Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 (StG 2) Immelmann was a Luftwaffe dive bombing wing of World War II. It was named after the World War I aviator Max Immelmann. It served until its dissolution in October 1943. The wing operated the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka exclusively.
Formed on 1 May 1939, StG 2 fought in the German Invasion of Poland in September 1939 which started World War II. It formed part of Luftflotte 2 in May and June 1940 and supported Army Group A in the Battle of Belgium and Battle of France. StG 2 remained with Luftflotte 2 during the Battle of Britain, before transferring to southern Europe to participate in the Battle of the Mediterranean.
In the south it mainly served in the maritime interdiction role as it bombarded Malta from January to March 1941. The wing then fought in the German invasion of Yugoslavia and Battle of Crete in April 1941 in the maritime, air interdiction, counter-air and close air support role alongside StG 1, StG 3 and StG 77. The Ju 87 groups were successful in the Battle of Crete, the final phase of the Greek campaign.
Elements of the wing fought in the North African Campaign until January 1942. The bulk of StG 2 fought on the Eastern Front from 22 June 1941, when Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union began. It fought in support of all three army groups, and served in major battles such as the Siege of Leningrad, the Battle of Moscow and the Battle of Stalingrad in 1941 and 1942.
StG 2 supported German forces in the Battle of Kursk, one of the last major German offensives on the Eastern Front in July 1943. The vulnerability of the Ju 87 and the loss of air superiority to the Red Air Force, precluded any further large-scale use of the aircraft in the traditional dive-bombing role. In October 1943, the Ju 87 units were renamed Schlachtgeschwader, battle wings, with a mixed number of Ju 87s and Focke-Wulf Fw 190s operating in the anti-tank role.
Stab., I., and III./StG 2 was renamed Schlachtgeschwader 2 on the 18 October 1943, and ceased to exist. II./StG 2 continued, without redesignation, to operate until January 1944, when its staffeln (squadrons) were renamed and equipped.
Background The dive-bomber is often associated with German aerial development in the pre-war era, but the type remained a low-priority for air planners who shaped the embryonic Luftwaffe. This apparent regression from the practices and experiences of World War I stemmed from the belief among the General Staff (Oberkommando der Luftwaffe) that army support aviation in 1917–1918 was purely a reaction to trench warfare.
German air doctrine remained rooted in the fundamentals of Operativer Luftkrieg (Operational Air War) which stressed interdiction, strategic bombing (when and if possible) but primarily the air supremacy mission. The Spanish Civil War experience encouraged the General Staff to embrace the dive-bomber concept later in the 1930s, though the war's influence on German operational preferences remain ambiguous.
On the eve of World War II, some German air planners regarded the dive-bomber as a strategic weapon to strike with precision at enemy industry. Even factored into the army support groups, only fifteen percent of Luftwaffe front-line strength contained specialist ground-attack aircraft in September 1939. The lack of specialist close support aircraft left the general-purpose dive-bomber, the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka, most suited to the close support role.
Formation Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 was formed on 1 May 1939 upon the establishment of all three Gruppen. The Stabsstaffel (command unit) was formed at Köln–Ostheim on 15 October 1939. The Stab unit was predominantly equipped with Dornier Do 17 aircraft and a handful of Ju 87s for reconnaissance and personnel transport purposes. The Gruppen were equipped with the Ju 87 dive bomber.
The wing's first commanding officer was Oskar Dinort. I./StG 2 was established in Breslau from I./StG 163. II./StG 2 in Stolp-Reitz, present day Słupsk-Redzikowo Airport in Poland, from I./StG 162, and III./StG 2 from III./StG 163 in Langensalza. Dinort led the wing and first Gruppe upon StG 2's creation. Dinort then relinquished command of I./StG 2 for control of Stab./StG 2. Hauptmann Ulrich Schmidt and Ernst Ott commanded the first and second Gruppen. Hauptmann Hubertus Hitschhold succeeded Dinort mid-way through StG's first major campaign.
In August 1939 Dinort moved I./StG 2 to Nieder-Ellguth under the Fliegerdivision 2 (Flying Division 2) subordinated to Luftflotte 4 (Air Fleet 4). 38 Ju 87s were available to Dinort, only one was non-operational. An additional three Dornier Do 17P reconnaissance aircraft were operational. Ulrich Schmidt commanded 38 Ju 87s, all but two operational with three Do 17P aircraft. Based at Stolp-Reitz, Schmidt was subordinated to Fliegerdivision 1 (Flying Division) and Luftflotte 1 (Air Fleet 1). III./StG 2 was assigned the same division and air fleet with second Gruppe. 34 of 36 Ju 87s and the three Do 17Ps were available at Stolp-West, near Annafeld and Danzig by 1 September 1939.
World War II Poland On 1 September 1939 the German Wehrmacht began the invasion of Poland followed sixteen days later by the Soviet invasion of Poland. Luftflotte 4 supported the 14th Army attacking out of Slovak Republic. Luftflotte 4's bombers dropped 389 tons of bombs on 1 September, 200 on Kraków in 1,200 sorties. Leutnant Frank Neubert and Unteroffizier Frank Kilnger from 1 Staffel are believed to have claimed the first aerial victory of the war against a PZL P.11. Captain Mieczysław Medwecki, 121 Squadron, Polish Air Force, was taking off from Balice airfield.
Dinort led his Gruppe into action against airfields at Kraków and Katowice. Later in the morning Dinort led the group in the bombing of Wieluń, ostensibly to destroy a Polish Army cavalry unit reported in the town. German intelligence was wrong and Polish sources assert no Polish military unit was present. Dinort's I./StG 2 attacked the roads in the town; the bombing caused many civilian fatalities. Schmidt and Ulrich's Gruppen attacked other targets and were not involved. Schmidt was replaced by Hauptmann Claus Hinkelbein from 10 September. Counter air operations against the Polish Air Force failed since the Polish fighter force dispersed and succeeding in getting airborne. Along with elements of StG 77, I./StG 2 claimed the destruction of the Wołyńska Cavalry Brigade at the Battle of Mokra. Though it sustained 20 percent casualties the brigade was far from destroyed. On 3 September the Ju 87 groups under Richthofen's command contributed to the destruction of 7th Polish Division.
Army Group North's operations were supported by the other Gruppen. The Polish Corridor and its elimination were the initial priority for the 4th Army, supported by Luftflotte 1. The targets were harbours, roads and bridges in the Danzig. III./StG 2 supported the Battle of Westerplatte and Battle of Danzig Bay. second and third group supported attacks on the Polish Navy, after ineffective assaults by the Kriegsmarine.
II./StG 2 fought in the Battle of Radom until 9 September but little of its further service in Poland is known. I. and III./StG 2 assisted in the destruction of the Prusy Army at Radom. Two gruppen moved south toward I./StG 2. I. and III./StG 2 fought in the Battle of the Bzura. III./StG 2 attacked road and troop concentrations in the Battle of Lwów. From 2–6 September I./StG 2 repeatedly attacked Piotrków Trybunalski rail station inflicting heavy casualties on detraining Polish infantry forces in the Battle of Piotrków Trybunalski. The 40 Ju 87s comprised elements of I./StG 2 and StG 76. Of the three gruppen, III./StG 2 is known to have taken part in the siege of Warsaw. First gruppe fought in the Battle of Modlin as Polish resistance collapsed.
The Polish campaign ended on 6 October 1939. On 15 October the Stabstaffel was formed and Dinort assumed command. Hubertus Hitschhold took command of first Gruppe. Dinort's small command unit mustered three Ju 87s [which could attach themselves to any staffel or gruppe] and six Do 17 M reconnaissance aircraft. I./StG 76 was assigned to Stab./StG 2 in the winter, a practice common in the Luftwaffe. I./StG 2 located to Cologne in October under Fliegerkorps VIII. During the Phoney War I./StG 2 trained at Hildesheim on attacking Belgian Army fortresses. In January the gruppe located to Marburg. II./StG 2 spent the period near Cologne; little is known about its activity over the winter. III./StG 2's activities mirrored first gruppe. II./StG 2 commanding officer Hinkelbein was replaced with Major Georg Fritze on 27 October and then on 16 December Walter Enneccerus took command.
Western Europe Stab., I. and III./StG 2 were placed under the control of Fliegerkorps VIII, subordinated to Kesselring's Luftflotte 2 initially. Stab. gained I./StG 76 but lost II./StG 2 which was placed under the command of Stab./StG 3 subordinated to Luftflotte 3 commanded by Hugo Sperrle. Hitschhold had 40 aircraft with 33 operational. Enneccerus was given 38 Ju 87s with 33 serviceable under StG 3 commodore Karl Angerstein. Major Clemens Graf von Schönborn-Wiesentheid took command of III./StG 2 on 15 April 1940 from Ott. Only 27 of the 38 machines assigned to him were combat ready. Despite the condition of the gruppe, all units were committed to Fall Gelb.
Cologne hosted stab. and I./StG 2 at the beginning of the offensive. Nörvenich was home to III./StG 2. All of them were under the control of Richthofen. II./StG 2 located to Siegburg under von Griem's Fliegerkorps V. Hitschhold's gruppe were involved in the counter air campaign during the invasion of Belgium on 10 May 1940. A dive bombing attack at Brustem airfield destroyed nine Belgian Air Force Fiat CR.42 fighters of the 15. Belgian air defences were rendered useless.
Dinort's StG 2 played a crucial role in supporting the Battle of Fort Eben-Emael by preventing Belgian reinforcements from counterattacking German paratroopers. III./StG 2 and I./StG 77, with elements of LG 2 assisted with the fort's capture though the position remained under heavy Belgian fire. Hitschhold lost five Ju 87s attacking forts at Namur and Liège on 11 May to Royal Air Force fighter. III./StG 2 fought in the battles and engaged in combat operations during the Battle of the Netherlands at the Battle of Maastricht. Road traffic at Tirlemont and Antwerp on 11 May. It aided the crossing of the Oise in the initial days. 11 Ju 87s from I. and II./StG 2 were lost to 3, 87 and No. 607 Squadron RAF, despite fighter protection from Jagdgeschwader 27 during 11 May. Third gruppe lost four aircraft to French Curtiss P-36 Hawks on the 11 May and supported the battles at Gembloux by attacking French armour suffering a solitary casualty to RAF fighters on 12 May. Another was lost on 14 and 15 May at Gembloux. I./StG 76, under Dinort's direct command, with Otto Weiß's II.(S)/LG 2, supported XVI Army Corps commanded by Erich Hoepner. During the course of the Battle of Hannut, and Battle of Gembloux Gap I./StG 76 lost seven Ju 87s to anti-aircraft defences. Some of Weiß's pilots flew eight sorties. Hitschhold's gruppe was engaged in support of the battles. StG 2 remained supporting the 6th Army against the K-W Line to the 12/13 May.