Jagdgeschwader 4

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Jagdgeschwader 4


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dates=1944-1945
country=Germany
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branch=Air Force
type=Fighter Aircraft
role=Air superiority
size=Air Force Wing
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colonel_of_the_regiment=
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notable_commanders=Gerhard Schöpfel (15.6.44 - 6.8.44)
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Jagdgeschwader 4 (JG 4) was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. JG 4 was formed as a full Geschwader on June 15, 1944 in Ansbach from Stab/Jagdgeschwader z.b.V. and its first "Geschwaderkommodore" was Major Gerhard Schöpfel.

I./JG 4 was formed earlier in August 7, 1942 in Mizil, Romania from the Ölschutzstaffel/JG 77, with 2./JG 4 formed December 1, 1942. Stab I, 3. and 4./JG 4 were formed on January 10, 1943 at Mizil, and the I Gruppe was now complete. II. Gruppe was formed in July 1944 at Salzwedel from I./ZG1 and partially from "Sturmstaffel 1". III. Gruppe was formed in July 1944 at Rotenburg from III./ZG1. IV./JG 4 was formed on October 20, 1944 at Finsterwalde from II./JG 5.

I./JG 4 was assigned in early 1943 as defensive protection of the Mizil and Ploesti Oil complexes in Romania, and saw action against the USAAF 15th Air Force heavy bombers flying from bases in North Africa and Italy. The unit was later deployed to the defence of Rome and northern Italy.

4./JG 4 was the Rumanian Staffel "Escadrilla 53", which left again in December 1943. A new 4./JG 4 was formed in June 1944. In September 1944 2./JG 4 and 8./JG 53 exchanged designations. I./JG 4 was disbanded on March 19 1945.

Sturmgruppen 1944

Jagdgeschwader 4 became one of only three Luftwaffe geschwader to operate the specialised 'bomber-killer' "gruppen" designated "Sturmgruppe". II./JG 4 "Sturmgruppe" was formed on July 12, 1944 at Salzwedel from I./ZG 1 and from elements of Major Günter von Kornatzki's "Sturmstaffel 1". The gruppe was equipped with the modified and heavily armoured FW 190A-8/R2. While the heavily armoured fighters proved effective against the heavy bombers of the USAAF, they proved vulnerable to the numerous escort fighters and hence suffered heavy losses.

In common with other fighter units engaged in "Reichsverteidigung" operations the Geschwader were sported unique coloured markings in mid 1944. JG 4's marking was a black-white-black band on the rear fuselage.

On 11th September 1944 II.(Sturm) and III. Gruppen intercepted a USAAF bombing raid near Chemnitz. Attacking the 100th and 95th Bomb Groups the geschwader claimed some 13 destroyed bombers. Intercepted by the 339th and 55th Fighter Groups JG 4 was severely mauled, and lost 21 pilots killed during the mission.

From November 1944 onwards the Geschwader, operating from Frankfurt took heavy losses flying against the Allied air offensive.

During Operation Bodenplatte on 1 January 1945 JG 4, along with all other units taking part, again took very heavy losses. Tasked with an attack on Le Culot airfield, I, II and IV gruppen were hit by heavy anti-aircraft fire and the massed formation became scattered and therefore impossible to co-ordinate an effective attack, with no aircraft locating or attacking their intended objective. With nearly half the participating aircraft lost, JG 4 sufferd the highest percentage losses of all the units taking part in the operation.

By late January 1945 JG 4 was deployed in Guben-Jüterbog until the end of the war in May.

On 21 January 1945 the four "gruppen" of JG 4 were switched to "Luftlotte" 6 on the Eastern Front and pitchforked wholesale into ground-attack missions, for which the unit was ill-equipped and pilots untrained. Although nearly 400 vehicles were claimed destroyed, losses for the month inevitably esculated to some 57 aircraft lost, with 26 pilots killed or missing and 14 wounded. [The Last Year for the Luftwaffe, Alfred Price, page 142]

Commanding officers

Geschwaderkommodore

* Major Gerhard Schöpfel, 15 June 1944 – 6 August 44
* Oberstleutnant Gerhard Michalski, 7 August 1944 – 8 May 1945

Gruppenkommandeure

I./JG 4

* Hauptmann Franz Hahn, 10 January 1943 – 22 January 1944
* Hauptmann Wilhelm Steinmann, 23January 1944 – 14 February 1944
* Hauptmann Walter Hoeckner, 15 February 1944 – 25 August 1944
* Hauptmann Wilhelm Steinmann, 26 August 1944 – March 1945

II./JG 4

* Oberleutnantt Hans-Günther von Kornatzki, 12 July 1944 – 12 September 1944
* Major Rudolf Schröder, 13 September 1944 – March 1945
* Major Wilhelm Moritz, March 1945 – 8 May 1945

III./JG 4

* Hauptmann Friedrich Eberle, 12 July 1944 – 8 January 1945
* Hauptmann Gerhard Strasen, 9 January 1945 – 8 May 1945

IV./JG 4

* Hauptmann Franz Wienhusen, 20 October 1944 – 3 December 1944
* Hauptmann Ernst Laube, 19 December 1944 – 3 April 1945

ee also

Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II

References

External links

* [http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Jagdgeschwader/JG4-R.htm JG 4 @ Lexikon der Wehrmacht]