Kursk 1943
Participating in the Operation Zitadelle during July 1943, the I/SchlG 1 was ordered north to Orel to pin down the Soviet counter-offensive. Non-stop operations between 8 July and 2 August saw I Gruppe loss of eight Fw 190s to AA fire, including one piloted by Obstlt. Horst-Wilhelm Hossfeld, a general staff officer on 17 July. II/SchlG 1 did not get involved in heavy fighting until the Russian spearheads began to close around in early August.
As the Soviets advanced, Orel fell on 4 August and I Gruppe was forced back, to Bryansk. By September the Gruppe was shifted to the northern Ukraine to support defence of Kiev.
Hptm. Johannes Meinecke, Staffelkapitän of the 1st Staffel, was killed by AA fire near Mutino on 4 September 1943. Three Fw 190F-3s were lost on 27 September and another F-3 and on 6 October a Fw 190A-6 was shot down, killing the new Staffelkapitän of 1st Staffel Hptm. Josef Menapace. On 13 October, two more Fw 190F-3s were shot down by Soviet fighters.
II/SchlG 1 was forced to withdraw to the west to Kiev-South. Losses in September and October were relatively light, averaging one aircraft per week.
Read more about this topic: Schlachtgeschwader 1