Geschwader Stab Lehrgeschwader 1 - Geschwader Stab LG1

Photo 01-03: On a ferry flight to Catania 1941

Profile 00: The letter A is in medium green RLM25.

Photo 01: This photograph shows a Ju 88A-4 of Geschwader Stab./LG1 coded (L1+MA) being prepared by ground crews for another mission over North Africa. Note the white band and black carbon deposits from the exhaust of the Jumo 211 engines. The overall camouflage was desert tan RLM 79 with undersurfaces painted in the usual sky blue RLM78.

I. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - I./LG1

1. Staffel I. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - 1./LG1

Photo 01: Junkers Ju 88A-4 coded (L1+EH) crash landed in the Western Desert (Imperial War Museuim)

Photo 01: The Ju 88A-4 of I./LG1 coded L1+MH based at Eleusis in Greece from December 1941. They regularly operated over North Africa. For these operations a camouflage of desert tan (79) and dark green (80) mottling was applied. The sky blue (78) undersurfaces were overpainted in temporary black finish for night ops.

Profile 00: The Ju 88A-4 of I./LG1 coded L1+MH based at Eleusis in Greece from December 1941. They regularly operated over North Africa. For these operations a camouflage of desert tan (79) and dark green (80) mottling was applied. The sky blue (78) undersurfaces were overpainted in temporary black finish for night ops.

2. Staffel I. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - 2./LG1

Photo 01: This photograph shows a Ju 88A of 2./LG1 coded (L1+BK) in Greece 1941. The letter B is painted in red with a white outline. While II and III./LG1 were still based in central Mediterranean area, I./LG1 moved from Austria to Krumovo in Bulgaria in March 1941 for operations against Greece and Yugoslavia. It then moved to Eleusis in southern Greece in May 1941 for the invasion of Crete. For both campaigns their aircraft maintained the traditional Luftwaffe colors of black green and dark green uppersurfaces.

Photo 01: A Ju 88a-11 of 2. Staffel II/LG1 (Lehrgeschwader), Catania (1941-1942) (L1+OK) returns from a mission with the port propeller feathered. The bomber carries a field applied mottle of Green (80) over factory applied Sand Brown (79) upper surface camouflage.

Photo 01: This photograph shows a Ju 88A-4 of 2./LG1 coded (L1+RK) with the letter R painted in red with a white outline. The overall camouflage was desert tan RLM 79 and dark green RLM 80 mottling. The undersurfaces were painted in the usual sky blue RLM78. The Staffel first transferred to the theatre in 1941 and some of its aircraft adopted brighter yellow uppersurfaces camouflage using the available Italian paints.

Profile 00: Ju 88A-4 of I./LG1 made several night attacks against targets in North Africa while operating from their bases in Sicily. For these missions the undersurfaces of the group had a temporary black paint applied as can be seen in this example. The unit was lead by Major Joachim Helbig, one of the Luftwaffe's most famous bomber pilots.

Junkers Ju 88A LG1.2 (L1+KK) Crete 1942-43 01

Photo 01: Ju 88A-4 of I./LG1 made several night attacks against targets in North Africa while operating from their bases in Sicily. For these missions the undersurfaces of the group had a temporary black paint applied as can be seen in this example. The unit was lead by Major Joachim Helbig, one of the Luftwaffe's most famous bomber pilots.

3. Staffel I. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - 3./LG1

Photo 01: The Ju 88's of III./LG1 made several night attacks against targets in North Africa while operating from their bases in Sicily. For these missions the undersurfaces of the group had a temporary black paint applied as can be seen in this example.

Photo 01: This photograph shows a line-up of Ju 88's of 3./LG1. The first three aircraft have different camouflage schemes, each reflecting different theatres of operation. The nearest aircraft carries the standard European camouflage greens of RML 70/71 while the next coded (L1+HL) has desert tan RLM 79 and the usual sky blue RLM78. The third aircraft has the temporary black under surfaces designed for nocturnal operations coupled with the standard European colors. Two of the aircraft have white rear fuselage bands with their individual letters painted in bright yellow.

Photo 01: A Ju 88A-11 (factory tropicalized Ju 88A-4) of 3./LG1 in factory applied camouflage of sand yellow (79) uppersurfaces over light blue (78) under surfaces for operations in North Africa.

Profile 00: A Ju 88A-11 (factory tropicalized Ju 88A-4) of 3./LG1 in factory applied camouflage of sand yellow (79) uppersurfaces over light blue (78) under surfaces for operations in North Africa. The letter J is in yellow and the spinners are segmented Yellow and Black Green (70).

Junkers Ju 88A LG1.3 (L1+JL) North Africa 1942 01

II. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - II./LG1

4. Staffel II. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - 4./LG1

5. Staffel II. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - 5./LG1

Photo 01: This photograph shows two Ju 88A-4's of II./LG1 which was commanded by Hptm. Arved Crüger; the background aircraft is coded (L1+KN) and was assigned to 5./LG1 and has a white band rather crudely painted around its Geschwader code L1.

6. Staffel II. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - 6./LG1

III. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - III./LG1

7. Staffel III. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - 7./LG1

Photo 01: Ju 88A-5 of 7./KG1 (L1+FR) based in North Africa. Bombs have been stacked in preparation for loading. The white fuselage band was a recognition aid introduced for the Mediterranean and North African theatre of operations. The white letter F has been retouched with black where it overlaps the fuselage band.

Profile 00: This profile of Junkers Ju 88A-5 of 7./KG1 (L1+FR) was used by III Gruppe of Lehrgeschwader 1 for operations against Malta in 1941. The unit was based at Catania in Sicily, where it operated as part of Fliegerkorps X.

8. Staffel III. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - 7./LG1

Photo 01: This photograph shows a Ju 88A-4 of 8./LG1 coded (L1+AS). For most of September 1942, the Ju 88 Gruppen of II and X Fliegerkorps were engaged on long convoy patrols which, while routine work, were tiring for their crews. On the evening of 28 September 1942, Kesselring issued an order mentioning the great signs of fatigue evident in the Ju 88 crews and, while calling for a reduction in their tasks, ordered that any daylight attacks were to be carried out only by fighter bombers. This particular aircraft belonged to LG1 and had taken part in operations against Malta.

Photo 01: In my opinion if there's a photo that's defines the Malta Campaign it would be this one. The ship was like the island so many times it was nearly lost but it hung on and helped in its own way to turn the tide in the Mediterranean Theatre because it became a vital link in defending the area. The large tanker Ohio became the most famous vessel of Operation 'Pedestal'. Although American owned, she was chartered by the British Ministry of War Transport and was commanded and manned by British seamen. Her cargo consisted of 11,500 tons of kerosene and oil-fuel, as vital to Malta's survival as the foodstuffs carried by the other 13 freighters which took part in the operation. Following the sinking of HMS Eagle, attacks by aircraft, surface vessels and submarines sank nine merchantmen, two cruisers and a destroyer, while another aircraft carrier and two cruisers were damaged. On 12 August the Ohio survived a torpedo attack which tore a 24ft by 23ft hole in her side and set her on fire. These fires were extinguished and the crippled tanker limped on, but burning debris from an exploding freighter then set her cargo of kerosene on fire and this was only extinguished with difficulty. On the 13th, the Ohio was struck by parts of a crashing Ju-87 followed by near misses by six bombs which stopped her engines and she was temporarily abandoned. There then began a long struggle to take the huge, unwieldy and deeply laden tanker in tow, and although further near misses increased the damage and flooding, she was slowly got under way again. Hardly had this been achieved than the tanker again came under air attack, one bomb falling close under her stern while another exploded in her engine room. Once again, the crew was taken off, but by the morning of 14 August the Ohio, lashed to two destroyers and towed by a minesweeper, was moving again. In another air attack, the vessel was holed yet again by a 1,000lb bomb which exploded under the stern but, on the 15th, the slowly sinking tanker was finally brought into Malta's Valletta harbour and 10,000 tons of her cargo was saved. Fine seamanship, endurance and a persistence to effect a succession of damage repairs long after all hope seemed to have been lost, made the story of the Ohio an epic of the sea. In this photograph, the Ohio, well down in the water, lies in Valletta's Grand Harbour at the end of her voyage.

10. Staffel III. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - 10./LG1

IV. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - IV./LG1

12. Staffel IV. Gruppe Lehrgeschwader 1 - 12./LG1

Photo 01: Ju 88A-10 of LG1.12 coded (L1+LW) in North Africa 1942. This bomber carried a yellow and white band round the fuselage.