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Erich Leie

January 06, 2023

Erich Leie (10 September 1916 – 7 March 1945) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 121 aerial victories claimed in more than 500 combat missions. He claimed 44 on Western Front, 77 on the Eastern Front, including one four-engine bomber.

Erich Leie
Helmut Wick (center), Erich Leie (right) on 6 October 1940[1]
Born(1916-09-10)10 September 1916
Kiel, German Empire
Died7 March 1945(1945-03-07) (aged 28)
Bielitz, German-occupied Poland
Buried
Cemetery in Valašské Meziříčí
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service1936–1945
RankMajor (major)
UnitJG 71, JG 2, JG 51, JG 77
Commands heldI./JG 2, I./JG 51, JG 77
Battles/wars
See battles

World War II

AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Born in Kiel, Leie grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. In 1939, he served with Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) before he was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing) in early 1940. Flying with this wing, Leie claimed his first aerial victory on 14 May during the Battle of France and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 August 1941. In June 1942, he was given command of I. Gruppe of JG 2. In 1943, he transferred back to JG 51 where he commanded I. Gruppe. This unit fought on the Eastern Front where he claimed his 100th aerial victory on 6 November 1943. In December 1944, he was given command of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing). Leie was killed in action on 7 March 1945. Posthumously, he was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) and nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

Early life and career

Leie was born on 10 September 1916 in Kiel, at the time in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia.[2] In August 1939, Leie temporarily led the Reservestaffel of Jagdgeschwader 71 (JG 71—71st Fighter Wing) until he was replaced by Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant) Horst Tietzen on 29 August.[Note 1] The Reservestaffel was a training squadron equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 D-1, at the time based at Bad Aibling and subordinated to the I. Gruppe (1st group) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). On 26 August, during the German mobilization phase, the Reservestaffel was ordered to Fürstenfeldbruck where it was tasked with providing fighter protection over Munich.[3]

World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 21 March 1940, Leie was transferred to III. Gruppe (3rd group) of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing), named after World War I fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen.[2] He claimed his first victory on 14 May during the Battle of France when he shot down a Bristol Blenheim bomber 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) east of Sedan.[4] By October 1940, Leie was serving with the Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) of JG 2. On 28 November 1940, Leie was wingman of Major (Major) Helmut Wick, Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 2, on a mission to the Isle of Weight. Leie claimed a Supermarine Spitfire fighter destroyed, his eleventh aerial victory. On that mission, Wick was killed in action when he was shot down, probably by Flight Lieutenant John Dundas of No. 609 Squadron who was also killed that day.[5]

On 23 July 1941, he claimed six Spitfires shot down in one day, an "ace-in-a-day" achievement, taking his total to 21 aerial victories.[6] For this, Leie was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 1 August 1941. He received the award from Feldmarschall (Field Marschal) Hugo Sperrle with fellow JG 2 "Richthofen" pilots Leutnant Egon Mayer and Oberleutnant Rudolf Pflanz on that day. The triple award presentation was recorded by the Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly Review), a newsreel series released in the cinemas.[2][7] By the end of 1941, his total stood at 32 aerial victories. His 32nd claim was a Handley Page Halifax heavy bomber shot down on 30 December in the vicinity of Brest.[8] On 26 January 1942, Leie claimed a Spitfire shot down south of Rame Head. The Spitfire was piloted by Kazimierz Kosinski from the No. 302 Polish Fighter Squadron who was killed in action on a shipping reconnaissance mission that day.[9]

Group commander

On 24 June 1942, Leie was officially appointed as Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of JG 2.[10] Leie thus succeeded Hauptmann Ignaz Prestele in this capacity who had been killed in action on 4 May 1942.[11] He saw action in the air battle of the Dieppe Raid on 19 August and claimed a Spitfire shot down 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Dieppe.[12] This was his last claim on the Western Front. He was then shot down and wounded, bailing out of his Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-2 (Werknummer 0326—factory number) 12 km (7.5 mi) southwest of Abbeville.[13]

His injuries required hospitalization. Leie returned to his unit on 2 October 1942. During his convalescence, Oberleutnant Christian Eickhoff temporarily led I. Gruppe.[10] On 13 August, Sperrle had approved Leie's preferential promotion to Hauptmann (captain).[2] The Gruppe saw relatively little action in October. In fear of an Allied invasion on the French Mediterranean coast, I. Gruppe was ordered to Marseille-Marignane airfield on 8 November. There, it was tasked with providing fighter protection over the coastal area. Without engaging in aerial combat, the Gruppe stayed in Southern France until the end of 1942.[14]

Eastern Front

In January 1943, Leie transferred as Gruppenkommandeur to I. Gruppe of JG 51, based on the Eastern Front.[15] Leie had received the transfer-order on 6 January and arrived at his new unit on 17 January which at the time was based at Isotscha [1] near Nevel.[16] That day, Leie's predecessor as Gruppenkommandeur, Oberleutnant Rudolf Busch, was killed in action when he collided in mid-air with Geschwaderkommodore Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) Karl-Gottfried Nordmann.[17] At the time of Leie's arrival on the Eastern Front, Soviet and German forces were engaged in the Battle for Velikiye Luki and in the Battles of Rzhev in the sector of JG 51 area of operation. On 28 January, I. Gruppe was forced to give up its airfield at Isotscha and moved to an airfield west of Oryol.[18] Flying from Oryol, Leie claimed a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter shot down on 2 February, his first aerial victory on the Eastern Front.[19]

Leie led the Gruppe during the offensive operations leading up to Operation Citadel, which initiated the Battle of Kursk. The battle began on 5 July 1943 with I. Gruppe of JG 51 supporting the German 9th Army in its northern attack on the Kursk salient. For the first days of the operation, I. Gruppe primary task was to provide fighter escort for the bombers of Kampfgeschwader 4, Kampfgeschwader 51 and Kampfgeschwader 53, as well as for the Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers of Sturzkampfgeschwader 1.[20] On the first day of the Zitadelle, Leie claimed his 50th aerial victory, an Il-2 shot down in the vicinity of Maloarkhangelsk.[21]

On 6 November 1943 Leie, by now a Major, recorded his 100th victory. He was the 57th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[22] After a lengthy spell of leave, he returned in late March 1944. On 6 July, during Operation Bagration, he was shot down by Soviet fighters. He baled out over Soviet lines but on descending by parachute, was blown back over German lines.[23] By the end of October 1944, Leie's victory total stood at 117.[24]

Wing commander of JG 77 and death

 
Herzas (Ace of Hearts) emblem of JG 77

On 29 December 1944, Leie was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing). He replaced Major Siegfried Freytag in this function who had temporarily assumed command after Major Johannes Wiese was wounded in combat on 25 December.[25] Freytag continued to lead JG 77 until Leie's arrival with the Geschwader on 15 January 1945.[26] Command of his former I. Gruppe of JG 51 was passed to Hauptmann Günther Schack.[27] On 12 January, the Red Army had launched the Vistula–Oder Offensive on the Eastern Front. The offensive required the Luftwaffe to relocate its forces, defeated Army Group A, taking much of Poland and striking deep within the pre-war borders of Germany. JG 77 was one of the first Luftwaffe fighter units ordered to relocate to the Eastern Front on 19 January.[28]

As Geschwaderkommodore, Leie was ordered to Berlin on 22 January 1945 and attended the meeting with Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring which was later dubbed the Fighter Pilots' Mutiny. This was an attempt to reinstate Generalleutnant Adolf Galland as General der Jagdflieger who had been dismissed for outspokenness regarding the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (Luftwaffe high command), and had been replaced by Oberst Gordon Gollob. The meeting was held at the Haus der Flieger in Berlin and was attended by a number of high-ranking fighter pilot leaders which included Leie, Günther Lützow, Hannes Trautloft, Hermann Graf, Gerhard Michalski, Helmut Bennemann, Kurt Bühligen and Herbert Ihlefeld, and their antagonist Göring supported by his staff Bernd von Brauchitsch and Karl Koller. The fighter pilots, with Lützow taking the lead as spokesman, criticized Göring and made him personally responsible for the decisions taken which effectively had led to the lost air war over Europe.[29]

On 7 March 1945, Leie claimed his last two aerial victories and was killed in action. At 14:56, he claimed a La-5 shot down. Half an hour later, he claimed a Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter west of Bielitz, present-day Bielsko-Biała, but collided in mid-air with the crashing Yak-9 fighter in his Bf 109 G-14/AS (Werknummer 786329—factory number).[30][31][32] He baled out at an altitude of 60 metres (200 feet), too low for his parachute to fully deploy. Posthumously, he was nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) which was not approved.[33] He was buried at the German war cemetery in Valašské Meziříčí.[34]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Leie was credited with 118 aerial victories.[35] Spick also lists him with 118 aerial victories, 75 on the Eastern Front and 43 on the Western Front, claimed in approximately 500 combat missions.[36] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 121 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This figure includes 77 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 44 over the Western Allies, including one four-engine bomber.[37]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 14 West 4911". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 × 4 km in size.[38]

Chronicle of aerial victories

  This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Leie an "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 unwitnessed aerial victory claims for which Leie did not receive credit.
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Balke, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.

Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –[33]
Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
1 14 May 1940 19:20 Blenheim 12 km (7.5 mi) east of Sedan[4]
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –[33]
At the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 21 June 1941
2 5 October 1940 15:58 Hurricane south of Bournemouth[39]
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –[33]
Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
3 29 October 1940 15:29 Hurricane Portsmouth[40] 8 7 November 1940 15:25 Hurricane south of Portsmouth[41]
4 5 November 1940 14:35 Hurricane northeast of the Isle of Portland[41] 9 7 November 1940 15:25 Hurricane south of Portsmouth[41]
5 5 November 1940 14:40 Spitfire northeast of Portland[41] 10 10 November 1940 15:43 Spitfire east of Portland[41]
6 6 November 1940 15:35 Hurricane Southampton[41] 11 28 November 1940 15:17 Spitfire south of the Isle of Wight[41]
7 6 November 1940 15:37 Hurricane Southampton[41]
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –[42]
On the Western Front — 22 June – 31 December 1941
12 22 June 1941 16:10 Spitfire Arques[43] 22 10 August 1941 14:25 Hurricane 14 km (8.7 mi) northeast of Calais[6]
13 24 June 1941 20:55 Spitfire east of Calais[43] 23 12 August 1941 12:54 Spitfire northwest of Saint-Omer[6]
14 24 June 1941 20:57 Spitfire north of Calais[43] 24 12 August 1941 13:08 Spitfire 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Dover[6]
—
 25 June 1941 16:30 Spitfire northeast of Boulogne[43] 25 12 August 1941 19:28 Spitfire 12 km (7.5 mi) south of Dungeness[6]
15 6 July 1941 14:35 Spitfire 30 km (19 mi) north of Grand-Fort-Philippe[43] 26 21 August 1941 15:15 Spitfire south of Étaples[6]
16♠ 23 July 1941 13:21 Spitfire 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Calais[6] 27 13 October 1941 14:40 Spitfire 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Boulogne[44]
17♠ 23 July 1941 13:28 Spitfire northwest of Calais[6] 28 13 October 1941 14:43 Spitfire 25 km (16 mi) west of Boulogne[44]
18♠ 23 July 1941 20:35 Spitfire west of Hesdin[6] 29 13 October 1941 15:40 Spitfire 5 km (3.1 mi) west-northwest of Étaples[44]
19♠ 23 July 1941 20:39 Spitfire west of Hesdin[6] 30 8 November 1941 12:30 Spitfire Baie de Somme[44]
20♠ 23 July 1941 20:43 Spitfire southwest of Berck[6] 31 8 December 1941 15:45 Spitfire 35 km (22 mi) west of Boulogne[44]
21♠ 23 July 1941 20:47 Spitfire 20 km (12 mi) west of Berck[6] 32 30 December 1941 15:30 Halifax PQ 14 West 4911[44]
vicinity of Brest
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –[45]
On the Western Front — 1 January – May 1942
33 8 January 1942 10:09 Hudson PQ 14 West 6927[46] 37 1 May 1942 19:40 Spitfire[46] northwest of Cap Gris-Nez
34 26 January 1942 13:40 Spitfire PQ 14 West 6042[46]
off Rame Head 		38 19 May 1942 15:23 Spitfire 40 km (25 mi) north of Fécamp[46]
35 2 February 1942 19:05 Beaufort 18 km (11 mi) north-northwest of Brignogan-Plages[46] 39 2 June 1942 17:45 Spitfire 20 km (12 mi) south-southeast of Eastbourne[46]
—
[Note 2]		 25 April 1942 16:45?[Note 3] Spitfire[46] 25 km (16 mi) west of Le Crotoy 40 3 June 1942 16:39 Spitfire 40 km (25 mi) northwest of Le Havre[46]
36 1 May 1942 19:37 Spitfire[46] 15 km (9.3 mi) west-northwest of Wissant 41 5 June 1942 15:35 Spitfire 50 km (31 mi) northwest of Fécamp[46]
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –[45]
On the Western Front — June – 31 December 1942
42 26 June 1942 17:44 Spitfire 50 km (31 mi) north of Fécamp[47] 43 19 August 1942 11:50 Spitfire 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Dieppe[12]
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –[45]
Eastern Front — February 1943
44 2 February 1943 14:05 MiG-3 PQ 7376[19]
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –[48]
Eastern Front — 4 February 1943 – 31 December 1943
45 4 February 1943 12:10 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 63632, Kosakowa[49]
25 km (16 mi) east-northeast of Maloarkhangelsk 		75 7 September 1943 12:29 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 35893[50]
25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Kirov
46 5 February 1943 14:25 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 73551, east of Tatrino[49]
25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Livny 		76 9 September 1943 15:40 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 34235[50]
25 km (16 mi) southeast of Kirov
47 16 March 1943 11:27 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 44593, north of Bryansk[51]
10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Bryansk 		77 10 September 1943 13:53 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 44712[50]
20 km (12 mi) west-northwest of Bryansk
48?[Note 5] 4 June 1943 19:35 Pe-2 5 km (3.1 mi) west of Bokowoje[51] 78 10 September 1943 13:56 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 44728[50]
10 km (6.2 mi) west of Bryansk
49 8 June 1943 19:35 Yak-7 PQ 35 Ost 53423, Kromy[52]
5 km (3.1 mi) west of Kromy 		79 10 September 1943 14:00 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 44766[50]
15 km (9.3 mi) south of Bryansk
50 5 July 1943 18:44 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 63534[21]
vicinity of Maloarkhangelsk 		80 11 September 1943 11:10 Yak-7 PQ 35 Ost 44229[50]
25 km (16 mi) north of Zhizdra
51 11 July 1943 19:00 P-39 PQ 35 Ost 63572[53]
20 km (12 mi) south-southeast of Trosna 		81 11 September 1943 11:32 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 44769[50]
15 km (9.3 mi) south of Bryansk
52 13 July 1943 13:44 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 63255[53]
10 km (6.2 mi) south of Zalegoshch 		82 15 September 1943 09:34 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 35348[54]
15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Yelnya
53 13 July 1943 13:48 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 64894[53]
25 km (16 mi) east-northeast of Zalegoshch 		83 15 September 1943 13:20 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 35378[54]
10 km (6.2 mi) west of Yelnya
54 13 July 1943 14:05 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 63213[53]
vicinity of Zalegoshch 		84 15 September 1943 13:25 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 25465[54]
20 km (12 mi) west of Yelnya
55 13 July 1943 18:32 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 64878[53]
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Zalegoshch 		85 15 September 1943 13:40 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 25466[54]
20 km (12 mi) west-northwest of Yelnya
56 29 July 1943 16:28 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 54653, southwest of Bolchow[55]
25 km (16 mi) east-northeast of Belev 		86 17 September 1943 11:32 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 35511[54]
15 km (9.3 mi) south-southwest of Yelnya
57 29 July 1943 16:57 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 54648, southwest of Bolchow[55]
20 km (12 mi) northeast of Znamenskoye 		87 4 October 1943 15:51 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 15318[54]
25 km (16 mi) northwest of Krassnyj
58 29 July 1943 18:55 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 64755[55]
20 km (12 mi) northeast of Orel 		88 5 October 1943 10:46 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 06891[54]
vicinity of Gorki
59 31 July 1943 11:49 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 64548[56]
10 km (6.2 mi) west of Telche 		89 5 October 1943 10:47 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 06868[54]
15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Liozna
60 1 August 1943 10:10 Su-2 (Seversky) PQ 35 Ost 53522[56]
5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Dmitrowsk-Orlowskiy 		90 5 October 1943 10:48 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 06833[54]
20 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Liozna
61 1 August 1943 18:45 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 53446[56]
15 km (9.3 mi) south-southeast of Sockowo 		91 5 October 1943 15:19 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 15378[54]
20 km (12 mi) west of Krassnyj
62 2 August 1943 10:05 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 53528[56]
5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Dmitrowsk-Orlowskiy 		92 6 October 1943 12:08 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 06152[54]
25 km (16 mi) southeast of Nevel
63 4 August 1943 16:59 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 53355[56]
20 km (12 mi) southwest of Sockowo 		93 6 October 1943 15:42 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 06219[54]
64 6 August 1943 16:59 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 54599[56]
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Znamenskoye 		94 15 October 1943 07:53 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 15617[57]
15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Krassnyj
65 7 August 1943 08:20?[Note 6] LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 54762[56]
10 km (6.2 mi) south of Znamenskoye 		95 20 October 1943 15:20 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 03876[57]
40 km (25 mi) south-southeast of Rechytsa
66 7 August 1943 14:00?[Note 7] Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 54733[58]
vicinity of Znamenskoye 		96 22 October 1943 11:44 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 02246[57]
45 km (28 mi) northwest of Ossijaki
67 7 August 1943 14:05 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 54738[58]
vicinity of Znamenskoye 		97 22 October 1943 11:49 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 02227[57]
40 km (25 mi) northwest of Ossijaki
68 8 August 1943 16:32 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 35423[58]
40 km (25 mi) north-northwest of Spas-Demensk 		98 23 October 1943 15:29 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 05463[57]
30 km (19 mi) east-northeast of Orsha
69 8 August 1943 16:41 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 35491[58]
20 km (12 mi) north-northwest of Spas-Demensk 		99 29 October 1943 12:24 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 05451[57]
15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Orsha
70 8 August 1943 16:45 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 35636[58]
10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Spas-Demensk 		100 6 November 1943 15:00 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 01754[57]
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Vasilikov
71 8 August 1943 16:46 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 45514[58]
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Spas-Demensk 		101 6 November 1943 15:03 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 01756[57]
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Vasilikov
72 12 August 1943 12:50 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 51574[58]
vicinity of Kirikowka 		102 6 November 1943 15:05 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 01738[57]
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Vasilikov
73 12 August 1943 13:25 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 51387[58]
vicinity of Slawgorod 		103 6 November 1943 15:15 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 01677[57]
20 km (12 mi) south-southeast of Kiev
74 13 August 1943 16:55 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 50289[58]
20 km (12 mi) west of Merefa
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –[59]
Eastern Front — 1 January – 31 December 1944
104 29 March 1944 12:37 Yak-7 PQ 35 Ost N/04457[60]
25 km (16 mi) southwest of Tschaussy 		111 9 October 1944 13:01?[Note 8] Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost N/26868[61]
20 km (12 mi) southeast of Tauroggen
105 1 April 1944 12:16?[Note 9] Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost N/04593[60]
25 km (16 mi) south-southeast of Stara Bychow 		112 9 October 1944 16:00 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 25 Ost N/26872[61]
25 km (16 mi) east-northeast of Neusiedel
106 8 April 1944 09:30 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost N/42688[60]
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Kovel 		113 13 October 1944 13:36 Pe-2 PQ 25 Ost N/25312[61]
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Neusiedel
107 4 September 1944 17:19 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 25 Ost N/14871[62]
10 km (6.2 mi) south of Ostroleka 		114 14 October 1944 15:12 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 25 Ost N/16624[61]
15 km (9.3 mi) east of Laschon
108 5 September 1944 16:14 Yak-7 PQ 25 Ost N/13344[62]
20 km (12 mi) east of Nasielsk 		115 14 October 1944 15:13 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 25 Ost N/16655[61]
15 km (9.3 mi) east-southeast of Laschon
109 5 September 1944 16:17 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 25 Ost N/13347[62]
20 km (12 mi) east of Nasielsk 		116 14 October 1944 15:42 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 25 Ost N/16176[61]
15 km (9.3 mi) north of Memel
110 6 September 1944 15:02 Il-2 m.H.[Note 4] PQ 25 Ost N/13348[62]
20 km (12 mi) east of Nasielsk 		117 16 October 1944 13:05 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost N/25621[61]
15 km (9.3 mi) east-southeast of Trakehnen
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 77 –[59]
Defense of the Reich on the Eastern Front — January – May 1945
118 14 February 1945 16:13 Il-2[63] 120 7 March 1945 14:56 La-5[64]
119 20 February 1945 16:29 La-5[63] 121 7 March 1945 15:30 Yak-9[64]

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
  2. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman this claim is listed as Leie's 36th aerial victory.[45] However, Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock consider this claim unconfirmed.[46]
  3. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 16:43.[45]
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
  5. ^ This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[45]
  6. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:00.[45]
  7. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:06.[45]
  8. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:03.[59]
  9. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 12:26.[59]
  10. ^ According to Scherzer as pilot in the Stab/Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen".[67]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Ringlstetter 2005, p. 83.
  2. ^ a b c d MacLean 2007, p. 210.
  3. ^ Prien et al. 2000a, p. 258.
  4. ^ a b Prien et al. 2000b, p. 131.
  5. ^ Weal 2000, pp. 69–70.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Prien et al. 2003, p. 411.
  7. ^ Weal 2000, pp. 78–79.
  8. ^ Weal 2000, p. 81.
  9. ^ Caygill 2008, p. 164.
  10. ^ a b Prien et al. 2004, p. 230.
  11. ^ Weal 2000, p. 88.
  12. ^ a b Prien et al. 2004, p. 236.
  13. ^ Prien et al. 2004, pp. 228, 240.
  14. ^ Prien et al. 2004, pp. 228–229.
  15. ^ Weal 2000, p. 95.
  16. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 265.
  17. ^ Prien et al. 2006, pp. 246, 263, 265.
  18. ^ Prien et al. 2006, pp. 263–264.
  19. ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 273.
  20. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 456.
  21. ^ a b Prien et al. 2012, p. 493.
  22. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 243.
  23. ^ Bergström 2008, p. 76.
  24. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 156.
  25. ^ Prien 1995, p. 2370.
  26. ^ Prien 1995, pp. 2238, 2264.
  27. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 319.
  28. ^ Prien 1995, pp. 2270–2272.
  29. ^ Braatz 2005, p. 348–351.
  30. ^ Prien 1995, pp. 2305–2306.
  31. ^ Weal 2007, pp. 83–84.
  32. ^ Bergström 2008, pp. 109–110.
  33. ^ a b c d Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 734.
  34. ^ MacLean 2007, p. 211.
  35. ^ Zabecki 2019, p. 330.
  36. ^ Spick 1996, p. 231.
  37. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 734–736.
  38. ^ Planquadrat.
  39. ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 104.
  40. ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 79.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g h Prien et al. 2002, p. 80.
  42. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 734–735.
  43. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2003, p. 410.
  44. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2003, p. 412.
  45. ^ a b c d e f g h Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 735.
  46. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Prien et al. 2004, p. 213.
  47. ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 235.
  48. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 735–736.
  49. ^ a b Prien et al. 2012, p. 489.
  50. ^ a b c d e f g Prien et al. 2012, p. 499.
  51. ^ a b Prien et al. 2012, p. 490.
  52. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 492.
  53. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2012, p. 494.
  54. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Prien et al. 2012, p. 500.
  55. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2012, p. 495.
  56. ^ a b c d e f g Prien et al. 2012, p. 496.
  57. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Prien et al. 2012, p. 501.
  58. ^ a b c d e f g h i Prien et al. 2012, p. 497.
  59. ^ a b c d Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 736.
  60. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2022, p. 323.
  61. ^ a b c d e f g Prien et al. 2022, p. 326.
  62. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2022, p. 325.
  63. ^ a b Prien 1995, p. 2438.
  64. ^ a b Prien 1995, p. 2439.
  65. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 274.
  66. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 288.
  67. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 500.

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Military offices
Preceded by Commander of Jagdgeschwader 77 Herz As
29 December 1944 – 7 March 1945 		Succeeded by

January 06, 2023
erich, leie, september, 1916, march, 1945, german, luftwaffe, military, aviator, wing, commander, during, world, fighter, credited, with, aerial, victories, claimed, more, than, combat, missions, claimed, western, front, eastern, front, including, four, engine. Erich Leie 10 September 1916 7 March 1945 was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II As a fighter ace he is credited with 121 aerial victories claimed in more than 500 combat missions He claimed 44 on Western Front 77 on the Eastern Front including one four engine bomber Erich LeieHelmut Wick center Erich Leie right on 6 October 1940 1 Born 1916 09 10 10 September 1916Kiel German EmpireDied7 March 1945 1945 03 07 aged 28 Bielitz German occupied PolandBuriedCemetery in Valasske MeziriciAllegiance Nazi GermanyService wbr branch LuftwaffeYears of service1936 1945RankMajor major UnitJG 71 JG 2 JG 51 JG 77Commands heldI JG 2 I JG 51 JG 77Battles warsSee battlesWorld War II Western FrontBattle of France Battle of Britain Channel DashEastern Front AwardsKnight s Cross of the Iron CrossBorn in Kiel Leie grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany In 1939 he served with Jagdgeschwader 51 JG 51 51st Fighter Wing before he was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen JG 2 2nd Fighter Wing in early 1940 Flying with this wing Leie claimed his first aerial victory on 14 May during the Battle of France and received the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 August 1941 In June 1942 he was given command of I Gruppe of JG 2 In 1943 he transferred back to JG 51 where he commanded I Gruppe This unit fought on the Eastern Front where he claimed his 100th aerial victory on 6 November 1943 In December 1944 he was given command of Jagdgeschwader 77 JG 77 77th Fighter Wing Leie was killed in action on 7 March 1945 Posthumously he was promoted to Oberstleutnant lieutenant colonel and nominated for the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Contents 1 Early life and career 2 World War II 2 1 Group commander 2 2 Eastern Front 2 3 Wing commander of JG 77 and death 3 Summary of career 3 1 Aerial victory claims 3 2 Awards 4 Notes 5 References 5 1 Citations 5 2 BibliographyEarly life and career EditLeie was born on 10 September 1916 in Kiel at the time in the Province of Schleswig Holstein a province of the Kingdom of Prussia 2 In August 1939 Leie temporarily led the Reservestaffel of Jagdgeschwader 71 JG 71 71st Fighter Wing until he was replaced by Oberleutnant First Lieutenant Horst Tietzen on 29 August Note 1 The Reservestaffel was a training squadron equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 D 1 at the time based at Bad Aibling and subordinated to the I Gruppe 1st group of Jagdgeschwader 51 JG 51 51st Fighter Wing On 26 August during the German mobilization phase the Reservestaffel was ordered to Furstenfeldbruck where it was tasked with providing fighter protection over Munich 3 World War II EditWorld War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland On 21 March 1940 Leie was transferred to III Gruppe 3rd group of Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen JG 2 2nd Fighter Wing named after World War I fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen 2 He claimed his first victory on 14 May during the Battle of France when he shot down a Bristol Blenheim bomber 12 kilometres 7 5 miles east of Sedan 4 By October 1940 Leie was serving with the Geschwaderstab headquarters unit of JG 2 On 28 November 1940 Leie was wingman of Major Major Helmut Wick Geschwaderkommodore wing commander of JG 2 on a mission to the Isle of Weight Leie claimed a Supermarine Spitfire fighter destroyed his eleventh aerial victory On that mission Wick was killed in action when he was shot down probably by Flight Lieutenant John Dundas of No 609 Squadron who was also killed that day 5 On 23 July 1941 he claimed six Spitfires shot down in one day an ace in a day achievement taking his total to 21 aerial victories 6 For this Leie was awarded the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 1 August 1941 He received the award from Feldmarschall Field Marschal Hugo Sperrle with fellow JG 2 Richthofen pilots Leutnant Egon Mayer and Oberleutnant Rudolf Pflanz on that day The triple award presentation was recorded by the Deutsche Wochenschau German Weekly Review a newsreel series released in the cinemas 2 7 By the end of 1941 his total stood at 32 aerial victories His 32nd claim was a Handley Page Halifax heavy bomber shot down on 30 December in the vicinity of Brest 8 On 26 January 1942 Leie claimed a Spitfire shot down south of Rame Head The Spitfire was piloted by Kazimierz Kosinski from the No 302 Polish Fighter Squadron who was killed in action on a shipping reconnaissance mission that day 9 Group commander Edit On 24 June 1942 Leie was officially appointed as Gruppenkommandeur group commander of I Gruppe of JG 2 10 Leie thus succeeded Hauptmann Ignaz Prestele in this capacity who had been killed in action on 4 May 1942 11 He saw action in the air battle of the Dieppe Raid on 19 August and claimed a Spitfire shot down 5 km 3 1 mi north of Dieppe 12 This was his last claim on the Western Front He was then shot down and wounded bailing out of his Focke Wulf Fw 190 A 2 Werknummer 0326 factory number 12 km 7 5 mi southwest of Abbeville 13 His injuries required hospitalization Leie returned to his unit on 2 October 1942 During his convalescence Oberleutnant Christian Eickhoff temporarily led I Gruppe 10 On 13 August Sperrle had approved Leie s preferential promotion to Hauptmann captain 2 The Gruppe saw relatively little action in October In fear of an Allied invasion on the French Mediterranean coast I Gruppe was ordered to Marseille Marignane airfield on 8 November There it was tasked with providing fighter protection over the coastal area Without engaging in aerial combat the Gruppe stayed in Southern France until the end of 1942 14 Eastern Front Edit In January 1943 Leie transferred as Gruppenkommandeur to I Gruppe of JG 51 based on the Eastern Front 15 Leie had received the transfer order on 6 January and arrived at his new unit on 17 January which at the time was based at Isotscha 1 near Nevel 16 That day Leie s predecessor as Gruppenkommandeur Oberleutnant Rudolf Busch was killed in action when he collided in mid air with Geschwaderkommodore Oberstleutnant Lieutenant Colonel Karl Gottfried Nordmann 17 At the time of Leie s arrival on the Eastern Front Soviet and German forces were engaged in the Battle for Velikiye Luki and in the Battles of Rzhev in the sector of JG 51 area of operation On 28 January I Gruppe was forced to give up its airfield at Isotscha and moved to an airfield west of Oryol 18 Flying from Oryol Leie claimed a Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 3 fighter shot down on 2 February his first aerial victory on the Eastern Front 19 Leie led the Gruppe during the offensive operations leading up to Operation Citadel which initiated the Battle of Kursk The battle began on 5 July 1943 with I Gruppe of JG 51 supporting the German 9th Army in its northern attack on the Kursk salient For the first days of the operation I Gruppe primary task was to provide fighter escort for the bombers of Kampfgeschwader 4 Kampfgeschwader 51 and Kampfgeschwader 53 as well as for the Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers of Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 20 On the first day of the Zitadelle Leie claimed his 50th aerial victory an Il 2 shot down in the vicinity of Maloarkhangelsk 21 On 6 November 1943 Leie by now a Major recorded his 100th victory He was the 57th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark 22 After a lengthy spell of leave he returned in late March 1944 On 6 July during Operation Bagration he was shot down by Soviet fighters He baled out over Soviet lines but on descending by parachute was blown back over German lines 23 By the end of October 1944 Leie s victory total stood at 117 24 Wing commander of JG 77 and death Edit Herzas Ace of Hearts emblem of JG 77 On 29 December 1944 Leie was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 77 JG 77 77th Fighter Wing He replaced Major Siegfried Freytag in this function who had temporarily assumed command after Major Johannes Wiese was wounded in combat on 25 December 25 Freytag continued to lead JG 77 until Leie s arrival with the Geschwader on 15 January 1945 26 Command of his former I Gruppe of JG 51 was passed to Hauptmann Gunther Schack 27 On 12 January the Red Army had launched the Vistula Oder Offensive on the Eastern Front The offensive required the Luftwaffe to relocate its forces defeated Army Group A taking much of Poland and striking deep within the pre war borders of Germany JG 77 was one of the first Luftwaffe fighter units ordered to relocate to the Eastern Front on 19 January 28 As Geschwaderkommodore Leie was ordered to Berlin on 22 January 1945 and attended the meeting with Reichsmarschall Hermann Goring which was later dubbed the Fighter Pilots Mutiny This was an attempt to reinstate Generalleutnant Adolf Galland as General der Jagdflieger who had been dismissed for outspokenness regarding the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe Luftwaffe high command and had been replaced by Oberst Gordon Gollob The meeting was held at the Haus der Flieger in Berlin and was attended by a number of high ranking fighter pilot leaders which included Leie Gunther Lutzow Hannes Trautloft Hermann Graf Gerhard Michalski Helmut Bennemann Kurt Buhligen and Herbert Ihlefeld and their antagonist Goring supported by his staff Bernd von Brauchitsch and Karl Koller The fighter pilots with Lutzow taking the lead as spokesman criticized Goring and made him personally responsible for the decisions taken which effectively had led to the lost air war over Europe 29 On 7 March 1945 Leie claimed his last two aerial victories and was killed in action At 14 56 he claimed a La 5 shot down Half an hour later he claimed a Yakovlev Yak 9 fighter west of Bielitz present day Bielsko Biala but collided in mid air with the crashing Yak 9 fighter in his Bf 109 G 14 AS Werknummer 786329 factory number 30 31 32 He baled out at an altitude of 60 metres 200 feet too low for his parachute to fully deploy Posthumously he was nominated for the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub which was not approved 33 He was buried at the German war cemetery in Valasske Mezirici 34 Summary of career EditAerial victory claims Edit According to US historian David T Zabecki Leie was credited with 118 aerial victories 35 Spick also lists him with 118 aerial victories 75 on the Eastern Front and 43 on the Western Front claimed in approximately 500 combat missions 36 Mathews and Foreman authors of Luftwaffe Aces Biographies and Victory Claims researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 121 aerial victory claims plus one further unconfirmed claim This figure includes 77 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 44 over the Western Allies including one four engine bomber 37 Victory claims were logged to a map reference PQ Planquadrat for example PQ 14 West 4911 The Luftwaffe grid map Jagermeldenetz covered all of Europe western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude an area of about 360 square miles 930 km2 These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 4 km in size 38 Chronicle of aerial victories This and the Ace of spades indicates those aerial victories which made Leie an 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 unwitnessed aerial victory claims for which Leie did not receive credit This and the question mark indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien Stemmer Rodeike Balke Bock Mathews and Foreman Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location Stab III Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen 33 Battle of France 10 May 25 June 19401 14 May 1940 19 20 Blenheim 12 km 7 5 mi east of Sedan 4 Stab I Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen 33 At the Channel and over England 26 June 1940 21 June 19412 5 October 1940 15 58 Hurricane south of Bournemouth 39 Stab of Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen 33 Battle of France 10 May 25 June 19403 29 October 1940 15 29 Hurricane Portsmouth 40 8 7 November 1940 15 25 Hurricane south of Portsmouth 41 4 5 November 1940 14 35 Hurricane northeast of the Isle of Portland 41 9 7 November 1940 15 25 Hurricane south of Portsmouth 41 5 5 November 1940 14 40 Spitfire northeast of Portland 41 10 10 November 1940 15 43 Spitfire east of Portland 41 6 6 November 1940 15 35 Hurricane Southampton 41 11 28 November 1940 15 17 Spitfire south of the Isle of Wight 41 7 6 November 1940 15 37 Hurricane Southampton 41 Stab of Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen 42 On the Western Front 22 June 31 December 194112 22 June 1941 16 10 Spitfire Arques 43 22 10 August 1941 14 25 Hurricane 14 km 8 7 mi northeast of Calais 6 13 24 June 1941 20 55 Spitfire east of Calais 43 23 12 August 1941 12 54 Spitfire northwest of Saint Omer 6 14 24 June 1941 20 57 Spitfire north of Calais 43 24 12 August 1941 13 08 Spitfire 15 km 9 3 mi southeast of Dover 6 25 June 1941 16 30 Spitfire northeast of Boulogne 43 25 12 August 1941 19 28 Spitfire 12 km 7 5 mi south of Dungeness 6 15 6 July 1941 14 35 Spitfire 30 km 19 mi north of Grand Fort Philippe 43 26 21 August 1941 15 15 Spitfire south of Etaples 6 16 23 July 1941 13 21 Spitfire 10 km 6 2 mi east of Calais 6 27 13 October 1941 14 40 Spitfire 15 km 9 3 mi west of Boulogne 44 17 23 July 1941 13 28 Spitfire northwest of Calais 6 28 13 October 1941 14 43 Spitfire 25 km 16 mi west of Boulogne 44 18 23 July 1941 20 35 Spitfire west of Hesdin 6 29 13 October 1941 15 40 Spitfire 5 km 3 1 mi west northwest of Etaples 44 19 23 July 1941 20 39 Spitfire west of Hesdin 6 30 8 November 1941 12 30 Spitfire Baie de Somme 44 20 23 July 1941 20 43 Spitfire southwest of Berck 6 31 8 December 1941 15 45 Spitfire 35 km 22 mi west of Boulogne 44 21 23 July 1941 20 47 Spitfire 20 km 12 mi west of Berck 6 32 30 December 1941 15 30 Halifax PQ 14 West 4911 44 vicinity of Brest Stab of Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen 45 On the Western Front 1 January May 194233 8 January 1942 10 09 Hudson PQ 14 West 6927 46 37 1 May 1942 19 40 Spitfire 46 northwest of Cap Gris Nez34 26 January 1942 13 40 Spitfire PQ 14 West 6042 46 off Rame Head 38 19 May 1942 15 23 Spitfire 40 km 25 mi north of Fecamp 46 35 2 February 1942 19 05 Beaufort 18 km 11 mi north northwest of Brignogan Plages 46 39 2 June 1942 17 45 Spitfire 20 km 12 mi south southeast of Eastbourne 46 Note 2 25 April 1942 16 45 Note 3 Spitfire 46 25 km 16 mi west of Le Crotoy 40 3 June 1942 16 39 Spitfire 40 km 25 mi northwest of Le Havre 46 36 1 May 1942 19 37 Spitfire 46 15 km 9 3 mi west northwest of Wissant 41 5 June 1942 15 35 Spitfire 50 km 31 mi northwest of Fecamp 46 Stab I Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen 45 On the Western Front June 31 December 194242 26 June 1942 17 44 Spitfire 50 km 31 mi north of Fecamp 47 43 19 August 1942 11 50 Spitfire 5 km 3 1 mi north of Dieppe 12 Stab I Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 Molders 45 Eastern Front February 194344 2 February 1943 14 05 MiG 3 PQ 7376 19 Stab I Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 Molders 48 Eastern Front 4 February 1943 31 December 194345 4 February 1943 12 10 Il 2 PQ 35 Ost 63632 Kosakowa 49 25 km 16 mi east northeast of Maloarkhangelsk 75 7 September 1943 12 29 LaGG 3 PQ 35 Ost 35893 50 25 km 16 mi west southwest of Kirov46 5 February 1943 14 25 Il 2 PQ 35 Ost 73551 east of Tatrino 49 25 km 16 mi west southwest of Livny 76 9 September 1943 15 40 La 5 PQ 35 Ost 34235 50 25 km 16 mi southeast of Kirov47 16 March 1943 11 27 Pe 2 PQ 35 Ost 44593 north of Bryansk 51 10 km 6 2 mi northeast of Bryansk 77 10 September 1943 13 53 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 44712 50 20 km 12 mi west northwest of Bryansk48 Note 5 4 June 1943 19 35 Pe 2 5 km 3 1 mi west of Bokowoje 51 78 10 September 1943 13 56 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 44728 50 10 km 6 2 mi west of Bryansk49 8 June 1943 19 35 Yak 7 PQ 35 Ost 53423 Kromy 52 5 km 3 1 mi west of Kromy 79 10 September 1943 14 00 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 44766 50 15 km 9 3 mi south of Bryansk50 5 July 1943 18 44 Il 2 PQ 35 Ost 63534 21 vicinity of Maloarkhangelsk 80 11 September 1943 11 10 Yak 7 PQ 35 Ost 44229 50 25 km 16 mi north of Zhizdra51 11 July 1943 19 00 P 39 PQ 35 Ost 63572 53 20 km 12 mi south southeast of Trosna 81 11 September 1943 11 32 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 44769 50 15 km 9 3 mi south of Bryansk52 13 July 1943 13 44 Il 2 PQ 35 Ost 63255 53 10 km 6 2 mi south of Zalegoshch 82 15 September 1943 09 34 La 5 PQ 35 Ost 35348 54 15 km 9 3 mi northwest of Yelnya53 13 July 1943 13 48 Il 2 PQ 35 Ost 64894 53 25 km 16 mi east northeast of Zalegoshch 83 15 September 1943 13 20 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 35378 54 10 km 6 2 mi west of Yelnya54 13 July 1943 14 05 Il 2 PQ 35 Ost 63213 53 vicinity of Zalegoshch 84 15 September 1943 13 25 La 5 PQ 35 Ost 25465 54 20 km 12 mi west of Yelnya55 13 July 1943 18 32 Yak 1 PQ 35 Ost 64878 53 10 km 6 2 mi north of Zalegoshch 85 15 September 1943 13 40 Pe 2 PQ 35 Ost 25466 54 20 km 12 mi west northwest of Yelnya56 29 July 1943 16 28 LaGG 3 PQ 35 Ost 54653 southwest of Bolchow 55 25 km 16 mi east northeast of Belev 86 17 September 1943 11 32 Yak 9 PQ 35 Ost 35511 54 15 km 9 3 mi south southwest of Yelnya57 29 July 1943 16 57 Il 2 PQ 35 Ost 54648 southwest of Bolchow 55 20 km 12 mi northeast of Znamenskoye 87 4 October 1943 15 51 Yak 9 PQ 35 Ost 15318 54 25 km 16 mi northwest of Krassnyj58 29 July 1943 18 55 Il 2 PQ 35 Ost 64755 55 20 km 12 mi northeast of Orel 88 5 October 1943 10 46 Yak 9 PQ 35 Ost 06891 54 vicinity of Gorki59 31 July 1943 11 49 La 5 PQ 35 Ost 64548 56 10 km 6 2 mi west of Telche 89 5 October 1943 10 47 Yak 9 PQ 35 Ost 06868 54 15 km 9 3 mi northeast of Liozna60 1 August 1943 10 10 Su 2 Seversky PQ 35 Ost 53522 56 5 km 3 1 mi southeast of Dmitrowsk Orlowskiy 90 5 October 1943 10 48 Yak 9 PQ 35 Ost 06833 54 20 km 12 mi north northeast of Liozna61 1 August 1943 18 45 Yak 1 PQ 35 Ost 53446 56 15 km 9 3 mi south southeast of Sockowo 91 5 October 1943 15 19 La 5 PQ 35 Ost 15378 54 20 km 12 mi west of Krassnyj62 2 August 1943 10 05 Pe 2 PQ 35 Ost 53528 56 5 km 3 1 mi southeast of Dmitrowsk Orlowskiy 92 6 October 1943 12 08 LaGG 3 PQ 35 Ost 06152 54 25 km 16 mi southeast of Nevel63 4 August 1943 16 59 La 5 PQ 35 Ost 53355 56 20 km 12 mi southwest of Sockowo 93 6 October 1943 15 42 Pe 2 PQ 35 Ost 06219 54 64 6 August 1943 16 59 Il 2 PQ 35 Ost 54599 56 10 km 6 2 mi north of Znamenskoye 94 15 October 1943 07 53 Yak 9 PQ 35 Ost 15617 57 15 km 9 3 mi southeast of Krassnyj65 7 August 1943 08 20 Note 6 LaGG 3 PQ 35 Ost 54762 56 10 km 6 2 mi south of Znamenskoye 95 20 October 1943 15 20 Yak 9 PQ 35 Ost 03876 57 40 km 25 mi south southeast of Rechytsa66 7 August 1943 14 00 Note 7 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 54733 58 vicinity of Znamenskoye 96 22 October 1943 11 44 Yak 9 PQ 35 Ost 02246 57 45 km 28 mi northwest of Ossijaki67 7 August 1943 14 05 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 54738 58 vicinity of Znamenskoye 97 22 October 1943 11 49 Yak 9 PQ 35 Ost 02227 57 40 km 25 mi northwest of Ossijaki68 8 August 1943 16 32 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 35423 58 40 km 25 mi north northwest of Spas Demensk 98 23 October 1943 15 29 Yak 9 PQ 35 Ost 05463 57 30 km 19 mi east northeast of Orsha69 8 August 1943 16 41 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 35491 58 20 km 12 mi north northwest of Spas Demensk 99 29 October 1943 12 24 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 05451 57 15 km 9 3 mi southwest of Orsha70 8 August 1943 16 45 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 35636 58 10 km 6 2 mi northwest of Spas Demensk 100 6 November 1943 15 00 La 5 PQ 35 Ost 01754 57 10 km 6 2 mi southwest of Vasilikov71 8 August 1943 16 46 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 45514 58 10 km 6 2 mi north of Spas Demensk 101 6 November 1943 15 03 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 01756 57 10 km 6 2 mi southwest of Vasilikov72 12 August 1943 12 50 La 5 PQ 35 Ost 51574 58 vicinity of Kirikowka 102 6 November 1943 15 05 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 35 Ost 01738 57 10 km 6 2 mi east of Vasilikov73 12 August 1943 13 25 La 5 PQ 35 Ost 51387 58 vicinity of Slawgorod 103 6 November 1943 15 15 La 5 PQ 35 Ost 01677 57 20 km 12 mi south southeast of Kiev74 13 August 1943 16 55 La 5 PQ 35 Ost 50289 58 20 km 12 mi west of Merefa Stab I Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 Molders 59 Eastern Front 1 January 31 December 1944104 29 March 1944 12 37 Yak 7 PQ 35 Ost N 04457 60 25 km 16 mi southwest of Tschaussy 111 9 October 1944 13 01 Note 8 Yak 9 PQ 25 Ost N 26868 61 20 km 12 mi southeast of Tauroggen105 1 April 1944 12 16 Note 9 Yak 9 PQ 35 Ost N 04593 60 25 km 16 mi south southeast of Stara Bychow 112 9 October 1944 16 00 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 25 Ost N 26872 61 25 km 16 mi east northeast of Neusiedel106 8 April 1944 09 30 Yak 9 PQ 25 Ost N 42688 60 10 km 6 2 mi north of Kovel 113 13 October 1944 13 36 Pe 2 PQ 25 Ost N 25312 61 10 km 6 2 mi east of Neusiedel107 4 September 1944 17 19 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 25 Ost N 14871 62 10 km 6 2 mi south of Ostroleka 114 14 October 1944 15 12 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 25 Ost N 16624 61 15 km 9 3 mi east of Laschon108 5 September 1944 16 14 Yak 7 PQ 25 Ost N 13344 62 20 km 12 mi east of Nasielsk 115 14 October 1944 15 13 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 25 Ost N 16655 61 15 km 9 3 mi east southeast of Laschon109 5 September 1944 16 17 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 25 Ost N 13347 62 20 km 12 mi east of Nasielsk 116 14 October 1944 15 42 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 25 Ost N 16176 61 15 km 9 3 mi north of Memel110 6 September 1944 15 02 Il 2 m H Note 4 PQ 25 Ost N 13348 62 20 km 12 mi east of Nasielsk 117 16 October 1944 13 05 Yak 9 PQ 25 Ost N 25621 61 15 km 9 3 mi east southeast of Trakehnen Stab of Jagdgeschwader 77 59 Defense of the Reich on the Eastern Front January May 1945118 14 February 1945 16 13 Il 2 63 120 7 March 1945 14 56 La 5 64 119 20 February 1945 16 29 La 5 63 121 7 March 1945 15 30 Yak 9 64 Awards Edit German Cross in Gold on 20 October 1942 as Oberleutnant in the I Jagdgeschwader 2 65 Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 August 1941 as Oberleutnant and pilot in the Stab of I Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen 66 Note 10 Notes Edit For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II According to Mathews and Foreman this claim is listed as Leie s 36th aerial victory 45 However Prien Stemmer Rodeike and Bock consider this claim unconfirmed 46 According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 16 43 45 a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u The m H refers to an Ilyushin Il 2 with rear gunner mit Heckschutze This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman 45 According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14 00 45 According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14 06 45 According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13 03 59 According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 12 26 59 According to Scherzer as pilot in the Stab Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen 67 References EditCitations Edit Ringlstetter 2005 p 83 a b c d MacLean 2007 p 210 Prien et al 2000a p 258 a b Prien et al 2000b p 131 Weal 2000 pp 69 70 a b c d e f g h i j k l Prien et al 2003 p 411 Weal 2000 pp 78 79 Weal 2000 p 81 Caygill 2008 p 164 a b Prien et al 2004 p 230 Weal 2000 p 88 a b Prien et al 2004 p 236 Prien et al 2004 pp 228 240 Prien et al 2004 pp 228 229 Weal 2000 p 95 Prien et al 2006 p 265 Prien et al 2006 pp 246 263 265 Prien et al 2006 pp 263 264 a b Prien et al 2006 p 273 Prien et al 2012 p 456 a b Prien et al 2012 p 493 Obermaier 1989 p 243 Bergstrom 2008 p 76 Obermaier 1989 p 156 Prien 1995 p 2370 Prien 1995 pp 2238 2264 Prien et al 2022 p 319 Prien 1995 pp 2270 2272 Braatz 2005 p 348 351 Prien 1995 pp 2305 2306 Weal 2007 pp 83 84 Bergstrom 2008 pp 109 110 a b c d Mathews amp Foreman 2015 p 734 MacLean 2007 p 211 Zabecki 2019 p 330 Spick 1996 p 231 Mathews amp Foreman 2015 pp 734 736 Planquadrat Prien et al 2002 p 104 Prien et al 2002 p 79 a b c d e f g h Prien et al 2002 p 80 Mathews amp Foreman 2015 pp 734 735 a b c d e Prien et al 2003 p 410 a b c d e f Prien et al 2003 p 412 a b c d e f g h Mathews amp Foreman 2015 p 735 a b c d e f g h i j k Prien et al 2004 p 213 Prien et al 2004 p 235 Mathews amp Foreman 2015 pp 735 736 a b Prien et al 2012 p 489 a b c d e f g Prien et al 2012 p 499 a b Prien et al 2012 p 490 Prien et al 2012 p 492 a b c d e Prien et al 2012 p 494 a b c d e f g h i j k l Prien et al 2012 p 500 a b c Prien et al 2012 p 495 a b c d e f g Prien et al 2012 p 496 a b c d e f g h i j Prien et al 2012 p 501 a b c d e f g h i Prien et al 2012 p 497 a b c d Mathews amp Foreman 2015 p 736 a b c Prien et al 2022 p 323 a b c d e f g Prien et al 2022 p 326 a b c d Prien et al 2022 p 325 a b Prien 1995 p 2438 a b Prien 1995 p 2439 Patzwall amp Scherzer 2001 p 274 Fellgiebel 2000 p 288 Scherzer 2007 p 500 Bibliography Edit Bergstrom Christer Bergstrom Black Cross Red Star website Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat Retrieved 27 May 2019 Bergstrom Christer 2008 Bagration to Berlin The Final Air Battles in the East 1944 1945 Hersham UK Ian Allan ISBN 978 1 903223 91 8 Braatz Kurt 2005 Gott oder ein Flugzeug Leben und Sterben des Jagdfliegers Gunther Lutzow God or an Airplane Life and Death of Fighter Pilot Gunther Lutzow in German Moosburg Germany NeunundzwanzigSechs Verlag ISBN 978 3 9807935 6 8 Caygill Peter 2008 The Biggin Hill Wing 1941 From Defence to Attack South Yorkshire Pen amp Sword Aviation ISBN 978 1 84415 746 4 Fellgiebel Walther Peer 2000 1986 Die Trager des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 1945 Die Inhaber der hochsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile The Bearers of the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 1945 The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches in German Friedberg Germany Podzun Pallas ISBN 978 3 7909 0284 6 MacLean French L 2007 Luftwaffe Efficiency amp Promotion Reports For the Knight s Cross Winners Atglen Pennsylvania Schiffer Military History ISBN 978 0 7643 2657 8 Mathews Andrew Johannes Foreman John 2015 Luftwaffe Aces Biographies and Victory Claims Volume 2 G L Walton on Thames Red Kite ISBN 978 1 906592 19 6 Obermaier Ernst 1989 Die Ritterkreuztrager der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 1945 The Knight s Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 1945 in German Mainz Germany Verlag Dieter Hoffmann ISBN 978 3 87341 065 7 Patzwall Klaus D Scherzer Veit 2001 Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II The German Cross 1941 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2 in German Norderstedt Germany Verlag Klaus D Patzwall ISBN 978 3 931533 45 8 Prien Jochen 1995 Geschichte des Jagdgeschwaders 77 Teil 4 1944 1945 History of Jagdgeschwader 77 Volume 4 1944 1945 in German Eutin Germany Struve Druck ISBN 978 3 923457 29 8 Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Rodeike Peter Bock Winfried 2000a Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 1 Vorkriegszeit und Einsatz uber Polen 1934 bis 1939 The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945 Part 1 Pre War Period and Action over Poland 1934 to 1939 in German Eutin Germany Struve Druck ISBN 978 3 923457 54 0 Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Rodeike Peter Bock Winfried 2000b Die Jagdfliegerverbande der deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 3 Einsatz in Danemark und Norwegen 9 4 bis 30 11 1940 Der Feldzug im Westen 10 5 bis 25 6 1940 Fighter Pilot Association of the German Luftwaffe 1934 to 1945 Part 3 Assignments in Denmark and Norway 9 April to 30 November 1940 The campaign in the West 10 May to 25 June 1940 in German Struve Druck ISBN 978 3 923457 61 8 Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Rodeike Peter Bock Winfried 2002 Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 4 I Einsatz am Kanal und uber England 26 6 1940 bis 21 6 1941 The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945 Part 4 I Action at the Channel and over England 26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941 in German Eutin Germany Struve Druck ISBN 978 3 923457 63 2 Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Rodeike Peter Bock Winfried 2003 Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 5 Heimatverteidigung 10 Mai 1940 bis 31 Dezember 1941 Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum Oktober 1940 bis November 1941 Einsatz im Westen 22 Juni bis 31 Dezember 1941 Die Erganzungsjagdgruppen Einsatz 1941 bis zur Auflosung Anfang 1942 The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945 Part 5 Defense of the Reich 10 May 1940 to 31 December 1941 Action in the Mediterranean Theater October 1940 to November 1941 Action in the West 22 June to 31 December 1941 The Supplementary Fighter Groups Action from 1941 until their Breakup in Early 1942 in German Eutin Germany Struve Druck ISBN 978 3 923457 68 7 Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Rodeike Peter Bock Winfried 2004 Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 7 Heimatverteidigung 1 January bis 31 Dezember 1942 Einsatz im Westen 1 Januar bis 31 Dezember 1942 The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945 Part 7 Defense of the Reich 1 January to 31 December 1942 Action in the West 1 January to 31 December 1942 in German Eutin Germany Struve Druck ISBN 978 3 923457 73 1 Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Rodeike Peter Bock Winfried 2006 Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 9 II Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad 1 5 1942 bis 3 2 1943 The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945 Part 9 II From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad 1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943 in German Eutin Germany Struve Druck ISBN 978 3 923457 77 9 Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Rodeike Peter Bock Winfried 2012 Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 12 I Einsatz im Osten 4 2 bis 31 12 1943 The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945 Part 12 I Action in the East 4 February to 31 December 1943 in German Eutin Germany Buchverlag Rogge ISBN 978 3 942943 02 4 Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Balke Ulf Bock Winfried 2022 Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 15 I Einsatz im Osten 1 1 bis 31 12 1944 The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945 Part 15 I Action in the East 1 January to 31 December 1944 in German Eutin Germany Buchverlag Rogge ISBN 978 3 942943 26 0 Ringlstetter Herbert 2005 Helmut Wick An Illustrated Biography of the Luftwaffe Ace and Commander of Jagdgeschwader 2 During the Battle of Britain Atglen PA Schiffer Publishing ISBN 978 0 7643 2217 4 Scherzer Veit 2007 Die Ritterkreuztrager 1939 1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer Luftwaffe Kriegsmarine Waffen SS Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbundeter Streitkrafte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives The Knight s Cross Bearers 1939 1945 The Holders of the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army Air Force Navy Waffen SS Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives in German Jena Germany Scherzers Militaer Verlag ISBN 978 3 938845 17 2 Spick Mike 1996 Luftwaffe Fighter Aces New York Ivy Books ISBN 978 0 8041 1696 1 Weal John 2000 Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen Oxford UK Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 84176 046 9 Weal John 2007 More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front Oxford UK Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 84603 177 9 Zabecki David T ed 2019 The German War Machine in World War II Santa Barbara California ABC Clio ISBN 978 1 44 086918 1 Military officesPreceded byMajor Siegfried Freytag Commander of Jagdgeschwader 77 Herz As29 December 1944 7 March 1945 Succeeded byMajor Siegfried Freytag Portals Aviation Biography Military of Germany World War II Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Erich Leie amp oldid 1122811157, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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