Jabogruppe Afrika

[Nick Beale]

Originally Posted by gruppe.drei

Hi colleagues,
does anyone have any information (commanders, dislocations, history...) about Jagdbombergruppe Afrika (Jabogruppe Afrika)? Probably 08/1942 - 11/1942...
I found via web only:

• ? -> Stab/Jabogruppe Afrika -> Stab I./Sch.G.2
• 10.(Jabo)/JG 53 -> 1./Jabogruppe Afrika -> 1./Sch.G.2
• 10.(Jabo)/JG 27 -> 2./Jabogruppe Afrika -> 3./Sch.G.2

and http://www.ww2.dk/oob/bestand/jagd/bjgafrika.html

Thanks for help!

Go to the website of the UK National Archives, then to "search the catalogue". Choose "advanced search". Under search terms enter "Cairo", for "file series" put DEFE3 and for dates put 1942-43. This should get you the files of deciphered German Army and Luftwaffe signals, which you can view free online. There are a large number of signals from Africa and this Gruppe is mentioned frequently.

[Andreas Brekken]

Hi,

what I have is the strength returns of the unit - but the reorganization from Jabo 27 and Jabo 53 (the designations used by the Generalquartiermeister) is not specifically mentioned in the Vortrag.

This happened as mentioned by gruppe.drei during the first ten days of August 1942.

The unit was as far as I can see attached to JG 27 - and certainly at this point did not have a separate Stab - it consisted of a strengthened Staffel with an strength of 13 aircraft (Bf 109F4/Trop) and 15 pilots on August 10th.

The first time the name JaboGruppe Afrika is mentioned is in the strength return of September 20th, with the names Jabo 27 and Jabo 53 in parenthesis underneath - the usual nomenclature used to show heritage. At this time they have an established strength of 13 Bf 109F-4/Trop - but only 4 are listed as operational!

This number increase during the next ten days period to 22 aircraft of which 12 were operational. In contrast they list 30 pilots assigned to the unit.

The restructuring into I./Schl.G.2 is mentioned on the strength return of September 30th 1942, with the following sentence:

Aus III./Z.G.1 ist I./S.G.2 mit 4 Staffeln augestellt. Verstärkt durch Jabo-Staffeln J.G.27 u. J.G.53 und 4./(Pz.S.G.2) Hs 129 Pz. Jagdstaffel.

And that is as far as I can see the end of Jabogruppe Afrika - and the start of Schlachtgeschwader 2.

Regards,
Andreas B