Jagdbombergeschwader 32

 

 

 

Callsign :

 

Nato Tiger Association status : disbanded member
 

With the Luftwaffe Aufstellungsbefehl Nr. 87 (Establishment Order) of 29 April 1958 the creation of the Jagdbombergeschwader 32 (Fighter Bomber Wing) (JaboG 32 for short) is ordered for 1 June 1958.

It was stationed at Fliegerhorst (Air Base) Lechfeld.  It stayed there until it was disbanded 55 years later.
 

Flight operations began on 22 July 1958 with Republic F-84F "Thunderstreak" aircraft.  The last "Streak" left the air base on 13 July 1966.

Approximately 80,000 flight hours were flown on the F-84F before the Geschwader received new Lockheed F-104G "Starfighter".  The first 3 Starfighters land in Lechfeld on 16 December 1964.  The last flight on Starfighter was on 18 April 1984 making it a total of 204,986 flight hours.

In order to be able to use the F-104G from alternative locations, a sensational series of short and zero-takeoff tests was carried out in Lechfeld in 1966.  During these SATS (Short Airfield for Tactical Support) tests, a Starfighter was accelerated by two jet turbines via a roller winch and launched from a field runway using a catapult sled.  In the ZELL (Zero-Length Launch) process, the "104" was catapulted into the sky from a launch frame using an additional launch rocket (JATO - Jet-Assisted Take Off).  SATS and ZELL were were stopped and discontinued in June and July 1966 respectively.   (movie link :  International F-104 Society - ZELL SATS projects)

In the course of the conversion of the Jagdgeschwader 74 “Mölders" (Fighter Wing) to McDonnell Douglas F-4F "Phantom II" during 1972, Jagdbombergeschwader 32 is assigned as secondary role "air defense" and they are responsible for air surveillance over the entire southern German region.
 

On 26 March 1976 a Tornado, the successor model to the Starfighter, lands for the first time on Lechfeld to be presented to the squadron members.

27 July 1984 saw the first flight of a Jagdbombergeschwader 32 Panavia Tornado IDS (interdictor/strike).

The 1.Staffel (Squadron) takes over its first ECR (electronic combat/reconnaissance) Tornado from the 2.Staffel of Jagdbombergeschwader 38 on 5 June 1991, and thus a completely new era starts in Lechfeld.  The 2.Staffel continues to fly the IDS version.

Due to the new aircraft, and the associated completely new use ("Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses" instead of bombing), the 1.Staffel choose a new squadron emblem.  The emblem with the morning star is replaced by an emblem with a tiger's head.  The meaning of the individual emblem elements is as follows: the central element is the tiger, as a symbol of courage, speed and determination in battle; black background for the night; red flash for electronic combat.   The design was based on the very first Staffel insignia.

For many years, the Jagdbombergeschwader 32 was the only German unit to fly the Tornado ECR.  This variant was specially equipped to combat enemy radar positions and armament included AGM-88 HARM missiles (high-speed anti-radiation missiles).
 

On 26 October 2011 it was announced that the Geschwader would be disbanded in March 2013.

The 1.Staffel "Lechfeld Tigers" was disbanded on 26 October 2012.

Since 1973 the 2.Staffel had the nickname "Flying Monsters".  They were disbanded on 31 March 2013.

From 1 April 1980 to 24 June 1994, seven HFB 320 ECM Hansa Jet aircraft belonged to the Geschwader and formed the 3.Staffel.  The aircraft had been stationed at Lechfeld Air Base since 1976, as a jamming platform for the training of personnel in electronic warfare.  Originally, they were under the command of the 4.Kompanie (Company) of the Fernmelde-, Lehr- und Versuchsregiment  61 (Signal, Training and Test Regiment), also stationed in Lechfeld.

On the day of the last roll call on 20 March 2013 almost all of the remaining Tornados had already left Lechfeld for the Aufklärungsgeschwader 51 (Reconnaissance Wing) in Jagel or Jagdbombergeschwader 33 in Büchel.  The very last Tornado took off from Lechfeld on 27 March 2013, following the handover of the airfield to Jagdgeschwader 74.

The Geschwader flew a total of 555,000 flight hours, including 182,000 hours on the Tornado, in its almost 55-year service life, 460,000 of which were on Lechfeld.
 
 

(all aircraft are to scale, not all drawings show an aircraft in 32 markings)

Aircraft

Republic F-84F Thunderstreak

Lockheed F-104G Starfighter

Panavia Tornado ECR

Panavia Tornado IDS

 Hamburger Flugzeugbau HFB 320 Hansa Jet ECM
 
Insignia

Jagdbombergeschwader 32

1.Staffel, Jagdbombergeschwader 32 (1958 -1961)

1.Staffel, Jagdbombergeschwader 32 (1976 -1991)
 

1.Staffel, Jagdbombergeschwader 32

2.Staffel, Jagdbombergeschwader 32

3.Staffel, Jagdbombergeschwader 32
 

4.Kompanie, Fernmelde-, Lehr- und Versuchsregiment  61

2.Staffel, Jagdbombergeschwader 38 "Friesland"

Jagdgeschwader 74 "Mölders"
 

Jagdgeschwader 74

Zero-Length Launch

Short Airfield for Tactical Support
 
 

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text & picture sources : own collection & library + the world wide web / No copyright infringement intended : drawings, photos, etc. belong to the rightful owners.