Zerstörergeschwader 2

Zerstörergeschwader 2 (ZG 2—2nd Destroyer Wing) (lit. destroyer wing) was a Luftwaffe heavy/destroyer Fighter Aircraft-wing of World War II. Zerstörergeschwader 2 (ZG 2—2nd Destroyer Wing) was formed with one Gruppe (group) before the war. Initially, no Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit), II. Gruppe (2nd group) nor III. Gruppe (3rd group) was formed. I. Gruppe (1st group) was formed by renaming I(l). Gruppe (1st group) of Jagdgeschwader 137 (JG 137—137th Fighter Wing) to I. Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 231 (ZG 231—231st Destroyer Wing) on 1 November 1938 flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 D-1 single engine fighter. On 1 May 1939, I. Gruppe of ZG 231 became I. Gruppe of ZG 2. During this entire time, the Gruppe was commanded by Hauptmann Johannes Gentzen. This unit was initially based at Bernburg until it was moved to Groß Stein, present-day Kamień Śląski in south-western Poland, on 6 August 1939. On 1 September 1939 I./ZG 2 was informally named as Jagdgruppe 102 (JGr 102—102nd Fighter Group) and flew the Bf 109D. Production at Messerschmitt plants had not reached expectations and the Bf 110 was not delivered to ZG 2 until 1940. Bf 109s equipped seven of the ten Zerstörer groups. I. and II. Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 26 (ZG 26—26th Destroyer Wing) were the only exceptions. Just 102 Bf 110s were in service on 1 September 1939. The unit was attached to Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (StG 77—77th Dive Bomber Wing), a Junkers Ju 87 Stuka unit under the command of Günter Schwartzkopff. All three staffeln and the Geschwaderstab was operational at Gross-Stein (Stab., 1 and 3 staffeln) and Zipser-Neudorff (2. Staffel). StG 77 and its subordinated Jagdgruppe were placed under the command of Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen's Fliegerführer zbV which became the Fliegerkorps VIII. Richthofen's forces operated under the command of Luftflotte 4. According to German plans, Richthofen's forces were to strike into Lesser Poland, toward Krakow, Łódź and Radom in support of the 10th and 14th Armies. JGr 102 [I./ZG 2], had 46 Bf 109Ds combat ready.