Lehrgeschwader 1

Last updated

Lehrgeschwader 1
Active1936–45
CountryFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Nazi Germany
Branch Luftwaffe
TypeMulti-purpose squadron
RoleTactical and direct ground support.
SizeAir Force wing
Engagements Polish Campaign
German invasion of Denmark
Norwegian Campaign
Battle of the Netherlands
Battle of Belgium
Battle of France
Battle of Britain
German invasion of Yugoslavia
Battle of Greece
Battle of Crete
Battle of the Mediterranean
North African campaign
Eastern Front
Western Front
Battle of Normandy
Western Allied invasion of Germany
Insignia
Identification
symbol		Geschwaderkennung
of L1

Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1) (Demonstration Wing 1) formerly Lehrgeschwader Greifswald was a Luftwaffe multi-purpose unit during World War II, operating fighter, bomber and dive-bomber Gruppen. The unit was formed in July 1936 and operated the Messerschmitt Bf 109, Messerschmitt Bf 110, Dornier Do 17, Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 88 and Junkers Ju 87.

Contents

History

The unit was created to control the Lehrgruppe in the Luftwaffe. Stab/LG 1 was formed in July 1936, and on 1 April 1937 the Stab Gruppe was officially created along with I.(leichte Jagd), II.(schwere Jagd), III.(Kampf) and IV.(Stuka) Gruppen.

War Time Service

Invasion of Poland

On 25/26 August 1939 the unit mobilised. Assigned to Luftflotte 2 , the Geschwader suffered light losses. I.(Zerstörer)/LG 1 lost only three Bf 110s in September. [1] II./LG also took part. Operating He 111s the Gruppe began operations with 39 He 111s (34 operational), and struck at targets in and around Warsaw. The unit also undertook naval strike missions against Royal Navy vessels off the Norwegian coast on 6 October. [2] III./LG 1 also took part, committing 39 He 111s to the battle. [3] Exact losses are unknown, but light. IV.(Stuka) unit, also began its military operations over Poland. Equipped with the Ju 87 Stuka, the Gruppe supported the 11.Armee until withdrawn from operations on 29 September. [4] During the campaign, the unit was transferred to Luftflotte 1 .

The Invasions of Denmark and Norway

I.(K)/LG 1 undertook some armed reconnaissance missions along the Norwegian coast in late April 1940, without suffering casualties. The unit reported three losses. Whether these losses were inflicted as a result of enemy action is unknown. [5] II./LG 1 carried out Maritime interdiction missions. On 1 May 1940, [6] the unit bombed and sunk the Norwegian hospital ship Dronning Maud. [7]

France and the Low Countries

The Geschwader lost 55 aircraft in the battle, 50 of them in combat. LG 1 records reveal the unit claimed seven Allied ships sunk and 23 damaged, along with 19 Allied aircraft shot down in aerial combat. [8] I.(K)/LG 1 began the campaign with 30 He 111s, of which 22 were combat ready. The Gruppe took part in the Battle of Dunkirk, and spent the majority of its time heavily engaged with Allied Naval forces. II./LG 1, operating under Luftflotte 2 , was tasked with direct ground support, Air interdiction, and logistical strikes against the enemy. Operating with 18 of its 26 He 111s at the start of the campaign, it hit the French airfields at Lille on 10 May. On 12 May a raid against Vlissingen harbour cost II. Gruppe two Heinkels. The Gruppe also took part in the Battle of Hannut, attacking Allied positions in Belgium, losing one He 111. The unit were withdrawn from the front-line for five days to convert to the Ju 88. During further operations against Allied rail targets, a further loss, a single Ju 88, was sustained on 20 May in the Amiens area. [9] II. Gruppe was tasked the missions against Naval forces until the end of the Dunkirk evacuation. Several missions against Ostend and Dunkirk's harbours were flown from 25–31 May. This particular unit also took part in Unternehmen Paula, a 1,000 aircraft assault on French airfields in and around Paris on 2 June 1940, without loss. Missions over the Loire Valley continued until 22 June 1940. III. Gruppe also participated . Committing 12 He 111s and 37 Ju 88s it supported II. Gruppe and its operations. IV.(Stuka)/LG 1 undertook ground attack operations with 37 Ju 87 Bs, without being involved in any notable actions. [10] V.(Zerstorer)/LG 1's responsibility was escort duties. Equipped with 33 Bf 110 Ds, the unit lost 8 Bf 110s from 10 May to 16 June 1940, when it was withdrawn for rest and refitting. [11]

Air Offensive over Britain

Bf 110Cs of 1.Staffel/LG 1. during the summer of 1940 Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-427-0412-033, Flugzeug Messerschmitt Me 110.jpg
Bf 110Cs of 1.Staffel/LG 1. during the summer of 1940

An attack on 15 August by 12 Ju 88As of I//LG 1 against RAF Middle Wallop destroyed several Spitfires, but the unit lost five aircraft to defending fighters. The Geschwader suffered a cripplingly high loss rate during the battle. From 8 July 1940 to December 1940, LG 1 lost 94 aircraft, and a further 13 were destroyed after returning with damage. LG 1 lost 119 crews and pilots killed, 102 missing and 36 captured. [12] V. (Zerstörer)/LG 1 sustained particularly high losses, losing 25 Bf 110Cs between 4 July and 16 September. It was reduced to just 10 Bf 110s, but on 7 September 1940 it lost a further seven 110s, as a result the unit was withdrawn from operations. It was designated I.NJG 3 on 29 September. [13]

Battles of Yugoslavia and Greece

I.(K)/LG 1 took part in the campaign. It sank the Allied transport vessels Ellenis on 20 April, in Piraeus harbour, and Pennland (16,000 grt) on 24 April. It continued anti-shipping missions throughout the remainder of the conflict. On 21 May 1941 the gruppe damaged the Royal Navy Leander-class cruiser HMS Ajax. During 22–27 May 1941, the battleships HMS Barham and HMS Warspite were damaged by LG 1s attacks. [14]

North African and Mediterranean Theatres

Ju 88A of Stab/LG 1 over North Africa, September 1941 Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-433-0881-25A, Flugzeug Junkers Ju 88.jpg
Ju 88A of Stab/LG 1 over North Africa, September 1941

Notable actions of the Geschwader during the two-year stint in North Africa included I.(K)/LG 1s sinking of three large transport vessels Clan Campbell, Clan Chattan and Rowallan Castle from the convoy MW 9, during attacks on 13–14 February 1941. III./LG 1 also damaged the Australian destroyer Waterhen on 9 July 1941, and sinking it on 11 July. The Geschwader supported the Afrikakorps until 1942. Bombing raids were made the Suez Canal, Cairo during this time. On 11/12 May I.(K)/LG 1 led by Hauptmann Joachim Helbig were responsible for sinking HMS Kipling, HMS Jackal and HMS Lively in the Gulf of Sollum. [15]

The Geschwader also took part in the Siege of Malta during October 1942. IV.(Erg)/LG 1 and III./LG 1 (disbanded and reformed in May 1943) were based in Greece and Italy for the remainder of the war, striking at Allied Shipping. The units were bombed continually. Hangars and workshops that held vital spare parts were destroyed. The fuel crisis in July 1944 forced most of the two units to withdraw to Austria. [16]

Soviet Union

III. Gruppe and IV.(Stuka)/LG 1 were the only Gruppen of the LG 1 to operate in the Soviet Union. III./LG 1 moved to Nikolayez in Ukraine from 23 to 24 March 1942. The units took part in the Battle of Sevastopol and the Battle of Stalingrad. It also conducted anti-shipping missions against the Soviet Navy and Black Sea Fleet in the Crimea. IV. Gruppe operated the Ju 87 from northern Norway and Finland at the start of Operation Barbarossa. It flew a variety of ground attack missions, and anti-shipping missions around Murmansk. According to its records, the Gruppe lost 26 Stukas, 21 crews killed, seven missing, 6 wounded and three captured between 3 September 1940 and 27 January 1942. [17] Later, just prior to the Battle of Berlin, the Geschwader took part in Operation Eisenhammer, striking at the Oder bridges to prevent their use by the Red Army.

Western Front: 1944–45

The Geschwader attempted to support the German Army in France. However, due to Allied air superiority it was restricted to flying at night. From 1 July 1944 to 31 August 1944 I.(K)/LG 1 lost 19 aircraft in the failed Normandy Campaign. The Gruppe also supported German forces during the Battle of the Bulge offensive. Operating at night to avoid Allied fighters, the unit attacked troop concentrations and marshalling yards in Belgium and France. On the night of 16/27 December 1944, the unit lost five Ju 88S-3s out of nine in a raid against Namur, Belgium. [18] The Gruppe was ordered to disband on 22 April 1945, but was overrun by Canadian Forces at Varel 26–28 April. II./LG 1 also lost 19 aircraft in these operations. [19]

Commanding officers

Related Research Articles

<i>Adlertag</i> First day of German military operations to destroy the British air force

Adlertag was the first day of Unternehmen Adlerangriff, an air operation by Nazi Germany's Luftwaffe intended to destroy the British Royal Air Force (RAF). The operation came during the Battle of Britain after Britain rejected all overtures for a negotiated peace with Germany. However, Adlertag and subsequent operations failed to destroy the RAF or gain local air superiority.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Herbert Ihlefeld</span> German World War II flying ace and wing commander

Herbert Ihlefeld was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, a fighter ace listed with 130 enemy aircraft shot down in over 1,000 combat missions. Depending on source, he claimed seven to nine aerial victories in the Spanish Civil War, and during World War II, 67 on the Eastern Front and 56 on the Western Front, including 15 four-engined bombers and 26 Supermarine Spitfires. He survived being shot down eight times during his 1,000 combat missions.

<i>Kampfgeschwader</i> 55 Military unit

Kampfgeschwader 55 "Greif" was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during World War II. KG 55 was one of the longest serving and well-known in the Luftwaffe. The wing operated the Heinkel He 111 exclusively until 1943, when only two staffeln of its four Gruppen (Groups) used the Junkers Ju 88C.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joachim Helbig</span> German World War II bomber pilot

Joachim Helbig was a German bomber pilot during World War II. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1936, and served almost all of his career with Demonstration Wing 1. With his unit, he participated in the Invasion of Poland, the Norwegian Campaign, the Battles of the Netherlands, Belgium, France and Britain in 1939–40. For his contributions in these campaigns, Helbig received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in late 1940. He was then transferred to the Mediterranean theatre where he bombed Malta, the British Mediterranean Fleet and flew in support of the Afrika Korps. Helbig received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords in late 1942 for the support of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's 1942 summer offensive.

<i>Sturzkampfgeschwader</i> 2 Luftwaffe dive bomber wing during World War II

Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 Immelmann was a Luftwaffe dive bombing wing of World War II. It was named after the World War I aviator Max Immelmann. It served until its dissolution in October 1943. The wing operated the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka exclusively.

<i>Kampfgeschwader</i> 3 Military unit

Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz" (KG 3) was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II.

Kampfgeschwader 51 "Edelweiss" (KG 51) was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II.

Kampfgeschwader 77 was a Luftwaffe bomber wing during World War II. Its units participated on all of the major fronts in the European Theatre until its dissolution in 1944. It operated all three of the major German bomber types; the Dornier Do 17, Heinkel He 111 and the Junkers Ju 88.

Lehrgeschwader 2 was a Luftwaffe unit during World War II, operating three fighter, night fighter, reconnaissance and ground support Gruppen (groups).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otto Weiß (pilot)</span>

Otto Albert Bernhard Weiß was a World War II Luftwaffe attack aircraft pilot and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. He was the first attack aircraft pilot so honored. Weiß flew more than 500 combat missions with the Henschel Hs 123 and the Messerschmitt Bf 109.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">No. 238 Squadron RAF</span> Military unit

No. 238 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It was first formed in 1918 by combining number 347, 348 and 349 Flights at RAF Cattewater by the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War. It was reformed for the Second World War, the Berlin Airlift and currently is a Line Training Flight (LTF) squadron based at RAF Cosford, albeit in a non-flying capacity. It is among those officially acknowledged Battle of Britain squadrons.

Zerstörergeschwader 76 was a Zerstörergeschwader (wing) of the German Luftwaffe during World War II. The wing operated the Messerschmitt Bf 109 in the early phases of World War II, then the Messerschmitt Bf 110 for the duration of the war.

<i>Zerstörergeschwader</i> 26 German Luftwaffe heavy fighter wing of World War II

Zerstörergeschwader 26 "Horst Wessel" was a Luftwaffe heavy fighter wing of World War II.

<i>Kampfgeschwader</i> 26 Military unit of Nazi Germany

Kampfgeschwader 26 "Löwengeschwader" was a German air force Luftwaffe bomber wing unit during World War II. Its units participated on all of the fronts in the European Theatre until the end of the war. It operated three of the major German aircraft medium bomber types; the Heinkel He 111, Junkers Ju 88 and the Junkers Ju 188. The unit engaged in both strategic bombing, close air support, anti-shipping and aerial interdiction operations. The majority of its operational life – not entirely unlike another Luftwaffe wing designated KG 40 — was spent on anti-shipping missions.

<i>Kampfgeschwader</i> 2 Military unit

Kampfgeschwader 2Holzhammer was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during the Second World War. The unit was formed in May 1939. The unit operated the Dornier Do 17 light bomber, Dornier Do 217 and Junkers Ju 188 heavy bombers. During the course of the Second World War KG 2 lost 767 aircraft destroyed and 158 damaged. According to H.L. de Zeng at al, it suffered 1,908 personnel killed in action or missing in action and 214 as prisoners of war. Broken down further, for the duration of the war KG 2 lost 1,228 killed, 688 missing, 656 wounded and with 214 captured, for a total of 2,786 in both combat and non-combat operations.

<i>Kampfgeschwader</i> 6 Military unit

Kampfgeschwader 6 was a Luftwaffe bomber unit during the Second World War. The unit was formed between April and September 1942 and was equipped with Dornier Do 217, Junkers Ju 188 and Junkers Ju 88 bombers.

<i>Kampfgeschwader</i> 1 Military unit

Kampfgeschwader 1 was a German medium bomber wing that operated in the Luftwaffe during World War II.

<i>Zerstörergeschwader</i> 1 Heavy/destroyer Fighter Aircraft-wing of World War II

Zerstörergeschwader 1 was a Luftwaffe zerstörer or ‘destroyer’ wing of World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messerschmitt Bf 110 operational history</span> Messerschmitt

The Messerschmitt Bf 110, often (erroneously) called Me 110, was a twin-engine heavy fighter in the service of the Luftwaffe during the Second World War. Hermann Göring was a proponent of the Bf 110, and nicknamed it his Eisenseiten ("Ironsides"). Development work on an improved type to replace the Bf 110, the Messerschmitt Me 210 began before the war started, but its teething troubles resulted in the Bf 110 soldiering on until the end of the war in various roles, alongside its replacements, the Me 210 and the Me 410.

Zerstörergeschwader 2 was a Luftwaffe heavy/destroyer Fighter Aircraft-wing of World War II.

References

  1. ↑ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 352.
  2. ↑ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 359.
  3. ↑ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 365.
  4. ↑ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 369.
  5. ↑ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 353.
  6. ↑ "5606285" . Miramar Ship Index . Retrieved 7 March 2009.
  7. ↑ de Zeng et al. 2007, p. 359.
  8. ↑ de Zeng et al. Vol 2 2007, p. 349.
  9. ↑ de Zeng et al. Vol 2 2007, p. 359.
  10. ↑ de Zeng et al. Vol 2 2007, p. 369.
  11. ↑ de Zeng et al. Vol 2 2007, p. 372.
  12. ↑ de Zeng et al. Vol 2 2007, p. 349.
  13. ↑ de Zeng et al. Vol 2 2007, p. 373.
  14. ↑ de Zeng et al. Vol 2 2007, p. 354-55.
  15. ↑ de Zeng et al. Vol 2 2007, pp. 355.
  16. ↑ de Zeng et al. Vol 2 2007, pp. 349 - 374.
  17. ↑ de Zeng et al. Vol 2 2007, pp. 367 - 370.
  18. ↑ de Zeng et al. Vol 2 2007, pp. 358.
  19. ↑ de Zeng et al. Vol 2 2007, pp. 364.

Bibliography

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.