Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke
Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke | |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | "Fürst" |
Born | Schrimm, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire | 11 March 1913
Died | 23 March 1944 near Schöppenstedt, Free State of Brunswick, Nazi Germany | (aged 31)
Cause of death | Killed in action |
Buried | Cemetery in JG 3 |
Battles/wars | See battles |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
Relations | Friedrich von Scotti (stepfather) |
Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke (11 March 1913 – 23 March 1944) was a German
Born in
Wilcke then fought in the aerial battles of
Subsequent to the presentation of the Swords to his Knight's Cross, he was officially banned from operational flying. Occasionally he still flew combat missions and on 23 March 1944, flying in
Early life and career
Wilcke was born on 11 March 1913 at
As a
In March 1939, Wilcke volunteered for service with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. For a few weeks, he flew with 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of Jagdgruppe 88 (J/88—88th Fighter Group) without claiming any aerial victories.[7] He was awarded the Spanish Cross in Bronze with Swords (Spanienkreuz in Bronze mit Schwertern) for his service in Spain.[8] In Spain he became friends with Werner Mölders and when Mölders was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of the newly created III. Gruppe of JG 53, he selected Wilcke as Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of JG 53.[6]
World War II
World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces
From 2–16 January 1940, Wilcke and other pilots from III. Gruppe went on a
Battle of France and Britain
The
On 13 August 1940, during the Battle of Britain, Wilcke replaced Hauptmann Harro Harder as Gruppenkommandeur of the III. Gruppe.[Note 3] Harder had been last seen at 1:35 pm on 12 August and was reported as missing in action following combat east of the Isle of Wight. The day of his appointment, Wilcke almost lost his life as well, when he was forced to bail out after engine failure over the English Channel. He was rescued that night by a Dornier Do 18 flying boat.[15] III. Gruppe flew a bomber escort mission targeting London on 30 August. Wilcke destroyed a barrage balloon on the morning mission and claimed his fourth victory, a Supermarine Spitfire in the vicinity of Dover during his second mission of the day.[16] On 1 September 1940, on another bomber escort mission that started at 11:20 am, Wilcke claimed his fifth victory, a Hawker Hurricane, south of London.[17] He claimed his sixth victory, probably a Fairey Swordfish biplane, on 11 September over the Channel between Dover and Calais.[18]
On 15 September 1940, also known as the
Operation Barbarossa
On 8 June 1941, the bulk of JG 53's air elements moved via Jever, in northern Germany, to Mannheim-Sandhofen. There the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul prior to moving east.[23] On 12 June, III. Gruppe was ordered to transfer to a forward airfield at Sobolewo. On 21 June, the Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 53 and its Gruppenkommandeure were summoned to nearby Suwałki, where Generalfeldmarschall (field marshal) Albert Kesselring gave the final instructions for the upcoming attack. Wilcke briefed his pilots that evening.[24]
On 22 June, the Geschwader crossed into Soviet airspace in support of
On 25 June 1941, JG 53 was relocated with III. Gruppe arriving at Vilnius at 8:30 am. The same day, Wilcke was slightly injured when he collided with another aircraft during takeoff.[28] He claimed his 19th victory on the evening of 30 June 1941, flying a combat air patrol into the Barysaw area.[29] Wilcke was ordered to form "Gefechtsverband Wilcke" ("Battle Group Wilcke") on 1 July 1941. He commanded his III. Gruppe and II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) to counter-attack Soviet bombers.[30] On 9 July, Wilcke destroyed a Petlyakov Pe-2 ground attack aircraft.[31] He claimed a victory on 25 July during fighter escort missions in the Vyazma area.[32] On 29 July 1941, III. Gruppe provided fighter cover for the German armored spearheads in the Dukhovshchina area. During this mission, Wilcke claimed another victory. The next day, over the spearheads at Yartsevo-Bely, Wilcke shot down a Polikarpov I-180 fighter.[33] He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 6 August 1941 for 25 victories. Both Wilcke and Leutnant Herbert Schramm were decorated by Kesselring on 9 August 1941.[34][35]
On 23 August 1941, the 9th Army began its assault on the Soviet forces in the Velikiye Luki area. Wilcke claimed two aerial victories while supporting these operations.[36] III. Gruppe began returning to Germany in early October 1941. The air elements left the Soviet Union on 4 October, while the ground units were transported back by train to Mannheim on 13 October. Since 22 June 1941, III. Gruppe had claimed 769 aerial victories for the loss of 6 pilots killed, 7 missing in action, 2 captured and 12 wounded.[37]
North Africa and Malta
After its return to Germany, III. Gruppe was deployed to the Mediterranean Theater. The ground elements of III. Gruppe arrived in Catania in Sicily on 28 November 1941. Wilcke and his adjutant Jürgen Harder arrived on 2 December, with the rest of the Gruppe arriving the next day. On 6 December 1941, III. Gruppe was ordered to move to Timimi in Libya.[38] Wilcke claimed his 34th aerial victory on 11 December, during a fighter escort mission for Junkers Ju 88 bombers attacking Bir Hakeim.[39]
III. Gruppe relocated back to Sicily on 17 December 1941 for operations in the
Wing commander of JG 3
On 18 May 1942, Wilcke was transferred to
On 13 June 1942, Wilcke claimed his first victory with JG 3 "Udet", shooting down a
Wilcke's first victories in August 1942, a
Battle of Stalingrad
From 10–19 September 1942, Wilcke claimed another series of victories over aircraft of unknown type, which included one on 10 September, one on 12 September, four on 18 September and two on 19 September.
The Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) was based at the Pitomnik Airfield from 23 September to 21 November 1942. There Wilcke directed fighter operations for the Battle of Stalingrad. During the previous offensive towards Stalingrad, the Geschwaderstab of JG 3 "Udet" had claimed 137 victories, of which 97 victories were credited to Wilcke.[43] While based at Pitomnik, Wilcke claimed four victories on 24 September, one on 25 September, three on 28 September, four on 29 September, one on 3 October and two more on 24 October.[47] On 25 and 26 October he claimed one victory on each day and his final two while based at Pitomnik on 1 November 1942, taking his personal total to 135 victories.[51] For these achievements he received the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold), awarded on 3 November 1942.[34]
In the aftermath of the encirclement of the
Wilcke claimed two victories on 24 November 1942, an Il-2 Sturmovik and a Yak-1, his first victories in support of the Stalingrad pocket. On 30 November he claimed the destruction of three aircraft of unknown type, one more on 2 December, and three more on 8 December. Four victories claimed on 12 December, one
In March 1943, Wilcke led Geschwaderstab and II. and III. Gruppe during operations against the Kuban bridgehead as part of the IV. Fliegerkorps (4th Air Corps). In early May 1943, the Geschwaderstab was ordered out of actions and returned to München-Gladbach, present-day Mönchengladbach. Wilcke had only the Geschwaderstab and I. Gruppe under his effective command and no further combat missions were flown until October 1943.[55]
Defense of the Reich and death
Wilcke was promoted to Oberst on 1 December 1943 and requested permission to fly operationally and lead his Geschwader from the air.
On 23 March 1944, Wilcke led JG 3 "Udet" against a USAAF bomber formation near
During this engagement, Wilcke shot down a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber and a
Summary of career
Aerial victory claims
According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Wilcke was credited with 162 aerial victories.[66] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 155 aerial victory claims, plus nine further unconfirmed claims. This figure includes 138 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 17 over the Western Allies.[67]
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 4932". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15
Chronicle of aerial victories | |||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This and the ♠ (
ace-in-a-day ", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day. This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Wilcke did not receive credit.
This along with the * (asterisk) indicates an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.
This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
| |||||||||||
Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | ||
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[69] "Phoney War" — 1 September 1939 – 9 May 1940 | |||||||||||
1 | 7 November 1939 | 15:05 | Potez 63 | Völklingen[70] | 2 | 11 March 1940 | 17:45 | Potez | 6 km (3.7 mi) north-northeast of Sierck[70] | ||
—
|
2 March 1940 | —
|
Hurricane | south of Bitche[70] | 3?[Note 7] | 25 March 1940 | 14:55 | M.S.406 | southwest of Saarbrücken[70] | ||
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[72] At the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 21 June 1941 | |||||||||||
4 | 31 August 1940 | 20:35 | Spitfire[73] | vicinity of Dover | 10 | 20 September 1940 | 12:40 | Hurricane | northwest of Dungeness[74]
| ||
5 | 1 September 1940 | 12:25 | Spitfire[73] | — [Note 8]
|
27 September 1940 | —
|
Spitfire | southwest of London | |||
6 | 11 September 1940 | 18:40 | biplane[73] (Albacore) | Dover/Calais | 11 | 30 September 1940 | 11:58 | Spitfire | 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Dungeness[74] | ||
7 | 15 September 1940 | 13:00 | Spitfire[74] | London | 12 | 30 September 1940 | 14:55 | Spitfire | Dungeness/Hastings[74] | ||
8 | 15 September 1940 | 15:15 | Spitfire[74] | southwest of London | 13 | 10 October 1940 | 11:40 | Spitfire | Thames Estuary[74] Folkestone | ||
9 | 17 September 1940 | 16:50 | Hurricane[74] | Ashford | |||||||
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[72] Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 4 October 1941 | |||||||||||
14♠ | 22 June 1941 | 04:00 | I-15[76] | 25 | 30 July 1941 | 09:05 | I-18 (MiG-1)[77] | Yartsevo/Bely | |||
15♠ | 22 June 1941 | 04:05?[Note 9] | I-15[76] | 26 | 8 August 1941 | 18:46 | I-16[77] | ||||
16♠ | 22 June 1941 | 04:10 | I-15[76] | 27 | 23 August 1941 | 15:26 | Pe-2[78] | vicinity of Velikiye Luki | |||
17♠ | 22 June 1941 | 07:05 | I-153[76] | 28 | 23 August 1941 | 15:30 | Pe-2[78] | vicinity of Velikiye Luki | |||
18♠ | 22 June 1941 | 16:43 | I-17 (MiG-1)[76] | 29 | 27 August 1941 | 13:45 | DB-3[78] | vicinity of Toropets | |||
19 | 30 June 1941 | 18:31 | I-15[79] | 30 | 7 September 1941 | 16:55 | V-11 (Il-2)[80] | ||||
20 | 9 July 1941 | 16:45 | Pe-2[81] | 31 | 8 September 1941 | 09:35 | I-61 (MiG-3)[80] | ||||
21 | 14 July 1941 | 16:57 | R-5[81] | east-northeast of Smolensk | 32 | 8 September 1941 | 09:55 | DB-3[80] | |||
22 | 25 July 1941 | 06:20 | I-16[82] | 33 | 19 September 1941 | 16:30 | I-61 (MiG-3) | east of Sumy[83] | |||
23 | 26 July 1941 | 08:01 | I-17 (MiG-1)[82] | 34 | 25 September 1941 | 10:55 | Pe-2[83] | ||||
24 | 29 July 1941 | 16:05 | I-15[77] | vicinity of Dukovshchina | |||||||
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[72] Mediterranean Theater — 25 November 1941 – 18 May 1942 | |||||||||||
35 | 11 December 1941 | 11:00 | Hurricane[84] | St. Paul's Bay, Malta | 38 | 25 April 1942 | 12:55 | Hurricane[85] | vicinity of Malta | ||
36 | 2 April 1942 | 10:20 | Spitfire[86] | vicinity of Malta | 39 | 12 May 1942 | 11:35 | Spitfire[85] | vicinity of Malta | ||
37 | 22 April 1942 | 18:00 | Hurricane[86] | vicinity of Malta | |||||||
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[87] Eastern Front — 19 May 1942 – 3 February 1943 | |||||||||||
40 | 13 June 1942 | 10:20 | LaGG-3[88] | 99 | 6 September 1942 | 17:15 | Il-2 | 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Konnaja[89] | |||
41 | 22 June 1942 | 04:00 | LaGG-3[88] | 100 | 6 September 1942 | 17:17 | Il-2 | 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Konnaja[89] | |||
42 | 24 June 1942 | 11:20 | LaGG-3[88] | 101 | 10 September 1942 | 11:10 | Pe-2 | 8 km (5.0 mi) west of Tusow[89] | |||
43 | 24 June 1942 | 15:15 | R-5[88] | 102 | 12 September 1942 | 11:38 | Yak-1 | vicinity of Kotluban train station[89] | |||
44 | 30 June 1942 | 10:20 | Hurricane[88] | 103 | 18 September 1942 | 09:15 | Il-2 | vicinity of Kotluban train station[89] | |||
45 | 3 July 1942 | 09:36 | Boston[88] | 104 | 18 September 1942 | 09:54 | Yak-1 | vicinity of Kotluban train station[89] | |||
46 | 3 July 1942 | 09:36 | Boston[88] | 105 | 18 September 1942 | 12:10 | La-5 | west of Kotluban train station[89] | |||
47 | 3 July 1942 | 09:37 | Boston[88] | 106 | 18 September 1942 | 12:15 | Yak-1 | west of Kotluban train station[89] | |||
48 | 4 July 1942 | 11:10 | LaGG-3[88] | 107 | 19 September 1942 | 11:40 | Yak-7?[Note 10] | 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Kotluban train station[89] | |||
49 | 4 July 1942 | 12:00 | LaGG-3[88] | 108 | 19 September 1942 | 12:00 | Yak-7?[Note 10] | 8 km (5.0 mi) south of Kotluban train station[89] | |||
50 | 4 July 1942 | 18:00?[Note 11] | Boston[88] | 109 | 20 September 1942 | 12:30 | LaGG-3 | 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Kotluban train station[91] | |||
51♠ | 6 July 1942 | 10:45 | P-39[88] | 110 | 20 September 1942 | 12:34 | LaGG-3 | 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Kotluban train station[91] | |||
52♠ | 6 July 1942 | 11:00 | LaGG-3[88] | 111♠ | 22 September 1942 | 12:02 | Yak-1 | north of Stalingrad[91]
| |||
53♠ | 6 July 1942 | 13:45 | R-5[88] | 112♠ | 22 September 1942 | 12:04 | Yak-1 | west of Stalingrad[91] | |||
54♠ | 6 July 1942 | 17:35 | Hurricane | 30 km (19 mi) north of Semljansk[88] | 113♠ | 22 September 1942 | 16:20 | Yak-1 | north of Akhtuba[91] | ||
55♠ | 6 July 1942 | 17:40 | Hurricane | 30 km (19 mi) north of Semljansk[88] | 114♠ | 22 September 1942 | 16:25 | Yak-1 | northeast of Stalingrad[91] | ||
56♠ | 6 July 1942 | 18:00 | Hurricane | 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Sadonsk[88] | 115♠ | 22 September 1942 | 16:27 | Yak-1 | 2 km (1.2 mi) west of Dubovka[91] | ||
57 | 9 July 1942 | 19:20 | Il-2[88] | 116♠ | 22 September 1942 | 16:29 | Yak-1 | south of Akhtuba[91] | |||
58 | 9 July 1942 | 19:23 | Il-2[88] | 117 | 24 September 1942 | 11:01 | Yak-1 | western Stalingrad[91] | |||
59 | 10 July 1942 | 04:30 | Boston[88] | 118 | 24 September 1942 | 11:05 | Yak-1 | Rastinka airfield near Stalingrad[91] | |||
60 | 10 July 1942 | 04:32 | Boston[88] | 119 | 24 September 1942 | 11:12 | Yak-1 | north of Rastinka airfield[91] | |||
61 | 10 July 1942 | 04:33 | Boston[88] | 120 | 24 September 1942 | 16:32 | Yak-1 | northeast of Stalingrad[91] | |||
62 | 10 July 1942 | 13:30 | Boston[88] | 121 | 25 September 1942 | 11:36 | Yak-1 | 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Stalingrad[91] | |||
63 | 11 July 1942 | 11:40 | MiG-1[88] | 122 | 27 September 1942 | 16:00 | Il-2 | east of Stalingrad[91] | |||
64 | 11 July 1942 | 11:42 | MiG-1[88] | 123 | 28 September 1942 | 11:05 | Yak-1 | 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Dubovka[91] | |||
65 | 11 July 1942 | 13:30 | R-5[88] | 124 | 28 September 1942 | 11:08 | Yak-1 | 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Dubovka[91] | |||
66 | 12 July 1942 | 13:00 | R-5[88] | 125 | 28 September 1942 | 11:20 | Yak-1 | northeast of Stalingrad[91] | |||
67 | 12 July 1942 | 16:05 | LaGG-3[88] | 126 | 29 September 1942 | 10:21 | Il-2 | north of Kalach train station[91] | |||
68 | 12 July 1942 | 16:07 | LaGG-3[88] | 127 | 29 September 1942 | 15:33 | Il-2 | vicinity of Stalingrad[91] | |||
69 | 18 July 1942 | 15:50 | LaGG-3 | south of Boschkowka[88] | 128 | 29 September 1942 | 15:37 | Yak-1 | 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Akhtuba[91] | ||
70 | 24 July 1942 | 10:25?[Note 12] | I-153?[88][Note 12] | 129 | 3 October 1942 | 12:00 | Yak-4 | 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Kalach[91] | |||
71 | 26 July 1942 | 12:45 | Hurricane | south of Kalach[88] | 130 | 24 October 1942 | 11:20 | Yak-1 | 25 km (16 mi) north-northwest of Stalingrad[91] | ||
72 | 26 July 1942 | 12:50 | Hurricane | south of Kalach[88] | 131 | 24 October 1942 | 15:20 | Yak-1 | 10 km (6.2 mi) north-northwest of Kalach[91] | ||
73 | 26 July 1942 | 16:05 | Pe-2?[88][Note 13] | 132 | 24 October 1942 | 15:23 | Yak-1 | 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Kalach[91] | |||
74 | 26 July 1942 | 16:06 | Pe-2?[88][Note 13] | 133 | 25 October 1942 | 14:34 | Yak-1 | Gumrak Airfield[91] | |||
75 | 27 July 1942 | 10:30 | LaGG-3 | Kalach[88] | 134 | 26 October 1942 | 14:15 | Yak-1 | 12 km (7.5 mi) northwest of Beketowka[92] | ||
76 | 28 July 1942 | 16:30 | LaGG-3 | northwest of Kalach[88] | 135 | 1 November 1942 | 14:10 | Yak-1 | northern Stalingrad[92] | ||
77 | 4 August 1942 | 15:00 | Su-2 (Seversky) | Abganerowo[88] | 136 | 1 November 1942 | 14:12 | Yak-1 | northern Stalingrad[92] | ||
78 | 5 August 1942 | 17:10 | LaGG-3 | south of Stalingrad[88] | 137 | 24 November 1942 | 12:50 | Il-2 | 6 km (3.7 mi) south of Pitomnik Airfield[92] | ||
79 | 6 August 1942 | 10:10 | LaGG-3 | Stalingrad[88] | 138 | 24 November 1942 | 12:53 | Yak-1 | 6 km (3.7 mi) south of Pitomnik Airfield[92] | ||
80 | 9 August 1942 | 11:05 | MiG-1 | east-northeast of Kalach[88] | 139 | 30 November 1942 | 09:00 | Il-2 | 2 km (1.2 mi) southeast of Pitomnik Airfield[92] | ||
81 | 12 August 1942 | 17:15 | LaGG-3 | Akhtuba[88] | 140 | 30 November 1942 | 12:10 | La-5 | 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Pitomnik Airfield[92] | ||
82 | 13 August 1942 | 12:10 | Boston | Akhtuba[89] | 141 | 2 December 1942 | 13:40 | Yak-1 | east of Karpovka[92] | ||
83 | 13 August 1942 | 17:45 | LaGG-3?[89][Note 13] | PQ 4932[89] south of Borodajewka |
142 | 8 December 1942 | 12:57 | Il-2 | PQ 19661[92] 20 km (12 mi) east-southeast of Morosowskaja | ||
84 | 17 August 1942 | 12:20 | DB-3?[89][Note 14] | Akhtuba[89] | 143 | 8 December 1942 | 12:59 | Il-2 | PQ 19634[92] 20 km (12 mi) east of Morosowskaja | ||
85 | 20 August 1942 | 04:42 | Er-2 | PQ 4915–4911[89] | 144 | 8 December 1942 | 13:02 | Il-2 | PQ 19632[92] 20 km (12 mi) east of Morosowskaja | ||
86 | 20 August 1942 | 04:46 | Er-2 | PQ 4915–4911[89] | 145 | 12 December 1942 | 12:35 | La-5 | PQ 3963, south of Stalingrad[92] | ||
87 | 20 August 1942 | 04:49 | Er-2 | PQ 4915–4911[89] | 146 | 12 December 1942 | 12:40 | Yak-1 | PQ 3941, south of Stalingrad[92] | ||
88 | 23 August 1942 | 07:46 | Hurricane | northwest of Stalingrad[89] | 147 | 12 December 1942 | 12:45 | Yak-1 | PQ 4941, Pitomnik Airfield[92] | ||
89 | 23 August 1942 | 14:50 | R-5 | north of Stalingrad[89] | 148 | 12 December 1942 | 12:55 | Yak-1 | PQ 4917, southeast of Stalingrad[92] | ||
90 | 26 August 1942 | 08:35 | Yak-7 | northwest of Stalingrad[89] | 149 | 17 December 1942 | 07:50 | Yak-1 | PQ 29452, Ssuruwikino[92] | ||
91 | 28 August 1942 | 09:35 | Yak-4 | east of Rachowka[89] | 150 | 17 December 1942 | 07:55 | Yak-1 | PQ 29452, Ssuruwikino[92] | ||
92 | 30 August 1942 | 09:05 | Il-2 | north-northwest of Stalingrad[89] | 151 | 17 December 1942 | 11:15 | Yak-1 | 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Sety[92] | ||
93 | 31 August 1942 | 09:00 | LaGG-3 | south of Sarepta[89] | 152 | 18 December 1942 | 09:35 | Il-2 | 6 km (3.7 mi) west of Schulow train station[92] | ||
94 | 31 August 1942 | 09:10 | LaGG-3 | east of Zaza[89] | 153 | 18 December 1942 | 09:38 | Il-2 | 6 km (3.7 mi) west of Schulow train station[92] | ||
95 | 31 August 1942 | 13:10 | P-40 | southwest of Sarepta[89] | 154 | 18 December 1942 | 09:45 | Yak-1 | 25 km (16 mi) west of Schulow train station[92] | ||
96 | 31 August 1942 | 17:10 | LaGG-3 | west of Stalingrad[89] | 155 | 28 December 1942 | 08:55 | Yak-1 | Tschernyschkow[92] | ||
97 | 3 September 1942 | 13:40 | Yak-1 | 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Dubovka[89] | 156 | 5 January 1943 | 10:05 | Il-2 | 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Stalingrad[92] | ||
98 | 3 September 1942 | 17:16 | Yak-1 | north of Stalingrad[89] | |||||||
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[93] Defense of the Reich — September 1943 – 23 March 1944 | |||||||||||
157?[Note 7] | 10 February 1944 | 11:50~ | P-38[56] | Hanover/Braunschweig | 160?[Note 7] | 4 March 1944 | 13:10 | B-17[56] | Wittenberg/Neuruppin/Stendal | ||
158?[Note 7] | 24 February 1944 | 14:30 | B-24*[56] | Bad Nauheim/Koblenz | 161?[Note 7] | 23 March 1944 | —
|
B-17[56] | |||
159?[Note 7] | 4 March 1944 | 13:10 | B-17[56] | Wittenberg/Neuruppin/Stendal | 162?[Note 7] | 23 March 1944 | —
|
P-51[56] | southeast of Braunschweig[94] vicinity of Schöppenstedt |
Awards
- Spanish Cross in Bronze with Swords[95]
- Wound Badge in Black[95]
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "700"[95]
- Combined Pilots-Observation Badge[95]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (1 April 1941)[6]
- German Cross in Gold on 3 November 1942 as Major in Jagdgeschwader 3[97]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
- Knight's Cross on 6 August 1941 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 53[98][99][100]
- 122nd Oak Leaves on 9 September 1942 as Hauptmann and Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"[98][100][101][Note 15]
- 23rd Swords on 23 December 1942 as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"[98][103][104]
Notes
- ^ From 1919, Germany's national defense force was known as the Reichswehr. That name was dropped in favor of Wehrmacht on 16 March 1935.[1]
- ^ For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
- ^ Harro Harder was the brother of Jürgen Harder.
- ^ IAP—Istrebitelny Aviatsionny Polk (Fighter Aviation Regiment—Истребительный Авиационный Полк)
- ^ The first pilot to claim 150 aerial victories was Gordon Gollob who achieved the milestone on 29 August 1942. Hermann Graf reached that total on 4 September 1942 while Hans-Joachim Marseille did so on 15 September 1942.[52]
- ^ The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (Air Force High Command), fearing the loss of such an experienced fighter unit leader, banned Wilcke from flying further combat missions.[54]
- ^ a b c d e f g According to Mathews and Foreman this claim is unconfirmed.[71]
- ^ This unconfirmed claim is listed by Mathews and Foreman,[75] but not by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock.[74]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 04:05.[72]
- ^ a b According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Yakovlev Yak-1.[90]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 18:50.[72]
- ^ a b According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as an Ilyushin Il-2 at 10:29.[90]
- ^ a b c According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as an Ilyushin Il-2.[90]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Tupolev TB-3 (ANT-6).[90]
- ^ Von Seemen presents two dates for the presentation of the Oak Leaves, the first date is 9 September 1942,[100] the second is 10 September 1942.[102]
References
Citations
- ^ "Proklamation der Reichsregierung an das deutsche Volk bezüglich der Einführung der allgemeinen Wehrpflicht" [Proclamation of the German Government to the German people regarding the introduction of compulsory military service] (in German). Retrieved 19 April 2015.
- ^ a b Stockert 2012, p. 70.
- ^ Berger 1999, p. 407.
- ^ Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 27.
- ^ Williamson & Bujeiro 2005, p. 14.
- ^ a b c d e f Stockert 2012, p. 71.
- ^ Forsyth 2011, p. 101.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 33.
- ^ Prien 1997, pp. 51, 56.
- ^ Prien 1997, pp. 70–71.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 75.
- ^ Prien 1997, pp. 104, 127.
- ^ Sutherland & Canwell 2011, p. 143.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 123.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 140.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 149.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 150.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 157.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 160.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 163.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 167.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 173.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 252.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 253.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 260.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 262.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 263.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 265.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 268.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 269.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 274.
- ^ Prien 1997, pp. 285–286.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 289.
- ^ a b c d Stockert 2012, p. 72.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 290.
- ^ Prien 1997, pp. 291–292.
- ^ Prien 1997, pp. 299, 301.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 327.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 330.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 364.
- ^ Shores, Cull & Malizia 1991, p. 213.
- ^ Prien 1997, p. 380.
- ^ a b c Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 12.
- ^ Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 393.
- ^ a b Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 394.
- ^ Prien & Stemmer 2002, pp. 394–395.
- ^ a b c d Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 395.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 244.
- ^ Bergström et al. 2006, pp. 153–154.
- ^ Bergström et al. 2006, p. 163.
- ^ a b c d Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 396.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, pp. 19–21.
- ^ a b c Stockert 2012, p. 73.
- ^ Berger 1999, p. 378.
- ^ a b Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 13.
- ^ a b c d e f g Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 397.
- ^ Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 389.
- ^ a b Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 259.
- ^ Berger 1999, pp. 379, 380.
- ^ Prien & Stemmer 2002, pp. 389, 397.
- ^ Scutts 1987, p. 58.
- ^ Spick 1996, p. 229.
- ^ Weal 1999, p. 64.
- ^ Braatz 2005, p. 187.
- ^ Prien, Stemmer & Bock 2018, p. 252.
- ^ Zabecki 2019, p. 329.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1421–1424.
- ^ Planquadrat.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1421–1422.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2001, p. 406.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1422, 1424.
- ^ a b c d e Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1422.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2002, p. 267.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Prien et al. 2002, p. 269.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 142.
- ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2003, p. 159.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003, p. 164.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003, p. 165.
- ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 160.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003, p. 166.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 161.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 163.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 167.
- ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 219.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2004, p. 221.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2004, p. 220.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1422–1424.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap Prien et al. 2006, p. 38.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac Prien et al. 2006, p. 39.
- ^ a b c d Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1423.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Prien et al. 2006, p. 40.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Prien et al. 2006, p. 41.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1424.
- ^ Prien, Stemmer & Bock 2018, p. 255.
- ^ a b c d Berger 1999, p. 377.
- ^ a b Thomas 1998, p. 445.
- ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 513.
- ^ a b c Scherzer 2007, p. 786.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 446.
- ^ a b c Von Seemen 1976, p. 360.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 61.
- ^ Von Seemen 1976, p. 30.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 40.
- ^ Von Seemen 1976, p. 14.
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Further reading
- Weal, John (2001). Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 37. Oxford, UK: ISBN 978-1-84176-084-1.
- Weal, John (2013). Aces of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet". Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 116. Oxford, UK: ISBN 978-1-78096-300-6.