I.(Jagd)/LG 2 Formed on 1 October 1937, the unit took part in the
Polish Campaign, claiming six kills for three losses from 1–20 September 1939. The unit also participated in the
Battle of France and the
Battle of Britain. One base in this period was
Saint Inglevert,
Pas-de-Calais. Its commander Oberlt.
Herbert Ihlefeld, was its most successful ace, claiming 24 victories by September 1940 and earning the
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes. On 10 August 1940 future ace
Hans-Joachim Marseille was assigned to I./LG 2, then based in
Calais-
Marck and flying sorties against England. The
Gruppe claimed 92 victories during the Battle, for 22 aircraft lost and 16 damaged. It lost 10 pilots killed and missing and four as
POW. I.(J)/LG 2 then participated in the
Balkans Campaign. The excellent ground attack work carried out by its sister
Gruppe (II./LG 2) had led to several fighter units, including I./LG 2, to also employing a
Staffel of Bf 109s converted to fighter-bomber duties. Over Yugoslavia, Leutnant
Friedrich Geißhardt was to claim four JKRV
Hawker Fury biplanes shot down. Now with 36 victories, Ihlefeld was at this time shot down by ground fire and captured by Yugoslavian soldiers. While in captivity, he was allegedly severely beaten and was threatened with execution by firing squad. Ihlefeld was rescued by German troops after eight days of arrest and returned to Germany to recover. By the end of May 1941, I.(J)/LG 2 was based in
Belgrade. The
Gruppe lost four aircraft and five damaged and suffered one pilot killed and one captured. During the
Battle of Crete two Bf 109's
Jabos of I./LG 2 were credited with sinking
HMS Fiji with a loss of 276 crew. Following the successful conclusion of the Balkan campaign with the invasion of Crete the unit was withdrawn to Rumania for
Operation Barbarossa. Geisshardt, after 6 victories in the Balkans, was to achieve much success over Russia claiming 28 victories with LG 2 and was awarded the Ritterkreuz in August 1941. The
Gruppe scored 52 victories from June - December 1941. Total victories from September 1939 - 13 January 1942 amounted to 583 kills. I
Gruppe was redesignated I./
JG 77 on 13 January 1942.
II.(Schl)./LG 2 This unit was formed as
Fliegergruppe 40 on 1 July 1938. During the Polish campaign of September 1939 II.(Schl.)/LG 2 under Major Georg Spielvogel, operated as a 'ground assault' unit in the Luftwaffe, operating the
Henschel Hs 123. The unit flew numerous low-level pin-point ground attack operations, and included within their rank as a
Staffelkapitän future ace and
General der Jagdflieger Oberleutnant Adolf Galland. Spielvogel was killed by ground fire on 13 September however, and was replaced by Hauptmann
Otto Weiß. By the end of the campaign 9 pilots had been killed in action; almost a 25% loss rate for the
Gruppe. After resting and refitting, II
Gruppe went west and took part in the
Battle of France. Operating 49 aircraft, the unit initially flew supporting attacks for the German paratroop assault on the
Eben-Emael forts in May 1940. Intensive sorties supporting 6th Army's panzer force took up most of May, before switching to harass the retreating French army south of the Somme in June. The outstanding efforts of the
Gruppe and its biplanes in what was a unique role for 1940 were recognised with the award of the
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes to its commander and all three
Staffelkapitäne. The units most notable action took place at the
Battle of Arras, during which a strong British armoured attack was repulsed. II.(Schl)./LG 2 did not take part in the early phases
Battle of Britain, and was mooted to convert into a 'true' dive-bomber unit equipped with the
Junkers Ju 87. However II
Gruppe had proved the viability of the battlefield assault concept enough to be converted to the new Bf 109 E-4B fighter-bomber, with the capability to carry one
SC-250 kg bomb or four SC-50 kg bombs. Training took place at
Böblingen. Based at
Saint-Omer in France as part of
Luftflotte 2, II.(Schl)./LG 2 started operations on 6 September 1940, losing two aircraft to flak over the
Thames Estuary. With no direct Army offensive to support, the unit modified its type of operation, and through the winter and into the spring of 1941 kept up a series of sporadic nuisance raids against targets in England, suffering over a dozen aircraft losses. In March 1941 II
Gruppe switched south to the forthcoming Balkans campaign, now equipped with 2
Staffeln of Bf 109s and expanded with two further
Staffeln of the older Henschel Hs 123 again. The unit kept up a constant assault on the retreating Allied armies, supporting
12 Armee and its advance to the
Corinth Canal. By now, inspired by the work of II./LG 2, several
Jagdeschwader had their own specialist ground-attack cadres of Bf 109 fighter-bombers, including
JG 77 and
JG 27. The
Gruppe were soon on the move back North for the attack on Soviet Russia in June 1941. Based at
Praszniki in Poland near the Lithuanian border, II
Gruppe, with 38 (37) Bf 109E and 22(17) Hs 123s, were tasked with attacking their share of the 60 Soviet airfields targeted on the opening day of the offensive, leading to the destruction of over 1,400 Soviet aircraft on the ground. Thereafter they formed part of the air support for
Panzergruppe 3 advancing on the 'Central Front'. Featuring in the capture of
Minsk in June, by the end of July the intensity of operations had led to an attrition of the ''Gruppe's'' available aircraft, culminating in just 14 combat ready aircraft. II
Gruppe were transferred to the Northern sector around
Lake Ladoga in August, and its impressive combat record again recognised by the award of
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes to its four
Staffelkaptäne; Oblts.
Georg Dörffel,
Werner Dörnbrack,
Alfred Druschel and
Bruno Meyer. By September the
Gruppe was back in the battle in central Russia, participating in the battles at
Bryansk and
Vyazma and supporting the advance on
Kalinin. The II
Gruppe Henschel's proved their rugged worth by launching a series of 'shuttle' missions against the counter-attacking Soviet forces in October, saving their own airfield from capture and inflicting heavy losses. The onset of the appalling winter conditions saw operations curtailed for some time. Thus the II.
Gruppe was recalled to
Werl in Germany to form the nucleus of the first ever
Schlachtgeschwader (
SG 1), and with Major Otto Weiß awarded the Oakleaves to the Knight's Cross.
Aufklärungsstaffel Created on or just after the 1 October 1936 near
Prenzlau. In April 1937, the unit was equipped with the
Dornier Do 17 F. It was later merged 1.(F)/Aufklärungsgruppe 122 in September 1937.
Stab III.(Aufkl)/ LG 2 Formed on 1 November 1938, it was renamed from
Stab/Aufklärungslehrgruppe. The unit was renamed
Koluft 10 after mobilisation on 26 August 1939.
7.(F)/LG 2 8.(F)/LG 2 9.(H)/LG 2 (Pz) Operated in the Polish Campaign, Battle of France and Battle of Britain. During Operation Barbarossa it supported the
3rd Panzer Divisions capture of
Orel and
Bryansk, it also supported the German Army during the
Battle of Kiev.
10.(See)/LG 2 Formed on 1 November 1938, and dissolved in October 1939. Saw action in the Polish Campaign. The unit was absorbed into
Kampfgeschwader 30.
10.(Schlacht)/LG 2 This unit participated in the
Balkans Campaign and
Operation Barbarossa. It was probably renamed 8.(PZ)SchG1 on 13 January 1942.
11.(Nacht)/LG 2 Formed on 1 August 1939 and experimented with night fighting techniques with
Arado Ar 68s. It was used for home defence until 14 December 1939. It was still doing so on 18 February 1940, when it was absorbed into IV.(N)/JG 2.
Erg.St.(Sch)/LG 2 Formed on 24 August 1940. Participated in the Battle of Britain, and on the
Eastern Front. It was disbanded on 13 January 1942, and its crews helped form II./Sch.G.1 and Erg.J.Gr.Ost.
Kunstflugstaffel This unit did not see action. It was formed in early 1938 and dissolved on 3 March 1940. == Commanding officers ==