Jagdgeschwader 71

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=Jagdgeschwader 71 "Richthofen"
(Fighter Wing 71)


caption=Coat of arms of Jagdgeschwader 71
dates=6 June 1959-Present
country=Federal Republic of Germany ("Bundeswehr")
branch=German Air Force ("Luftwaffe")
role=Air Defence, Rapid Deployment, NATO Command Force
command_structure=4th Air Force Division
("4. Luftwaffendivision")
equipment=F-4 Phantom II
notable_commanders=Erich Hartmann, Günther Josten
current_commander=Colonel ("Oberst") Christian Badia
garrison=Wittmund

"Jagdgeschwader 71" (JG71) was West Germany's first operational jet fighter unit, and remains an operational Fighter Wing of the Luftwaffe, the Air Force of the Federal Republic of Germany.

The unit was formed in June 1959, equipped with 50 Canadair Sabre Mk.6s and stationed at the former RAF Ahlhorn. The highest-scoring fighter pilot of all time, Erich Hartmann, flew the Canadair Sabre (reputedly his favorite fighter plane design), and aircraft such as the Lockheed F-104 Starfighter, in the newly formed wing in the late 1950s.

On 21 April 1961, the 43rd anniversary of the death of “Red Baron” "Rittmeister" Manfred Von Richthofen, JG 71 was given the honorary title of “Richthofen” by Federal President Heinrich Lübke. In 1961, JG 71 transferred from Ahlhorn to Wittmund.

May 1963 saw the introduction of the first F-104 Starfighters into "Luftwaffe" service. In 1974 the Wing obtained its first F-4F Phantom II's and on 19 September 1974 the unit's Starfighters were decommissioned. In 1988 the Wing's secondary role of Fighter Bomber Attack was given up so that JG 71 is now exclusively a Figher Wing. The Phantoms are due to be decommissioned and replaced by Eurofighter Typhoons by 2012.

Jagdgeschwader 71 during World War II

There was also a "Jagdgeschwader 71" serving in the "Luftwaffe" for a short while during World War II. It consisted of I. Group (I. "Gruppe"), with a staff ("Gruppenstab") and two squadrons. It was created on 16 July 1939 in Schleissheim, and served until redesignated II./JG 51 in October.

ource

* [http://www.luftwaffe.de/portal/a/luftwaffe/kcxml/04_Sj9SPykssy0xPLMnMz0vM0Y_QjzKLNzKI97B0AcmB2e4-AfqRUFYIQtTLGSoKUhuUkqrv65Gfm6rvrR-gX5AbGlHu6KgIAE9F7zE!/delta/base64xml/L2dJQSEvUUt3QS80SVVFLzZfMjBfR1RF?yw_contentURL=%2F01DB060000000001%2FW26EV9Y9938ITSRDE%2Fcontent.jsp Official homepage of JG 71]

ee also

Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II