Rolf_Hermichen

Rolf Hermichen

Rolf Hermichen

German World War II fighter pilot (1918–2014)

Rolf Hermichen (25 July 1918 – 23 May 2014) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

Career

He was born in Wernigerode in the district of Harz.[1]

On 15 July 1942, Hermichen was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 26. He succeeded Oberleutnant Johannes Schmidt who was transferred.[2] On 13 June 1943, the Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe, Hauptmann Kurt Ruppert was killed in action. Command of the Gruppe was temporarily given to Hermichen.[3] On 29 June, Geschwaderkommodore Josef Priller appointed Major Klaus Mietusch as the new commander of III. Gruppe. Mietusch assumed command on 5 July and Hermichen returned to 3. Staffel.[4]

On 16 October 1943, Herminchen was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing). He succeeded Hauptmann Erich Woitke who temporarily led the Gruppe after Hauptmann Erwin Clausen was killed in action on 4 October.[5] On 2 April 1944, Hermichen was presented the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) by Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff at the airfield in Rotenburg an der Wümme. The Knight's Cross had been awarded on 26 March.[6]

On 12 May, the Eighth Army Air Force targeted the German fuel industry.[7] In total 886 four-engined bombers, escorted by 980 fighter aircraft, headed for the five main synthetic fuel factories in middle Germany in area of Leuna, Merseburg, Böhlen and Zeitz, and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and Brüx.[8] That day, Hermichen was shot down in aerial combat near Limburg an der Lahn.[9] In consequence, he was transferred to the staff of the 2. Jagd-Division (2nd Fighter Division) based in Stade. Hermichen was replaced by Oberleutnant Hans-Heinrich Koenig as commander of I. Gruppe.[10]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Hermichen was credited with 64 aerial victories.[11] Obermaier also lists him with 64 aerial victories claimed in 629 combat missions, 11 of them while flying the Messerschmitt Bf 110. He shot down 53 enemy aircraft in Defense of the Reich, including 26 four-engine strategic bombers.[1] Forsyth also lists him with 26 heavy bombers shot down.[12] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 49 aerial victory claims, plus eight further unconfirmed claims. This figure includes 11 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 38 over the Western Allies, including 17 four-engine bombers.[13]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 28321". 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.[14]

More information Chronicle of aerial victories, Claim ...

Awards

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock Prien list this claim as Hermichen's 12th aerial victory,[16] while Mathews and Foreman present this claim as his 7th aerial victory.[15]
  2. [N 2]
    According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 15:04.[15]
  3. [N 3]
    Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock Prien list this claim as Hermichen's 31st aerial victory,[22] while Mathews and Foreman present this claim as his 25th aerial victory.[15]
  4. [N 4]
    According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 11:59.[15]
  5. [N 5]
    Prien and Rodeike list this claim as Hermichen's 49th aerial victory,[29] while Mathews and Foreman present this claim as his 34th aerial victory.[15]
  6. [N 6]
    According to Mathews and Foreman this claim is unconfirmed.[32]
  7. [N 7]
    According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 10:05.[32]
  8. [N 8]
    According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:57.[32]
  9. [N 9]
    According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:00.[32]

References

Citations

  1. [1]
    Obermaier 1989, p. 73.
  2. [2]
    Prien et al. 2004, p. 348.
  3. [3]
    Prien et al. 2009, pp. 100, 133.
  4. [4]
    Caldwell 1998, pp. 95–96.
  5. [5]
    Prien & Rodeike 1994, p. 588.
  6. [6]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 824.
  7. [7]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 927.
  8. [8]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 930.
  9. [9]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996, pp. 936, 1179.
  10. [10]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 939.
  11. [11]
    Zabecki 2014, p. 1617.
  12. [12]
    Forsyth 2011, p. 90.
  13. [13]
    Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 517–518.
  14. [14]
    Planquadrat.
  15. [15]
    Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 517.
  16. [16]
    Prien et al. 2004, p. 396.
  17. [17]
    Prien et al. 2004, p. 352.
  18. [18]
    Prien et al. 2004, p. 353.
  19. [19]
    Prien et al. 2004, p. 354.
  20. [20]
    Prien et al. 2012, p. 374.
  21. [21]
    Prien et al. 2012, p. 375.
  22. [22]
    Prien et al. 2009, p. 94.
  23. [23]
    Caldwell 1998, p. 125.
  24. [24]
    Caldwell 1998, p. 133.
  25. [25]
    Caldwell 1998, p. 129.
  26. [26]
    Prien et al. 2008, p. 394.
  27. [27]
    Prien & Rodeike 1994, p. 640.
  28. [28]
    Prien & Rodeike 1994, p. 641.
  29. [29]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 1201.
  30. [30]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 1204.
  31. [31]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 1202.
  32. [32]
    Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 518.
  33. [33]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 1203.
  34. [34]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 1206.
  35. [35]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 1207.
  36. [36]
    Thomas 1997, p. 273.
  37. [37]
    Patzwall 2008, p. 100.
  38. [38]
    Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 180.
  39. [39]
    Scherzer 2007, p. 385.
  40. [40]
    Fellgiebel 2000, p. 224.
  41. [41]
    Fellgiebel 2000, p. 97.

Bibliography

  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  • Caldwell, Donald L. (1998). The JG 26 War Diary: Volume Two 1943–1945. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-898697-86-2.
  • 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.
  • Forsyth, Robert (2011). Luftwaffe Viermot Aces 1942–45. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 101. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-438-3.
  • 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.
  • 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; 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.
  • Prien, Jochen; Rodeike, Peter (1996). Jagdgeschwader 1 und 11—Einsatz in der Reichsverteidigung von 1939 bis 1945—Teil 2—1944 [Jagdgeschwader 1 and 11—Operations in the Defense of the Reich from 1939 to 1945] (in German). Vol. II 1944. Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-24-3.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2004). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 7—Heimatverteidigung—1. January bis 31 Dezember 1942—Einsatz im Westen—1. Januar bis 31. Dezember 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 7—Defense of the Reich—1 January to 31 December 1942—Action in the West—1 January to 31 December 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-73-1.
  • 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.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2009). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 10/III—Reichsverteidigung—1.1. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 10/III—Defense of the Reich—1 January to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-89-2.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Stockert, Peter (2008). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 8 [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 8] (in German). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. OCLC 76072662.
  • Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
  • 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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