Wolfgang Tonne

Wolfgang Tonne (28 February 1918 – 20 April 1943) was a former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Tonne was credited with 122 aerial victories before being killed in a flying accident on 20 April 1943 at Protville, Tunisia.

Wolfgang Tonne
Born(1918-02-28)28 February 1918
Moosbach in Schleiz, Thuringia
Died20 April 1943(1943-04-20) (aged 25)
Protville in Tunisia
Buried
German Military Cemetery at Bordj-Cedria
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service1937–43
RankMajor (major)
UnitJG 53
Commands held3./JG 53
Battles/wars
See battles

World War II

AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Early life and career

Tonne was born on 28 February 1918 in Moßbach, near Schleiz, in Thuringia of the German Empire. His father was a one-room school teacher (Dorfschullehrer). Tonne had a brother who got him interested in flying glider aircraft.[1] In November 1937, Tonne joined the Luftwaffe as an office cadet at the Luftkriegsschule 4 (LKS 4—4th Air War School) near Fürstenfeldbruck. He completed his A/B pilot license,[Note 1] and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 September 1939.[1]

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 6 December 1939, Tonne was posted to 3. Staffel (3rd Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) and received the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse) on 18 April 1940.[1] Tonne claimed his first aerial victory over a Royal Air Force (RAF) Bristol Blenheim twin-engined bomber over Sedan from either No. 21, No. 107 or No. 110 Squadron on 14 May 1940 during the Battle of France.[2] On that mission, he was also shot down near Bouillon. He bailed out landing in enemy territory. However, he returned safely to his own lines, uninjured. Over England and the Channel he was to gain a further three victories by the spring of 1941.

Eastern Front

On 1 July, Tonne was appointed Adjutant of I./JG 53. Tonne participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union. In June and July 1941, he scored eight further victories.

In December 1941, I./JG 53 was transferred to the Mediterranean theatre. On 24 January 1942, Tonne was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 53. Tonne flew 116 combat missions over Malta, without adding to his victory total, before being transferred back to the Eastern Front.

From 31 May 1942 to 29 September 1942, Tonne flew 155 combat missions and shot down 88 aircraft on the Eastern Front. Oberleutnant Tonne was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 September 1942 following his 54th victory. The Oak Leaves were awarded on 24 September for 101 victories.

In November 1942, Tonne led 3./JG 53 to North Africa. He gained his first victory in this theatre on 26 December 1942 shooting down a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) P-38 Lightning twin-engine fighter. He specialised in shooting down Supermarine Spitfire fighters claiming ten of the type in a short time. Tonne flew 82 combat missions and claimed 21 victories over Tunisia. Tonne was killed in a flying accident over the airfield at Protville, Tunisia on 20 April 1943 in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 /R1 (Werknummer 16523—factory number).[3] He was promoted to Major (major) posthumously.[4]

Tonne was credited with 122 victories claimed in 641 missions. He scored 26 victories over the Western Front, including 16 Supermarine Spitfire. 10 of his 96 victories claimed over the Eastern Front were Il-2 Sturmoviks.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 120 aerial victory claims, plus six further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 118 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and two on the Western Front, including one four-engined bomber.[5]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 49293". 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 × 4 km in size.[6]

Awards

Notes
  1. Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations.
  2. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 12:40.[7]
  3. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.[7]
  4. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as at 05:56.[19]
  5. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 18:28.[19]
  6. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as at 07:40.[19]
  7. This claim is not listed by Matthews and Foreman.[5]
  8. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 17:25.[19]
  9. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as at 10:19.[19]
  10. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as at 10:41.[23]
  11. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 10:35.[19]
  12. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as at 07:00.[23]
  13. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as at 07:38.[23]
  14. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3.[19]
  15. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as at 17:12.[23]
  16. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as at 06:49.[23]
  17. Misidentified Curtiss P-40 Warhawk, claimed as a Morane-Saulnier M.S.406[35]
  18. This claim is not listed by Matthews and Foreman.[5]

References

Citations
  1. Stockert 2012, p. 84.
  2. Goss 2017, p. 24.
  3. Prien et al. 2010, pp. 421, 475.
  4. Stockert 2012, p. 85.
  5. Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1329–1331.
  6. Planquadrat.
  7. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 1329.
  8. Prien et al. 2000, p. 327.
  9. Prien et al. 2002, p. 203.
  10. Prien et al. 2002, p. 204.
  11. Prien et al. 2003, p. 107.
  12. Prien et al. 2003, p. 108.
  13. Prien et al. 2003, p. 110.
  14. Prien et al. 2006, p. 21.
  15. Prien et al. 2006, p. 29.
  16. Prien et al. 2006, p. 30.
  17. Prien et al. 2006, p. 22.
  18. Prien et al. 2006, p. 31.
  19. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 1330.
  20. Prien et al. 2006, p. 32.
  21. Prien et al. 2006, p. 23.
  22. Prien et al. 2006, p. 33.
  23. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 1331.
  24. Prien et al. 2006, p. 24.
  25. Prien et al. 2006, p. 35.
  26. Prien et al. 2006, p. 25.
  27. Prien et al. 2006, p. 36.
  28. Prien et al. 2006, p. 26.
  29. Prien et al. 2006, p. 37.
  30. Prien et al. 2006, p. 38.
  31. Prien et al. 2006, p. 27.
  32. Prien et al. 2006, p. 28.
  33. Prien et al. 2004, p. 81.
  34. Prien et al. 2010, p. 470.
  35. Prien et al. 2010, p. 469.
  36. Thomas 1998, p. 387.
  37. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 478.
  38. Scherzer 2007, p. 748.
  39. Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 424, 506.
  40. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 61.

Bibliography
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  • 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.
  • Goss, Chris (2017). Jagdgeschwader 53 'Pik-As' Bf 109 Aces of 1940. London, UK: Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-1872-0.
  • Matthews, 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.
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