Erich Schmidt (pilot)

Erich "Schmidtchen" Schmidt (17 November 1914 – 31 August 1941) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.

Erich Schmidt
Nickname(s)"Schmidtchen"
Born17 November 1914
Neuhaus am Rennweg
Died31 August 1941(1941-08-31) (aged 26)
Dubno, Ukraine
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service?-1941
RankOberleutnant
UnitJG 53
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

After completing his flight training, at the start of the war in September 1939, Leutnant Schmidt was in the 2nd Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 (2./JG 53).[1] Transferred to 9th Staffel (9./JG 53) in the following February, he had no success in the French campaign, and his first victory was on 12 August 1940 when he shot down a Spitfire over the Isle of Wight. He was far more successful in the Battle of Britain however, and he had 17 victories by end of November 1940,[2] when he was transferred briefly to the Stab (HQ) flight of III./JG 53 as Gruppe-Adjutant.[3]

But he was back with 9./JG 53 for the invasion of Russia Operation Barbarossa. With his unit covering the advance of Hoth's panzers on the northern side of Army Group Centre, on the opening day of the campaign (22 June 1941) he shot down four Russian aircraft, and his 30th victory was an I-16 fighter on 4 July. For that score he was awarded the Knight's Cross by the newly promoted General of Fighters Werner Mölders on 23 July. His unit was constantly on the move, leap-frogging forward to airbases often only cleared of enemy a day or two before. Barely staying a few days to a week at a time, their mission was to protect the ground troops from enemy bombers as the blitzkrieg stormed eastward past Minsk, Vitebsk, Smolensk, toward Moscow.

On 26 July he shot down 5 DB-3 bombers, 3 in the morning and 2 more in the afternoon. He shot down his final three victories on 29 August taking his total to 47. But on 31 August 1941, returning from a freie Jagd (free hunt), he was himself shot down after being hit by Soviet anti-aircraft fire east of Velikiye Luki.[4] Baling out behind enemy lines, he was never seen again.[5] At the time he was the top-scoring pilot of III/JG 53, and was posthumously promoted to Oberleutnant.

Victories
NoDateTimeUnit & AirfieldGruppe Kommandeur[6]LocationClaimed AircraftSource / Comments[7]
112 August 194012:379./JG 53 - BrestHptm Harro HarderIsle of WightSpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
231 August 194020:429./JG 53 - Le Touquet, CalaisHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilckenear DoverSpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
35 September 194016:359./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke?SpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
49 September 194018:559./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilckenear LondonSpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
515 September 194012:449./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeS of LondonSpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
615 September 194013:089./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke10 km S of London : 4000mSpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
715 September 194015:369./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke?SpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
817 September 194016:419./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke?SpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
927 September 194013:339./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeLondonSpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
1030 September 194014:339./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilckenear HastingsSpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
112 October 194011:069./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeThames EstuarySpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
122 October 194011:109./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeThames EstuarySpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
135 October 194012:339./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeThames EstuaryHurricaneOKL, Prien/Bock
147 October 194014:209./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeMayfieldSpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
1510 October 194011:309./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeThames Estuary : 4500mSpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
161 November 194012:459./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeTunbridge Wells : 5000mSpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
1730 November 194011:309./JG 53 - Le TouquetHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeN of Dover : 5000mSpitfireOKL, Prien/Bock
1822 June 19417:159./JG 53 - SuwalkiHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilckenear GrodnoI-16Prien/Bock
1922 June 194111:359./JG 53 - SuwalkiHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeByelorussiaDJ-6Prien/Bock
2022 June 194118:259./JG 53 - SuwalkiHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeByelorussiaI-16Prien/Bock
2122 June 194120:459./JG 53 - SuwalkiHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeByelorussiaDJ-6Prien/Bock
2225 June 19418:339./JG 53 - VilniusHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeByelorussiaSB-3Prien/Bock
2325 June 194111:309./JG 53 - VilniusHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeByelorussia-MinskSB-3Prien/Bock
2426 June 19417:289./JG 53 - VilniusHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeByelorussia-MinskDB-3Prien/Bock
2526 June 19417:419./JG 53 - VilniusHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeByelorussia-MinskDB-3Prien/Bock
2627 June 19415:089./JG 53 - VilniusHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeByelorussia-MinskDB-3Prien/Bock
2727 June 194114:579./JG 53 - VilniusHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeByelorussia-MinskDB-3Prien/Bock
2827 June 194118:349./JG 53 - VilniusHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeByelorussia-MinskDB-3Prien/Bock
292 July 194120:099./JG 53 - MolodecznoHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeN of MinskI-153Prien/Bock
304 July 194112:219./JG 53 - MolodecznoHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeN of MinskI-16Prien/Bock
3114 July 194118:059./JG 53 - VitebskHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcketwd SmolenskI-17 (MiG-3)Prien/Bock
3226 July 19419:359./JG 53 - DemidovHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilckenear SmolenskDB-3Prien/Bock
3326 July 194110:109./JG 53 - DemidovHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilckenear SmolenskDB-3Prien/Bock
3426 July 194110:129./JG 53 - DemidovHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilckenear SmolenskDB-3Prien/Bock
3526 July 194118:289./JG 53 - DemidovHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilckenear SmolenskDB-3Prien/Bock
3626 July 194118:329./JG 53 - DemidovHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilckenear SmolenskDB-3Prien/Bock
372 August 194113:459./JG 53 - MoschnaHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcketwd Velikiye LukiI-18 (MiG-3)Prien/Bock
385 August 194110:419./JG 53 - MoschnaHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcketwd Velikiye LukiI-18 (MiG-3)Prien/Bock
395 August 194110:469./JG 53 - MoschnaHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcketwd Velikiye LukiI-18 (MiG-3)Prien/Bock
407 August 194110:229./JG 53 - SuraschHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcketwd Velikiye LukiI-16Prien/Bock
4119 August 194113:059./JG 53 - MaklokHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilckenear Velikiye LukiI-16Prien/Bock
4223 August 194117:009./JG 53 - MaklokHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilckenear Velikiye LukiI-18 (MiG-3)Prien/Bock
4325 August 194114:559./JG 53 - MaklokHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilckenear ToropetsIl-2Prien/Bock
4427 August 194116:259./JG 53 - MaklokHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke?I-153Prien/Bock
4529 August 194115:359./JG 53 - MaklokHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke?I-16Prien/Bock
4629 August 194115:449./JG 53 - MaklokHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke?I-18 (MiG-3)Prien/Bock
4729 August 194115:469./JG 53 - MaklokHptm Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke?I-18 (MiG-3)Prien/Bock
†31 August 1941-9./JG 53 - MaklokHptm Wolf-Dietrich WilckeE of Velikiye LukiAA

Awards

Notes
  1. According to Scherzer as pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 53.[9]

References

Citations
  1. Luftwaffe Officer Career Summaries website.
  2. Aces of the Luftwaffe website.
  3. Weal 2007, pg. 38.
  4. Weal 2007, pg. 48.
  5. Spick 2006, pp. 121, 123.
  6. Luftwaffe Air Units: Single–Engined Fighters website.
  7. Aces of the Luftwaffe website.
  8. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 381.
  9. Scherzer 2007, p. 669.

Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2.
  • Weal, John (1996). Bf109D/E Aces 1939-41. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-85532-487-3.
  • Weal, John (2001). Bf109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-84176-084-6.
  • Weal, John (2007). Aviation Elite Units #25: Jagdgeschwader 53 Pik-As’. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-84603-204-2.
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