responsibility. JG 11 reported to the Fighter Commander of the German Bight () in the 2nd Fighter Division (). By mid-1943, JG 11 came under the control of the Luftwaffe Commander Center () (Lw Bfh), which later formed Air Fleet Germany (). In late June 1943 Hauptmann Günther Specht replaced Major Adolf Dickfeld as II./JG 11's commander. A perfectionist and one of the most competent group commanders, Specht led almost every mission after taking command. In a few months II./JG 11 became one of the most effective day fighter units. In mid-November 1943 Mader had a public fall-out with Generalmajor Max Ibel of 2. Jagd-Division and was sent to the Eastern Front to command Jagdgeschwader 54. He was replaced by Oberstleutnant Hermann Graf, an Eastern Front Bf 109 ace and the first pilot to claim 200 victories. 1./JG 11 relocated to Salzwedel and 2./JG 11 to Lüneburg in April 1944 remaining there until June 1944, while Specht was transferred to Geschwaderstab JG 11 as a Kommodore-In-Training. He was replaced by Major Günther Rall from JG 52 as Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 11, located at Eschborn being rebuilt. III./JG 11 was dispatched to Minsk in anticipation of the impending Soviet offensive, but its ten-week stay did little to effect the outcome of the land battle. Jasta Helgoland In 1941, two short runways were built on neighboring sand dunes on Heligoland, an island in the middle of the German Bight. A fighter squadron () was established on 7 April 1943 under First Lieutenant () Hermann Hintzen, equipped with the Bf 109T Toni. This was the only Bf 109 variant able to take off from those short runways due to its longer wing span. The Staffel reported to Jagdfliegerführer Deutsche Bucht. In mid-April 1943, the Staffel was subordinated to 2. Jagd–Division. This Staffel worked to a great extent with the units of JG 11. On 30 November 1943, it was merged with JG 11 to boost operational strength of JG 11. Aircraft of JG 11 JG 11 was initially equipped with the Fw 190 A-4 and Bf 109 G-1. It also used the Fw 190 A-6/R1, which carried six 20 mm MG 151 cannons. Towards the end of 1943 III./JG 11 started converting to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. JG 11 tended to use a combination of Bf 109s and Fw 190s, the Bf 109 for attacking fighters and the Fw 190 for attacking bombers.