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SG2
Founded :
Country : Germany
Fate :
SG2
SG2 Artwork Collection |
  Stukas of SG2 by Jason Askew. (P) |   Fw190s by Ivan Berryman. |
| Aces for : SG2 | ||
| 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 |
| August Lambert | 116.00 | |
| Hermann Buchner | 58.00 | The signature of Hermann Buchner features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Hans-Dieter Frank | 55.00 | |
| Karl Kennel | 34.00 | |
| Wolfgang Schenck | 18.00 | The signature of Wolfgang Schenck features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| Hans-Ulrich Rudel | 11.00 | The signature of Hans-Ulrich Rudel features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
| SG2 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. |
 Ju87 Manufacturer : Junkers Built : 6500 | Ju87 By 1935 the German Luftwaffe was developing its first monoplane divebomber which entered production in 1936 as the Ju87 Stuka. The Stuka was to evolve into arguably the most successful single engine Axis divebomber of WW II. Utilizing a nearly vertical dive position the Stuka was stunningly accurate in the days when horizontal bombing was a relatively inaccurate science. The Ju87 was built for functionality and ruggedness. A fixed landing gear and exceptionally strong wing design were incorporated and no attempt was made to minimize protrusions. The Stuka was not designed for speed; it was an aerodynamic nightmare. The Stuka also incorporated a siren which when activated during a dive was designed to inflict psychological damage on the enemy below. The Ju87 was used with tremendous success in the Blitzkrieg attacks on Norway, Poland, Belgium, France, Holland, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Virtually unchallenged in the air during these Blitzkriegs the Stukas took a devastating toll on Allied ground and mechanized forces. Shipping was also vulnerable to the pinpoint attacks of the Stuka, and the Ju87 destroyed more Allied shipping than all other German aircraft put together during WW II. During Hitlers air attacks on Britain the Stukas reputation for invulnerability was shattered. Facing British Hurricanes and Spitfires the slower and less maneuverable Ju87s were destroyed in large numbers, eventually forcing their withdrawal from that conflict. Germanys attempt to develop an improved twin engine divebomber resulted in the introduction of the Messerschmitt 210 which was an unmitigated disaster. As a result, the Stuka remained in production longer than expected and the aircraft played a major role in Germanys surprise attack on Russia. In the first day of combat alone Stukas were credited with the destruction of over 700 Russian aircraft with minimal losses. One of Germanys top aces of WW II was Hans-Ulrich Rudel. Rudel flew over 2,500 combat missions in Ju87s, and was shot down on twelve occasions. Rudel was credited with destroying 519 tanks, 800 vehicles, 150 artillery pieces, one Russian battleship, one cruiser and one destroyer. Rudel was also credited with shooting down nine Russian aircraft in air-to-air combat. |
| SG2 Pilot and aircrew signature details |
 Oberleutnant Helmut Fickel Our estimated value of this signature : £40 Died : 2005 | Oberleutnant Helmut Fickel One of the outstanding Stuka pilots of III./SG 2 'Immelmann', Helmut fickle joined 8./St.G. 2 on the Eastern Front in February 1943. In October he became Adjutant of III./SG 2. and flew as wingman to the great Hans-Ulrich Rudel, perhaps the most successful pilot of World War II. In November 1944 Helmut was promoted Staffelkapitian of 9./SG 2, on one occasion he and his radio operator being rescued by Rudel after crash landing behind enemy lines. He led 9./SG 2 until the end of the war, completing a total of over 800 missions. He was the Knight's Cross in June 1944. Sadly, we have learned that Helmut Fickel passed away on 6th April 2005. |
 Oberst Kurt Kuhlmey Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 1993 | Oberst Kurt Kuhlmey One of the most outstanding Stuka leaders of World War II, Kurt Kuhlmey was Staffelkapitan of 1./St.G.1 at the outbreak of war, serving in the Polish, Norwegian and French campaigns, before being transferred to the attack on Malta. He took part in successful strikes against HMS Illustrious, and the Malta convoys of 1941. He fought in North Africa, becoming Kommandeur of II./St.G.3 in April 1942. A year later he was promoted Kommodore of SG3. In March 1945 he was Kommodore of SG2 'Immelmann', and in the last weeks of the war was with the staff of the General der Schalchtflieger. He flew over 500 combat missions, and was awarded the Knight's Cross. Died 30th April 1993. |
  Leutnant Wilhelm Noller Our estimated value of this signature : £50 Died : 2011 | Leutnant Wilhelm Noller Wilhelm Noller joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 and trained as a bomber pilot. In May 1942 he was posted to join 2./StG 2 fighting on the Eastern Front. He took part in the battles of Kursk and Stalingrad, and became one of the most successful pilots of StG 2. By early 1943 his combat mission total passed the 500 mark, rising to over 800 by the end of the year. He was awarded the Knights Cross in April 1944, a few weeks after passing the 1000 mission mark. After a period instructing, he returned to combat in February 1945, flying the Fw190 with 7./SG 10 in Czechoslovakia. Wounded in April 1945, and hospitalised in Prague, he was taken prisoner by the Soviets when they took over the city in May. Transported east by rail towards Russia, he jumped from the moving train and escaped back to Germany. During the war he had flown 1058 missions, destroyed 86 tanks, 2 armoured trains, plus many vehicles, boats and bridges. He also gained 2 victories in aerial combat. Wilhelm Noller passed away on 26th December 2011. |
 Oberstleutnant Hans-Karl Stepp Our estimated value of this signature : £30 Died : 2006 | Oberstleutnant Hans-Karl Stepp Lieutenant Colonel Hans-Karl Stepp was born on 2nd September 1914 in Gießen as son to a University professor. Stepp studied eight semesters of law in Tubingen, Breslau and Munich before joining the Luftwaffe as Fahnenjunker in 1936. He first flew the Ju87 Stuka in 1938 and was one of the few who survived the Neuhammer disaster when 13 Stuka crews died in a crash on 15th August 1939, due to ground fog, in a demonstration training attack. He took part in the Polish and Western Campaigns, and also the Balkan and Crete campaigns. Karl Stepp was awarded the Iron Cross in 1939 ans the Iron Cross 1st class on the 15th June 1940. In 1941 he joined SG.2 Immelmann in Russia, leading a squadron by the end of the year by which time he had flown over 300 missions. He was awarded German Cross in Gold on the 15th of October 1941 as Gruppen and Geschwaderadjutant of Sturzkampfgeschwader 2. Hans Karl Stepp was also awarded the Knights Cross on 4 February 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitan of the 7./StG 2 Immelmann after 418 combat missions and 462nd Oak Leaves on 27th April 1944 as Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of SG 2 Immelmann after over 800 combat missions. He was Group Commander of I/SG.5 from June 1942 to June 1943 during its successful campaign in the extreme North and Eastern Fronts, in hard conditions. In June 1943 he became First Commander and Air Commodore of II/SG.2. This SG.2 'Immelmann' was led by him with great success on the Eastern Front until September 1944, after which he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and joined the staff of the Luftwaffe where he served until the end of the war. He also served in the Reichsluftwaffenministerium in Berlin. Hans-Karl Stepp flew over 900 missions. After the war he became a lawyer and sadly died in Leipzig on the 12th December 2006. |
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This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com
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