fbpx
Wikipedia

Wolfgang Späte

April 26, 2024

Wolfgang Späte (8 September 1911 – 30 April 1997) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II, with 99 victories claimed. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. For fighter pilots it was a quantifiable measure of skill and combat success. He is attributed by some, for an early, 1938 version of the speed to fly theory,[1] usually attributed to Paul MacCready. Already a talented glider pilot before the war, he went on to become one of the Luftwaffe's foremost test pilots.

Wolfgang Späte
Wolfgang Späte
Born(1911-09-08)8 September 1911
Dresden, German Empire
Died30 April 1997(1997-04-30) (aged 85)
Edewecht, Germany
Allegiance Nazi Germany
 West Germany
Service/branch German Army
 Luftwaffe
 German Air Force
Years of service1939–45
1956–67
RankMajor (Wehrmacht)
Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
UnitJG 54, JG 400, JG 7
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other workBundeswehr

Early life and career edit

Späte was born on 8 September 1911 in Dresden, at the time in the Kingdom of Saxony of the German Empire.[2]

World War II edit

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. During this invasion, Späte served with 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Heeres-Ergänzungs-Aufklärungsgruppe 23 (23rd army reconnaissance group), flying aerial reconnaissance missions, and received the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse) on 8 November. Trained as a fighter pilot, he was posted to 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) on 1 January 1941.[2] The Staffel was headed by Oberleutnant Hubert Mütherich and subordinated to II. Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 54 commanded by Hauptmann Dietrich Hrabak.[3] At the time, the Gruppe was based at Bonn-Hangelar Airfield at Sankt Augustin for a period of rest and replenishment following the losses sustained during the Battle of Britain.[4]

On 29 March 1941, II. Gruppe of JG 54 was withdrawn from the English Channel and was ordered to Graz-Thalerhof. There the various squadrons were split up with 4. Staffel being subordinated to III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) and ordered to Deta in Romania. On 6 April, 4. Staffel flew combat missions in the Invasion of Yugoslavia. The next day, the Staffel flew combat air patrols on the Hungarian-Yugoslavian border. On 9 April, II./JG 54 was united again at Kecskemét, Hungary and returned to Deta on 11 April. The Gruppe was withdrawn from this theater on 19 April and ordered to an airfield at Zemun near Belgrade.[5] In this theater of operations, Späte claimed his first aerial victory, a Yugoslav Bristol Blenheim bomber near Pécs in Hungary, on 7 April 1941.[6]

War against the Soviet Union edit

Following the surrender of the Royal Yugoslav Army on 17 April 1941, JG 54 received orders on 3 May 1941 to turn over all Bf 109-Es so they could receive the new Bf 109-F variant. Transition training was completed at Airfield Stolp-Reitz in Pomerania. Following intensive training, the Geschwader was moved to airfields in Eastern Prussia. II. Gruppe under command of Hauptmann Hrabak was moved to Trakehnen on 20 June 1941.[7] The Wehrmacht launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, on 22 June with II. Gruppe supporting Army Group North in its strategic goal towards Leningrad.[8]

Victories came regularly, and he was awarded the Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 9 August.[9] On 10 September, Späte was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel of JG 54. He succeeded Mütherich who was killed in action the day before.[10] On 2 October, Späte claimed three aerial victories in combat near Lake Ilmen. His third claim of the day was JG 54s 1,000th aerial victory claimed since the launch of Operation Barbarossa on 22 June.[11] Then on 5 October, he became the 10th member of JG 54 to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), after reaching 45 victories.[9]

His unit withdrew to the Reich at the end of the year for rest and refit, and Späte was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 January 1942. Success continued upon returning to the north of the Eastern Front as the Soviets desperately tried to raise the siege of Leningrad. This culminated with the award of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 23 April 1942 when he had 72 victories.[12] The presentation was made by Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, Hitler's headquarters in Rastenburg, present-day Kętrzyn in Poland. Also presented with awards that day by Hitler were Hauptmann Herbert Ihlefeld, who received the Swords to his Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, and Oberleutnant Wolf-Dietrich Huy who was also honored with the Oak Leaves.[13] However, with the award, he was ordered back to the Reich to set up a top-secret unit: Erprobungskommando 16, (EKdo 16) to test-fly the revolutionary new rocket-fighter, the Messerschmitt Me 163 "Komet". In consequence, command of 5. Staffel of JG 54 was passed on to Hauptmann Joachim Wandel on 21 April.[14]

 
Messerschmitt Me 163 at the Luftwaffenmuseum in Berlin-Gatow

Späte took his first flight in the Me 163 on 8 May 1942. Over the next year testing continued and slowly specially chosen pilots joined EKdo 16. Side by side with the rocket-fighter project, was the test program of the Me 262 jet-fighter (under EKdo 262). On 17 April 1943, Späte became the first Luftwaffe pilot to fly the Messerschmitt Me 262 (Werknummer 2620000002—factory number) jet fighter.[15] He was one of a select few pilots to have flown both ground-breaking aircraft.[16]

After another year, the Me 163 was deemed combat-ready, and the testing program was wound down. Before he left for his new posting though, on 14 May 1944 he flew the first combat sortie for the Me 163. According to some sources, his Me 163 PK+QL was painted red, either in the factory or by ground crew, resembling Manfred von Richthofen's Fokker Dr.I. Although he flew the mission (without success, twice unable to intercept the enemy when the rocket engine failed), Späte was not amused after seeing the plane and ordered it to be re-painted.[17]

Group commander edit

In May 1944, Späte was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of IV. Gruppe of JG 54. He replaced Hauptmann Gerhard Koall who had temporarily been leading the Gruppe after its former commander Hauptmann Siegfried Schnell was killed in action on 25 February 1944.[18]

His new unit was quickly recalled to Germany in June to cover the transfer of all the squadrons sent west following the D-day landings. There it was converted onto the Fw 190A-8 and then sent to Poland against the great Russian summer offensive.[19] But against vastly greater numbers of enemy aircraft the unit was butchered, losing nearly half its pilots killed or wounded - Späte himself was injured and forced two times to bail out of his aircraft. The unit was pulled back again to the Reich for refit and rebuild. On 17 September, the Allied forces staged their airborne operation at Arnhem. Again, IV./JG 54 was thrown into the fray, but for the second time in less than 3 months, against vastly superior opposition, it was destroyed in less than a fortnight.[20]

Whether due to problems getting the Me 163 operational, or his unit's catastrophic losses, Späte gave up his command of IV./JG 54. In his 4-month absence from the Me 163 programme, the first combat unit (I./JG 400) had been set up and he joined that unit to come back up to speed on the interceptor's progress (some sources say as the unit's commander, although Hptm Robert Olejnik is also given as the unit commander at this time).[16]

Flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 edit

After JG 400 was disbanded, Späte joined the Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) of Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing) in April 1945. On 15 April, JG 7 was ordered to relocate to airfields at Saaz, present-day Žatec, Eger and the Prague–Ruzyně Airport where it continued to fly missions in defense of Berlin.[21] On 17 April, JG 7 was able to get 20 Me 262 airborne which intercepted Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers near Dresden. In this encounter, Späte claimed a B-17 bomber shot down.[22]

In 1956 he rejoined the military service in the Bundeswehr. Späte retired in 1967. He died in 1997 in Edewecht, at the age of 85.

Summary of career edit

Aerial victory claims edit

According to Spick, Späte was credited with 99 aerial victories, claimed in over 600 combat missions, 90 of which on the Eastern Front and nine on the Western Front, including five four-engine bombers while flying the Me 262.[23] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 99 aerial victory claims, plus four further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 91 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and eight on the Western Front, including five four-engine bombers with the Me 262 jet fighter.[24]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 25 Ost 84859". 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.[25]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Späte 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 unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Späte 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
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[26]
Balkan Campaign — 29 March – 3 May 1941
1 7 April 1941 12:00 Blenheim Fünfkirchen[27]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[28]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
2 23 June 1941 10:07 SB-2 northeast of Insterburg[29] 26 26 August 1941 05:45 I-16 east of Poretschje[30]
3 23 June 1941 10:08 SB-2 northeast of Insterburg[29] 27 26 August 1941 05:48 I-16 east of Poretschje[30]
4 27 June 1941 13:35 SB-2 east of Dünaburg[29] 28 3 September 1941 18:30 I-18 (MiG-1) north of Michałówka[31]
5 27 June 1941 13:50 SB-2 east of Dünaburg[32] 29 9 September 1941 16:45 I-18 (MiG-1) Leningrad[31]
6 30 June 1941 06:47 DB-3 east of Kreuzburg[32] 30 10 September 1941 11:20 I-18 (MiG-1) south of Leningrad[31]
7 30 June 1941 12:30 DB-3 north of Dünaburg[32] 31 12 September 1941 13:00 I-18 (MiG-1) north of Krasnoye Selo[31]
8 30 June 1941 14:50 DB-3 west of Dünaburg[33] 32 19 September 1941 09:20 I-18 (MiG-1) northeast of Leningrad[31]
9 2 July 1941 18:30 DB-3 east of Tschalkino[33] 33 21 September 1941 11:50 I-18 (MiG-1) south of Putilowo[31]
10 6 July 1941 10:45 I-16 east-southeast of Pskov[34] 34 21 September 1941 17:30 I-18 (MiG-1) north of Wswelowshski[31]
11 7 July 1941 18:55 DB-3 northeast of Ostrov[34] 35 23 September 1941 08:40 I-16 northeast of Leningrad[31]
12 8 July 1941 11:15 I-18 (MiG-1) Porkhov[35] 36 26 September 1941 08:35 I-18 (MiG-1) Shicharjewo[36]
13 17 July 1941 06:30 I-153 northwest of Soltsy[35] 37 26 September 1941 11:20 I-18 (MiG-1) north of Parogi[36]
14 17 July 1941 20:30 DB-3 east of Lake Samra[35] 38 27 September 1941 11:00 I-18 (MiG-1) Ljubnitza[36]
15 19 July 1941 17:30 DB-3 southwest of Mshinskaya[37] 39 1 October 1941 17:00 I-18 (MiG-1) Polnowo[36]
16 19 July 1941 19:08 I-18 (MiG-1) northeast of Wloschowo[37] 40 1 October 1941 17:02 I-18 (MiG-1) Polnowo[36]
17 25 July 1941 07:58 DB-3 north of Werest[37] 41 2 October 1941 08:00 I-18 (MiG-1) Ljubnitza[36]
18 7 August 1941 19:48 I-18 (MiG-1) west of Korpowa[38] 42 2 October 1941 08:12 I-18 (MiG-1) east of Valday[36]
19 7 August 1941 19:51 I-18 (MiG-1) north of Korpowa[38] 43 2 October 1941 14:30 I-18 (MiG-1) east of Lake Seliger[36]
20 10 August 1941 10:11 I-18 (MiG-1) northeast of Poretschje[38] 44 2 October 1941 14:35 I-18 (MiG-1) east of Lake Seliger[36]
21 11 August 1941 06:07 I-16 northeast of Poretschje[38] 45 5 October 1941 08:10 I-16 southeast of Valday[36]
22 12 August 1941 17:50 I-18 (MiG-1) Kiepiek[30] 46 7 October 1941 07:22 I-26 (Yak-1) southeast of Borowitschi[39]
23 16 August 1941 19:00 I-18 (MiG-1) northeast of Krasnogvardeysky[30] 47 7 October 1941 17:10 I-18 (MiG-1) northeast of Kresttsy[39]
24 21 August 1941 12:57 I-18 (MiG-1) northeast of Pushkin[30] 48 10 October 1941 10:17 I-26 (Yak-1) Jam Chotilowo[39]
25 25 August 1941 13:40 I-153 Kuplja[30]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[40]
Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 21 April 1942
49 3 February 1942 15:02 Pe-2 Ulyanovka[41] 65 26 March 1942 13:25 P-40[42]
50 7 February 1942 08:50 Pe-2 Szenaja Kjerjest[41] 66 28 March 1942 15:30 I-301 (LaGG-3)[43]
51 10 February 1942 16:40 R-5 south-southeast of Chudovo[41] 67 1 April 1942 10:55 I-18 (MiG-1)[43]
52 15 February 1942 15:05 I-26 (Yak-1) north of Wolchowstroj[41] 68 1 April 1942 11:35 I-26 (Yak-1)[43]
53 22 February 1942 10:45 biplane with skids (Seversky) Dubrovka[41] 69 1 April 1942 15:15 Il-2[43]
54 28 February 1942 08:30 Pe-2 southwest of Tikhvin[41] 70♠ 5 April 1942 11:47 I-26 (Yak-1) 1 km (0.62 mi) north of Valday[44]
55 7 March 1942 15:40 R-5 east of Kholm[42] ♠[Note 1] 5 April 1942 11:47 I-26 1 km (0.62 mi) north of Valday[44]
56 13 March 1942 14:10 I-18 (MiG-1) west of Malaya Vishera[42] 71♠ 5 April 1942 13:10 I-18 (MiG-1)[44]
57♠ 16 March 1942 06:33 biplane (Seversky) Bolotowo[42] 72♠ 5 April 1942 13:41 I-18 (MiG-1)[44]
58♠ 16 March 1942 06:45 biplane (Seversky) Narostynia[42] 73♠ 5 April 1942 13:43 I-18 (MiG-1)[44]
59♠ 16 March 1942 06:45 biplane (Seversky) Narostynia[42] 74 15 April 1942 06:30 MiG-3[44]
60♠ 16 March 1942 14:38 I-18 (MiG-1) Myasnoy Bor[42]
southwest of Gladi 		75 16 April 1942 06:35 LaGG-3[44]
61♠ 16 March 1942 17:15 I-18 (MiG-1) Gremjatschewo[42]
forest, south of Lyubyan 		76 16 April 1942 08:10 Pe-2 north of Maljutischij[44]
62 17 March 1942 13:20 I-26 (Yak-1) Pogostje[42] 77 16 April 1942 08:15 Pe-2 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Dworjetz[44]
63 18 March 1942 12:55?[Note 2] I-61 (MiG-3) east of Spasskaja Polist[42] 78 17 April 1942 13:50 Yak-1[44]
64 26 March 1942 13:22 P-40[42]?[Note 3]
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[46]
Eastern Front — July 1942
—
 7 July 1942
—
 U-2 vicinity of Demyansk[47]
—
 7 July 1942
—
 U-2 vicinity of Demyansk[47]
—
 7 July 1942
—
 U-2 vicinity of Demyansk[47] 79?[Note 4] 13 July 1942 15:20 R-5 east of Jam Simorgoje[47]
– Stab IV. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[46]
Eastern Front — June – August 1944
79 28 June 1944 19:15 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 84859[48] 86 22 July 1944 15:25 Boston PQ 25 Ost 3259[49]
80 8 July 1944 17:46 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 4275[48] 87 26 July 1944 16:45 Il-2 Kholm[49]
81 15 July 1944 13:40 La-5 PQ 26 Ost 5018[49] 88 4 August 1944 18:25 unknown PQ 25 Ost 1233[50]
82 15 July 1944 13:50 La-5 PQ 26 Ost 5014[49] 89 9 August 1944 16:40 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 12156[50]
20 km (12 mi) east of Grojec
83 15 July 1944 14:00 La-5 PQ 26 Ost 5012[49] 90 12 August 1944 11:00 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 12427[50]
25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Grojec
84 16 July 1944 09:30 P-40 PQ 26 Ost 40292[49]
Gulf of Finland, north-northeast of Reval 		91 26 August 1944 12:36 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 13385[51]
25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Nasielsk
85 20 July 1944 15:30 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 32772[49]
20 km (12 mi) northwest of Kholm 		92 26 August 1944 18:55 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 14848[51]
vicinity of Ostrołęka
– Stab IV. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[46]
Western Front — September 1944
93 25 September 1944 18:02 B-25 Arnhem[52] 94 26 September 1944 14:20 Spitfire east of Arnhem[52]
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 7 –[46]
95 17 April 1945
—
 B-17[53] vicinity of Dresden 98 25 April 1945
—
 B-17[54] southwest of Prague
96 19 April 1945 12:15 B-17[53] vicinity of Aussig 99 25 April 1945
—
 B-17[54] southwest of Prague
97 25 April 1945
—
 B-17[54] southwest of Prague

Awards edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[45]
  2. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 17:15.[45]
  3. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1.[45]
  4. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman this claim was unconfirmed.[46]

References edit

Citations edit

  1. ^ Pettersson 2006, p. 6.
  2. ^ a b Stockert 2012, p. 419.
  3. ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 310.
  4. ^ Prien et al. 2002, pp. 307, 309.
  5. ^ Prien et al. 2003a, p. 313.
  6. ^ Weal 2001, p. 39.
  7. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, pp. 212, 222.
  8. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 212.
  9. ^ a b Stockert 2012, p. 420.
  10. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 222.
  11. ^ Bergström & Mikhailov 2000, p. 189.
  12. ^ Weal 2001, p. 57.
  13. ^ Page 2020, p. 98.
  14. ^ Prien et al. 2005, p. 216.
  15. ^ Forsyth 2008, p. 9.
  16. ^ a b Smith & Creek 2005, p. 301.
  17. ^ Sundin & Bergström 1997, p. 80.
  18. ^ Weal 2001, p. 118.
  19. ^ Weal 2001, p. 109.
  20. ^ Weal 2001, p. 94.
  21. ^ Boehme 1992, p. 164.
  22. ^ Boehme 1992, pp. 167–168.
  23. ^ Spick 1996, p. 233.
  24. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1232–1234.
  25. ^ Planquadrat.
  26. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1232.
  27. ^ Prien et al. 2003a, p. 245.
  28. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1232–1233.
  29. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003b, p. 228.
  30. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2003b, p. 235.
  31. ^ a b c d e f g h Prien et al. 2003b, p. 237.
  32. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003b, p. 229.
  33. ^ a b Prien et al. 2003b, p. 230.
  34. ^ a b Prien et al. 2003b, p. 231.
  35. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003b, p. 232.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Prien et al. 2003b, p. 238.
  37. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003b, p. 233.
  38. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003b, p. 234.
  39. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003b, p. 239.
  40. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1233–1234.
  41. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2005, p. 220.
  42. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Prien et al. 2005, p. 222.
  43. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2005, p. 223.
  44. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Prien et al. 2005, p. 224.
  45. ^ a b c Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1233.
  46. ^ a b c d e Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1234.
  47. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2006, p. 146.
  48. ^ a b Prien et al. 2022, p. 553.
  49. ^ a b c d e f g Prien et al. 2022, p. 554.
  50. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2022, p. 555.
  51. ^ a b Prien et al. 2022, p. 556.
  52. ^ a b Prien et al. 2019, p. 471.
  53. ^ a b Heaton & Lewis 2012, p. 276.
  54. ^ a b c Heaton & Lewis 2012, p. 277.
  55. ^ a b Thomas 1998, p. 332.
  56. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 50.
  57. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 450.
  58. ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 711.
  59. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 403.
  60. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 59.

Bibliography edit

  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]; Mikhailov, Andrey (2000). Black Cross / Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front, Volume I, Operation Barbarossa 1941. Pacifica, California: Pacifica Military History. ISBN 978-0-935553-48-2.
  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. . Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]; Mikhailov, Andrey (2001). Black Cross / Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front, Volume II, Resurgence January–June 1942. Pacifica, California: Pacifica Military History. ISBN 978-0-935553-51-2.
  • Boehme, Manfred (1992). JG 7 The World's First Jet Fighter Unit 1944/1945. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88740-395-8.
  • 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.
  • Forsyth, Robert (2008). Jagdgeschwader 7 'Nowotny'. Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 29. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-320-9.
  • Heaton, Colin; Lewis, Anne-Marie (2012). The Me 262 Stormbird: From the Pilots Who Flew, Fought, and Survived It. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint. ISBN 978-0-76034-263-3.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 4 S–Z. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-21-9.
  • Morgan, Hugh; Weal, John (1998). German Jet Aces of World War 2. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 17. London; New York: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-634-7.
  • 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.
  • Page, Neil (2020). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1939–42. Philadelphia, PA: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61200-849-3.
  • 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.
  • Pettersson, Åke (Oct–Nov 2006). "Letters". Sailplane & Gliding. 57 (5). British Gliding Association.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/II—Einsatz am Kanal und über England—26.6.1940 bis 21.6.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 4/II—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-64-9.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände 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 Ergänzungsjagdgruppen—Einsatz 1941 bis zur Auflösung 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 (2003b). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/II—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/II—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-70-0.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2005). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/I—Winterkampf im Osten—6.12.1941 bis 30.4.1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/I—Winter War in the East—6 December 1941 to 30 April 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-76-2.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/III—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/III—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-78-6.
  • Prien, Jochen; Balke, Ulf; Stemmer, Gerhard; Bock, Winfried (2019). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 13/V—Einsatz im Reichsverteidigung und im Westen—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 13/V—Action in the Defense of the Reich and in the West—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-942943-21-5.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Balke, Ulf; Bock, Winfried (2022). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 15/II—Einsatz im Osten—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 15/II—Action in the East—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-28-4.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte 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.
  • Smith, John Richard; Creek, Eddie J. (2005). Jagdwaffe Vol 5, Sec4: Jet Fighters and Rocket Interceptors 1944 – 1945. Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing. ISBN 978-1-903223-52-9.
  • Späte, Wolfgang. Der streng geheime Vogel Me 163 (in German). DÖRFLER im NEBEL VERLAG GmbH. ISBN 978-3-89555-142-0.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
  • Stockert, Peter (2012) [1996]. Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1 [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1] (in German) (4th ed.). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. ISBN 978-3-9802222-7-3.
  • Sundin, Claes; Bergström, Christer (1997). Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft in Profile. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0-7643-0291-6.
  • Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.
  • Weal, John (2001). Jagdgeschwader 54 "Grünherz". Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 6. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-286-9.
  • Weal, John (2007). More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84603-177-X, incl colour picture of his aircraft, #29

April 26, 2024
wolfgang, späte, september, 1911, april, 1997, german, luftwaffe, fighter, during, world, with, victories, claimed, recipient, knight, cross, iron, cross, with, leaves, fighter, pilots, quantifiable, measure, skill, combat, success, attributed, some, early, 19. Wolfgang Spate 8 September 1911 30 April 1997 was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II with 99 victories claimed He was a recipient of the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves For fighter pilots it was a quantifiable measure of skill and combat success He is attributed by some for an early 1938 version of the speed to fly theory 1 usually attributed to Paul MacCready Already a talented glider pilot before the war he went on to become one of the Luftwaffe s foremost test pilots Wolfgang SpateWolfgang SpateBorn 1911 09 08 8 September 1911Dresden German EmpireDied30 April 1997 1997 04 30 aged 85 Edewecht GermanyAllegiance Nazi Germany West GermanyService wbr branch German Army Luftwaffe German Air ForceYears of service1939 451956 67RankMajor Wehrmacht Oberstleutnant Bundeswehr UnitJG 54 JG 400 JG 7Battles warsWorld War IIAwardsKnight s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak LeavesOther workBundeswehr Contents 1 Early life and career 2 World War II 2 1 War against the Soviet Union 2 2 Group commander 2 3 Flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 3 Summary of career 3 1 Aerial victory claims 3 2 Awards 4 Citations 5 References 5 1 Citations 5 2 BibliographyEarly life and career editSpate was born on 8 September 1911 in Dresden at the time in the Kingdom of Saxony of the German Empire 2 World War II editWorld War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland During this invasion Spate served with 2 Staffel 2nd squadron of Heeres Erganzungs Aufklarungsgruppe 23 23rd army reconnaissance group flying aerial reconnaissance missions and received the Iron Cross 2nd Class Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse on 8 November Trained as a fighter pilot he was posted to 5 Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 JG 54 54th Fighter Wing on 1 January 1941 2 The Staffel was headed by Oberleutnant Hubert Mutherich and subordinated to II Gruppe 2nd group of JG 54 commanded by Hauptmann Dietrich Hrabak 3 At the time the Gruppe was based at Bonn Hangelar Airfield at Sankt Augustin for a period of rest and replenishment following the losses sustained during the Battle of Britain 4 On 29 March 1941 II Gruppe of JG 54 was withdrawn from the English Channel and was ordered to Graz Thalerhof There the various squadrons were split up with 4 Staffel being subordinated to III Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 77 JG 77 77th Fighter Wing and ordered to Deta in Romania On 6 April 4 Staffel flew combat missions in the Invasion of Yugoslavia The next day the Staffel flew combat air patrols on the Hungarian Yugoslavian border On 9 April II JG 54 was united again at Kecskemet Hungary and returned to Deta on 11 April The Gruppe was withdrawn from this theater on 19 April and ordered to an airfield at Zemun near Belgrade 5 In this theater of operations Spate claimed his first aerial victory a Yugoslav Bristol Blenheim bomber near Pecs in Hungary on 7 April 1941 6 War against the Soviet Union edit Following the surrender of the Royal Yugoslav Army on 17 April 1941 JG 54 received orders on 3 May 1941 to turn over all Bf 109 Es so they could receive the new Bf 109 F variant Transition training was completed at Airfield Stolp Reitz in Pomerania Following intensive training the Geschwader was moved to airfields in Eastern Prussia II Gruppe under command of Hauptmann Hrabak was moved to Trakehnen on 20 June 1941 7 The Wehrmacht launched Operation Barbarossa the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June with II Gruppe supporting Army Group North in its strategic goal towards Leningrad 8 Victories came regularly and he was awarded the Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 9 August 9 On 10 September Spate was appointed Staffelkapitan squadron leader of 5 Staffel of JG 54 He succeeded Mutherich who was killed in action the day before 10 On 2 October Spate claimed three aerial victories in combat near Lake Ilmen His third claim of the day was JG 54s 1 000th aerial victory claimed since the launch of Operation Barbarossa on 22 June 11 Then on 5 October he became the 10th member of JG 54 to be awarded the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes after reaching 45 victories 9 His unit withdrew to the Reich at the end of the year for rest and refit and Spate was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 January 1942 Success continued upon returning to the north of the Eastern Front as the Soviets desperately tried to raise the siege of Leningrad This culminated with the award of the Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub on 23 April 1942 when he had 72 victories 12 The presentation was made by Adolf Hitler at the Wolf s Lair Hitler s headquarters in Rastenburg present day Ketrzyn in Poland Also presented with awards that day by Hitler were Hauptmann Herbert Ihlefeld who received the Swords to his Knight s Cross with Oak Leaves and Oberleutnant Wolf Dietrich Huy who was also honored with the Oak Leaves 13 However with the award he was ordered back to the Reich to set up a top secret unit Erprobungskommando 16 EKdo 16 to test fly the revolutionary new rocket fighter the Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet In consequence command of 5 Staffel of JG 54 was passed on to Hauptmann Joachim Wandel on 21 April 14 nbsp Messerschmitt Me 163 at the Luftwaffenmuseum in Berlin Gatow Spate took his first flight in the Me 163 on 8 May 1942 Over the next year testing continued and slowly specially chosen pilots joined EKdo 16 Side by side with the rocket fighter project was the test program of the Me 262 jet fighter under EKdo 262 On 17 April 1943 Spate became the first Luftwaffe pilot to fly the Messerschmitt Me 262 Werknummer 2620000002 factory number jet fighter 15 He was one of a select few pilots to have flown both ground breaking aircraft 16 After another year the Me 163 was deemed combat ready and the testing program was wound down Before he left for his new posting though on 14 May 1944 he flew the first combat sortie for the Me 163 According to some sources his Me 163 PK QL was painted red either in the factory or by ground crew resembling Manfred von Richthofen s Fokker Dr I Although he flew the mission without success twice unable to intercept the enemy when the rocket engine failed Spate was not amused after seeing the plane and ordered it to be re painted 17 Group commander edit In May 1944 Spate was appointed Gruppenkommandeur group commander of IV Gruppe of JG 54 He replaced Hauptmann Gerhard Koall who had temporarily been leading the Gruppe after its former commander Hauptmann Siegfried Schnell was killed in action on 25 February 1944 18 His new unit was quickly recalled to Germany in June to cover the transfer of all the squadrons sent west following the D day landings There it was converted onto the Fw 190A 8 and then sent to Poland against the great Russian summer offensive 19 But against vastly greater numbers of enemy aircraft the unit was butchered losing nearly half its pilots killed or wounded Spate himself was injured and forced two times to bail out of his aircraft The unit was pulled back again to the Reich for refit and rebuild On 17 September the Allied forces staged their airborne operation at Arnhem Again IV JG 54 was thrown into the fray but for the second time in less than 3 months against vastly superior opposition it was destroyed in less than a fortnight 20 Whether due to problems getting the Me 163 operational or his unit s catastrophic losses Spate gave up his command of IV JG 54 In his 4 month absence from the Me 163 programme the first combat unit I JG 400 had been set up and he joined that unit to come back up to speed on the interceptor s progress some sources say as the unit s commander although Hptm Robert Olejnik is also given as the unit commander at this time 16 Flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 edit After JG 400 was disbanded Spate joined the Geschwaderstab headquarters unit of Jagdgeschwader 7 JG 7 7th Fighter Wing in April 1945 On 15 April JG 7 was ordered to relocate to airfields at Saaz present day Zatec Eger and the Prague Ruzyne Airport where it continued to fly missions in defense of Berlin 21 On 17 April JG 7 was able to get 20 Me 262 airborne which intercepted Boeing B 17 Flying Fortress bombers near Dresden In this encounter Spate claimed a B 17 bomber shot down 22 In 1956 he rejoined the military service in the Bundeswehr Spate retired in 1967 He died in 1997 in Edewecht at the age of 85 Summary of career editAerial victory claims edit According to Spick Spate was credited with 99 aerial victories claimed in over 600 combat missions 90 of which on the Eastern Front and nine on the Western Front including five four engine bombers while flying the Me 262 23 Mathews and Foreman authors of Luftwaffe Aces Biographies and Victory Claims researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 99 aerial victory claims plus four further unconfirmed claims This figure of confirmed claims includes 91 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and eight on the Western Front including five four engine bombers with the Me 262 jet fighter 24 Victory claims were logged to a map reference PQ Planquadrat for example PQ 25 Ost 84859 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 km 4 km 1 9 mi 2 5 mi in size 25 Chronicle of aerial victories This and the Ace of spades indicates those aerial victories which made Spate 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 unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Spate 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 5 Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 26 Balkan Campaign 29 March 3 May 1941 1 7 April 1941 12 00 Blenheim Funfkirchen 27 5 Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 28 Operation Barbarossa 22 June 5 December 1941 2 23 June 1941 10 07 SB 2 northeast of Insterburg 29 26 26 August 1941 05 45 I 16 east of Poretschje 30 3 23 June 1941 10 08 SB 2 northeast of Insterburg 29 27 26 August 1941 05 48 I 16 east of Poretschje 30 4 27 June 1941 13 35 SB 2 east of Dunaburg 29 28 3 September 1941 18 30 I 18 MiG 1 north of Michalowka 31 5 27 June 1941 13 50 SB 2 east of Dunaburg 32 29 9 September 1941 16 45 I 18 MiG 1 Leningrad 31 6 30 June 1941 06 47 DB 3 east of Kreuzburg 32 30 10 September 1941 11 20 I 18 MiG 1 south of Leningrad 31 7 30 June 1941 12 30 DB 3 north of Dunaburg 32 31 12 September 1941 13 00 I 18 MiG 1 north of Krasnoye Selo 31 8 30 June 1941 14 50 DB 3 west of Dunaburg 33 32 19 September 1941 09 20 I 18 MiG 1 northeast of Leningrad 31 9 2 July 1941 18 30 DB 3 east of Tschalkino 33 33 21 September 1941 11 50 I 18 MiG 1 south of Putilowo 31 10 6 July 1941 10 45 I 16 east southeast of Pskov 34 34 21 September 1941 17 30 I 18 MiG 1 north of Wswelowshski 31 11 7 July 1941 18 55 DB 3 northeast of Ostrov 34 35 23 September 1941 08 40 I 16 northeast of Leningrad 31 12 8 July 1941 11 15 I 18 MiG 1 Porkhov 35 36 26 September 1941 08 35 I 18 MiG 1 Shicharjewo 36 13 17 July 1941 06 30 I 153 northwest of Soltsy 35 37 26 September 1941 11 20 I 18 MiG 1 north of Parogi 36 14 17 July 1941 20 30 DB 3 east of Lake Samra 35 38 27 September 1941 11 00 I 18 MiG 1 Ljubnitza 36 15 19 July 1941 17 30 DB 3 southwest of Mshinskaya 37 39 1 October 1941 17 00 I 18 MiG 1 Polnowo 36 16 19 July 1941 19 08 I 18 MiG 1 northeast of Wloschowo 37 40 1 October 1941 17 02 I 18 MiG 1 Polnowo 36 17 25 July 1941 07 58 DB 3 north of Werest 37 41 2 October 1941 08 00 I 18 MiG 1 Ljubnitza 36 18 7 August 1941 19 48 I 18 MiG 1 west of Korpowa 38 42 2 October 1941 08 12 I 18 MiG 1 east of Valday 36 19 7 August 1941 19 51 I 18 MiG 1 north of Korpowa 38 43 2 October 1941 14 30 I 18 MiG 1 east of Lake Seliger 36 20 10 August 1941 10 11 I 18 MiG 1 northeast of Poretschje 38 44 2 October 1941 14 35 I 18 MiG 1 east of Lake Seliger 36 21 11 August 1941 06 07 I 16 northeast of Poretschje 38 45 5 October 1941 08 10 I 16 southeast of Valday 36 22 12 August 1941 17 50 I 18 MiG 1 Kiepiek 30 46 7 October 1941 07 22 I 26 Yak 1 southeast of Borowitschi 39 23 16 August 1941 19 00 I 18 MiG 1 northeast of Krasnogvardeysky 30 47 7 October 1941 17 10 I 18 MiG 1 northeast of Kresttsy 39 24 21 August 1941 12 57 I 18 MiG 1 northeast of Pushkin 30 48 10 October 1941 10 17 I 26 Yak 1 Jam Chotilowo 39 25 25 August 1941 13 40 I 153 Kuplja 30 5 Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 40 Eastern Front 6 December 1941 21 April 1942 49 3 February 1942 15 02 Pe 2 Ulyanovka 41 65 26 March 1942 13 25 P 40 42 50 7 February 1942 08 50 Pe 2 Szenaja Kjerjest 41 66 28 March 1942 15 30 I 301 LaGG 3 43 51 10 February 1942 16 40 R 5 south southeast of Chudovo 41 67 1 April 1942 10 55 I 18 MiG 1 43 52 15 February 1942 15 05 I 26 Yak 1 north of Wolchowstroj 41 68 1 April 1942 11 35 I 26 Yak 1 43 53 22 February 1942 10 45 biplane with skids Seversky Dubrovka 41 69 1 April 1942 15 15 Il 2 43 54 28 February 1942 08 30 Pe 2 southwest of Tikhvin 41 70 5 April 1942 11 47 I 26 Yak 1 1 km 0 62 mi north of Valday 44 55 7 March 1942 15 40 R 5 east of Kholm 42 Note 1 5 April 1942 11 47 I 26 1 km 0 62 mi north of Valday 44 56 13 March 1942 14 10 I 18 MiG 1 west of Malaya Vishera 42 71 5 April 1942 13 10 I 18 MiG 1 44 57 16 March 1942 06 33 biplane Seversky Bolotowo 42 72 5 April 1942 13 41 I 18 MiG 1 44 58 16 March 1942 06 45 biplane Seversky Narostynia 42 73 5 April 1942 13 43 I 18 MiG 1 44 59 16 March 1942 06 45 biplane Seversky Narostynia 42 74 15 April 1942 06 30 MiG 3 44 60 16 March 1942 14 38 I 18 MiG 1 Myasnoy Bor 42 southwest of Gladi 75 16 April 1942 06 35 LaGG 3 44 61 16 March 1942 17 15 I 18 MiG 1 Gremjatschewo 42 forest south of Lyubyan 76 16 April 1942 08 10 Pe 2 north of Maljutischij 44 62 17 March 1942 13 20 I 26 Yak 1 Pogostje 42 77 16 April 1942 08 15 Pe 2 20 km 12 mi northwest of Dworjetz 44 63 18 March 1942 12 55 Note 2 I 61 MiG 3 east of Spasskaja Polist 42 78 17 April 1942 13 50 Yak 1 44 64 26 March 1942 13 22 P 40 42 Note 3 Stab II Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 46 Eastern Front July 1942 7 July 1942 U 2 vicinity of Demyansk 47 7 July 1942 U 2 vicinity of Demyansk 47 7 July 1942 U 2 vicinity of Demyansk 47 79 Note 4 13 July 1942 15 20 R 5 east of Jam Simorgoje 47 Stab IV Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 46 Eastern Front June August 1944 79 28 June 1944 19 15 La 5 PQ 25 Ost 84859 48 86 22 July 1944 15 25 Boston PQ 25 Ost 3259 49 80 8 July 1944 17 46 Il 2 PQ 25 Ost 4275 48 87 26 July 1944 16 45 Il 2 Kholm 49 81 15 July 1944 13 40 La 5 PQ 26 Ost 5018 49 88 4 August 1944 18 25 unknown PQ 25 Ost 1233 50 82 15 July 1944 13 50 La 5 PQ 26 Ost 5014 49 89 9 August 1944 16 40 Il 2 PQ 25 Ost 12156 50 20 km 12 mi east of Grojec 83 15 July 1944 14 00 La 5 PQ 26 Ost 5012 49 90 12 August 1944 11 00 La 5 PQ 25 Ost 12427 50 25 km 16 mi east southeast of Grojec 84 16 July 1944 09 30 P 40 PQ 26 Ost 40292 49 Gulf of Finland north northeast of Reval 91 26 August 1944 12 36 Yak 9 PQ 25 Ost 13385 51 25 km 16 mi east southeast of Nasielsk 85 20 July 1944 15 30 Yak 9 PQ 25 Ost 32772 49 20 km 12 mi northwest of Kholm 92 26 August 1944 18 55 La 5 PQ 25 Ost 14848 51 vicinity of Ostroleka Stab IV Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 46 Western Front September 1944 93 25 September 1944 18 02 B 25 Arnhem 52 94 26 September 1944 14 20 Spitfire east of Arnhem 52 Stab I Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 7 46 95 17 April 1945 B 17 53 vicinity of Dresden 98 25 April 1945 B 17 54 southwest of Prague 96 19 April 1945 12 15 B 17 53 vicinity of Aussig 99 25 April 1945 B 17 54 southwest of Prague 97 25 April 1945 B 17 54 southwest of Prague Awards edit Iron Cross 1939 2nd Class 8 November 1939 55 1st Class 27 June 1940 55 Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe 9 August 1941 56 German Cross in Gold on 9 December 1941 as Oberleutnant in the II Jagdgeschwader 54 57 Knight s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight s Cross on 5 October 1941 as Oberleutnant of the Reserves and pilot in the 5 Jagdgeschwader 54 58 59 90th Oak Leaves on 23 April 1942 as Oberleutnant of the Reserves and Staffelkapitan of the 5 Jagdgeschwader 54 58 60 Citations edit This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman 45 According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 17 15 45 According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Mikoyan Gurevich MiG 1 45 According to Mathews and Foreman this claim was unconfirmed 46 References editCitations edit Pettersson 2006 p 6 a b Stockert 2012 p 419 Prien et al 2002 p 310 Prien et al 2002 pp 307 309 Prien et al 2003a p 313 Weal 2001 p 39 Prien et al 2003b pp 212 222 Prien et al 2003b p 212 a b Stockert 2012 p 420 Prien et al 2003b p 222 Bergstrom amp Mikhailov 2000 p 189 Weal 2001 p 57 Page 2020 p 98 Prien et al 2005 p 216 Forsyth 2008 p 9 a b Smith amp Creek 2005 p 301 Sundin amp Bergstrom 1997 p 80 Weal 2001 p 118 Weal 2001 p 109 Weal 2001 p 94 Boehme 1992 p 164 Boehme 1992 pp 167 168 Spick 1996 p 233 Mathews amp Foreman 2015 pp 1232 1234 Planquadrat Mathews amp Foreman 2015 p 1232 Prien et al 2003a p 245 Mathews amp Foreman 2015 pp 1232 1233 a b c Prien et al 2003b p 228 a b c d e f Prien et al 2003b p 235 a b c d e f g h Prien et al 2003b p 237 a b c Prien et al 2003b p 229 a b Prien et al 2003b p 230 a b Prien et al 2003b p 231 a b c Prien et al 2003b p 232 a b c d e f g h i j Prien et al 2003b p 238 a b c Prien et al 2003b p 233 a b c d Prien et al 2003b p 234 a b c Prien et al 2003b p 239 Mathews amp Foreman 2015 pp 1233 1234 a b c d e f Prien et al 2005 p 220 a b c d e f g h i j k Prien et al 2005 p 222 a b c d Prien et al 2005 p 223 a b c d e f g h i j Prien et al 2005 p 224 a b c Mathews amp Foreman 2015 p 1233 a b c d e Mathews amp Foreman 2015 p 1234 a b c d Prien et al 2006 p 146 a b Prien et al 2022 p 553 a b c d e f g Prien et al 2022 p 554 a b c Prien et al 2022 p 555 a b Prien et al 2022 p 556 a b Prien et al 2019 p 471 a b Heaton amp Lewis 2012 p 276 a b c Heaton amp Lewis 2012 p 277 a b Thomas 1998 p 332 Obermaier 1989 p 50 Patzwall amp Scherzer 2001 p 450 a b Scherzer 2007 p 711 Fellgiebel 2000 p 403 Fellgiebel 2000 p 59 Bibliography edit Bergstrom Christer in Swedish Mikhailov Andrey 2000 Black Cross Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front Volume I Operation Barbarossa 1941 Pacifica California Pacifica Military History ISBN 978 0 935553 48 2 Bergstrom Christer in Swedish Bergstrom Black Cross Red Star website Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat Archived from the original on 22 December 2018 Retrieved 15 August 2023 Bergstrom Christer in Swedish Mikhailov Andrey 2001 Black Cross Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front Volume II Resurgence January June 1942 Pacifica California Pacifica Military History ISBN 978 0 935553 51 2 Boehme Manfred 1992 JG 7 The World s First Jet Fighter Unit 1944 1945 Atglen PA Schiffer Publishing ISBN 978 0 88740 395 8 Fellgiebel Walther Peer in German 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 Forsyth Robert 2008 Jagdgeschwader 7 Nowotny Aviation Elite Units Vol 29 Oxford UK Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 84603 320 9 Heaton Colin Lewis Anne Marie 2012 The Me 262 Stormbird From the Pilots Who Flew Fought and Survived It Minneapolis Minnesota Zenith Imprint ISBN 978 0 76034 263 3 Mathews Andrew Johannes Foreman John 2015 Luftwaffe Aces Biographies and Victory Claims Volume 4 S Z Walton on Thames Red Kite ISBN 978 1 906592 21 9 Morgan Hugh Weal John 1998 German Jet Aces of World War 2 Aircraft of the Aces Vol 17 London New York Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 85532 634 7 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 Page Neil 2020 Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1939 42 Philadelphia PA Casemate Publishers ISBN 978 1 61200 849 3 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 Pettersson Ake Oct Nov 2006 Letters Sailplane amp Gliding 57 5 British Gliding Association Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Rodeike Peter Bock Winfried 2002 Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 4 II 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 II Action at the Channel and over England 26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941 in German Eutin Germany Struve Druck ISBN 978 3 923457 64 9 Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Rodeike Peter Bock Winfried 2003a 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 2003b Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 6 II Unternehmen BARBAROSSA Einsatz im Osten 22 6 bis 5 12 1941 The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945 Part 6 II Operation BARBAROSSA Action in the East 22 June to 5 December 1941 in German Eutin Germany Struve Druck ISBN 978 3 923457 70 0 Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Rodeike Peter Bock Winfried 2005 Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 9 I Winterkampf im Osten 6 12 1941 bis 30 4 1942 The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945 Part 9 I Winter War in the East 6 December 1941 to 30 April 1942 in German Eutin Germany Struve Druck ISBN 978 3 923457 76 2 Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Rodeike Peter Bock Winfried 2006 Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 9 III 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 III 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 78 6 Prien Jochen Balke Ulf Stemmer Gerhard Bock Winfried 2019 Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 13 V Einsatz im Reichsverteidigung und im Westen 1 1 bis 31 12 1944 The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945 Part 13 V Action in the Defense of the Reich and in the West 1 January to 31 December 1944 in German Eutin Germany Struve Druck ISBN 978 3 942943 21 5 Prien Jochen Stemmer Gerhard Balke Ulf Bock Winfried 2022 Die Jagdfliegerverbande der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 15 II Einsatz im Osten 1 1 bis 31 12 1944 The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945 Part 15 II Action in the East 1 January to 31 December 1944 in German Eutin Germany Buchverlag Rogge ISBN 978 3 942943 28 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 Smith John Richard Creek Eddie J 2005 Jagdwaffe Vol 5 Sec4 Jet Fighters and Rocket Interceptors 1944 1945 Hersham Surrey Ian Allan Publishing ISBN 978 1 903223 52 9 Spate Wolfgang Der streng geheime Vogel Me 163 in German DORFLER im NEBEL VERLAG GmbH ISBN 978 3 89555 142 0 Spick Mike 1996 Luftwaffe Fighter Aces New York Ivy Books ISBN 978 0 8041 1696 1 Stockert Peter 2012 1996 Die Eichenlaubtrager 1939 1945 Band 1 The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939 1945 Volume 1 in German 4th ed Bad Friedrichshall Germany Friedrichshaller Rundblick ISBN 978 3 9802222 7 3 Sundin Claes Bergstrom Christer 1997 Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft in Profile Atglen PA Schiffer Military History ISBN 978 0 7643 0291 6 Thomas Franz 1998 Die Eichenlaubtrager 1939 1945 Band 2 L Z The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939 1945 Volume 2 L Z in German Osnabruck Germany Biblio Verlag ISBN 978 3 7648 2300 9 Weal John 2001 Jagdgeschwader 54 Grunherz Aviation Elite Units Vol 6 Oxford UK Osprey Publishing ISBN 978 1 84176 286 9 Weal John 2007 More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front Oxford Osprey Publishing Ltd ISBN 1 84603 177 X incl colour picture of his aircraft 29 Portals nbsp Aviation nbsp Biography Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Wolfgang Spate amp oldid 1218849943, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

article

, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games.