- Jagdgeschwader 71
Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen"
(Fighter Wing 71)
caption=Coat of arms of Jagdgeschwader 71
dates=6 June 1959 -Present
country=Federal Republic of Germany ("Bundeswehr ")
branch=German Air Force ("Luftwaffe ")
role=Air Defence, Rapid Deployment, NATO Command Force
command_structure=4th Air Force Division
("4. Luftwaffendivision")
equipment=F-4 Phantom II
notable_commanders=Erich Hartmann ,Günther Josten
current_commander=Colonel ("Oberst") Christian Badia
garrison=Wittmund "Jagdgeschwader 71" (JG71) was
West Germany 's first operational jet fighter unit, and remains an operational Fighter Wing of theLuftwaffe , the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Germany.The unit was formed in June 1959, equipped with 50
Canadair Sabre Mk.6s and stationed at the formerRAF Ahlhorn . The highest-scoring fighter pilot of all time,Erich Hartmann , flew the Canadair Sabre (reputedly his favorite fighter plane design), and aircraft such as the LockheedF-104 Starfighter , in the newly formed wing in the late 1950s.On 21 April 1961, the 43rd anniversary of the death of “Red Baron” "Rittmeister"
Manfred Von Richthofen , JG 71 was given the honorary title of “Richthofen” by Federal PresidentHeinrich Lübke . In 1961, JG 71 transferred from Ahlhorn toWittmund .May 1963 saw the introduction of the first
F-104 Starfighter s into "Luftwaffe" service. In 1974 the Wing obtained its first F-4F Phantom II's and on 19 September 1974 the unit's Starfighters were decommissioned. In 1988 the Wing's secondary role of Fighter Bomber Attack was given up so that JG 71 is now exclusively a Figher Wing. The Phantoms are due to be decommissioned and replaced byEurofighter Typhoon s by 2012.Jagdgeschwader 71 during World War II
There was also a "Jagdgeschwader 71" serving in the "Luftwaffe" for a short while during
World War II . It consisted of I. Group (I. "Gruppe"), with a staff ("Gruppenstab") and two squadrons. It was created on16 July 1939 inSchleissheim , and served until redesignated II./JG 51 in October.ource
* [http://www.luftwaffe.de/portal/a/luftwaffe/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLNzKI97B0AcmB2e4-AfqRUFYIQtTLGSoKUhuUkqrv65Gfm6rvrR-gX5AbGlHu6KgIAE9F7zE!/delta/base64xml/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS80SVVFLzZfMjBfR1RF?yw_contentURL=%2F01DB060000000001%2FW26EV9Y9938ITSRDE%2Fcontent.jsp Official homepage of JG 71]
ee also
Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II
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