The 101st Home Air Defence Fighter Group later Wing (unit definition by US style) (101. Honi Légvédelmi Vadászrepülő Osztály later Ezred) was an elite fighter-group of the Royal Hungarian Air Force in World War II. Also known as the Puma after the unit's insignia, it was the most famous and well known of all Hungarian fighter units during the war. Created in the spring of 1944, under the Nazi German occupation of Hungary, it operated against US Fifteenth Air Force and the Soviet VVS during 1944-45 over Hungary and later, Austria. Analogue to Jagdverband 44, many of the highest scoring and most experienced Hungarian fighter pilots served in the unit, including the top scoring Hungarian ace of World War II, Szentgyörgyi Dezső. History of the unit In the spring of 1944, following the occupation of Hungary by Nazi Germany with Operation Margarethe, the US Fifteenth Air Force, flying from bases in Italy, subjected Hungary to massed bombing attacks. Before the actions was beginning in May, at the beginning of April 1944, the Fifteenth began operations in Hungary, Hitler's Axis ally. On 3rd April, they attacked Budapest. On the german side only JG 27 groups were near enough to engage the bombers. They pilots claimed five bombers and two P-38s without loss. Two squadrons of Bf 109s and Messerschmitt Me 210 together with some other units from the Royal Hungarian Air Force took part in the defence claiming five bombers (only three was confirmed) for three losses. American total losses were five bombers, without any fighter loss, while P-38s claimed nine kills. On 13 April, the Fifteenth returned to Budapest but lost 18 bombers. III./JG 27, III./JG 3 were involved along with Bf 109 and Me 210s from Hungarian units - nine Me 210s were shot down. The conclusion of the actions in April was the existing Hungarian fighter organisation was deemed tactically unsuitable for the effective protection of Hungarian air space from such attacks. Therefore, the Országos Légvédelmi Parancsnokság (Territorial Air Defence Command) decided to concentrate all existing fighters into a single fighter unit. The 101. “Puma” Honi Légvédelmi Vadászrepülő Osztály was created from several existing Hungarian fighter units on 1 May 1944. The unit flew Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6, G-14, G-10 fighters, from both domestic and German production. Organisation Commander of the Puma Group (101/I.): Major Aladár Heppes, the "Old Puma" Second-in-command: Captain Gyula Horváth 101/1. Fighter Squadron (nickname: