Schlachtgeschwader 2
| Schlachtgeschwader 2 | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1943–45 |
| Country |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Branch |
 Luftwaffe
|
| Type | Dive bomber |
| Role | Close air support |
| Size | Air Force Wing |
| Nickname(s) | Immelmann |
| Patron | Max Immelmann |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Hans-Ulrich Rudel |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |
T6 |
| Aircraft flown | |
| Attack | Ju 87, Fw 190 |
Schlachtgeschwader 2 (SG 2) Immelmann was a Luftwaffe Dive bomber-wing of World War II. It was named after Max Immelmann, the first German pilot to earn the Pour le Mérite.
This close-support Stuka unit fought principally in the southern sector of the Eastern Front in places like Stalingrad and the Caucasus. The early two Schlachtgeschwader 1 and 2 were abbreviated SchlG, the reformed Stukageschwader in 1943 were abbreviated SG. The 4 SchlG Gruppen were integrated into the former Stuka (StG) and Schnellkampfgeschwader (SKG) to form SG 2, 4, 77 and 10.
Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" was formed on 18 October 1943 from Sturzkampfgeschwader 2. I./SG 2 was I./StG 2, II./SG 2 was created from the II./Schlachtgeschwader 1, III./SG 2 was II./StG 2.
In 1941, Stukageschwader 2 was transferred to the Eastern Front. On 26 June 1941, Stuka Geschwader 2 attacked 60 Soviet tanks south of Grodno, and later discovered that only one T-34 had been knocked out. During the rest of 1941 and 1942, the inadequacy of dive-bombing tanks became more evident. The most effective way to assault tanks from the air would appear with SG 2 in 1943.
On 23 September 1941, StG 2 attacked the Baltic Red Banner Fleet docked in Kronstadt harbour. During the attack, Oblt. Rudel crippled the soviet Battleship Marat with a 1000 kg bomb.
In late 1942, a Panzerjäger Staffel was formed within StG 2, which enjoyed such success that, after October 1943, a similar unit was added to each Stuka Geschwader. During the spring of 1943 SG 2 worked up with modified Ju87 G-1 'tank-busters' armed with two Rheinmetall-Borsig 37mm Flak 18 guns mounted under each wing. Prototypes were first used against Russian landing craft in the Black Sea area. In March 1943 Rudel knocked out the first tank with the new Stuka. The Ju87 G-2, based on the Ju87 D-5 with extended wingtips, replaced the Ju87 G-1 during 1944. This was a dedicated tank-buster, with no secondary dive-bombing role.
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