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JG301 Founded :
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JG301
JG301 Artwork Collection |
Willi Reschke's Fw190A8 of III./JG301 during October 1944 by Ivan Berryman. | Clipped Signature - Walter Loos. | No Contest by Ivan Berryman. |
Full Chat by Ivan Berryman. (PC) | Last Days by David Pentland. |
Aces for : JG301 | ||
A list of all Aces from our database who are known to have flown with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking the pilots name. | ||
Name | Victories | Info |
Kurt Welter | 60.00 | |
Peter Bremer | 40.00 | |
Walter Loos | 38.00 | The signature of Walter Loos features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
Anton Benning | 28.00 | |
Willi Reschke | 28.00 | The signature of Willi Reschke features on some of our artwork - click here to see what is available. |
Andreas Hartl | 11.00 | |
Josef Keil | 10.00 | |
Gerhard Koch | 9.00 |
Aircraft for : JG301 | |||
A list of all aircraft known to have been flown by JG301. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name. | |||
Squadron | Info | ||
Manufacturer : Fokke-Wulf Production Began : 1940 Retired : 1945 | Fw190 The Focke-Wulf 190 development project began in 1937. Conceived as a hedge against total dependence on the Messerchmitt 109, the 190 was designed by Kurt Tank utilizing a radial engine. This was against generally accepted design criteria in Germany, and many historians believe that the decision to produce a radial engine fighter was largely due to the limited manufacturing capacity for in-line, water-cooled engines which were widely used on all other Luftwaffe aircraft. Despite these concerns, Tanks design was brilliant, and the 190 would become one of the top fighter aircraft of WWII. The first prototype flew in mid-1939. The aircraft had excellent flying characteristics, a wonderful rate of acceleration, and was heavily armed. By late 1940 the new fighter was ordered into production. Nicknamed the butcher bird, by Luftwaffe pilots, early 190s were quite successful in the bomber interceptor role, but at this stage of the war many Allied bombing raids lacked fighter escort. As the war dragged on, Allied bombers were increasingly accompanied by fighters, including the very effective P-51 Mustang. The Allies learned from experience that the 190s performance fell off sharply at altitudes above 20,000 feet. As a result, most Allied bombing missions were shifted to higher altitudes when fighter opposition was likely. Kurt Tank had recognized this shortcoming and began working on a high-altitude version of the 190 utilizing an in-line, water-cooled engine. Utilizing a Jumo 12-cylinder engine rated at 1770-HP, and capable of 2,240-HP for short bursts with its methanol injection system, the 190D, or Long Nose or Dora as it was called, had a top speed of 426-MPH at 22,000 feet. Armament was improved with two fuselage and two wing mounted 20mm cannon. To accommodate the changes in power plants the Dora had a longer, more streamlined fuselage, with 24 inches added to the nose, and an additional 19 inches added aft of the cockpit to compensate for the altered center of gravity. By mid 1944 the Dora began to reach fighter squadrons in quantity. Although the aircraft had all the right attributes to serve admirably in the high altitude interceptor role, it was not generally focused on such missions. Instead many 190Ds were assigned to protect airfields where Me-262 jet fighters were based. This was due to the latter aircrafts extreme vulnerability to Allied attack during takeoff and landing. The 190Ds also played a major role in Operation Bodenplatte, the New Years Day raid in 1945 which destroyed approximately 500 Allied aircraft on the ground. The High Command was impressed with the 190Ds record on this raid, and ordered most future production of the Doras to be equipped as fighter-bombers. In retrospect this was a strategic error, and this capable aircraft was not fully utilized in the role for which it was intended. | ||
Manufacturer : Focke-Wulf | Ta152 Full profile not yet available. |
Signatures for : JG301 | |||||
A list of all signatures from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | |||||
Name | Info | ||||
Walter Loos Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by or with the mounted signature of Walter Loos
| Walter Loos Walter Loos was one of the last German Experten. He came as a newly trained pilot to the III./JG3 in January 1944, and was one of the few new pilots of 1944 who survived the war. He claimed his first aerial victory during a fierce aerial battle when the 8th US Air Force attacked Berlin on 6th March 1944. While with the Sturmgruppe IV./JG3, he downed several four-engine bombers and was hand picked by Walther Dahl for Geschwaderstab /JG300. Loos made a great success as a Sturmflieger, but was himself shot down nine times in only a few months. Sta/JG301 was equipped with the Ta152, the most modern propeller fighter, in order to protect the bases of the jet fighters from spring 1945. It was natural to include Loos in this unit. On 24th April 1945, Loos encountered a formation of Soviet fighters over Berlin and managed to down two of them. In spite of flying only 66 missions, he was credited with 38 confirmed victories, including 30 four-engine bombers, plus 8 unconfirmed victories. Six days later on 30th April, JG301 took off for their last battle of the war. Russian fighters attacked the formation and Loos shot down one Yak-9 â€" one of the last two victories claimed by JG301. That was his 38th victory. While 38 victories for WW2 German fighter pilots was not a huge number, when one considers that over 100 aces achieved over 100 victories, it is outstanding when one considers that Loos achieved his 38 victories in only 66 missions. Few pilots in history have achieved that ratio of kills to sorties. | ||||
Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke Click the name or photo above to see prints signed by or with the mounted signature of Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke
| Oberfeldwebel Willi Reschke One of the outstanding younger Luftwaffe pilots, Willi Reschke was one of the leading members of JG300 Wilde Sau flying the Fw190A in the 'Defence of the Reich'. Towards the latter months of the war he transferred to the Stabsschwarm of JG301, still flying the Fw190A. Awarded the Knight's Crossin April 1945, he was credited with 26 victories - all in the west - including 18 four engined bombers.
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