Jagdgeschwader 11

Jagdgeschwader 11
Emblem of Jagdgeschwader 11. Based on Arno Breker's "The Guardian".
Active	1943–45
Country	German Reich
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Branch	Luftwaffe
Type	Fighter Aircraft
Role	Air superiority
Size	Air Force Wing
Fighter Aircraft	Bf 109, Fw 190
Engagements	Defense of the Reich, Operation Baseplate
Disbanded	4 April 1945
Commanders
Notable commanders	Major Hermann Graf Major Anton Hackl Major Herbert Ihlefeld Oberstleutnant Günther Specht
Aircraft flown
Fighter	Bf 109, Fw 190

Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11) was a German fighter wing (German: Jagdgeschwader) of the Luftwaffe during World War II. Its primary role was the defense of Northern Germany against Allied day bomber raids. Formed in April 1943, the unit primarily used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190.

The growing daylight bomber offensive of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 8th Air Force forced the Luftwaffe to augment its day fighter strength. It countered these bombing raids by expanding the number of daylight fighter units assigned to the Defense of the Reich (German: Reichsverteidigung). Due to a scarcity of resources and trained pilots, the Luftwaffe increased its strength by splitting Jagdgeschwader 1 to form Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11). JG 11 was initially based along the North German coast, protecting the northern flank of occupied Europe. During the summer of 1943, as the unescorted bombers penetrated deeper into Germany, JG 11 saw intensive action, with about 40 percent of some 1,200 'kill' claims submitted by the Western Front fighter wings in this period being credited to JG 1 and JG 11 .

JG 11 trialled new tactics such as dropping 250 kg bombs on top of the bomber formations or using the heavy-calibre Werfer-Granate 21 unguided, underwing-launched rockets. In spring of 1944 the introduction of P-51 Mustang made the job of units such as JG 11 very difficult as they fought through the escorts to reach the bombers. Several measures were introduced to counter the bomber offensive such as the introduction of Bf 109–G high altitude aircraft with a pressurized cockpit.