Jagdgeschwader 300
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| Jagdgeschwader 300 | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1943-1945 |
| Country | Germany |
| Branch | Air Force |
| Type | Fighter Aircraft |
| Role | Air superiority |
| Size | Air Force Wing |
| Nickname | Wilde Sau |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Hajo Herrmann (26.6.43 – 26.9.43) Günther Rall (15.6.44 - 6.8.44) |
Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300) was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. JG 300 was formed on June 26, 1943 in Deelen as Stab/Versuchskommando Herrmann, from July 18, 1943 as Stab/JG Herrmann, and then finally redesignated on August 20, 1943 to Stab/JG 300. Its first Geschwaderkommodore was Oberstleutnant Hajo Herrmann.
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[edit] JG 300 Genesis and 'Wilde Sau'
JG 300 had its origins in April 1943, when Major "Hajo" Herrmann, a decorated bomber pilot advocated the use of single-seat day fighters in a night fighting role to combat the RAF's escalating Night Bomber Offensive. He suggested that single seat fighters could operate in the bombers' general target area using the light of target indicators, massed searchlights and the fires on the ground to spot their targets. These operations were trialed over Berlin during May and June 1943 and codenamed 'Wilde Sau'.
Recruiting a group of experienced bomber pilots and former instructors with the requisite blind-flying experience, a test unit was set up on June 26, 1943 in Deelen as Stab/Versuchskommando Herrmann to test Herrmann's theory. Standard Fw 190-A's and Bf 109-G's were used, initially 'borrowed' from their parent day units, one of which was Jagdgeschwader 11.
With 9 fighters operational and 12 bombers claimed shot down on the night of 3/4 July, the basic 'Wilde Sau' principle was quickly proven, and the test unit expanded into JG 300, its I. Gruppe officially formed on August 20, 1943. Sister units JG 301 and JG 302 were also formed on similar lines at this time, collectively brought together as 30 Jagd Division under Herrmann's command. Special variants of the Bf 109 were later adapted for this night fighter duty; the Bf 109 G-6(N) and Bf 109 G-6(Y). The former was fitted with FuG 350 "Naxos Z" passive homing detector and the latter with the "Y" interception radio system. Initially however these single seat fighters used no radar or radio aids whatsoever.
Although 30 Jagd Division was initially far from a fully established Jagdgeschwader the formation process was rapidly speeded up with RAF Bomber Command deployment in July 1943 of 'Window'; radar-jamming tin-foil strips which had rendered the Luftwaffe radar control system ineffective. JG 300 and its sister units were the only real interim counter measure while Luftwaffe radar research technology strove to overcome this jamming.
JG 300's night operations met with considerable success initially, with 56 bombers claimed shot down on the night of 24 August, 47 claimed 1 September, and another 26 on 4 September. However, the number of night accidents involving single-seat fighters caused by poor weather conditions in the winter of 1943 led to unsustainable losses in pilots and aircraft. Thus by the end of 1943 JG 300 fielded 3 Fw 190 A-6 (Stab), 14 Bf 109 G-6 (I Gruppe), 4 Fw 190 A-6 (II gruppe) and 1 Bf 109 G-6 (III gruppe).
By early 1944 the Nachtjagdgeschwaders has been equipped with the advanced and "window-proof" Lichtenstein SN-2 airborne radar, and thus JG 300 gradually evolved into a standard day fighter unit, flying operations against the USAAF 8th and 15th Air Forces over Western Europe as a part of Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich).
Night operations were still sometimes flown, as on the 24/25 March 1944, when I. and II./JG 300 claimed 7 RAF bombers of one loss. By this time Oblt. Klaus Bretschneider of 5./JG 300 had, as a “Wilde Sau” night fighter, claimed 14 night victories during 20 combats.
By May 1944, JG 300 at last had numbers approaching a full establishment of aircraft , with I./JG 300 having 42 (14 operative) Bf 109 G-6 at Bonn Hangelar; II./JG 300 stationed at Dortmund with 25 (13) Fw 190 A-6 and III./ JG 300 with 46 (25 operative) Bf 109 G-6 at Wiesbaden/Erbenheim. Major Walther Dahl was appointed Kommodore of JG 300 on 27 June.
JG 300 lost several of its top aces in the summer of 1944. On 28 July 1944, Oblt. Ernst-Erich Hirschfeld (24 claims, 9 at night) of 5. JG 300 was shot down and killed in his Fw 190 A-8 near Erfurt, as was Leut. Gerhard Bärsdorf (7 claims) who collided with his wing man. On 29 July 1944, Oberfeldwebel Hermann Wischnewski (26 claims) of I./JG 300 shot down two B-17 bombers and a P-51 fighter but then shot down himself and badly injured.
[edit] Sturmgruppen
In the summer of 1944 Strumgruppen units were raised, comprising modified heavily armoured and armed FW 190 fighters, and charged with breaking up the massed ranks of USAAF daylight bombers. Initially manned by volunteers, each pilot was trained to close with the enemy and engage in extremely short-range combat, attacking from the front and the rear in tight arrowhead formations, even to contemplate deliberately ramming enemy bombers when circumstances permitted.
II./ JG 300 became such a 'Strumgruppen unit at this time and, equipped with the Focke-Wulf 190 A-8/R2 or R8 with two 30mm cannon Mk 108 and two 20mm cannon MG 151/20, enjoyed initial success in downing bombers, but also suffered heavy losses to the massed fighter escorts. From June 1944 until the end of October 1944 II gruppe suffered some 73 killed, 2 missing, and 32 wounded.
Major Alfred Lindenberger, (a forty-seven year old Prussian World War I ace with 12 victories) was posted to II./JG 300 in June 1944 and was made Gruppenkommandeur later in 1944. On 28 September 1944 he was shot down by P-51s and wounded. Owing to his age and inexperience with modern fighters he flew most sorties as a wingman. Lindenberger claimed two US 'Viermots' on 17 December 1944.
As the year progressed the 30 Jagdivision was broken up, as JG 301 left for Ploesti in Romania while JG 302 flew combat over Hungary and Austria. Only JG 300 remained in the Reich.
Major Dahl was dismissed from his command of JG 300 by Hermann Göring on 30 November 1944 for refusal to launch what he considered a suicidal interception mission.
During the Ardennes offensive in late 1944 JG 300 was one of the few units remaining on Reich defence duties with most other fighter units sent to support attacking ground forces.
The Geschwader took heavy losses in late 1944, particularly on 17 December when 100 aircraft of JG 300 intercepted USAAF bombers, claiming 33 shot down but losing 43 of their own number. Many of the pilots killed were irreplaceable Experten , including on 24 December 1944, JG 300's top scorer Oblt Bretschneider (34 victories, including 17 US bombers) who was killed attacking four-engined bombers over Kassel.
[edit] Commanding Officers
[edit] Geschwaderkommodore
- Oberstleutnant Hajo Herrmann, June 1943 - 26 September 1943
- Oberstleutnant Kurt Kettner, 26 September 1943 - 27 June 1944
- Oberstleutnant Walther Dahl, 27 June 1944 - December 1944
- Major Kurd Peters (acting), December 1944 - January 1945
- Major Anton Hackl, 30 January 1945 - 20 February 1945
- Major Günther Rall, 20 February 1945 – 8 May 1945
[edit] See also
Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II
[edit] External links
- JG 300 @ Lexikon der Wehrmacht
- Jagdgeschwader 300 (ISSN 1864-5682)
- JG 300 @ The Luftwaffe, 1933-45
- Kaczmarek - A German view of the Air War Web site of Neil Page, translator of the two volume history of JG 300 published by Eagle Editions (Lorant/Goyat) - rare and exclusive material on JG 300
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