Schlachtgeschwader 1

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Schlachtgeschwader 1


caption=
dates=1942-1943
1943-1945
country=Nazi Germany
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branch=Luftwaffe
type=Dive bomber
role=Close air support
size=Air Force Wing
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ceremonial_chief=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
nickname=
patron=
motto=
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identification_symbol=
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battles=World War II
notable_commanders=
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Schlachtgeschwader 1 (SG 1) was a Luftwaffe ground- attack wing of World War II.

History

Schlachtgeschwader 1 was formed on 13 January 1942 at Werl, near Dortmund from elements of II./LG 2, initially with two "Gruppen" with 4 "Staffeln" each. The Geschwader was disbanded on 18 October 1943. The I. Gruppe became II./Schlachtgeschwader 77 and the II. Gruppe II. /Schlachtgeschwader 2. Schlachtgeschwader 1 was reformed again the same day on 18 October 1943 from Sturzkampfgeschwader 1.

I./ SG 1 were outfitted with Bf 109E-7s, while 5. and 6. Staffeln were equipped with Hs 129B-1s and 7. Staffel with Hs 123As, the latter unit taking over the aircraft of 8. Staffel in April. After training was completed in April 1942 the Geschwader was ordered to the Crimea for duty with "IV. Fliegerkorps", "Luftflotte 4".

Crimea 1942-3

After arrival operations started with ground attack missions in the Eastern Crimea in May, and then over the Izyum Salient southeast of Kharkov to the end of the month. Outfitted with Bf 109E-7s, I./SchG 1 was based at Itshki-Grammatikovo, the Gruppe was assigned to VIII. Fliegerkorps for support of 11th Army's in the Kerch Peninsula. Attacks were carried out against Soviet positions along the front, on troop and supply columns immediately behind the front. Such was the effect that that German infantry assault units were able to break through the forward defenses on 8 May, the first day of the attack, and took the town of Kerch on 15 May. Losses to the Gruppe were two Bf 109E-7s on 11 May, both shot down by AA fire. 3 Hs 129B-1s were shot down by AA fire on 23 May.

Altogether SG 1 flew nearly 1,500 sorties during the month with a 1,000 plus missions with the Bf 109E, 259 with the Henschel Hs 123 and some 180 with the new Henschel Hs 129A, then under evaluation as the Luftwaffe's first custom-built ground assault aircraft . The unit later moved to Tatsinskaya in July and Tusov in August to support the 6th Army during the drive to the Don, and later Stalingrad, which began on June 25th.Few losses were recorded during intense action, but I./SG 2 did lose 2 Bf 109E-7s, one shot down over Voronezh and the other on the Don on 4 July. II Gruppe was temporarily split up during this period with the Staffeln operating independently on the central sector of the front. 6. Staffel lost two Hs 129B-1s to AA on 28 June and three Hs 123As from 7. Staffel were lost northeast of Kursk on 29 June.The rapid advance of the German forces resulted in the Geschwader gruppen being transferred rapidly though the summer. Losses that autumn in the Stalingrad area were very light. Around mid-August, a further move was made to Tusov which was to be the home base for the I. Gruppe until late November.

North Africa

5. Staffel was transferred to East Prussia in October to rest and refit with the Hs 129B-2.It departed for North Africa on 5 November and arrived in Tunis on 29 November. It flew its first combat mission the next day against British tanks and vehicle columns near Tebourba, followed by numerous missions over the next month. It was renamed 8.(Pz)/SG 2 in January 1943 and a new 5 Staffel for SG 1 was formed a few weeks later in Germany, equipped with the Fw 190.

Russian Retreat

The Soviet counter-offensive at Stalingrad erupted on 19 November causing surprise and mayhem. On 22 November I./SG 1 was forced to blow up several its unservicable Bf 109E-7s, just days after the start of the Soviet counter-offensive that eventually encircled the German 6th Army. The unit was forced to abandon its base at Oblivskaya on 26 November and withdraw to the west. II. Gruppe also began a maximum effort around Stalingrad at the cost of at least 8 Hs 129Bs, Hs 123As and Bf 109Es lost in ground attack missions or blown up to prevent capture by the on-coming Russians.

4 Bf 109E-7s of I gruppe were lost in December, 2 to Soviet fighters, as I./SG 1 was forced back to Millerovo. On December 31st, the 3. Staffel lost" Staffelkapitän" Oblt. Josef Graf von und zu Hönsbröck, killed by ground fire. By the 22nd of December, what was left of II./SG 1 had also been pulled back, to Voroshilovgrad.

In 1942 II. Gruppe had flown 3,128 Hs 129 sorties, 1,532 Hs 123 sorties, and 1,938 Bf 109 sorties, claimed 107 aircraft shot down or destroyed, and losing 20 Hs 129s, 16 Bf 109s, and 5 Hs 123s to enemy action.

During early 1943 the Stab operated in the Donets Basin area, 2 Bf 109E-7s from 2. Staffel being lost to enemy fire on 10 February. On 16 February, the Soviets recaptured Kharkov and the Germans counterattacked to retake the city two weeks later. SG 1 supported, and as soon as the city was under German control moved to Kharkov-North on 14 March.

SG 1's two Gruppen continued operations during the spring and summer while converting to the Focke Wulf Fw 190. I gruppe's conversion was completed by the end of April, though several Bf 109s remained on strength. II gruppe converted to the Fw 190A-5 was completed by early March, transferring to central Ukraine for a month of training before moving back to the front in April.

The ground attack missions in support of the cut-off 17th Army in the Kuban bridgehead, were intense and costly, as the Soviet Air Force out-numbered the Luftwaffe four to one, and, had large numbers of AA guns in the area. 7 Fw 190A-5s of II gruppe were shot down in May, most falling to AA fire. June also saw the arrival of the first of the new heavily armoured Fw 190F-3s.

Kursk 1943

Participating in the Kursk offensive (Operation Zitadelle) during July 1943, I./SG 1 was ordered north to Orel to pin down the Soviet counter-offensive. Intensive non-stop operations between 8 July and 2 August saw I gruppe lose 8 Fw 190s to AA fire, including one piloted by Obstlt. Horst-Wilhelm Hossfeld, a general staff officer on 17 July. II./SG 1 did not get involved in heavy fighting until the Russian spearheads began to close around in early August.As the Soviets advanced, Orel fell on 4 August and I. Gruppe was forced back, to Bryansk. By September the Gruppe was shifted to the northern Ukraine to fly missions against the Soviets moving towards Kiev.

Hptm. Johannes Meinecke, "Staffelkapitän" 1. Staffel was killed by AA fire near Mutino on 4 September. 3 Fw 190F-3s were lost on 27 September and another F-3 and on 6 October a Fw 190A-6 were shot down flown by the new "Staffelkapitän" of 1. Staffel Hptm. Josef Menapace, who was killed. On 13 October, 2 more Fw 190F-3s were shot down by Soviet fighters. II./SG 1 was forced to withdraw to the west to Kiev-South. Losses September-October were relatively light, averaging 1 aircraft per week.

Disbanding and Reorganisation

SG 1 gradually withdrew to Kiev where it was stationed in October 1943. On 18 October the Stab was disbanded and the personnel used to form the Stäb. IV./SG 9, NSGr 3 and NSGr 7, while I Gruppe was renamed II./SG 77, except for the 1. Staffel which was disbanded and personnel incorporated into the other Staffeln. II./SG 1 was renamed II./SG 2, with 5. Staffel becoming 8. Staffel and the others retaining their previous numbers.

4.(Pz)/SG 1

This Staffel was formed in January 1942 as a component of II./SG 1 with Bf 109Es provided by the disbanded II (Schl.)/LG 2. It however operated as an independent autonomous unit for much of its existence. It flew under "VIII. Fliegerkorps" after receiving 16 of the new Henschel Hs 129B-1.

Commencing operations on 7 May 4 staffel attacked various ground targets, shot down an I-16 fighter and destroyed some 40 other aircraft during low-level strafing attacks on enemy airfields in Eastern Crimea. In mid-May the Staffel moved with the rest of II. Gruppe and took part in the heavy fighting to the south and southeast of Kharkov. In early June the aircraft were fitted with the new MK-101 30mm cannon 'underbelly' pack, and first went into action into action against Soviet tanks retreating along the Don River. Their first loss was a Hs 129 on 6 July.

Following the Soviet counter-offensive at Stalingrad the Staffel was deployed west of Stalingrad. After withdrawing to Stalino it was re-equipped with the new Hs 129B-2 and transferred to Stalino-North during April. The Staffel supported the German ground forces on the Taman Peninsula, south west of Rostov.

In June the Staffel was sent back to Germany, to be fitted with the new 30mm MK-103 armour-piercing cannon, ready for the upcoming Operation "Zitadelle".

Losses were heavy in July with 7 Hs 129B-2s falling to AA fire. The Staffel then assisted in the defense against the Soviet counter-attack towards Orel of 13 July. 4. (Pz) moved to Poltava at the end of August. 6 aircraft were lost in September as the Staffel retreated through central Ukraine. In October, it was renamed 10.(Pz)/SG 9.

8.(Pz)/SG 1

8./SG 1 was returned to Germany in April 1942, and re-equipped with Bf 109E-7s, and their Hs 123 biplanes turned over to 7. Staffel. Although 8. (Pz) was officially a staffel of I. Gruppe SG 1 from January 1942 after the Geschwader's reorganization in early 1943, it operated independently after its conversion to the Hs 129 in January 1943 and reclassification as a 'tank-buster' unit.

8.(Pz)/SG 1 returned to southern Russia in February by April sent to the North Caucasus to support the Kuban bridgehead. Very heavy losses were suffered in the fighting over Kuban some 9 aircraft being loast by the end of May.

8.(Pz)/SG 1 were withdrawn the southern Ukraine in June to re-equip. In July, 8. (Pz) was transferred for Operation "Zitadelle", the German offensive against the Kursk salient.

Losses were again heavy as the Staffel attacked Soviet armour east of Kursk. The Staffel was ordered to Orel-West on 15 July to counter the powerful Soviet attack toward Orel begun two days earlier. In September the Staffel was committed in the rear-guard fighting between Kharkov and Kiev. After losing 5 Hs 129s in the month, the next move was to Kiev. While based at Kiev, 8.(Pz) was renamed 11.(Pz)/SG 9 in October 1943.

Commanding Officers

Kommodore

*Oberleutnant Otto Weiß, January 1942
*Oberleutnant Hubertus Hitschhold, 18 June 1942
*Oberleutnant Alfred Druschel, June 1943
*Oberleutnant Gustav Pressler, 18 October 1943 – 1 May 1944
*Major Peter Gasmann, 1 May 1944 – 8 May 1945

Gruppenkommandeure

I./SG 1

*Major Alfred Druschel, 13 January 1942
*Major Georg Dörffel, March 1943
*Hauptmann Siegfried Steinhoff, September 1943
*Major Horst Kaubisch, 17 June 1943 – 12 February 1945
*Hauptmann Arthur Pipan, 2 March 1945 – 8 May 1945

II./SG 1

*Hauptmann Paul-Friedrich Darjes, March 1942
*Hauptmann Frank Neubert, September 1942
*Hauptmann Heinz Frank, September 1943
*Major Ernst-Christian Reusch, 1 May 1944 – 21 January 1945
*Hauptmann Heinrich Heins, 1 February 1945 – 8 May 1945

III./SG 1

*Hauptmann Friedrich Lang, 1 April 1943 – 20 May 1944
*Hauptmann Karl Schrepfer, 1 May 1944

ee also

Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II

References

*cite web |title=Lexikon der Wehrmacht |work=Schlachtgeschwader 1 |url=http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Gliederungen/Schlachtgeschwader/SG1N.htm |accessdate=5 May |accessyear=2008