann, later recalled: “His hair was too long and he brought with him a list of disciplinary punishments as long as your arm. Of the 7 kills he had claimed fighting along the English Channel, 4 had not been confirmed – a large percentage. On top of it all, he was a Berliner… In trying to create an image, he wasn’t averse from talking about the many girls he had been to bed with, among them a famous actress. He was tempestuous, temperamental and unruly. Thirty years later, he would have been called a playboy.â€� Nevertheless, Neumann quickly recognised Marseille's potential as a pilot. He stated in an interview: "Marseille could only be one of two, either a disciplinary problem or a great fighter pilot." Jagdgeschwader 27 was soon relocated to North Africa. Under the guidance of his new commander, who recognised the hidden potential in the young officer, Marseille started to improve his abilities as a fighter pilot. He reached the zenith of his fighter pilot career on 1 September 1942, when during the course of three combat sorties he claimed 17 enemy fighters shot down, earning him the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. Only 29 days later, Marseille was killed in a flying accident, when an engine failure forced him to abandon his fighter. After he exited the smoke-filled cockpit, Marseille's chest struck the vertical stabiliser of his aircraft, either killing him instantly, or incapacitating him so that he was unable to open his parachute.
Matoni, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Matoni, Walter	Matoni, Walter
Mentnich, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Mentnich, Karl	Mentnich, Karl
Meyer, Otto Click the name above to see a profile of Meyer, Otto	Meyer, Otto
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.
Niederhofer, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Niederhofer, Hans	Niederhofer, Hans
Philipp, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Philipp, Hans    Died : 8 / 10 / 1943	Philipp, Hans Oberst Hans Philipp was born 13 March 1917 in Meißen, Saxony, he was killed in action 8 October 1943 near Neuenhaus in the Netherlands, he was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1936 until he was killed in action 8 October 1943 by a P-47 Thunderbolt-pilot. It is believed that he was shot down by Robert S. Johnson. Philipp managed to bail out but his parachute never opened. As part of I./JG 76 (later to renumber as II./Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) Philipp first flew operations over Poland and scored his first victory. Serving later during the Battles of France and Britain, Hans Philipp was Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 54 by the end of 1940. On November 4, 1940 he was awarded the Knight’s Cross for twenty victories. During the Balkans campaign in April 1941, JG 54 engaged the Bf 109's of Jugoslovensko Kraljevsko Ratno Vazduhoplovstvo in a massive air battle. Hans Philipp claimed two of the JKRV 109s. Operation Barbarossa saw Philipp's score begin to escalate. On August 24, 1941, Philipp became the 33rd member recipient of the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. Philipp appointed as Kommandeur I./JG 54. In March 1942, he became the first member of JG 54 to be awarded the Swords to the Knight's Cross and on March 31, 1942 Philipp became the fourth Luftwaffe fighter pilot to achieve 100 victories. In April 1943 Philipp was transferred to Defence of the Reich duties as Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 1, flying high altitude interception operations over North Sea and Northern Germany. On 4 October 1943 Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring is said to have issued the following instructions after another attack by Eighth Air Force. 1.There are no meteorological conditions which would prevent fighters from taking off and engaging in combat. 2.Every fighter pilot taking off in a machine not showing any sign of combat, or without having recorded a victory will be prosecuted by a court-martial. 3.In the case of where a pilot uses up his ammunition, or if his weapons are unusable, he should ram the enemy bomber. Geschwaderkommodore Philipp's response was "As far as I'm concerned, I categorically refuse to allow myself to be held to such advice; I know what I have to do!â€� On 8 October 1943, the US Eighth Air Force attacked with 156 bombers on targets in Bremen and Vegesack. The bombers were escorted by 250+ Thunderbolts from six different fighter groups. Phillipp's flight were intercepted by P-47's of the 56th Fighter Group. The Stab Flight of the Geschwader heard Philipp announce a victory over a Thunderbolt. The last transmission from him was, "Reinhardt, attack!" Feldwebel Reinhardt was Philipp's wingman on this day. He last saw the Kommodore's aircraft disappear in a cloud. Reinhardt was wounded after colliding with an enemy aircraft, but made a successful forced landing. Later that evening, the Geschwader learned that their Kommodore had been shot down and killed. Hans Philipp had claimed 206 enemy aircraft shot down, 178 on the Eastern front, 29 against the Western Allies. He flew over 500 sorties.
Rödel, Gustav-Siegfried Click the name above to see a profile of Rödel, Gustav-Siegfried    Died : 6 / 2 / 1995	Rödel, Gustav-Siegfried
Redlich, Karl-Wolfgang Click the name above to see a profile of Redlich, Karl-Wolfgang	Redlich, Karl-Wolfgang
Reinert, Ernst-Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Reinert, Ernst-Wilhelm    Died : 5 / 9 / 2007	Reinert, Ernst-Wilhelm Ernst Wilhelm Reinert flew with JG77, before transferring to the Eastern Front in 1941. He was posted to Tunisia in January 1943 where he became the most successful Luftwaffe Ace in North Africa during that period. On January 2nd 1945 he was given the leadership of IV./JG27. In March he transferred to III./JG7 flying the Me262. In his 715 missions Reinert scored 174 aerial victories. he was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Born 2nd February 1919 in Lindenthal, died 5th September 2007.
Reithner, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Reithner, Hans    Died : 13 / 12 / 1941	Reithner, Hans Killed on 13th December 1941 when his Me109E-4 0003200 of JG27 was damaged beyond repair in a collision on take off from Aalborg Ost airfield.
Reuter, Horst Click the name above to see a profile of Reuter, Horst    Died : 27 / 5 / 1942	Reuter, Horst
Richter, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Richter, Hans    Died : 11 / 9 / 1941	Richter, Hans
Rodel, Gustav-Siegfried Click the name above to see a profile of Rodel, Gustav-Siegfried    Died : 6 / 2 / 1995	Rodel, Gustav-Siegfried On 1 September 1939 the German Wehrmacht invaded Poland. 2./JG 21 was based at Heiligenbeil, East Prussia. On the opening day Rödel claimed a PZL P.24. Although the claim was over a PZL P.24 and might have been a misidentified PZL P.11, the type flown by the Pursuit Brigade based at Okęcie Warszawa. After the campaign, I./JG 21 was used to form the second and third Gruppen of JG 27, founded on 1 October 1939. On 10 May 1940 JG 27 supported Army Group A and B's invasion of Belgium. Rödel was part of I./JG 27, attached to Fliegerkorps VIII. Rödel was assigned as Adolf Galland's wingman. On 12 May Stab./JG 27 was patrolling near Huy led by Galland. The Stabsschwarm claimed four Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Hurricanes, one of them was claimed by Rödel the other three by Galland. The Hurricanes were probably from No. 87 Squadron RAF. Stab./JG 27 had 101 Bf 109s on strength on 10 May and it flew 17 missions involving 325 sorties RAF resistance on the first day cost the Luftwaffe 10 Junkers Ju 87s that were under the protection of JG 27 and I./Jagdgeschwader 51.The opposition weakened by 13 May and three weeks passed before Rödel claimed again. Rödel was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) on 1 June 1940. Stab./JG 27 took part in the Battle of Dunkirk on 2 June and were peripherally involved in Operation Paula on 3 June. Rödel claimed a Supermarine Spitfire on 2 June. On 7 June he claimed his fourth victory and his last in France over a Potez 630 near Dunkirk. JG 27 transferred to the Netherlands, Belgium and France in the aftermath of the French capitulation on 25 June 1940. The Luftwaffe began its air offensive against the United Kingdom in support of a planned invasion codenamed Operation Sea Lion. The air offensive became known as the Battle of Britain. In July 1940 Rödel was transferred to 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of JG 27 for the Kanalkampf phase of the battle. Röddel was appointed Staffelkapitän (Squadron Leader) of 4. Staffel on 6 September 1940. He replaced Oberleutnant Hermann Hollweg who took over 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2. On 11 August JG 27 formed part of large-scale fighter sweeps over England as Albert Kesselring, commander-in-chief Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2) sought to draw up No. 12 Group RAF under Air Officer Commanding Keith Park. The German fighter wings were despatched far in front of the bomber formations this day, in a bid to catch British fighters at a disadvantage and before they reached the bombers. In a rare tactical mistake, RAF Fighter Command intercepted what it perceived to be an in-coming bomber formation in the early morning attack. Rödel arrived over Weymouth Bay with JG 27 to cover the withdrawal of Messerschmitt Bf 110s from Zerstörergeschwader 2. A large dogfight began at 10:40 GMT as Rödel's unit fought a withdrawal across the English Channel. He claimed a "Spitfire" shot down. All three JG 27 Gruppen were involved and were known to have taken three losses in total in combat with 152, 238 and 145 Squadrons. In return 238 lost five Hawker Hurricanes and four pilots killed in action with Bf 109s. 145 lost three Hurricanes and one pilot and 152 sustained no loss. On 30 August, Rödel claimed another Spitfire. At 11:45 JG 27 became embroiled in battle with Spitfires from 616 and Hurricanes from 253 Squadrons. JG 27 lost five Bf 109s and four pilots were missing in action.[18] 253 lost three Hurricanes and two pilots killed and 616 lost two Spitfires—Flying Officer J. S. Bell was killed and Sergeant J. Hopewell survived a force-landing. The losses were reported over Redhill, the area recorded in Rödel's claim. On 1 September Rödel claimed two Spitfires over Ashford and Folkestone. Fighter Command lost 15 destroyed and four damaged in combat with five killed and seven wounded. For the second and last time in the campaign, the Luftwaffe suffered the loss of fewer aircraft: five fighters destroyed and two damaged; two bombers destroyed and six damaged. Only Hurricane squadrons reported losses in the afternoon battle at the time of Rödel's claim: 1 Squadron (two destroyed one damaged), 79 (three destroyed), 72 (three destroyed), 85 (five destroyed one damaged) and 253 Squadron (one destroyed). Rödel was appointed Staffelkapitän (Squadron Leader) of 4./JG 27 on this date. On 3 September, Rödel claimed a Hurricane and Spitfire over Southend. JG 27 were involved in combat with Spitfires from No. 603 Squadron RAF and lost one pilot wounded. The only British losses sustained were by Hurricane squadrons. No. 46 Squadron RAF lost three Hurricanes over Southend at the time of Rödel's claims—Sergeant G. H. Edgworthy, Pilot Officer H. Morgan-Gray and Sergeant E. Bloor were shot down by Bf 109s. Edgworthy was killed. 13 Hurricanes were lost and five damaged in the air battle. Six are recorded as lost to Bf 110s four were lost or damaged in accidents and another by friendly-fire. Rödel was credited with another Spitfire on 6 September.[15] JG 27 lost five Bf 109s and one damaged. Four were missing and two wounded. Gruppenkommandeur Schlichting of III./JG 27 was among the missing. 43 and 303 Squadron are known to have been their opponents. 303 lost two Hurricanes and a further two were damaged by Bf 109s. Two pilots were severely wounded including Squadron leader Z. Krasnodebski. 43 Squadron suffered no loss. On 11 September Rödel claimed another victory over Tunbridge Wells. On 27 September Rödel claimed two Hurricanes. One was claimed at 12:05 GMT. In this battle JG 27 lost three Bf 109s to Spitfires from 19 and 222 Squadron. 222 lost one Spitfire and a severely wounded pilot and 19 Squadron two Spitfires with one wounded and killed. In the large air battle, 41 (three destroyed, one wounded), 46 (one damaged), 152 (five damaged), 242 242 (one destroyed and missing), 501 (two destroyed, one dead one wounded), 504 (one destroyed), 602 (one destroyed), 603 (one destroyed one dead) and 616 Squadrons (one destroyed one died of wounds) lost aircraft between 12:05 and 12:30. At least nine German Geschwader were involved in the battle. The Luftwaffe lost 51 aircraft and 15 damaged to Fighter Command's 28 destroyed and 13 damaged. Rödel probably shot down Squadron leader C. Haw, commanding, No. 504 Squadron RAF. Haw force-landed Hurricane P3415 uninjured 4./JG 27 was redeployed to Bulgaria in March 1941. On 6 April in participated in the German-led invasion of Greece after the failed Italian invasion. On 15 April Rödel led his staffel to Kalambaka and Vassiliki. Captain George Mokkas, commanding 23 Mira engaged them but was shot down and killed by Rödel who mistook his Bloch MB.150 for a Hurricane. It was his 15th victory.[30] Minutes later Rödel claimed two Gloster Gladiators and another three claims were made for Gladiators by his staffel. The Greek fighters were actually PZL P.24s. Captain Kellas of 21 Mira, Katsarellas of 22 Mira and First Lieutenant Kontogiorgos were wounded. On 20 April 1941 Rödel claimed three Hurricanes from No. 80 Squadron RAF in ten minutes. 4./JG 27 was moved to East Prussia to support Army Group North in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. On 25 June 1941 Rödel claimed his only victory in this theatre over Vilnius. The claim was recorded as a Tupolev SB. In July 1941 4./JG 27 was moved to North Africa to support a German contingent, the Deutsche Afrika Korps under the command of Erwin Rommel. The Italian invasion of Egypt had created another theatre of war, the North African Campaign. Rödel's staffel was operational by late summer 1941. On 3 October Rödel claimed a Desert Air Force Curtiss P-40 Warhawk of No. 112 Squadron RAF shot down. The pilot may have been Sergeant Stirrat.[32] On 10 October he claimed a pair of P-40s. One of the claims may have been from 2 Squadron SAAF which lost two P-40s.[33] Rödel claimed his 25th and 26th victory over a Bristol Blenheim near Gazala, perhaps belonging to No. 11 Squadron RAF, and a P-40 near Bir Hacheim. The British Eighth Army began Operation Crusader on 18 November and a week later, on 25 November, Rödel claimed a Hurricane and P-40 in a large air battle over Tobruk. As the German and Italian armies laid siege to the city. Rödel claimed single victories on 1st, 4th, 5 and 6 December—a Hurricane, two P-40s and a Bristol Beaufighter. The 4 December victory was the P-40 flown by Second Lieutenant Meek of 2 Squadron SAAF over Al Adm. The 6 December claim was probably a No. 274 Squadron RAF Beaufighter flown by Pilot Officer William G. Snow which crashed near Tobruk. Snow and his navigator Sergeant John K. Dutton were captured. On a mission in January 1942 Rödel was accidentally rammed by Unteroffizier Heidel and was forced to carry out a force-landing. On 27 March 1942 1. and 4. staffel formed 10 Bf 109s to escort 15 Ju 87s from I.Sturzkampfgeschwader 3. P-40s from 2 SAAF and 80 Squadron RAF were scrambled to intercept. Ludwig Franzisket from 1 staffel claimed a victory and Rödel claimed two of the three by his own unit. From 2 SAAF Lieutenants Lipawski and E. Smith were shot down and survived crash-landings—the former's aircraft was strafed and burnt out on the ground. Lieutenant Bryant's P-40 was also damaged, lightly. Flight Sergeant Comfort from 80 Squadron was also hit and his Hurricane badly damaged. On 6 April Rödel claimed one of the four claims made by JG 27. Gerhard Homuth was among the other claimants. Desert Air Force records show that No. 94 Squadron RAF and Flight Lieutenant D. F. O. Shelford was killed. 2 and 40 Squadron SAAF lost one P-40 and a Hurricane respectively—Lieutenants R. D. B. Morton and Egner survived.[40] The next day II./JG 27 engaged 94, 260 and 450 Squadrons as well as 4 Squadron SAAF. 450 lost one in combat. 260 lost one P-40 and another badly damaged and one of 4 SAAF's P-40 was damaged. Rödel shot down the 260 Squadron P-40 piloted by Flying Officer E. T. Thompson.[40] Willi Kientsch appears to have fired at and claimed the same aircraft but both were credited with victories while JG 27 claimed four victories.[40] On 7 April 4 staffel intercepted 40 Squadron SAAF and Rödel made the only claim—although three P-40s were brought down. Lieutenants Gouws, J. P. Blaauw and D. N. Stott all survived. The claim was Rödel's 38th victory.[40] On 25 April JG 27 fought a large air battle over Gazala. The Germans claimed 10. 2, 4 SAAF and 260 Squadron RAF lost 8 destroyed between then and another 5 damaged. Rödel claimed one, while Günter Steinhausen claimed one and Hans-Joachim Marseille claimed two. JG 27 lost four Bf 109s in aerial combat Rödel was promoted to Hauptmann (captain) on 1 May 1942. On 20 May 1942, Rödel was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (Group Commander) of II./JG 27, replacing Major Erich Gerlitz who took over III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53. In the last week of May the desert fighting escalated in the Battle of Gazala and Battle of Bir Hakeim. On 23 May Rödel led the formation in an attack on 33 Squadron Hurricanes. He shot down its leader Flight Lieutenant P. D. Wade (not to be confused Lance Wade in the same squadron). Wade survived the ditching into the sea but died, presumably of drowning or wounds. Rödel's combat report stated that he observed the enemy pilot swimming away from his sinking fighter. 5 staffel lost one Bf 109 with a wounded pilot and Lehrgeschwader 1 lost one Junkers Ju 88 in air combat and two on the ground. Italian units suffered no losses. Four Hurricanes were lost and two badly damaged. Two Martin Baltimore bombers were destroyed and two badly damaged. Two pilots from 33 and another two from 80 Squadron were killed as well as six men from the Boston-equipped No. 233 Squadron RAF. Marseille and Homuth claimed the bombers—two by the former and one by the latter.[45] Rödel now had 41. Over Bir Hacheim on 4 June I./JG 27 escorted Ju 87s from I./StG 3 over the front. 2 SAAF, 3 Squadron SAAF and 5 Squadron SAAF led by Major John Frost. The P-40s attacked and claimed eight of the Ju 87s before the Bf 109s could act. Rödel's Gruppe arrived as the last Ju 87s were going down and attacked the South Africans. 4 SAAF lost three P-40s and two pilots captured. The third, Lieuenant Lane was picked up by Pilot Officer George Keefer who had been seconded from 274 Squadron. Lieutenant Horne, seconded from 260 Squadron, also picked up Major Meaker from 5 SAAF when hit by a Ju 87 gunner. Rödel made one of only two claims by JG 27 in the fight. The Italian Macchi C.202-equipped 10 Gruppo claimed 13 destroyed and two damaged in the day's fighting. Rödel claimed one P-40 destroyed. The First Battle of El Alamein began on 1 July. Rödel had his most successful day in Africa, claiming three shot down on 10 July.[47] The three P-40s raised his total to 45. Rödel accounted for his 46th and 47th victories on 19 July. The identity of the Allied formation was probably 238 Squadron.[49] Two days later Rödel claimed four Hurricanes from seven submitted by German pilots in combat over the El Alamein area. They were probably from 238 Squadron.[50] July was particularly successful for Rödel and Homuth's pilots. On 31 August he claimed a solitary victory as the Battle of Alam el Halfa began. The 1 September 1942 is remembered for Marseille's 17 claims, but for the Axis ground forces it was not such a success, their armour failing to gain success. Six Kittyhawks of 450 Squadron provided top cover to 18 Boston bombers at 07:38. Rödel led four Bf 109s shooting down one of the three claimed by his flight. On 5 September he claimed a triple victory. Rödel repeated this feat on 9 October, after six Bf 109s of II Gruppe fought a battle directly over its own airfield. Approximately 70 P-40s of 112, 250, 450, 3 RAAF, 2, 4 and 5 Squadrons with support from the US 66th Fighter Squadron were ordered to attack German and Italian airfields and his opponents came from these groups.[54] On 22 October Rödel claimed a B-25 Mitchell from the US 12th Bombardment Group. The bomber was hit by anti-aircraft artillery, fell out of formation and was then shot down by Rödel. it was the 12th Group's only loss. On the night of the 23 October 1942 the British began the Second battle of El Alamein. The following morning JG 27 flew an all-out operation to support German and Italian forces. Rödel led II./JG 27 and they met 18 bombers and 30 P-40s. Rödel claimed three of the latter between 11:43 and 11:50. On the morning of the 26 October German and Italian forces counter-attacked Outpost Snipe and the Desert Air Force supported the defence of the position by attacking Axis armour. Rödel and eight other Bf 109s from his Gruppe took off on a frei jagd (free hunt—or combat air patrol in modern parlance). They engaged a large formation of P-40s and Rödel probably shot down the P-40 flown by Sergeant Rattle from 260 Squadron. Rödel claimed another trio of RAF fighters on 27 October—a P-39 Airacobra, P-40 and Spitfire. The Spitfire fell at 10:23 and a Curtiss at 10:42. Rödel's fought to cover the 15th and 21st Panzer Division in another assault on Outpost Snipe.[58] Rödel claimed two more just before 11:00 on 31 October as JG 27 sought to provide determined German-Italian counter-attacks with air support.[59] The following morning Rödel filed his last claim for a victory over Egypt. At approximately 07:00 he claimed a Spitfire south of Sidi Abdel Rahman II./JG 27 avoided the defeat at El Alamein which began with the British breakthrough on 4 November. The Anglo-American Operation Torch, four days later, caught the Axis armies in a vice which eventually destroyed them in the Tunisian Campaign which brought the war in North Africa to an end on 13 May 1943. Along with the stab (command) staffel, II. Gruppe withdrew to Germany for resting.[61] In February 1943 it began staging down the leg of Italy to Sicily. Eduard Neumann oversaw the transfer while still flying the ageing Bf 109F-4/Trops. The fighter group was based at San Pietro[disambiguation needed], 20 miles (32 kilometres) inland from the island's southern coast. Rödel supervised an influx of new pilots and re-equipment with Bf 109G-4s and Bf 109G-6 models to replace the depleted staffeln. Once at established strength it moved some staffeln to Trapani and operated from there.[61] The main task of the fighter group was to escort Axis convoys from Italy to Tunisia. The air and sea threat from British forces based on Malta was now severe. The island was no longer under siege and its forces had taken the offensive. Rödel's command was not successful. On 18 April 1943 less than a dozen of the group's Bf 109s formed an escort for 65 Junkers Ju 52 transports flying to Tunisia. With the Allied Operation Flax now in effect, the mission ended with an attack of up to a large number of Allied fighters which shot down 24 of the transports. The German unit claimed only a single Spitfire and the battle became known as the Palm Sunday Massacre.[62] Four days later, on 22 April, the group could not stop the destruction of 14 Messerschmitt Me 321s. The German pilots reported up to 80 Allied fighters and could only claim three of their assailants.[63] The very same day Neumann left JG 27 for a staff appointment with the staff of Galland's General der Jagdflieger. Rödel replaced him as Geschwaderkommodore (Wing Commander) of JG 27. II. Rödel appointed Werner Schröer to command II Gruppe. Rödel was a firm believer in leading in the air in contrast to the fighter wing's previous commanders. All five of the victories claimed by the Stab unit in the first two months over Sicily were credited to him.[63] In May 1943 the Mediterranean Air Command (MAC) under the command of Arthur Tedder ordered heavy air attacks against Axis airfields in Sicily. II./JG 27 claimed 20 heavy bombers and a similar number of P-38 Lightnings but the raids caused heavy damage. From 18–22 May Rödel claimed two B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers and three P-38s. From 18–31 May 1943 the JG 27-contingent claimed 25 Allied aircraft destroyed. On 20 June II./JG 27 was redeployed to Lecce on the Italian mainland.From Lecce, ten days before Operation Husky and the invasion of Sicily, the group claimed six out of 24-strong formation of Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers—a rare success. Rödel's Geschwaderstab moved to Kalamaki in occupied Greece. Here, Rödel assumed direct control of III. Gruppe and the newly formed IV Gruppe. The remaining II. and I. Gruppen remained far-flung across the Mediterranean. III. Gruppe had been based at Kastelli on Crete for the preceding four months. Rödel was ordered to defend the air space above the Aegean Sea. On 2 July 1943 Rödel claimed a Bristol Beaufighter shot down for his 79th victory near Milos. On 8 September 1943 an Allied force landed in the Dodecanese. JG 27 contested the invasion against incursions by the US Twelfth Air Force over Greek airspace. Rödel claimed a B-24 on 4 October and a P-38 and B-25 Mitchell on 8 October to bring his tally to 83. The only other pilot to claim a victory in the stab unit was Jost Schlang—one time wingman of Hans Joachim Marseille—who claimed a B-17 on 10 October west of Corinth. By 9 February 1944 JG 27 had all but abandoned Greece to return to the Reich for the Defence of the Reich duty. Only 7 staffel was permitted to remain and claimed the last victories on 14 May 1944.[69] I Gruppe was based at Fels am Wagram, west of Vienna on 12 August 1943 for the next ten months.[70] II./JG 27 remained in central Germany until June 1944 when it was withdrawn to rest and re-equip at Wels am Wagram. In the final weeks it was joined by III. and IV. Gruppen. Rödel's stab unit arrived in February 1944. The Kommodore continued to lead from the front and claimed 11 of the 25 victories claimed by the command squadron in the last few weeks of operations over Hungary, Austria and southern Germany. On 13 May the command staffel moved to Wien-Seyring near Vienna. On 19 March 1944 Rödel flew his first RLV operation. The US Fifteenth Air Force sent a small formation of bombers to southern Germany. En route to Austria one Italian and two groups of German fighters from Jafü Oberitalien (Fighter Leader Northern Italy) in northern Italy and then Jagdfliegerführer Ostmark (Jafü Ostmark—Fighter Leader Austria) attacked. Rödel led III. and IV. into battle with 87 Bf 109s against of formation of 92 B-24s, which formed part of the USAAF operation. The battle cost Rödel ten Bf 109s and six pilots. The Germans claimed 27 B-24s and were credited with 21. American losses amounted to six B-17s and 12 B-24s for a total of 18. Eight came from the 454th Bombardment Group. Rödel claimed two B-17s. III Gruppe claimed 12 B-24s for two losses. On 2 April the Fifteenth bombed a ball-bearing and aircraft factory near Steyr. Rödel claimed a P-47 Thunderbolt. 11 B-17s and 31 B-24s were claimed but not confirmed—actual American losses were eight and 20. Only one claim for a P-47 was made—by Rödel—but it appears all returned. The following day JG 27 scrambled to intercept large formations of Fifteenth bombers targeting Budapest. Other fighter units of the 7 Jagddivision could only reach the target area if given amply warning and Rödel's Geschwader were the only German fighters to make contact. Three Gruppen attacked. Royal Hungarian Air Force Bf 109s also joined the interception with Bf 109Gs and Messerschmitt Me 210s. JG 27 claimed four B-17s, one B-24 and one P-38 for no loss. Hungarian pilots claimed an identical number of B-17s and B-24s but no P-38s for one pilot killed. The Fifteenth confirmed lost four B-17s and one B-24 half the total amount Axis pilots claimed. It claimed four Me 210s and three Bf 109s which are not corroborated. Another source gives a loss of nine bombers and one loss for III Gruppe. Rödel claimed one of the B-17s in the action. On 12 April the Eighth Air Force targeted Schweinfurt and the Fifteenth attacked targets around Vienna. The Eighth operation was suspended because of weather but fighter forces continued a sweep over Germany. I. Jagdkorps units claimed to have fought off the attacks. In the south, the Fifteenth continued. Jagddivision 7 committed 190 fighters to battle and lost 21 in dogfights with the USAAF escorts. American losses amounted to just seven bombers: fighter losses are not known.[76] Rödel claimed one of the seven B-17s. The next day the Fifteenth targeted Schweinfurt and Oberpfaffenhofen, two targets hated by American bomber crews. III./Jagdgeschwader 3 two JG 27 Gruppen of Jafü Ostmark and all of Jagdabschnitt Ungarn (Fighter Section Hungary)—III./JG 27 and five Hungarian Bf 109 and Me 210 night fighter units—were scrambled to intercept. 18 American bombers were lost. The Me 210s lost 13 to the American escorts. On 12 May the Eighth Air Force struck at the petroleum industry near Bruz. 886 heavy bombers and 876 fighters began the operation. Luftflotte Reich committed 475 fighters in 22 fighter groups to intercept. II./JG 27 was able to get airborne and with II./JG 53 and were ordered to rendezvous with Jagdgeschwader 1 but came under attack from P-51 Mustangs. The Bf 109s were able to break free they intercepted the bomber stream over the Tannus Mountains, near Frankfurt. Both groups reported successes but lost 11 Bf 109s.[78] I. Grupppe claimed seven (plus two P-51s), III., claimed 13, IV., five, while stab JG 27 claimed three bombers.[71] Rödel led I. and III. personally but could not prevent his force losing 14 Bf 109s, three killed and seven wounded.[79] The 3rd US Bomb Division alone lost 41 bombers—possibly to attacks from JG 3 and 11—before the escorts intervened. Rödel claimed another pair of heavy bombers. Seven days later he repeated the feat. On 28 May 1944 the Eighth returned to bomb oil targets in central Germany. 1,341 bombers from several bomb divisions participated. Rödel led JG 27 without filing a claim.[81] During the course of the mission the Bf 109s chanced upon and unescorted bombers from the 94th Bombardment Wing. A combat box of 50 B-17s were flying to Dessau and nearing Magdeburg. Rödel's Geschwader did not normally employ a set formation to attack US heavy bombers but they took advantage of the situation and attacked in Staffeln-strength.[81] IV. Gruppe was flying as escort to engaged US fighters but came down to join the attack. The P-51s were urgently requested by the lead B-17 but were occupied by other German fighter units. Rödel's men attacked and forced the American formation—in a rare instance of indiscipline—to jettison their bombs to gain speed and escape. Smoke and haze obscured Dessau and the Americans set course for Leipzig, the secondary target but only six B-17s dropped their bombs. When the 94th returned to England they had lost 15 bombers. JG 27 claimed 16 and one P-51 for four killed and two wounded and seven Bf 109s. The Eighth Air Force lost 32 bombers and 14 fighters. I. Jagdkorps lost 18 killed, 13 wounded and 52 fighters. The official victories granted to Rödel's command were Herausschüsse ("shooting-out"—damaging a bomber so severely it drops out of formation and because an easy target for final destruction).[82] JG 27 would never achieve that level of success again and for the remainder of the war rarely claimed a total in double-figures. The following day Rödel scored his last successes in Defence of the Reich operation—one heavy bomber. On 6 June 1944 Operation Overlord and the D-Day landings began. Rödel was ordered to relocate to France immediately and he arrived at Champfleury, 60 miles (95 km) southeast of Paris late on 6 June. I., III., and IV. Gruppen were now pitted against the weight of Anglo-American air power. In the battles that followed the units sustained 130 casualties, roughly two-thirds of them killed in action as the Germans retreated from France and across Belgium. The Geschwader claimed slightly more victories than losses but could not replace their men and machines as opposed to their enemy. Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring tried to address the loss of experienced pilots by ordering the Geschwaderkommodore not to fly unless the size of the formation he was leading surpassed 45. It likely cost Rödel the chance to pass the 100-mark but also improved his chances of survival. Rödel claimed four victories over Normandy. On 29 June 1944, in the middle of Operation Epsom and Martlet, Rödel led his command flight into battle over Evreux against P-47 fighter-bombers.[83] On 5 July 1944 he claimed a P-38 for his 98th and final air victory. This was also the last of the 82 claims submitted by the Geschwaderstab in World War II. Rödel accounted for 28 of these 82 enemy aircraft. Rödel's pilots were now fighting a different war at lower-level with Allied fighters and fighter bombers. On 12 June Gruppenkommandeur Otto Meyer led IV Gruppe claimed nine P-47s west of Evreux with Meyer claiming three, at a cost of one killed and five wounded. On 14 June Heinrich Bartels, who was an established fighter leader four as the unit claimed eight P-47s and a pair of B-17s without loss. It was not long before experienced pilots were lost. Meyer was killed over Caen on 12 July. Within two weeks of Meyer's loss his command had been reduced to nine Bf 109s and was withdrawn in mid-August. In mid-July III. Gruppe was withdrawn. The four Gruppen were officially set for re-equipment and re-training on 15 August 1944. The Geschwader began receiving the Bf 109G-14 and Bf 109K-4 over the early autumn. Each staffel received 15 aircraft and each Gruppe had an established strength of 60 fighters. By mid-autumn it had 250 fighters and was the largest fighter unit at the time and any time in the history of JG 27. The Oil campaign had contributed to a lack of training and most pilots lacked operational and combat experience. The war situation had brought the Western Allies to the German border by this time. The situation meant that the Defence of the Reich and close air support on the frontline were practically one and the same mission. On 2 November 1944 Rödel's command suffered its worst loss of the war. Around 600 Eighth Air Force bombers attacked Merseburg-Leuna. JG 27 could not penetrate the bomber stream but claimed six P-51s battling escorting US fighter groups. In return it lost 50 Bf 109s with 27 pilots killed and 12 wounded. By mid-December another 39 pilots were dead and 14 had suffered wounds.[86] On 16 December 1944 JG 27 participated in the Ardennes offensive but Rödel flew intermittently. On 23 December the 94th Bomb Group B-17 Darling Dott, formerly Big Gas Bird, became the last of 550 heavy bombers to fall to his command. This same day the unit suffered a blow when Bartels was killed in action with US P-47s. JG 27 was in constant action over Belgium from 16–29 December 1944 and suffered significant losses. Rödel was also concerned at the level of morale in JG 27. British intelligence decrypted an ULTRA message which suggested he suspected nearly 20 percent of pilots broke off their attacks on American bombers without good reason and jettisoned their drop tanks and returned to base prematurely. Rödel issued an order that any pilot who did so again would be court-martialled. Rödel also ordered that, "even in the event of such Allied air activity, a proportion of the fighters must avoid air combat and penetrate without fail into the area above the foremost panzer spearheads" in ordered to provide air cover for land forces that had begun to diminish.[89] He had no time to carry out the threat. On 29 December 1944 he was relieved of his command. Long-term member Major Ludwig Franzisket replaced him Rödel was informed of a planned air offensive against Allied airfields prior to his departure. This operation was scheduled for mid-December but did not take place until New Year's Day 1945. Christened Operation Bodenplatte, it was a disaster for JG 27. The German wing struck at Melsbroek Air Base. The pilots of JG 27 and 54 claimed 85 victories and 40 damaged. German reconnaissance was able to "confirm" 49. JG 27 suffered unacceptable losses; 17 Bf 109s, 11 pilots killed, one wounded and three captured. On 1 January 1945, Rödel was appointed commander 2. Jagd-Division (2nd Fighter Division) based in Stade. In this role, he also attended the meeting with Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring in what became known as the "Fighter Pilots Revolt On 16 March 1957, Rödel reentered military service in the West German Air Force. Following various training courses in the United States, in 1958, he was assigned to the Air Defense Division at NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Paris. His last service position was Sector Commander with the Second Allied Tactical Air Force (2 ATAF). On 30 September 1971, Rödel retired from military service. His final rank was Brigadegeneral (brigadier general). (Wikipedia)
Rosenberg, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Rosenberg, Heinrich	Rosenberg, Heinrich
Rothfelder, Dietmar Click the name above to see a profile of Rothfelder, Dietmar    Died : 27 / 9 / 1941	Rothfelder, Dietmar Killed on 27th September 1941 when his Me109E-4/B 0003300 of JG27 crashed near Husum.
Sawallisch, Erwin Click the name above to see a profile of Sawallisch, Erwin    Died : 19 / 8 / 1942	Sawallisch, Erwin
Schacht, Arthur Click the name above to see a profile of Schacht, Arthur	Schacht, Arthur
Schellmann, Wolfgang Click the name above to see a profile of Schellmann, Wolfgang    Died : 24 / 6 / 1941	Schellmann, Wolfgang
Schlichting, Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Schlichting, Joachim	Schlichting, Joachim
Schmidt, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Schmidt, Heinz    Died : 28 / 6 / 1941	Schmidt, Heinz
Schneider, Hugo Click the name above to see a profile of Schneider, Hugo    Died : 11 / 1 / 1942	Schneider, Hugo Flew with 1/JG-1 (6/40), Stfkpt 1/JG-27 (6/41) Killed in Action on 11 January, 1942 during aerial combat, over Agedabia-Agheila, with a P-40 of RAAF No. 3 Sq., piloted by F/O "Nicky" Barr, DFC. Schneider had just downed Sgt Allan Cameron (POW) of the same RAAF Sq., when Barr was successful. His F-4 crashed SW of Marsa-el-Brega. He was shot down 16 June, 1941 near Bardia, and later returned. Schneiders 1st victory, a Potez 63 at Romilly, 14 June, 1940. Most victories in the Desert. One known Desert victory, a Hurricane of SAAF No. 1 Sq. over Rabia N. Africa on 14 June, 1941. Another, a P-40 south of Bir Hacheim on 22 November, 1941. known aircraft Bf 109E in JG-1, Bf 109E-7 Werk # 6428 in JG-27, Bf 109F-4/B (Trop.) Werk # 8488 (lost 1/11/42)
Schofbeck, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Schofbeck, Erich    Died : 13 / 10 / 1942	Schofbeck, Erich
Schramm, Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Schramm, Herbert	Schramm, Herbert
Schroer, Werner Click the name above to see a profile of Schroer, Werner    Died : 10 / 2 / 1985	Schroer, Werner
Setz, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Setz, Heinrich    Died : 13 / 3 / 1943	Setz, Heinrich Heinrich Setz (12 March 1915 – 13 March 1943) was a German World War II Luftwaffe 138 victories Flying ace and recipient of the coveted Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. Heinrich Setz joined II./Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77) in July 1940 and claimed his first aerial victory over a Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft over Norway's west coast. In July 1941 he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 4./JG 77 (4th squadron), which he led until November 1942. During Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he claimed 41 aerial victories. Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant) Setz was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak leaves on 23 June 1942 for 76 aerial victories. The award was presented at the Führerhauptquartier at Rastenburg on 28 and 29 June 1942.
Sinner, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Sinner, Rudolf	Sinner, Rudolf Scored 2 of his victories in the Me262 jet. Rudolf “Rudi� Sinner was born in 1915 in Austria. In 1936, he was serving in the Austrian Army in the horsedrawn artillery. During the invasion of Poland, he served with an anti-aircraft artillery unit before transferring to the Luftwaffe in 1940. Sinner began his aerial combat career with JG 3, based on the Western front, but was then transferred to JG 27 serving in North Africa. He was assigned to 2./JG 27. It was with JG 27 that Sinner gained his greatest successes. He claimed his first victory on 12 October 1941, when he shot down a RAF P-40 fighter near Sidi Omar. On 4 June 1942, Sinner was appointed Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 27. On 10 June, Oberleutnant Sinner was shot down near Bir Hacheim by the British Ace, Charles Overton (5.5 confirmed, 1 probable and 0.5 damaged victories), flying a Spitfire Vb fighter of 145 Squadron, RAF. Then, on 24 June, Sinner’s aircraft was hit in the engine during combat with RAF Hurricane fighters and he was forced to make a forced-landing. On 10 July, he shot down a Hurricane fighter with only one of his 7.92mm MG 17 machine-guns functioning. Sinner recorded his 10th victory on 13 July and his 20th on 24 July. On 31 August, Sinner shot down a Hurricane near Alam el Haifa. His victim was South African Ace, John “Harry� Gaynor (5.5 destroyed and 6 damaged victories) of 1 Sqn, SAAF, who crash-landed unhurt. He claimed his 30th victory on 3 September. In June 1943, Hauptmann Sinner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur IV./JG 27 then based at Kalamaki, Greece. However, his stay with the unit was destined to brief. On 30 July 1943, Sinner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV./JG 54, based on the Russian front, taking over from Hauptmann Erich Rudorffer (224 victories, RK-S). Sinner led the Gruppe until 10 February 1944. He added three further victories to his victory total during his time with the unit. In March 1944, Hauptmann Sinner became Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 54 located on the Western front. On 6 March 1944, Sinner shot down a USAAF B-17 four-engine bomber for his 36th victory. However, his aircraft was hit by the bombers’ defensive fire and Sinner was badly wounded. He successfully baled out of his stricken Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 410 557) "2". By 12 June 1944, Sinner was again serving with JG 27, based on the Invasion front in France, in command of I. Gruppe. He was to lead the Gruppe until 1 August 1944. On 1 January 1945, Major Sinner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 7 flying Me 262 jet fighters. At this time his victory total stood at 36, including 32 victories achieved over North Africa. Sinner was to add three confirmed victories to his tally flying the jet, including two USAAF B-24 four-engine bombers near Rathenow on 3 March. On 4 April, Sinner led seven other Me 262s off from Rechlin. Emerging from the clouds shortly after take-off, the flight was bounced by P-51 fighters of the 339th Fighter Group, USAAF. In the ensuing combat “Rudi� Sinner’s aircraft was hit. With his face and hands badly burned, he baled out at low level. His parachute deployed at the last moment, but did not completely fill, and he was hanging by just the left strap when he hit the ground heavily in a ploughed field and dragged into a barbed wire fence. He reported that the P-51s then attempted to strafe him, but he feigned death and, as the P-51 fighters departed, he made his way to the safety of a deep furrow. Sinner’s wounds were serious enough to keep him out of the rest of war. Rudolf Sinner was credited with 39 victories in 305 missions. 36 of his victories were achieved over the Western front, including three four-engine bombers and three flying the Me 262 jet fighter. Three victories were achieved over the Eastern front. He was shot down 12 times, baling out on three occasions, and was wounded five times.
Stahlschmidt, Hans-Arnold Click the name above to see a profile of Stahlschmidt, Hans-Arnold    Died : 7 / 9 / 1942	Stahlschmidt, Hans-Arnold
Steinhausen, Gunter Click the name above to see a profile of Steinhausen, Gunter    Died : 6 / 9 / 1942	Steinhausen, Gunter
Steinmann, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Steinmann, Wilhelm	Steinmann, Wilhelm
Steis, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Steis, Heinrich	Steis, Heinrich
Stigler, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Stigler, Franz	Stigler, Franz
Stuckler, Alfred Click the name above to see a profile of Stuckler, Alfred	Stuckler, Alfred
Umbach, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Umbach, Hans    Died : 27 / 6 / 1941	Umbach, Hans
Von Lieres und Wilkau, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Von Lieres und Wilkau, Karl    Died : 11 / 6 / 1943	Von Lieres und Wilkau, Karl
Wenzel, Werner Click the name above to see a profile of Wenzel, Werner	Wenzel, Werner
Werfft, Peter Click the name above to see a profile of Werfft, Peter	Werfft, Peter
Wiesinger, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Wiesinger, Wilhelm    Died : 23 / 6 / 1941	Wiesinger, Wilhelm Born in Kiel on 12th February 1914, Wilhelm Wiesinger was a doctor of law prior to the second world war. He married Marilen Felchlin on 23rd September 1939 and had a son (also Wilhelm) born on 12th September 1941. In his Luftwaffe career, he served with JG27, scoring 12 victories between 12th May 1940 and 22nd June 1941, but was shot down by Russian ground fire south east of Lida and killed on 23rd June 1941.
Winkler, Max Click the name above to see a profile of Winkler, Max	Winkler, Max
Witzel, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Witzel, Hans    Died : 17 / 9 / 1941	Witzel, Hans
Woidich, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Woidich, Franz    Died : 5 / 7 / 2004	Woidich, Franz Franz Woidich was posted to North Africa to join II./JG27 in July 1941. In April 1942 he transferred to 3./JG52 in Russia. In August 1944 he was selected as one of a group of elite fighter pilots for training on the Me163 Komet, and joined Erganzunstaffel 400 at Gutenfeld, near Breslau. A month later he joined II./JG400 as Staffelkapitan. Franz Woidich served with JG400 until the end of the war. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in June 1944, flew over 1000 combat missions and achieved 110 victories. Franz Woidich passed away on 5th July 2004.
Woitke, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Woitke, Erich	Woitke, Erich
Wunsch, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Wunsch, Karl	Wunsch, Karl
Zirkenbach, Igor Click the name above to see a profile of Zirkenbach, Igor	Zirkenbach, Igor

Aircraft for : JG27
A list of all aircraft associated with JG27. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
Aircraft	Info
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.