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German Aces of the Russian Front

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German Aces of the Russian Front GERMAN ACES OF THE RUSSIAN FRONT GERMAN ACES OF THE RUSSIAN FRONT John Weal First published in Great Britain in 2002 by Osprey Publishing, Elms Court, Chapel Way, Botley, Oxford OX2 9LP, United Kingdom. Email: [email protected] © 2002 Osprey Publishing All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. ISBN 1 84176 620 8 Editor: Sally Rawlings Series editor: Tony Holmes Aircraft profiles by John Weal Figure Artwork by Mike Chappell Scale drawings by Mark Styling Index by Alan Thatcher Design by Tony Truscott Origination by Grasmere Digital Imaging, Leeds, UK Printed in China through Bookbuilders 02 03 04 05 06 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 For a catalogue of all Osprey Publishing titles please contact us at: Osprey Direct UK, PO Box 140, Wellingborough, Northants NN8 2FA, UK E-mail: [email protected] Osprey Direct USA, c/o MBI Publishing, 729 Prospect Ave, PO Box 1, Osceola, WI 54020, USA E-mail: [email protected] Or visit our website: wvsrw.ospreypublishing.com CONTENTS PART 1 PART 2 CHAPTER ONE CHAPTER ONE BACKGROUND AND 'EXEUNT OMNES' 92 INTRODUCTION 6 CHAPTER TWO CHAPTER TWO FAMILIARISATION 94 BARBAROSSA - THE EARLY ADVANCES 15 CHAPTER THREE JG 51 IN COMBAT 98 COLOUR PLATES 33 SCALE DRAWINGS 43 CHAPTER FOUR COLOUR PLATES COMMENTARY 45 JG 54 - ENTER THE 'GREEN HEARTS' l O2 CHAPTER THREE THE ROAD TO DISASTER 51 CHAPTER FIVE ... AND OTHERS 1 1 5 CHAPTER FOUR STALINGRAD AND ZITADELLE 68 CHAPTER SIX ZITADELLE l l 8 CHAPTER FIVE FIGHTING RETREAT 78 CHAPTER SEVEN SCHLACHTFLIGER 121 COLOUR PLATES 132 SCALE DRAWINGS 150 COLOUR PLATES COMMENTARY 152 CHAPTER EIGHT JG 51 REVERTS TO TYPE ... 16O CHAPTER NINE ... BUT THE 'GREEN HEARTS' SOLDIER ON 163 CHAPTER TEN TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE 1 73 CHAPTER ELEVEN 'FINIS' 177 APPENDICES 1 82 BIBLIOGRAPHY 188 INDEX 189 BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION he German invasion of the Soviet Union, code-named Operation Barbarossa, was a campaign unparalleled in both its scale and Tferocity. Within weeks of its launch early on the morning of 22 June 1941, the frontline stretched a staggering 2780 miles (4480 km), linking the Arctic wastes of the Barents Sea in the north to the sub-tropical shores of the Black Sea in the south. At first glance, the opposing armies appeared to be almost evenly matched. The Germans committed 120 divisions to the initial assault, holding a further 26 in immediate reserve, making a total of 146 divisions - some three million men in all. Facing them, the Soviet army had 149 divisions stationed in its westernmost military districts. But the German and Russian divisions differed greatly in composition and strengths. Take the all-important tank, for example, which played such a crucial role throughout the campaign in the east. At the outset the At the start of Barbarossa the sole Germans deployed 17 armoured divisions (plus a further two in reserve) single-engined fighter presence in against the Soviet's 36 - a seeming majority of two-to-one in favour of the the far north was provided by the Red Army. In reality, a Russian armoured division of 1941 numbered ten Bf 109Es of the Jagdstaffel Kirkenes. This E-7 (complete with some 400 tanks, whereas its German counterpart varied between 150 and dust filter!) patrols the barren 200 ... a fourfold advantage to the Soviets. shores of the Arctic Ocean . 6 On paper, the Red Air Force enjoyed a similar numerical superiority. It is a little remarked fact that the Luftwaffe embarked upon Barbarossa, the Wehrmacht's most ambitious undertaking, with far fewer frontline aircraft (2598) than it had deployed either at the start of the Blitzkrieg in the west in May 1940 (3826) or at the height of the Battle of Britain some three months later (3705). In terms of single-engined fighters, the Jagdwaffe had exactly 619 . whilst at the other end of the serviceable machines (predominantly Bf 109Fs) ranged along the eastern 2780-mile (4480-km) long front, this Friedrich rests between sorties front on the eve of the invasion. This was just over two-thirds (68 per safeguarding the Black Sea coast. cent) of the fighter arm's total available strength, the remaining third Assigned to southernmost being deployed in the west, the homeland and the Mediterranean. Jagdgruppe, III./JG 52, the aircraft Yet it was in the east that Luftwaffe fighter pilots (understrength and was the mount of future Knight's Cross winner Obergefreiter Friedrich overstretched as they were) would achieve the highest individual scores in Wachowiak the history of aerial warfare - scores that would be deemed impossible in other theatres and by other air forces. Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series has been based throughout on the accepted British and American Indicative of the imbalance between definition of an 'ace' as being any the eastern and western fronts, the fighter pilot with five or more aerial Scoreboard on the rudder of this victories to his credit. Using this fig- machine shows that its pilot, ure as a yardstick, a volume of this Oberfeldwebel Edmund Wagner of 9./JG 51, had claimed just one size dealing with the subject of the western victory prior to Barbarossa. Bf 109 pilots on the eastern front With the first snows of the winter would perforce consist of little more just starting to fall, Wagner has than a list of names. There are well already added 54 Soviet kills. He would achieve two more before over 5000 Luftwaffe fighter pilots being killed in action against low- in this category! flying Pe-2s on 13 November 1941 In fact, the Jagdwaffe itse[f: did not often use the dogmatic term 'As' (ace) in relation to a specific number of victories. They preferred the more generic 'Experte', which was taken to mean any pilot of out- standing ability and achievement. The author has spoken to several Luftwaffe fighter pilots credited with 50 or more aerial victories - a Another of JG 51's NCO pilots, far higher total than any western Oberfeldwebel - later Leutnant - Allied ace - only to be told, in all Otto Gaiser is representative of the many hundreds of eastern front seriousness, 'I was no great Experte. flyers who amassed scores in the You really ought to talk to ...', and high double figures, and yet who are here would follow the name of some practically unknown today. Gaiser stellar individual with three or four had claimed 74 victories by the time he too was killed in a low-level times the number of the speaker's encounter (this time with four II-2 own kills. Stormoviks) early in 1944 7 In the history of aerial warfare, only two fighter pilots have achieved more than 300 victories - Hauptmann Erich Hartmann (left) and Major Gerhard Barkhorn (right), both of JG 52 II./JG 3's Oberfeldwebel Ullmann points to an area on the map where he has just downed an enemy machine. The Werkmeister of 6. Staffel has reason to look doubtful, for the crash site could not subsequently be located, and the claim remained unconfirmed The Luftwaffe hierarchy seems to have been taken almost unawares by the success of its own fighter pilots. In the opening months of the war 20 aerial victories would ensure the claimant the award of the Knight's Cross. Towards the close of hostili- ties some long-serving pilots would have amassed well over 100 kills in the east before they received this coveted decoration. Nothing better illustrated the Oberleutnant Kurt Sochatzy, Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 3, was more yawning chasm between eastern and fortunate. A witness on the ground western front conditions than the took this telephoto shot of one of prestigious 'century' of kills. Only a his victories - a Tupolev twin - as it select handful of Luftwaffe fighter headed down into the trees with no chance of recovery. Sochatzy pilots topped the 100 mark in action claimed 38 Soviet kills (and a single solely against the western Allies. By No 603 Sqn Spitfire whilst on the contrast, over 70 pilots achieved this Channel Front) before being rammed during a dogfight with an feat in the east. Eight claimed more 1-16 over Kiev on 12 August 1941. He than 200 victories, and two even would spend the next eight years in 8 surpassed the 300 figure! captivity in the USSR In the light of post-war investiga- tion, it is now conceded that overclaiming occurred in every air force. Mostly this was attributable to the heat and confusion of battle. Sometimes it was a case of genuine error - the trail of smoke emitted by a Bf 109 diving away at full throttle fooled many an Allied fighter pilot or air gunner into believing that his opponent was mortally hit. Only in very rare instances was it a matter of deliberate deceit. And any pilot suspected of falsifying his victory claims was given very short shrift by his peers. Each of the combatant air forces tried to regulate claims by a strict set of conditions. None more so than the Luftwaffe, which required written confirmation of the kill by one or more aerial witnesses to the action, plus - if possible - back-up confirmation, also in writing, from an observer on the ground.
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