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LG2 |
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Name : LG2 Country : Germany |
Known Service Details : | |||||||
Pilot or Aircrew | Rank | Start of Service | End of Service | Known Dates | Aircraft | Airframes | Notes |
Oberfahnrich | unknown | unknown | 29th November 1941 | ||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | unknown | 13th March 1941 | ||||
Oberleutnant | unknown | 6th January 1942 | 09th September 1939 | ||||
unknown | unknown | ||||||
Major | unknown | unknown | 01st August 1942 | known Soviet victory, an Il-2 on 1 August, 1942, while in LG-2 | |||
Leutnant | unknown | 6th January 1942 | 09th September 1939 | ||||
Hauptmann | unknown | 10th May 1940 | Killed in Action | ||||
Leutnant | unknown | 6th January 1942 | 15th April 1941 | ||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | unknown | 25th October 1939 | ||||
Hauptmann | unknown | 6th January 1942 | 29th May 1940 | ||||
Unteroffizier | unknown | 24th April 1940 | Killed in Action | ||||
| Pilots and Aircrew for : LG2 | ||
| A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | ||
| Name | Info | |
| Berres, Heinz-Edgar Click the name above to see a profile of Berres, Heinz-Edgar
| Berres, Heinz-Edgar | |
| Brandt, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Brandt, Walter
| Brandt, Walter | |
| Buhl, Adolf Click the name above to see a profile of Buhl, Adolf
| Buhl, Adolf | |
| Clausen, Erwin Click the name above to see a profile of Clausen, Erwin
| Clausen, Erwin Erwin Clausen was born on 5 August 1911 at Berlin-Steglitz. He joined the Reichsmarine in 1931 but then transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935 to receive flying training. Feldwebel Clausen was flying with 3.(J)/LG 2 and scored his first victory during the invasion of Poland when he shot down a PWS.26 biplane trainer on 9 September 1939. He was to score further victories during the French campaign. On 1 February 1941, Oberleutnant Clausen was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1(J)/LG 2. When 1(J)/LG 2 operated in support of the invasion of the Balkans, Clausen was to score three victories over JKRV Furies on 6 April 1941. Following the Balkan campaign Clausen withdrew with the unit to Eastern Europe. On 6 January 1942 1(J)/LG 2 became 1./JG 77. With 1./JG 77 in Russia he was particularly successful. On 2 July 1941, he shot down two Russian aircraft for his 7th and 8th victories. By the end of 1941 his total had reached 18. He recorded his 20th victory on 16 January 1942 and his 30th on 24 February. On 9 March, he shot down five enemy aircraft to record victories 36 through 40. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 22 May after 52 victories. On 27 June, he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 77. He achieved 45 victories in July including four in a day three times, five in a day twice and six in a day once. Clausen shot down his 100th opponent in claiming six in a day on 22 July 1942. He was awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr 106) the next day. Clausen was transferred to Erg.Gr.Süd on 1 February 1943. Hauptmann Clausen became Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 11 on 20 June 1943 performing Reichsverteidigung duties. In July 1943 he shot down eight four-engine bombers. On 4 October 1943 he shot down B-24 Liberator but then he was killed in aerial combat over the North Sea attacking Allied four-engine bombers in Fw190 A-5/U12 Black << of JG11 . Erwin Clausen is credited with 132 victories achieved flying 561 missions. He recorded 1 victory over Poland, 3 over Jugoslavia and 14 victories over the Western front. His score includes 12 (and probably further unconfirmed) four-engine bombers and 18 Stormoviks. | |
| Dinort, Oskar Click the name above to see a profile of Dinort, Oskar
| Dinort, Oskar Oskar Dinort was born in Berlin-Charlottenburg. He volunteered for military service 1919 and joined the Freikorps der Gardekavallerie-Schützendivision and became a Fähnrich in the Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 2 in 1921. He was promoted to Leutnant in 1923 as well as an enthusiastic glider pilot. Promoted to Oberleutnant in 1928 he set a 14 hours and 43 minutes Gliding World Record. He won the Deutschlandflug in 1931, and participated in the second FAI International Tourist Plane Contest Challenge 1930 (10th place). Dinort was transferred to the still secret Luftwaffe in 1934 where he was posted to the "Reklamestaffel Mitteldeutschland" (Advertisement Staffel). His next posting was as a Hauptmann (captain) in the Stab of I./Jagdgeschwader 132 (JG 132—132nd Fighter Wing) and Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III./Jagdgeschwader 134 (JG 134—134th Fighter Wing) until he was called into in Reichsluftfahrtministerium (Ministry of Aviation) by Ernst Udet on 31 March 1935. After commanding I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" (StG 2) in Poland, Major Dinort served as Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of StG 2 from October 1939 to October 1941. On 4 July 1940, in between the official dated given for the Battle of France and Battle of Britain, he led a highly successful attack on Convoy OA 178. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves in July 1941. During operations over Greece and Crete in April–May 1941 crews of StG 2 believed the blast effect of their bombs used against troops in Greece was greatly reduced because the bombs penetrated the ground before exploding. The solution was to fit 60 cm metal rods welded to the front of the bombs, with an 8 cm metal disc on the end of the rod. This arrangement became known as Dinortstäbe, (Dinort's rods—similar in concept to the daisy cutter) after the originator of the idea, Oskar Dinort, which caused the bombs to detonate some 30 cm above the ground, maximising their blast. On 15 October 1941 Dinort left StG. 2, taking up a staff position. In 1944 he was appointed to command 3. Fliegerschuldivision and inlate 1944 promoted to Generalmajor. Held by the British after the war ended, Dinort remained in captivity until 1947, He eventually settled in Dortmund after his release. he later worked in aviation research in Chile. | |
| Frank, Heinz Allan Click the name above to see a profile of Frank, Heinz Allan
| Frank, Heinz Allan 900+ missions. and flew with 5/LG-2, Stfkpt 3/Sch.G-1 (10/42 S.U.), Adj. II/SG-2 (Khersonnes, Krim 6/44), Kdr IV/SG-151 Died 7 October, 1944 following an accidental pistol shooting. The bullet locked in his right hip, and he died of a circulatory collapse in a hospital. His E-7 damaged when he crashed at Tusow as a result of tire damage on 15 October, 1942. One known Soviet victory, an Il-2 on 1 August, 1942, while in LG-2. One known western victory, a B-24 in the Ploesti area on 24 June, 1944. had flown these aircraft Hs 123, Bf 109E-7 Werk # 6060 (40% dam 10/15/42), Ju 87D in SchG-1(10/43), Fw 190 Werk# 160749 & Fw 190G-3 Werk # 160948 in SG-2 | |
| Frey, Hugo Click the name above to see a profile of Frey, Hugo | Frey, Hugo | |
| Geisshardt, Friedrich Click the name above to see a profile of Geisshardt, Friedrich
| Geisshardt, Friedrich | |
| Graner, Georg Click the name above to see a profile of Graner, Georg
| Graner, Georg Staffelkapitan of 3./I.(J)/LG2. Killed on 10th May 1940 when his Me109E-1 0000710 Brown 1 of LG2 was destroyed on landing at Esbjerg airfield. | |
| Guhl, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Guhl, Hermann | Guhl, Hermann | |
| Hachfeld, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Hachfeld, Wilhelm
| Hachfeld, Wilhelm | |
| Hannak, Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Hannak, Gunther | Hannak, Gunther | |
| Harder, Harro Click the name above to see a profile of Harder, Harro
| Harder, Harro | |
| Heckmaier, Albert Click the name above to see a profile of Heckmaier, Albert | Heckmaier, Albert On 25th October 1939, his Me109E-3 0000682 of LG2 was destroyed in an accident at Utersen airfield. He was unharmed. | |
| Ihlefeld, Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Ihlefeld, Herbert
| Ihlefeld, Herbert Born 1st June 1914 in Pinnow Pommern and died 8th August 1995 in Wenningen lower Saxony. Joined the Luftwaffe in 1936 and scored nine victories during the Spanish Civil War. Flew 1000 combat missions and claimed 132 enemy aircraft with 56 on the Western Front including 26 spitfires and 67 on the Russian Front. Participated in the air war over Poland, France and the Battle of Britain. In 1941 Ihlefeld was transferred to the Balkans for the invasion of Yugoslavia. He was shot down by AA fire and captured by the Yugoslavian Army. 8 days lated he was rescued by the German troops. Ihlefeld participated in the assault on Crete, claiming his 36th kill, a Hurricane. He then commanded Jagdgeschwader 77 in time for Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. In April 1942 Ihlefeld became the 5th pilot to reach 100 victories and his unit 1/JG77 was credited with 323 enemy aircraft kills compared to the loss of only 17 Bf109s. Ihlefeld then took command of Jagdgeschwader 52 in June 1942 but he was involved in a landing accident and badly injured and was not ready to return to active service until July 1943. In May 1944 he commanded JG11 and then JG1 during the defence of the Reich. In 1945 he took command of Jagdgeschwader 1 equipped with the Heinkel 162. | |
| Marseille, Hans-Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Marseille, Hans-Joachim
| Marseille, Hans-Joachim Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Marseille was born 13 December 1919. He was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II. He is noted for his aerial battles during the North African Campaign and his bohemian lifestyle. Arguably one of the best fighter pilots of World War II, he was nicknamed the "Star of Africa". Marseille claimed all but seven of his "official" 158 victories against the British Commonwealth's Desert Air Force over North Africa, flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter for his entire combat career. No other pilot claimed as many Western Allied aircraft as Marseille. Marseille, of French Huguenot ancestry, joined the Luftwaffe in 1938. At the age of 20 he graduated from one of the Luftwaffe's fighter pilot schools just in time to participate in the Battle of Britain, without notable success. A charming person, he had such a busy night life that sometimes he was too tired to be allowed to fly the next morning. As a result, he was transferred to another unit, which relocated to North Africa in April 1941. Battle of Britain In his first dogfight over England on 24 August 1940, Marseille was involved in a four-minute battle with a skilled opponent, He defeated his opponent by pulling up into a tight chandelle, to gain an altitude advantage before diving and firing. The British fighter was struck in the engine, pitching over and diving into the English Channel; this was Marseille's first kill. Marseille was then engaged from above by more enemy fighters. By pushing his aircraft into a steep dive then pulling up metres above the water, Marseille escaped from the machine gun fire of his opponents: "skipping away over the waves, I made a clean break. No one followed me and I returned to Leeuwarden." Marseille did not take any pleasure in this kill and found it difficult to accept the realities of aerial combat. In a letter to his mother, dated 24 August, he said the following: “Today I shot down my first opponent. It does not sit well with me. I keep thinking how the mother of this young man must feel when she gets the news of her son's death. And I am to blame for this death. I am sad, instead of being happy about the first victory.” On his second sortie, he scored another victory, and by the fifth day had claimed his fourth kill. While returning from a bomber-escort mission on 23 September 1940, his engine failed after combat damage sustained over Dover; he tried to radio his position but was forced to bail out over the sea. He paddled around in the water for three hours before being rescued by a Heinkel He 59 float plane based at Schellingwoude. Severely worn out and suffering from exposure, he was sent to a field hospital. Marseille claimed his 7th aerial victory on 28 September 1940 but had to crash land near Théville due to engine failure in his Bf 109 E-7. Days later, Marseille was passed over for promotion and was now the sole Fähnrich in the Geschwader. This was a humiliation for him, suspecting that his abilities were being suppressed so the squadron leaders could take all the glory in the air. Another account recalled how Marseille once ignored an order to turn back from a fight when outnumbered by two to one, but seeing an enemy aircraft closing on his wing leader, Marseille broke formation and shot the attacking aircraft down. Expecting nothing but "a well done Jochen" when he landed, he was thoroughly criticised for his actions, receiving three days of confinement for failing to carry out an order. Shortly afterwards, in early October 1940, after having claimed seven aerial victories all them flying with I. /LG 2 Marseille was transferred to 4./Jagdgeschwader 52, flying alongside the likes of Johannes Steinhoff and Gerhard Barkhorn. He wrote off four aircraft as a result of operations during this period. Steinhoff, later recalled: “Marseille was extremely handsome. He was a very gifted pilot, but he was unreliable. He had girl friends everywhere, and they kept him so busy that he was sometimes so worn out that he had to be grounded. His sometime irresponsible way of conducting his duties was the main reason I fired him. But he had irresistible charm.” As punishment for "insubordination"—rumoured to be his penchant for American jazz music, womanising and an overt "playboy" lifestyle—and inability to fly as a wingman, Steinhoff transferred Marseille to Jagdgeschwader 27 on 24 December 1940. When he joined his new unit, it was difficult to foresee his outstanding career. His new Gruppenkommandeur, Eduard Neumann, later recalled: “His hair was too long and he brought with him a list of disciplinary punishments as long as your arm. Of the 7 kills he had claimed fighting along the English Channel, 4 had not been confirmed – a large percentage. On top of it all, he was a Berliner… In trying to create an image, he wasn’t averse from talking about the many girls he had been to bed with, among them a famous actress. He was tempestuous, temperamental and unruly. Thirty years later, he would have been called a playboy.” Nevertheless, Neumann quickly recognised Marseille's potential as a pilot. He stated in an interview: "Marseille could only be one of two, either a disciplinary problem or a great fighter pilot." Jagdgeschwader 27 was soon relocated to North Africa. Under the guidance of his new commander, who recognised the hidden potential in the young officer, Marseille started to improve his abilities as a fighter pilot. He reached the zenith of his fighter pilot career on 1 September 1942, when during the course of three combat sorties he claimed 17 enemy fighters shot down, earning him the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. Only 29 days later, Marseille was killed in a flying accident, when an engine failure forced him to abandon his fighter. After he exited the smoke-filled cockpit, Marseille's chest struck the vertical stabiliser of his aircraft, either killing him instantly, or incapacitating him so that he was unable to open his parachute. | |
| Mertens, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Mertens, Helmut
| Mertens, Helmut | |
| Quaet-Faslem, Klaus Click the name above to see a profile of Quaet-Faslem, Klaus | Quaet-Faslem, Klaus | |
| Schmitz, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Schmitz, Hans | Schmitz, Hans | |
| Schott, Georg Click the name above to see a profile of Schott, Georg | Schott, Georg | |
| Schulz, Bruno Click the name above to see a profile of Schulz, Bruno
| Schulz, Bruno Killed on 24th April 1940 when his Me109E-4 of LG2 was involved in a collision and crashed 60 kilometres north of Minden. | |
| Staege, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Staege, Hermann
| Staege, Hermann | |
| Strakeljahn, Friedrich-Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Strakeljahn, Friedrich-Wilhelm | Strakeljahn, Friedrich-Wilhelm | |
| Tismar, Werner Click the name above to see a profile of Tismar, Werner
| Tismar, Werner | |
| Trübenbach, Hannes Click the name above to see a profile of Trübenbach, Hannes | Trübenbach, Hannes | |
| Vogeler, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Vogeler, Heinz
| Vogeler, Heinz | |
Known Individual Aircraft of LG2 : | ||||||||
Type | Serial | Codes | First Flew | Squadron History | Aircrew History | History Notes | Engine | Factory |
- | ||||||||
Brown 1 | - | |||||||
- | no information | |||||||
White C | - | |||||||
| Aircraft for : LG2 | ||
| A list of all aircraft associated with LG2. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
| Aircraft | Info | |
Ju87 
Manufacturer : Junkers Production Began : 1936 Retired : 1945 Number Built : 6500 | Ju87 By 1935 the German Luftwaffe was developing its first monoplane divebomber which entered production in 1936 as the Ju87 Stuka. The Stuka was to evolve into arguably the most successful single engine Axis divebomber of WW II. Utilizing a nearly vertical dive position the Stuka was stunningly accurate in the days when horizontal bombing was a relatively inaccurate science. The Ju87 was built for functionality and ruggedness. A fixed landing gear and exceptionally strong wing design were incorporated and no attempt was made to minimize protrusions. The Stuka was not designed for speed; it was an aerodynamic nightmare. The Stuka also incorporated a siren which when activated during a dive was designed to inflict psychological damage on the enemy below. The Ju87 was used with tremendous success in the Blitzkrieg attacks on Norway, Poland, Belgium, France, Holland, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Virtually unchallenged in the air during these Blitzkriegs the Stukas took a devastating toll on Allied ground and mechanized forces. Shipping was also vulnerable to the pinpoint attacks of the Stuka, and the Ju87 destroyed more Allied shipping than all other German aircraft put together during WW II. During Hitlers air attacks on Britain the Stukas reputation for invulnerability was shattered. Facing British Hurricanes and Spitfires the slower and less maneuverable Ju87s were destroyed in large numbers, eventually forcing their withdrawal from that conflict. Germanys attempt to develop an improved twin engine divebomber resulted in the introduction of the Messerschmitt 210 which was an unmitigated disaster. As a result, the Stuka remained in production longer than expected and the aircraft played a major role in Germanys surprise attack on Russia. In the first day of combat alone Stukas were credited with the destruction of over 700 Russian aircraft with minimal losses. One of Germanys top aces of WW II was Hans-Ulrich Rudel. Rudel flew over 2,500 combat missions in Ju87s, and was shot down on twelve occasions. Rudel was credited with destroying 519 tanks, 800 vehicles, 150 artillery pieces, one Russian battleship, one cruiser and one destroyer. Rudel was also credited with shooting down nine Russian aircraft in air-to-air combat. | |
Me109 
Manufacturer : Messerschmitt Production Began : 1937 Retired : 1945 Number Built : 33984 | Me109 Willy Messerschmitt designed the BF109 during the early 1930s. The Bf109 was one of the first all metal monocoque construction fighters with a closed canopy and retractable undercarriage. The engine of the Me109 was a V12 aero engine which was liquid-cooled. The Bf109 first saw operational service during the Spanish Civil War and flew to the end of World War II, during which time it was the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter squadrons. During the Battle of Britian the Bf109 was used in the role of an escort fighter, a role for which it was not designed for, and it was also used as a fighter bomber. During the last days of May 1940 Robert Stanford-Tuck, the RAF ace, got the chance to fly an Me109 which they had rebuilt after it had crash landed. Stanford-Tuck found out that the Me109 was a wonderful little plane, it was slightly faster than the Spitfire, but lacked the Spitfire manoeuvrability. By testing the Me109, Tuck could put himself inside the Me109 when fighting them, knowing its weak and strong points. With the introduction of the improved Bf109F in the spring of 1941, the type again proved to be an effective fighter during the invasion of Yugoslavia and during the Battle of Crete and the invasion of Russia and it was used during the Siege of the Mediteranean island of Malta. The Bf109 was the main fighter for the Luftwaffe until 1942 when the Fw190 entered service and shared this position, and was partially replaced in Western Europe, but the Me109 continued to serve on the Eastern Front and during the defence of the Reich against the allied bombers. It was also used to good effect in the Mediterranean and North Africa in support of The Africa Korps. The Me109 was also supplied to several German allies, including Finland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia. The Bf109 scored more kills than any other fighter of any country during the war and was built in greater numbers with a total of over 31,000 aircraft being built. The Bf109 was flown by the three top German aces of the war war. Erich Hartmann with 352 victories, Gerhard Barkhorn with 301 victories and Gunther Rall with 275 kills. Bf109 pilots were credited with the destruction of 100 or more enemy aircraft. Thirteen Luftwaffe Aces scored more than 200 kills. Altogether this group of pilots were credited with a total of nearly 15,000 kills, of which the Messerschmitt Bf109 was credited with over 10,000 of these victories. The Bf109 was the most produced warplane during World War II, with 30,573 examples built during the war, and the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 units produced up to April 1945. Bf109s remained in foreign service for many years after World War II. The Swiss used their Bf109Gs well into the 1950s. The Finnish Air Force did not retire their Bf109Gs until March 1954. Romania used its Bf109s until 1955. The Spanish Hispanos flew even longer. Some were still in service in the late 1960s. | |
LG2 Artwork |
  First to Fall by Ivan Berryman. |   High Pursuit by Ivan Berryman. |   Assault on the Capital by Robert Taylor |
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This website is owned by Cranston Fine Arts. Torwood House, Torwoodhill Road, Rhu, Helensburgh, Scotland, G848LE Contact: Tel: (+44) (0) 1436 820269. Email: cranstonorders -at- outlook.com |
Died : 25 / 7 / 1943