As was typical when new units are formed by dividing old ones, Oblt. Schumann, with a cadre of personnel from 1. Staffel, transferred from 1./JG 71 to form the nucleus for 11.(N)/JG 72. This unit was formed at Böblingen, Germany on 29-08-39, just three days after genaal mobilization for the impending war was declared. On September 1st, Germany invaded Poland and II./JG 52 was activated at Böblingen, although it was probably a unit only on paper initially. The Gr. Kdr. was Hptm. Hans Gunther von Kornatzki about whom little is known. The unit apparently obtained its aircraft from 1./JG 71 and reserve stocks at Böblingen. Its personnel came from 1./JG 71 and the newly formed l l.(N)/ JG 72, which itself had just been formed from 1./JG 71, and activated reservists, who were arriving at Böblingen in large numbers. Once source says that the Gruppenstab formed from Stab I./JG 72, about which I've found little information. This same source also asserts that l l(N)./JG 72 became 5. and 6.Staffel.

It is uncertain which came first, the cart or the horse. Reportedly, 11.(N)/JG 72 was initially equipped with the Bf-109D, which were the three reserve aircraft from each Staffel of II./JG 52. The night fighter unit obviously had the stop-gap responsibilities for defense of the Böblingen area from expected night bombing attacks by the French or British. Apparently, Oblt. Schumann had the dual responsibility of St.Kap. of both 4. Staffel and the nightfighter unit. The leader of 5. Staffel was Oblt. August Wilhelm Schumann, no known relation, with a beginning date of 11-07-39. This obviously includes service with an unknown unit earlier. 6. Staffel was led by Oblt. Werner Lederer, another veteran of Spain, who took command on 01-09-39.

The first two months at Böblingen were spent with organization, staffing and training. During this period, the unit also conducted patrols against intruding French recce aircraft. During an everung patrol over the Karlsruhe area on September 8th, a pair of Bf-109Ds from II./JG 52 intercepted and shot down a French Mureaux 115 from GAO 553. Fw. (Lt.?) Paul Gutbrod was awarded the victory claim, which was recognized as the first German kill of WW II on the Western Front.

II./JG 52 was involved in at least two more combats before the end of the month, the first was on 25 September, when 4 aircraft from 4. Staffel reportedly engaged a Potez 637 and shot it down. The victory is credited by Shores to Oblt. August Wilhelm Schumann. However, he was the St.Kap. of 5. Staffel and this one may rightfully belong to 4. St.Kap. Heinz Schumann. The next day, a pilot of 4. Staffel, Lt. Martin Mund, shot down a Bloch MB 131 of GR II/55 in the Freiberg area It is believed that all the September actions involved Bf-109Ds.

After re-equipping with the Bf-109E during October, it transferred to Mannheim-Sandhofen on the last day of the month, remaining there until 12 January 1940. No significant combat activity is known for this period. However, photos of 5. Staffel aircraft taken while at this base show the planes with a unique four-color upper surface camouflage in what can only be described as a jigsaw puzzle pattern. The colors are probably two shades of green, a medium gray and light blue.

On January 13th, the Gruppe transferred to Speyer, where it remained until just after the beginning of the French Campaign. The last day of January, Oblt. Heinz Schumman transferred to I./JG 51, and his place as St.Kap. of 4./JG 52 was taken by Oblt. Johannes Steinhoff on 01-02-40. Through April, II. Gruppe continued its training and conducted patrols.

On March 24th, Fw. Ali Griena, part of a patrol of four aircraft from 5. Staffel, intercepted and shot down a Potez 637 over Zweibrücken. A runway collision during a scrambb apparently resulted in the death of Fw. Walter Hoops two days later. A patrol of eight Bf-109Es had one plane force land with damage on April 1st, after a fight with 10 French MS 406s of GC I/2. Another runway collision badly damaged two aircraft on April 8th.

During the French Campaign, II. Gruppe was based at Oberolm on 14-16 May 1940, then moved to Wengerohr, Germany, until the 21st. It then transferred to Sandvieler, Luxembourg, where it remained until the end of the campaign. Few specifics of the unit's activities are known from this period and no victory claim information is available. As can be seen from the accompanying loss list, there were numerous operaticonal accidents dunng the period. But only three or four incidents of aircraft loss or damage appear to be directly related to combat. This indicates the relatively minor role played by the unit during the campaign.

On 27 June 194O, II.Gruppe moved to Nordholz bei Cuxhaven on the German Bight, where it refitted until August 6th. It then moved to Peupelinge Airfield on the Pas de Calais for the Battle of Britain. III. Gruppe had preceded the unit to the Channel coast and was so badly bloodied in two days of fighting in late July, that it withdrew to Germany, never to appear in the West again. II. Gruppe apparently flew its first combat mission in the campaign on August 12th and lost three aircraft and pilots. Three more pilot losses followed immediately on the 14th. Apparently as a result, the unit was pulled back to Germany on August 18th and flew defense missions out of Jever on the German Bight until the 30th, when it transferred to Husum, then to Stade on September l9th. Perhaps as a result of his unit's performance, Hptm. Kornatzki was replaced as Kommandeur on 26-08-40 by Hptm. Wilhelm Ensslen, during a general restructuring of fighter unit leadership. With its confidence restored, the unit returned to Peupelinge on September 25th. Its return to combat was a disaster however, as it lost five pilots and seven aircraft on the 27th, including Oblt. Karl Trieber, who held an unknown staff position with the Gruppe. Two more pilots were lost on the 30th. Five of these pilots were taken prisoner, indicating the tremendous disadvantage under which the German pilots fought.

In October, one Staffel from each Gruppe converted to the fighter-bomber role. It is not known for certain, but it is probable that 5.Staffel undertook this mission for II. Gruppe. Five more planes and four pilots wae lost during October. On the 29th of the month, Lt. Gerhard Barkhorn, who joined 6. Staffel in August and had yet to score a victory, was forced to ditch in the Channel. Picked up by a German rescue boat, he went on to become one of the top scoring Luttwaffe pilots of the war. On October 5th, Oblt. Werner Lederer was transferred from his position as Kapitän of 6. Staffel, his replacement being Oblt. Rudolf Resch.

The last major combat for the unit in 1940 took place on November 2nd, when it suffered the devastating loss of its Gruppenkommandeur, Hptm. Ensslen, who, along with his wingman, was shot down on the Kentish Coast. Another aircraft was written off in a crash landing back at base with combat damage. Within a few weeks, the unit withdrew to Germany to rest and refit before a return to the Channel Coast early the following year. By the end of the Battle of Britain, JG 52 was the only fighter unit of the Lufwaffe to have failed to produce a high-scoring pilot. Its performance in the West in 1939 and 1940 gave little hint that during the following years on the Eastern Front, it would become the highest scoring German unit in WW II.

Regarding a victory list for II./JG 52 during the period under consideration, none is known to have been published. The entire Geschwader claimed five victories in 1939 and a total of 139 by the end of 1940. How many were attributod to II. Gruppe is unknown. According to the Staffel flag, 5. Staffed claimed a total of 17 victories in the West through early 1941. Of these, four are known to have been scored by Fw. Ali Griener, and probably two more by Uffz. Leo Zaunbrecher.

An earlier version of this appeared in Luftwaffe Verband Journal 15, July 98

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