Günther Scheel (23 November 1921 – MIA 16 July 1943) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.^[1] He is credited with 71 enemy aircraft shot down in only 70 combat missions, all of which he claimed over the Eastern Front. He is the only pilot with over ten victories known to have scored a strike rate higher than 1:1, having achieved more combat kills than his missions flown. He also was "ace-in-a-day" four times, shooting down five or more aircraft on a single day.

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Günther Scheel
Günther Scheel
Born	(1921-11-23)23 November 1921 Dannenberg, Lower Saxony, Weimar Republic
Died	16 July 1943(1943-07-16) (aged 21)  (MIA) Missing near Bolkhov, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1940–43
Rank	Leutnant (second lieutenant)
Unit	JG 54
Battles/wars	See battles World War II Ground campaigns: European air campaign Land campaigns: Eastern Front Siege of Leningrad Battle of Kursk Operation Citadel Kursk Strategic Offensive Operation Operation Kutuzov  (MIA)  (PKIA)
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (posthumously)

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Born in Dannenberg, he was trained as a fighter pilot and was posted to Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in early 1943. At the time JG 54 was based at airfields near Leningrad where he claimed his first aerial victory on 9 February 1943 during the Siege of Leningrad. In July 1943, his unit was moved to an airfield at Oryol, where it fought in Operation Citadel. In 12 days of combat during the Battle of Kursk, Scheel claimed 31 further aerial victories. On 16 July, he claimed his 71st and last aerial victory before he had a mid-air collision with a Soviet fighter. Crashing behind enemy lines, he was reported missing in action, presumed killed in action. Posthumously, Scheel was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Scheel was born on 23 November 1921 in Dannenberg in the Province of Hanover of the Weimar Republic.^[2] In early 1943, Scheel had completed flight training and was posted to 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing), a squadron of I. Gruppe (1st group) in late January.^{[3][Note 1][Note 2]} At the time, I. Gruppe was commanded by Major Hans Philipp and was based at an airfield at Krasnogvardeysk, present day Gatschina, which is located approximately 40 kilometers (25 miles) southwest of Leningrad.^[5]

On Friday 1 September 1939 German forces invaded Poland which marked the beginning of World War II, and in June 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet Union which created the Eastern Front. In February 1943, I. Gruppe of JG 54 was equipped with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4 and engaged in the Siege of Leningrad. The combat area was predominantly in the east and southeast of Leningrad where Soviet forces had created a corridor to the city in Operation Iskra.^[6]

Scheel claimed his first two aerial victories on 9 February in combat east and south of Shlisselburg, 35 km (22 mi) east of Leningrad. That day, I. Gruppe claimed seven aerial victories, including a Lavochkin La-5 and Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter by Scheel.^[7] On 14 February, weather conditions over Leningrad improved and air operations picked up again resulting in 19 aerial victories plus a tethered balloon claimed by I. Gruppe. This number includes two Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft shot down by Scheel northeast of Lyuban.^[8] On 18 February, the Gruppe again flew missions to Lyuban and claimed four victories, among them an Il-2 credited to Scheel.^[9] On 23 February, Soviet forces launched an attack south of Leningrad as part of Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda. The attack was repelled by forces under the command of Generalleutnant Carl Hilpert. That day, all available aircraft of I. Gruppe flew missions in defense of this attack, predominantly attacking Soviet ground attack aircraft. By nightfall, the Gruppe reported 32 Soviet aircraft destroyed, including another Il-2 claimed by Scheel in the vicinity of Mga, southeast of Leningrad.^[10]

In late March, Soviet forces continued to pressure the 18th Army while in parallel an attack at Novgorod was launched. In defense of these attacks, I. Gruppe claimed four aerial victories, including a LaGG-3 north of Pushkin by Scheel on 21 March.^[11] Three days later, he claimed one of five aerial victories credited to I. Gruppe, an Il-2, taking his total to eight.^[12] After a period of bad weather, I. Gruppe flew several missions to the east and southeast of Leningrad on 3 April, reporting ten aerial victories. Additionally, 11 Fw 190s were sent on a ground attack mission against anti-aircraft artillery and infantry positions southeast of Woronowo as well as the train station at Lebjashje where some damage was inflicted. Scheel was credited with the destruction of a Bell P-39 Airacobra southeast of Leningrad that day.^[13] Weather conditions limited flight operations for the next few days until 8 April. I. Gruppe was in the air again and encountered Soviet fighters in the vicinity of Lomonosov where Scheel claimed a La-5 shot down.^[14] Sources vary with respect to the number, location and time of aerial victories Scheel was credited with on 16 April. According to the authors Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, Scheel claimed two La-5s between 12:04 and 12:25 in an unknown location.^[15] According to Mathews and Foreman. Scheel was credited with a La-5 destroyed at 19:05 west of Lomonosov.^[16] That day, I. Gruppe claimed five aerial victories in combat near Leningrad.^[17]

The weather continued to impact flight operations for both sides and on 1 May, Scheel was the only pilot of I. Gruppe to claim an aerial victory (his 13th), an La-5.^[18] Although the weather had improved on 5 May, flight operations on both sides were limited to the front lines of Leningrad. In defense of a few attacks by ground attack aircraft and their escort fighters, Scheel claimed two LaGG-3 fighters south of the city, the only two claims filed that day by I. Gruppe.^[19] On 24 May, I. Gruppe was deployed over the combat area of the 16th Army, east of Soltsy where Soviet forces had attacked elements of Generalleutnant Gustav Höhne's forces south of Lake Ilmen. Scrambling from Soltsy airfield, I. Gruppe intercepted a flight of Il-2 ground attack aircraft on their mission to bomb and strafe the airfield at Rjelbitzi, located 26 kilometers (16 miles) north of Dno and 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) west-southwest of Soltsy on the northern bank of the Shelon. In total, the Gruppe claimed twelve aircraft shot down, including two Il-2s by Scheel.^[20] On 30 May, I. Gruppe escorted a number of Heinkel He 111 bombers from Kampfgeschwader 53 (KG 53—53rd Bomber Wing) on their mission to bomb the bridges spanning the Volkhov River at Volkhov. In addition to a LaGG-3 claimed at 13:48, he was credited with three aerial victories in defense of the bombers, two LaGG-3s and a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.^[21]

On 5 June, I. Gruppe flew combat air patrols in the area of Volkhov and escort missions for KG 53 attacking the locks at Novaya Ladoga. That day, Scheel claimed two victories over LaGG-3 fighters.^[22] I. Gruppe saw little combat on 10 June; only Scheel was credited with an aerial victory. In combat north of Grusino, which is part of Chudovo, he shot down a La-5 fighter.^[23] He was credited with the destruction of another La-5 on 18 June. In combat near Volkhov, I. Gruppe claimed seven victories that day.^[24] On 21 June, Scheel claimed aerial victories numbering 26 to 29 which included three LaGG-3s and a La-5. That day, I. Gruppe predominantly flew missions over Leningrad and claimed 19 victories.^[25] Scheel flew his 50th combat mission on 22 June and claimed his 30th aerial victory.^[3] That day, I. Gruppe claimed five aircraft destroyed, including a LaGG-3 by Scheel.^[25] The Gruppe flew its last combat missions before relocating on 24 June.^[26] In addition to his 30 aerial victories claimed in the greater vicinity of Leningrad, Scheel also flew a number of ground attack missions, destroying a number of locomotives and other vehicles.^[2]

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