Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1) was a German fighter unit or wing made up of largely Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft, between 1940–1944. JG 1 was also notable however for being the only German unit to be equipped with the Heinkel He 162 fighter jet. The JG 1 was also the first unit to attempt 'aerial bombing' techniques against the United States Army Air Forces heavy bomber formations.
Unit History[]
At the start it was used only over the Western Front. It had very rarely had to fight between 1940-1942, and its only resistance was the Royal Air Force, when engaged in occasional battles. From late 1942 onwards it was tasked with Defense of the Reich.
After D-day it was tasked with defence over France, along side the Wehrmacht Heer. Towards the end of the war, the team was disbanded and the last of them surrender to the allies at the end of the war.
Aircraft[]
When it started, the JG 1 used mainly the Messerschmitt Bf 109E-1. In the mid 1942 the II, III, IV units of the JG 1 started to convert to Fw 190 but the I JG 1 still used the Bf 109E-1 and later models, including the specialised 'F-4/Z' and 'G-1' pressurised high-altitude fighter with GM-1 boost.
In 1944 the III./JG 1 was one of the first Luftwaffe units to be equipped with the Bf 109G-5/AS with improved supercharger and methanol-water MW-50 boost.
Emblem and Colour[]
When it was started the air craft carried the German Crusader's Cross, designed by Major Woldenga. when it was reformed later on in the war the emblem became the Tatzelwurm, a mythical Norse serpent with origins with JG 3 unit.
The badge of IX./JG 1 was a flintlock pistol on a heart surrounded by the words, "Who Shoots first gets more out of life". There was a new emblem on 12 November 1943 which was a red–winged ‘1’ inside a white diamond surrounded by a black circle. After many disputes over the emblem one version came out as enclosing the white diamond with a red circle instead of a black one.
Following the general adoption of aft coloured fuselage bands identification by all Jagdgeschwaders, I./JG 1 utilised black and white bands. I./JG 1 started painting red aft fuselage bands to distinguish from JG 11 and the Sturmstaffel aircraft.
War History[]
