Karl-Heinz Leesmann
Karl-Heinz Leesmann (3 May 1915 – 25 July 1943) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Karl-Heinz Leesmann was shot down on 25 July 1943, by a B-17 bomber that he was attacking. During his career he was credited with 37 aerial victories, 27 on the Western Front and 10 on the Eastern Front.
Karl-Heinz Leesmann | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 May 1915 Osnabrück |
| Died | 25 July 1943 (aged 28) North Sea, off Heligoland |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
| Service/ | Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1936–43 |
| Rank | Major (major) |
| Unit | JG 52, JG 1 |
| Commands held | I./JG 52 III./JG 1 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Career edit
Leesmann was born on 3 May 1915 in Osnabrück in the Province of Hanover within the German Empire.[1]
Leesmann was awarded the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 5 October 1940.[2]
On 27 August 1940, Leesmann was appointed Staffelkapitän (Squadron Leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 52. He replaced Hauptmann Wolfgang Ewald who was appointed commander of I. Gruppe of JG 52.[3] On 24 May 1941, Leesmann was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of JG 52. He succeeded Ewald who was transferred.[4]
On 6 November 1941, Leesmann was severely wounded in combat when his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 9181—factory number) was hit by enemy fire resulting in an emergency landing at Ruza. In consequence, command of I. Gruppe was passed to Oberleutnant Carl Lommel.[5]
In defense of the Reich and death edit
In consequence of the newly created Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing) on 31 March 1943, a new III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing) was formed and placed under command of Leesmann.[6][7][8]
On 25 July during Blitz Week, a period of United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) aerial bombardment during the 1943 Combined Bomber Offensive, the USAAF VIII Bomber Command targeted Hamburg and Warnemünde. III. Gruppe was scrambled at 16:15 and vectored to a point of intercept over the Elbe estuary where they encountered a formation of approximately 100 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers. Leading his formation, Leesmann approached the bombers in a head-on attack. Following the attack, he radioed that his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 20073) had taken hits. Leesmann was killed in action when his Bf 109 crashed into the North Sea in an area southeast of Heligoland.[9] Command of III. Gruppe was then passed to Hauptmann Robert Olejnik.[10]
Summary of career edit
Aerial victory claims edit
Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 34 aerial victory claims, plus two further unconfirmed claims. This figure includes 10 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 24 over the Western Allies, including one four-engined heavy bomber.[11]
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 05 Ost 148". 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 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[12]
| Chronicle of aerial victories | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Leesmann did not receive credit. 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 |
| – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –[13] Battle of Britain and on the English Channel — 3–26 August 1940 | |||||||||
| 1 | 24 August 1940 | 17:12 | Spitfire | 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Margate[14] | 2 | 26 August 1940 | 12:50 | Spitfire | Dover[14] Thames Estuary |
| – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –[11] Battle of Britain and on the English Channel — 27 August – 30 October 1940 | |||||||||
| 3 | 31 August 1940 | 13:50?[Note 1] | Hurricane | southern edge of London[14] | 10 | 15 September 1940 | 15:40 | Hurricane | Thames Estuary[15] |
| 4 | 31 August 1940 | 14:00 | Spitfire | Benchley[14] | 11 | 18 September 1940 | 13:50?[Note 2] | Hurricane | Tilbury[16] |
| 5 | 31 August 1940 | 19:30 | Hurricane[14] | 12 | 24 September 1940 | 14:35 | Spitfire | 10 km (6.2 mi) off Dover[16][16] | |
| 6 | 1 September 1940 | 11:50?[Note 3] | Spitfire | Sittingbourne[14] | 13 | 24 September 1940 | 14:40 | Spitfire | 10 km (6.2 mi) off Dover[16][16] |
| 7 | 5 September 1940 | 11:05 | Spitfire[15] | — ?[Note 4] | 27 September 1940 | 14:55 | Spitfire | ||
| 8 | 7 September 1940 | 18:10 | Spitfire | Maidstone[15] | 14 | 11 October 1940 | 12:10 | Hurricane[16] | |
| 9 | 15 September 1940 | 15:25 | Hurricane | Thames Estuary[15] | |||||
| – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –[17] On the Western Front — 27 December 1940 – 23 May 1941 | |||||||||
| 15 | 15 February 1941 | 13:20 | Hurricane | Ostend[18] | |||||
| – Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 –[17] On the Western Front — 24 May – 23 September 1941 | |||||||||
| 16 | 25 May 1941 | 16:35 | Blenheim | north of Nordeney[18] | 20 | 13 June 1941 | 06:17 | Hudson | 120 km (75 mi) west of Texel[19] |
| 17 | 28 May 1941 | 20:55?[Note 5] | Blenheim | 200 km (120 mi) north-northwest of Texel[18] 200 km (120 mi) north-northwest of Terschelling | 21?[Note 6] | 30 June 1941 | 14:47 | Blenheim | 150 km (93 mi) northwest of Texel[19] |
| 18 | 28 May 1941 | 21:00 | Blenheim | 200 km (120 mi) north-northwest of Texel[18] 200 km (120 mi) north-northwest of Terschelling | 22 | 30 June 1941 | 14:51 | Blenheim | 160 km (99 mi) northwest of Texel[19] |
| 19 | 12 June 1941 | 21:05?[Note 7] | Blenheim?[Note 7] | PQ 05 Ost 148[19] North Sea | |||||
| – Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 –[17] Operation Barbarossa — 2 October – 6 November 1941 | |||||||||
| 23 | 17 October 1941 | 15:35 | I-18 (MiG-1)[20] | 27 | 28 October 1941 | 15:05 | Pe-2[20] | ||
| 24 | 18 October 1941 | 11:50 | SB-2 (Seversky)[20] | 28 | 29 October 1941 | 08:06 | I-18 (MiG-1)[20] | ||
| 25 | 22 October 1941 | 10:59 | DB-3[20] | 29 | 5 November 1941 | 08:52 | I-26 (Yak-1)[20] | ||
| 26 | 28 October 1941 | 13:50?[Note 8] | I-18 (MiG-1)[20] | 30 | 6 November 1941 | 11:25 | I-16[20] | ||
| – Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 –[17] On the Eastern Front — 19 May – 13 June 1942 | |||||||||
| 31 | 26 May 1942 | 15:41 | Il-2[21] | 32 | 4 June 1942 | 18:45 | Il-2[22] | ||
| – Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 –[17] On the Eastern Front — Defense of the Reich — 1 April – 26 July 1943 | |||||||||
| 33?[Note 9] | 25 June 1943 | — | B-17[23] | 35 | 18 July 1943 | 20:44 | Beaufighter | 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Den Helder[24] | |
| 34 | 18 July 1943 | 20:44 | Beaufighter | 8 km (5.0 mi) west of Den Helder[24] | 36 | 25 July 1943 | 17:45 | B-17[24] | |
Awards edit
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class[25]
- Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (5 October 1940)[26]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 July 1941 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 2./Jagdgeschwader 52[27][28]
- German Cross in Gold on 27 July 1942 as Hauptmann in the I./Jagdgeschwader 52[29]
Notes edit
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:50.[13]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:49.[13]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 11:47.[13]
- ^ This unconfirmed claim is not listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock.[16]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 21:03.[17]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman this claim is unconfirmed.[17]
- ^ a b According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 21:15 over a Lockheed Hudson.[17]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:49.[17]
- ^ This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[17]
References edit
Citations edit
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 155.
- ^ Barbas 2006, pp. 110–111.
- ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 129.
- ^ Prien et al. 2003a, p. 63.
- ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 17, 23.
- ^ Caldwell & Muller 2007, p. 75.
- ^ Weal 2006, pp. 20–21.
- ^ Weal 1996, p. 21.
- ^ Prien et al. 2008, pp. 165, 198.
- ^ Prien et al. 2008, p. 190.
- ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 730–731.
- ^ Planquadrat.
- ^ a b c d Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 730.
- ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2002, p. 133.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2002, p. 135.
- ^ a b c d e f g Prien et al. 2002, p. 138.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 731.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003a, p. 68.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003a, p. 69.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Prien et al. 2003b, p. 20.
- ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 428.
- ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 429.
- ^ Prien & Rodeike 1994, p. 635.
- ^ a b c Prien & Rodeike 1994, p. 636.
- ^ Dixon 2023, p. 82.
- ^ Barbas 2006, p. 350.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 287.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 498.
- ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 272.
Bibliography edit
- Barbas, Bernd (2006). Die Geschichte der I. Gruppe des Jagdgeschwaders 52 [The History of 1st Group of Fighter Wing 52] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-79-3.
- Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. . Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- Caldwell, Donald; Muller, Richard (2007). The Luftwaffe Over Germany: Defense of the Reich. MBI Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85367-712-0.
- Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1939–1942. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-52677-864-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten 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.
- 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 Ritterkreuzträger 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; Rodeike, Peter (1994). Jagdgeschwader 1 und 11: Einsatz in der Reichsverteidigung von 1939 bis 1945: Teil 1, 1939–1943 [Jagdgeschwader 1 and 11: Operations in the Defense of the Reich from 1939 to 1945] (in German). Vol. I 1939–1943. Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-21-2.
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- Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände 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 (2008). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 10/II—Reichsverteidigung—1.1. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 10/II—Defense of the Reich—1 January to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-85-4.
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