It was named after Albert Leo Schlageter , a World War I veteran, Freikorps member, and posthumous Nazi martyr, arrested and executed by the French for sabotage in The wing fought predominantly against the Western Allies.
It continued to fight up to the unconditional surrender of Wehrmacht forces in Western Europe on 8 May Elements of JG 26 served in other theatres. One gruppe group and a single staffel , fought on the Eastern Front from January to June A planned move in full to the Soviet Union did not materialise.
JG 26 was well known by Allied air forces. Gruppe the " Abbeville Boys" after their home base. A Luftwaffe Geschwader wing formation was the largest homogenous flying formation.
It typically was made up of three groups gruppen. Each group contained approximately 30 to 40 aircraft in three squadrons staffeln. A Jagdgeschwader could field 90 to fighter aircraft. In some cases a wing could be given a fourth gruppe. Each wing had a Geschwaderkommodore wing commander supported by three Gruppenkommandeur Group Commanders.
The staffel contained approximately 12 to 15 aircraft. A gruppe was referred to in roman numerals , for example I. Jagdgeschwader 26 was one of the earliest fighter units of the Luftwaffe.
