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JG1
Founded :
Country : Germany
Fate :
German World War II fighter unit or "wing" which used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft, between 1940–1944. The name of the unit derives from Jagd, meaning "hunt" and Geschwader, meaning "wing". First formed in May 1939 in eastern Prussia, I./JG 1 was one of the original groups created by the Luftwaffe as part of its expansion plans.
Between 1940 and 1942, JG 1 operated primarily over the Western Front and northern occupied Europe. During the initial days of the war, JG 1 faced little resistance, apart from occasional Royal Air Force (RAF) excursions. The unit was rarely engaged in large-scale confrontations during this time. From late 1942 onwards it was tasked with defense of the Reich duties. After D-Day, elements of JG 1 were moved to France and were tasked with air support to the army Wehrmacht, along with their air defense role. Operation Bodenplatte severely reduced the strength of JG 1.
Towards the end of the war, the unit was disbanded and its remaining pilots and aircraft were re-organized. What remained of these groups surrendered to Allied forces at the end of the war.
JG 1 was the first unit to attempt 'aerial bombing' techniques against the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) heavy bomber formations. It was the only unit to be equipped with the Heinkel He 162 jet fighter.
In 1944 the "Oesau" suffix was added to the unit's title, after its late Geschwaderkommodore Oberst Walter Oesau (127 kills), who was killed in action. Some 700 enemy aircraft were claimed shot down during the war.
JG1
JG1 Artwork Collection |
  Cat Among the Pigeons (FW190) by Ivan Berryman. |   Clipped Signature - Herbert Kaiser. |  The Last Offensive by Nicolas Trudgian. |
  First Strike on Berlin by Nicolas Trudgian. |   Jet Interceptor by Nicolas Trudgian. |   Knights of the Sky by Nicolas Trudgian |
  Ardennes Offensive by Nicolas Trudgian. |   Storm Chasers by Nicolas Trudgian. |   Day of the Fighters by Nicolas Trudgian. |
| Aces for : JG1 | ||
| A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking the pilots name. | ||
| Name | Victories | Info |
| Heinz Bar | 220.00 | The signature of Heinz Bar features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Hans Philipp | 206.00 | |
| Herbert Ihlefeld | 137.00 | The signature of Herbert Ihlefeld features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Adolf Dickfeld | 136.00 | The signature of Adolf Dickfeld features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Alfred Grislawski | 133.00 | The signature of Alfred Grislawski features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Walter Oesau | 133.00 | |
| Heinrich Klopper | 94.00 | |
| Georg-Peter Eder | 78.00 | |
| Walter Hoeckner | 68.00 | |
| Herbert Huppertz | 68.00 | |
| Herbert Kaiser | 68.00 | The signature of Herbert Kaiser features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Fritz Losigkeit | 68.00 | The signature of Fritz Losigkeit features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Erbo Graf von Kageneck | 67.00 | |
| Hermann Staiger | 63.00 | |
| Lutz-Wilhelm Burkhardt | 58.00 | |
| Wilhelm Balthasar | 54.00 | |
| Hans Ehlers | 52.00 | |
| Rudiger von Kirchmayr | 46.00 | |
| Erwin Laskowski | 46.00 | |
| Heinz Knoke | 44.00 | |
| Ludwig Frazisket | 43.00 | |
| Paul Stolte | 43.00 | |
| Robert Olejnik | 41.00 | |
| Karl-Heinz Leesmann | 37.00 | |
| Hugo Frey | 32.00 | |
| Gunther Specht | 32.00 | |
| Hermann Segatz | 31.00 | |
| Walter Adolph | 29.00 | |
| Franz Blazytko | 29.00 | |
| Erich Woitke | 29.00 | |
| Eberhard Bock | 29.00 | |
| Emil Clade | 27.00 | The signature of Emil Clade features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Anton Piffer | 26.00 | |
| Leo Schumacher | 23.00 | |
| Hans Richter | 22.00 | |
| Robert Spreckels | 21.00 | |
| Georg Schott | 21.00 | |
| Emil-Rudolf Schnoor | 21.00 | |
| Erich Gerlitz | 20.00 | |
| Gerhard Sommer | 20.00 | |
| Siegfried Muller | 17.00 | The signature of Siegfried Muller features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Friedrich Eberle | 17.00 | |
| Karl-Emil Demuth | 16.00 | |
| Rudolf Hubl | 16.00 | |
| Max Dobislav | 16.00 | |
| Erhard Braune | 14.00 | |
| Hans Lass | 14.00 | |
| Werner Gerhard | 13.00 | |
| Harry Koch | 13.00 | |
| Joachim Schlichting | 13.00 | |
| Heinz Hanke | 9.00 | |
| Hugo Schneider | 9.00 | |
| Dieter Gerhard | 8.00 | |
| Hans Schubert | 8.00 | |
| Heinz Fresia | 7.00 | |
| Hubert Heckmann | 5.00 | |
| Albert Griener | 5.00 | |
| Hans Umbach | 5.00 | |
| Georg Lehmann | 5.00 | |
| Egon Falkensamer | 5.00 | |
| JG1 Aircraft details |
 Fw190 Manufacturer : Fokke-Wulf | Fw190 The Focke-Wulf 190 development project began in 1937. Conceived as a hedge against total dependence on the Messerchmitt 109, the 190 was designed by Kurt Tank utilizing a radial engine. This was against generally accepted design criteria in Germany, and many historians believe that the decision to produce a radial engine fighter was largely due to the limited manufacturing capacity for in-line, water-cooled engines which were widely used on all other Luftwaffe aircraft. Despite these concerns, Tanks design was brilliant, and the 190 would become one of the top fighter aircraft of WWII. The first prototype flew in mid-1939. The aircraft had excellent flying characteristics, a wonderful rate of acceleration, and was heavily armed. By late 1940 the new fighter was ordered into production. Nicknamed the butcher bird, by Luftwaffe pilots, early 190s were quite successful in the bomber interceptor role, but at this stage of the war many Allied bombing raids lacked fighter escort. As the war dragged on, Allied bombers were increasingly accompanied by fighters, including the very effective P-51 Mustang. The Allies learned from experience that the 190s performance fell off sharply at altitudes above 20,000 feet. As a result, most Allied bombing missions were shifted to higher altitudes when fighter opposition was likely. Kurt Tank had recognized this shortcoming and began working on a high-altitude version of the 190 utilizing an in-line, water-cooled engine. Utilizing a Jumo 12-cylinder engine rated at 1770-HP, and capable of 2,240-HP for short bursts with its methanol injection system, the 190D, or Long Nose or Dora as it was called, had a top speed of 426-MPH at 22,000 feet. Armament was improved with two fuselage and two wing mounted 20mm cannon. To accommodate the changes in power plants the Dora had a longer, more streamlined fuselage, with 24 inches added to the nose, and an additional 19 inches added aft of the cockpit to compensate for the altered center of gravity. By mid 1944 the Dora began to reach fighter squadrons in quantity. Although the aircraft had all the right attributes to serve admirably in the high altitude interceptor role, it was not generally focused on such missions. Instead many 190Ds were assigned to protect airfields where Me-262 jet fighters were based. This was due to the latter aircrafts extreme vulnerability to Allied attack during takeoff and landing. The 190Ds also played a major role in Operation Bodenplatte, the New Years Day raid in 1945 which destroyed approximately 500 Allied aircraft on the ground. The High Command was impressed with the 190Ds record on this raid, and ordered most future production of the Doras to be equipped as fighter-bombers. In retrospect this was a strategic error, and this capable aircraft was not fully utilized in the role for which it was intended. |
 Me109 Manufacturer : Messerschmitt 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. |
| JG1 Pilot and aircrew signature details |
 Heinz Bar Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 1957 | Heinz Bar Lieutenant Colonel Oskar-Heinz Heinrich 'Pritzl' Bär born 25 May 1913 was a German Luftwaffe flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He flew over a thousand combat missions, and fought in all major German theatres of the war, including the Western, Eastern and Mediterranean fronts. On 18 occasions he survived being shot down, and he was credited with 220 aerial victories. Heinz Bär, a Saxon with a strong accent, joined the Reichswehr in 1934 and transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935. Serving first as a mechanic, then as a pilot on transport aircraft, he was informally trained as a fighter pilot. He claimed his first aerial victory in September 1939 on the French border. By the end of the Battle of Britain, his tally of victories had increased to 17. Transferred to the Eastern front to participate in Operation Barbarossa, he quickly accumulated further victories, a feat that earned him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords for 90 aerial victories in February 1942. During the remainder of World War II, Heinz Bär was credited with 130 other aerial victories, including 16 while flying one of the first jet fighters, the Me 262, an achievement which would normally have earned him the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds However, Hermann Göring's personal dislike of Bär, coupled with Bär's insubordinate character and lack of military discipline, deprived him of this award. After World War II, Bär continued his career as an aviator and was killed in a flying accident on 28 April 1957 near Braunschweig. |
  Hauptmann Alfred Grislawski Our estimated value of this signature : £60 Died : 2003 | Hauptmann Alfred Grislawski Alfred Grislawski joined 9./JG52 in 1940, quickly becoming an Ace. An outstanding fighter pilot, his air victories were 133 in over 800 combat missions until he was severely wounded. he was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. Died 19th September 2003. |
 Colonel Herbert Ihlefeld Our estimated value of this signature : £65 Died : 1995 | Colonel Herbert Ihlefeld Born 1st June 1914 in Pinnow Pommern and died 8th August 1995 in Wenningen lower Saxony. Joined the Luftwaffe in 1936 and scored nine victories during the Spanish Civil War. Flew 1000 combat missions and claimed 132 enemy aircraft with 56 on the Western Front including 26 spitfires and 67 on the Russian Front. Participated in the air war over Poland, France and the Battle of Britain. In 1941 Ihlefeld was transferred to the Balkans for the invasion of Yugoslavia. He was shot down by AA fire and captured by the Yugoslavian Army. 8 days lated he was rescued by the German troops. Ihlefeld participated in the assault on Crete, claiming his 36th kill, a Hurricane. He then commanded Jagdgeschwader 77 in time for Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. In April 1942 Ihlefeld became the 5th pilot to reach 100 victories and his unit 1/JG77 was credited with 323 enemy aircraft kills compared to the loss of only 17 Bf109s. Ihlefeld then took command of Jagdgeschwader 52 in June 1942 but he was involved in a landing accident and badly injured and was not ready to return to active service until July 1943. In May 1944 he commanded JG11 and then JG1 during the defence of the Reich. In 1945 he took command of Jagdgeschwader 1 equipped with the Heinkel 162. |
  Leutnant Herbert Kaiser Our estimated value of this signature : £55 Died : 2003 | Leutnant Herbert Kaiser Herbert Kaiser joined the Luftwaffe before the war, and by 1938 he was a fighter pilot with II./JG186. He flew in the invasion of Poland and then during the Battle of France, scoring his first victory in May 1940. He took part in the Battle of Britain before transferring to the Balkans. In August 1941 he was posted to the Russian Front, then North Africa followed by Italy and the Dolomites. In March 1944 he joined JG1 in the defence of the Reich. Seriously wounded in a parachute jump in August 1944 he was hospitalised until February 1945. he then joined Adolf Galland's JV44. He flew over 1000 missions and achieved 68 victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in 1943. He passed away on 5th December 2003. |
  Manfred von Richthofen Our estimated value of this signature : £1050 Died : 1918 | Manfred von Richthofen The legendary Red Baron was the most successful flying Ace of World War One, with over 80 confirmed victories. With his aircraft painted bright red, this brilliant tactician and leader served with Jasta 11 before commanding the new, much larger wing, Jagdgeschwader I, soon to earn the immortal nickname of Richthofens Flying Circus. On 21st April 1918, during a low level aerial duel, Manfred von Richthofen was fatally struck by a single .303 bullet, believed to have been fired from the trenches below. He was buried by his Allied opponents with full military honours. |
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