JG 52 machines in flight over the Ploiesti oilfields, 1941.
Photo Colorization Before and After
Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) was a German fighter-wing that exclusively used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 throughout the war. The unit originally formed near Munich in November 1938, then moved to a base near Stuttgart. JG 52 became the most successful fighter-wing of all time, with a claimed total of more than 10,000 victories over enemy aircraft during World War II. It was the unit of the top three scoring flying aces of all time, Erich Hartmann, Gerhard Barchorn and Gunter Rall.