Hermann_Schleinhege

Hermann Schleinhege

Hermann Schleinhege

German World War II fighter pilot

Hermann Schleinhege (21 February 1916 – 11 March 2014) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Schleinhege was credited with 97 aerial victories, all on the Eastern Front.

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

Career

Schleinhege was born on 21 February 1916 in Essen in the Rhine Province of the German Empire.[1] He joined the Luftwaffe before the war and upon completing his training, in February 1941, served as a flight instructor. In April 1942, he was transferred as an Unteroffizier to 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 Grünherz (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing), at the time stationed near Leningrad. On 15 May, Schleinhege damaged his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 (Werknummer 8618—factory number) during takeoff at Lyuban.[2]

With the Geschwaderstab of JG 54

After Schleinhege's transfer to the Geschwaderstab (headquarters flight) of JG 54, he began flying as wingman to the unit commanders, including Hannes Trautloft, Hubertus von Bonin (78 victories) and Anton Mader (86 victories), gaining valuable experience. Flying with the Geschwaderstab, he crashed Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe B-1 (Werknummer 3576) near Oryol on 9 July.[3] By the end of the year when they were based in Orsha with Army Group Centre, his score stood at 32 aerial victories.

Schleinhege was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 20 March 1944, and scored his 37th victory on 4 April. Upon completing officer training, the newly commissioned Leutnant Schleinhege was transferred to 4./JG 54 in Estonia, he claimed his 50th on 17 September. On 9 October, now based out of Riga, he shot down two Bell P-39 Airacobras and two Il-2 ground attack aircraft.

Squadron leader

In August 1944, Schleinhege temporarily assumed command of 4. Staffel of JG 54 after its former commander. Hauptmann Franz Eisenach had been transferred. On 1 September, the Staffel was redesignated and became 7. Staffel of JG 54. Later that month, he command of 7. Staffel was given to Leutnant Gerhard Thyben.[4] At the end of November 1944, he was promoted to Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 8. Staffel of JG 54,[5] remaining in this position until the end of World War II.[6] By the end of the year, with his squadron based in Libau supporting the troops in the isolated Courland Pocket, his score had climbed to 81.

Schleinhege was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 28 January 1945, for 84 victories.[7] He and his pilots covered the naval evacuation of the pocket. Based firstly from Libau until March, then from Heiligenbeil, near Königsberg, until the end of the war. His last flight was on 8 May 1945 when he squeezed his two mechanics into his (nominally) single-seater Fw 190 and flew to Kiel to surrender to the British troops.[8]

Schleinhege survived the war, and in three years flew 484 combat missions, all on the Eastern Front and all with JG 54. He ended with 97 confirmed victories and a number more unconfirmed, including 54 Il-2 and Pe-2 bombers.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Schleinhege was credited with 97 aerial victories.[9] Obermaier also lists him with 97 aerial victories.[1] Spick however lists him with 96 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number combat missions, all of which on the Eastern Front.[10] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 94 aerial victory claims, plus five further unconfirmed claims.[11]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 28734". 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]

More information Chronicle of aerial victories, Claim ...

Awards

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[14]
  2. [N 2]
    This claim is not listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock.[17]
  3. [N 3]
    According to Mathews and Foreman claimed after 12:00.[29]
  4. [N 4]
    According to Mathews and Foreman claimed after 12:30.[29]
  5. [N 5]
    According to Obermaier on 2 October 1943.[1]
  6. [N 6]
    According to Scherzer as Leutnant of the Reserves.[35]

References

Citations

  1. [1]
    Obermaier 1989, p. 196.
  2. [2]
    Prien et al. 2006, p. 159.
  3. [3]
    Prien et al. 2012, p. 79.
  4. [4]
    Prien et al. 2022, p. 471.
  5. [5]
    Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1127.
  6. [6]
    Scutts 1992, p. 98.
  7. [7]
    Weal 1995, p. 82.
  8. [8]
    Weal 2001, p. 118.
  9. [9]
    Zabecki 2014, p. 1614.
  10. [10]
    Spick 1996, p. 234.
  11. [11]
    Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1127–1129.
  12. [12]
    Planquadrat.
  13. [13]
    Prien et al. 2006, p. 147.
  14. [14]
    Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1127–1128.
  15. [15]
    Prien et al. 2006, p. 151.
  16. [16]
    Prien et al. 2006, p. 148.
  17. [17]
    Prien et al. 2006, p. 157.
  18. [18]
    Prien et al. 2012, p. 268.
  19. [19]
    Prien et al. 2012, p. 270.
  20. [20]
    Prien et al. 2012, p. 269.
  21. [21]
    Prien et al. 2012, p. 78.
  22. [22]
    Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1128.
  23. [23]
    Prien et al. 2022, p. 309.
  24. [24]
    Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1128–1129.
  25. [25]
    Prien et al. 2022, p. 484.
  26. [26]
    Prien et al. 2022, p. 482.
  27. [27]
    Prien et al. 2022, p. 485.
  28. [28]
    Prien et al. 2022, p. 483.
  29. [29]
    Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1129.
  30. [30]
    Prien et al. 2022, p. 487.
  31. [31]
    Prien et al. 2022, p. 488.
  32. [32]
    Patzwall 2008, p. 180.
  33. [33]
    Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 408.
  34. [34]
    Fellgiebel 2000, p. 378.
  35. [35]
    Scherzer 2007, p. 664.

Bibliography

  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  • 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 4 S–Z. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-21-9.
  • 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.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
  • 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; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2012). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/III—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/III—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-07-9.
  • 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.
  • Scutts, Jerry (1992). JG 54: Jagdgeschwader 54 Grünherz: aces of the Eastern Front. Shrewsbury: Airlife. ISBN 978-1-85310-120-5.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
  • Weal, John (1995). Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-518-0.
  • 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. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 76. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-177-9.
  • Zabecki, David T., ed. (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.
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