Stab.JG1

[tcolvin]

Can anyone please please throw light on what, both theoretically and actually, Oberstleutnant Carl-August Schumacher commanded from November 1, 1939 in Jever.

The name of his command was 'Geschwaderstab JG 1' (Stab.JG1).
It was also called 'JG Nord', 'Stab/JG Nordwest', or 'JG Schumacher'.
According to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:JG...hwaderstab.png, Stab.JG1 was constituted as the autonomous Jagdfliegerfuehrer 2 (Regional Fighter Command).

Stab.JG1's task was to coordinate with Kriegsmarine Flak and signals units, including their 7 Freya radars.

It had spectacular success on December 14 and 18, 1939 against RAF Wellington day-bombers, which never again attacked the Reich in daylight until the last days of the war.

Stab.JG1 had its own Bf 109 'D' and 'E' variants, but how many? One Stab Schwarm only?

BTW, Stab.JG1 had nothing to do with I./JG1 until December 1940. On May 7, 1940 I./JG1 was merged with JG 27 and dissolved. I./JG1 was re-formed on December 7, 1940 at Jever out of several units stationed on the North Sea coast. At this point Schumacher seems finally to have got control of a conventional Jagdgeschwader comprising 3 Gruppen, 9 Staffeln and 27 Schwarmen.

But what was Stab.JG1 before that point?
Did Stab.JG1 have under command, for example, these other units that were stationed at Jever in January 1940 - 10/JG26, II/JG77 and I/ZG76?

Help please, for I am confused. I want to believe that Stab.JG1 could demand control over any other unit in North Germany according to the size of the threat against it. In other words I want to believe that it was an HQ without own troops/aircraft, like a British Army Corps HQ for example, that was given the forces needed to fulfill its mission. And the forces it needed could change from hour to hour. That is why, perhaps, it was called a Fliegerfuehrer.

Tony

[Doug Stankey]

We have the following career data for Schumacher which may help you out:

SCHUMACHER, Karl (Carl)-August.
(DOB: 19.02.96 in Rheine/Westfalen).
01.03.33 entry into the Luftwaffe with a rank of Oblt. and appt to Stab/DVS Berlin.
01.10.33 promo to Hptm.
01.05.34 trf to the Inspektion der Fliegerschulen.
01.07.34 ordered to Flugzeugführerschule Land.
15.10.34 ordered to Infanterie-Lehrgang Döberitz.
15.12.34 appt Kompanie-Chef in Flieger-Abt. 16 (See), Holtenau.
01.08.36 promo to Maj. and appt Staka with Fl.H. Jever and in JGr. 136 Pilsen.
29.09.37 in Stab I./Kü.Jagdgruppe 136, appt Kdr. I./Kü.Jagdgruppe 136 (to 31.10.38).
01.11.38 appt Kdr. II./JG 333 (to 30.04.39).
01.03.39 promo to Obstlt. 01.05.39 appt Kdr. II./JG 77 and concurrently Kdr. Fl.H. Pilsen (to 30.11.39).
12.11.39 appt Kommodore JG 1 (to 05.01.42).
21.12.39 concurrently appt Jagdfliegerführer 1 (Deutsche Bucht) (to 01.09.41).
19.07.40 promo to Oberst.
21.07.40 awarded Ritterkreuz, Kommodore JG 1.
01.08.40 appt concurrently Jagdfliegerführer Deutsche Bucht.
01.09.41 (01.11.41?) appt Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen (to 18.01.44?).
10.01.42 (or 16.02.42?) appt acting Kommodore JG 5 (to 30.04.42)?
27.02.43 in Führerreserve Ob.d.L. pending assignment, ordered to the Dt.Lw.-Mission in Rumänien. 01.05.43 (or 01.06.43?) appt Leiter der Flieger-Lehrstab d.Dt.Lw.-Mission in Rumänien (to 03.44). 01.01.44 promo to Gen.Maj.
01.04.44 appt beim Stab des Luftgau-Kdo. XI, Hamburg.
30.01.45 appt Chef NS-Führungsstab/OKL (to 08.05.45).
08.05.45 into American captivity.
01.04.47 released.
Credited with c.160 combat missions and 2 air victories during the course of the war.
†22.05.67 in Bad Godesberg.


It would appear that Stab/JG 1 per se was merely a component within the control of the higher staff which controlled a wider range of units for the purposes of air defense in that region. The fact that Schumacher was concurrently made commander of JG 1 and of Jagdfliegerführer 1 merely confuses the issue.

We hope that this helps.

HLdZ
DGS

[tcolvin]

Thank you very much Doug.
Alles klar!

Tony