Strana 30
#82166BOXART STORY
Although Jagdgeschwader 4 is considered
a classic Defense of the Reich unit (Reichsverteidigung),
operating against American four-engine bombers, this
definition is not entirely correct. With some exceptions,
its I. Gruppe deviated from this role description.
It was founded on July 31, 1942 and operated in
southern and southeastern Europe, primarily in the
defense of the oil fields around Ploesti, Romania, and
related industrial and transport facilities.
When the Stab, and later II. and III. Gruppe, JG 4,
were established in the summer of 1944, I. Gruppe
had already been in combat for almost two years.
Maj. Gerhard Michalski became its commander after
a short period of Maj. Gerhard Schöpfel fulfilling that
function. II. and III./JG 4 were formed mainly from
elements of Zerstörergeschwader 1, whose Gruppe
had previously operated in both eastern and western
Europe and their operations ranged from frontline
combat in the east tasked with ground attack to long-
range flights over Biscay and the Atlantic, where they
operated against RAF Coastal Command bombers.
The Bf 110 and Ju 88G heavy fighter pilots from ZG 1
were supplemented in the newly formed unit by young
personnel fresh out of flight training and veterans
from other units, especially Sturmstaffel 1. The latter
had been disbanded in the spring of 1944 and were
recruited to join the II. Gruppe by its commander,
Major Günther von Kornatzki. This had its significance.
II. Gruppe was established as a Sturmgruppe and was
equipped with armored Fw 190A-8/R2. It was to use the
tactic of attacking bombers from close range, using
20 and 30mm cannons, a tactic that Sturmstaffel 1 was
developing. From this unit, von Kornatzki also adopted
the identification marking of his aircraft for JG 4,
comprising a black-white-black band on the fuselage.
This was gradually taken over from II.(Sturm)/JG 4 by
III., then IV., established in October 1944, and finally,
the oldest I. Gruppe. The same was true of the emblem
with a knight's helmet, which of course evokes the
armored Fw 190 of the II. Gruppe, but the other three
Gruppe and Stab units also adopted it. This is also why
both the markings on the fuselage and the emblem on
the engine cowl appear on the aircraft, which is the
theme for the current Bf 109K-4 box art.
When JG 4 became a full-fledged unit in the summer
of 1944, I. Gruppe was moved from northern Italy back
to Germany. There, however, it did not join the unit's
tactical system. In it, III. (and later IV.) Gruppe, flying
Bf 109s, was supposed to provide priority protection
for the Focke-Wulfs from its II. (Sturm)/JG 4 sister
unit (they thus formed a tactical group, the so-called
Gefechtsverband JG 4). Instead, I. Gruppe was moved
to the Kassel area to operate in the defense of the
western and southwestern parts of Germany against
advancing Allied troops. The unit was supplemented
with new pilots and armed with the Bf 109G-6
and G-14. Until the beginning of September 1944,
the Gruppe mainly carried out training flights. The first
clashes with the enemy, including battles related to the
Arnhem operation, came soon after.
Over the Western Front, I. Gruppe clashed primarily
with aircraft from the US 9th Air Force, supporting
Allied ground forces. The exception to this pattern
was the period between October 6thand the end of
November, 1944, during which I./JG 4 moved to Gahro
near Finsterwalde to operate as part of the entire
JG 4. It took part in its first deployment against
American bombers six days later. I./JG 4's main clash
with the US 8th Air Force was the battle on the 2nd
of November, 1944. On that day, JG 4 operated at the
full strength of four Gruppe and Stab. During this battle,
three pilots from I./JG 4 claimed to have shot down
a B-17, but the Gruppe also lost nine Messerschmitt
fighters, of which only three were combat losses.
The remainder fell victim to collisions or various
technical issues.
I./JG 4 began moving to the Darmstadt area in the
West on November 20th. Their opponents were again
primarily the ‘Jabos’ – the Lightnings and Thunderbolts
of the 9th AF. In December, 1944, the remaining
elements of JG 4 equipped with Bf 109s joined them.
With the ever-increasing Allied superiority in the
continental skies, the defense based on the hard fist of
the Sturmgruppe was in the process of losing its clout.
II.(Sturm)/JG 4 itself was gradually transformed into
a fighter unit in the classic sense. Germany essentially
gave up its air defense against strategic bombers and
in this regard relied only on the gradual deployment of
the jet Me 262.
I./JG 4, flying the Bf 109K-4, resisted the pressure
of the Western Allies until the 21st of January, 1944,
when it was transferred to the Eastern Front with the
rest of JG 4. There, in the Oder region, it participated
in holding back Soviet and, exceptionally on the West,
American troops until the end of the war. From high-
altitude fighters and proud Sturmjäger, they became
fighter-bomber pilots, attacking ground targets and
Soviet Il-2s and were tasked with escorting bombers
and Mistel composites.
I./JG 4 was disbanded on March 29th, 1945. Its pilots
were to be transferred in part to III. and IV. Gruppe,
with the remainder slated to convert on to the Me 262.
Bitterness was inevitable. Some suspected it, others
refused to admit it, but there were only a little over
5 weeks left until the end of the terrible war...
Text: Jan Zdiarský
Illustration: Piotr Forkasiewicz
Achtung, Jabos!
INFO Eduard30
January 2025