Jagdgeschwader Udet, numerically JG 3, was one of the most prominent formations in the Luftwaffe. Jagdgeschwader 3 first saw action during the Battle of France, starting a career that would see the fighter wing serve in Western Europe, Russia, the Mediterranean until the last days of the Reich. Whilst JG 3 is not as highly regarded as Jagdgeschwader 1 'Richthofen' or Jagdgeschwader 52 with the aces Hartmann, Barkhorn & Rall, JG 3 pilots proved their competence continually throughout the war.
Of notable interest to us are the actions undertaken by JG 3, and notably I. Gruppe, during the infamous Battle of Stalingrad. Jagdgeschwader Udet operated from airfields outside of the pocket, supporting the beleaguered German forces. A small Staffel, squadron, formed of 6 volunteer pilots from I. & II./JG3, protected the airfield of Pitomnik, covering Ju-52's as they flew in supplies for the German 6th Army.
In early-1942 Jagdgeschwader 3 was given the honourary name "Jagdgeschwader Udet", after the ace Ernest Udet.
1./JG 3 (Virtual Squadron) is intended to perform two roles; firstly unite those IL2: Battle of Stalingrad pilots on these forums and secondly to provide a roleplay experience for them. The first is obvious and requires no explanation - if you want in then that is fine. The second part is what will require an in-depth explanation.
What do we mean by a "roleplay experience"? Put simply it is this; Those who wish to join in will have to make an 'avatar' of their pilot; name, age, a simple background and a photograph of a Luftwaffe pilot. They will then be placed into a position within the squadron and their own logbook entry generated. This logbook will record your flights, kills and any other information required. Your logbook will be updated over time by the Adjutant, based on evidence provided for kills and actions. As of the moment we are not looking into extending the "roleplay experience" into milsim-esque levels when actually flying. Formation flying will be expected and teamwork strongly encouraged.
Squadron Structure
The Jagdgeschwader is a day fighter wing. Each Jagdgeschwader at the time of the Battle of Stalingrad commonly contained three Gruppe, referred to in Latin numerals (I., II., III.). Each of these Gruppe contained three Staffel, or squadron. These are numbered depending on which Gruppe they are a part of - for example I. Gruppe contains Staffel 1, 2 & 3, II. Gruppe has Staffel 4, 5 & 6. The Staffel is then broken down into two further constituent parts; The Schwarm and Rotte.
- Jagdgeschwader: Day fighter wing, contains 3 Gruppe.
- Gruppe: Contains 3-4 Staffel, standard autonomous strategic formation/
- Staffel: Basic squadron, contains 3 Schwarm.
- Schwarm: Tactical flight of four aircraft led by the most experienced & skilled pilot
- Rotte: Two man team comprising the leader (Rottenführer) and wingman (Katchmarek)
Pilot Background: When creating your avatar there are several things we want prospective members to bear in mind;
[list type=decimal]- Jagdgeschwader: Day fighter wing, contains 3 Gruppe.
- An Authentic name for a German pilot
- Realistic elements for their background
Photograph: You will need a photograph of a Luftwaffe pilot for your profile/avatar in this thread. This is to define the pilot by giving them a physical appearance. If you can't find one that is suitable or just want to be given one then speak to the Adjutant and he will find you a picture for your profile.
The central focus of this squadron is on the 'squad night'. The squad night is a date & time each week where we meet up and fly as a unit, with each person partnered with another (Rotte) and then depending on numbers divided into separate Schwarm. On these squad nights we will operate primarily with the Bf.109, hunting Soviet aircraft, protecting bombers or Pitomkin airfield, acting as Platzschutzstaffel Pitomnik - the volunteer squadron who defended the airfield in the Stalingrad pocket, a role performed by I & III Gruppe of JG/3.
During these squad nights your kills are recorded, as is whether you crash or bail out - the latter two may have serious consequences as you roll against a table to see what happens to your pilot! It might be capture, death, you might escape to live to fight another day! If your pilot is captured or killed then you will have to create a new avatar/persona and start from scratch. Do not worry though, the odds on your character being killed or captured will be slim but the chance of it happening will spice things up.
After a squad night it is requested that squadron members send a brief after-action report to the Adjutant. Any kills must be confirmed by another squadron member or through gun footage, as in filmed in-game and then uploaded to a media site such as youtube.com, so that the Adjutant can double check. There are three types of kill;
- Claimed: Aircraft the pilot has claimed to have shot down but can not be corroborated. Does not count towards player kill count.
- Probable: Despite the enemy aircraft sustaining damage the kill can not be confirmed.
- Confirmed: Corroborated by either testimony from a second pilot or gun-camera footage.
Turning up for 'squad night' is not compulsory but we hope you would come to as many as you can as that will be the evening that underpins the Roleplay element of this squadron.
If you wish to join us in this endeavor then you must have a copy of IL2: Battle of Stalingrad, a microphone & TeamSpeak 3. Next you must complete several training flights with one of our experienced members so that they can see you perform basic elements such as take-off & landing, as well as basic aerial manouvres & formation flying. They will judge your potential and find any areas you need to work on with your flying. Once you have proven your ability then you will be welcomed fully into the squadron, where we will sort out your logbook and your any other details we require.[/list]
Currently the Operational Sortie, or 'squad night', will take place on Sunday evenings and will be marked in GMT/CET. Currently we are considering what time would probably be best for all involved and will most likely be early/mid-evening and will update this as and when an initial starting date & time has been agreed upon. Attendence is not compulsory but we'd like you to attend as many as you are able, happy and willing to join us for.
The in-game objective for these missions will be chosen at the time depending upon what is happening upon the server we play on for the evening (server may vary depending on population levels and the map/mission offered).