Jagdgeschwader 54

Jagdgeschwader 54
Unit insignia, featuring the "Green Heart" of Thuringia
Active	1939–1945
Country	Nazi Germany
Branch	Luftwaffe
Type	Fighter Aircraft
Role	Air superiority
Size	Air Force Wing
Nickname(s)	Grünherz, Green Hearts
Engagements	Western Front Battle of France Battle of Britain Eastern Front (World War II) German-Soviet air war 22 June 1941 Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kursk
Commanders
Notable commanders	Hannes Trautloft
Aircraft flown
Fighter	Bf 109, Fw 190, Me 262

Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) Grünherz was a Luftwaffe fighter wing that was founded in late 1936 and operated from 1939, the entire length of the Second World War. It later existed under the reformed Luftwaffe from 1947 to 1991 as BG54/B54 A B and C. Originally, JG 54 flew most of its missions on the Eastern Front where it claimed more than 9,600 aircraft shot down. It was the second-highest scoring wing in the Luftwaffe after JG 52 (+10,000 victories). Notable pilot aces (Experten) that flew with JG 54 included Walter Nowotny, Walter Boerner,Otto Kittel, Hans-Ekkehard Bob, Max-Hellmuth Ostermann, Hugo Broch, Horst Ademeit and Hannes Trautloft.

JG 54 participated in the Invasion of Poland in 1939, and the Battle of Britain and invasion of the Balkans in 1940. The unit was transferred to the Eastern Front in the spring of 1941 in preparation for the invasion of the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa. It remained there for the rest of the Second World War. JG 54 first flew Bf 109Fs before changing to the more powerful Fw 190.