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Hermann Wischnewski
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Hermann Wischnewski (9 February 1917 – 28 November 1993) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career Hermann Wischniewski was credited with between 24 and 28 victories.
Key Information
Career
[edit]Wischnewski was born on 9 February 1917 in Rensefeld, present-day part of Bad Schwartau, in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein within the German Empire.[1] He joined the Luftwaffe in early 1940 and following flight training,[Note 1] he was posted to Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 700 flying the Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft.[3] On 29 July 1944, Wischnewski was shot down and wounded in aerial combat with North American P-51 Mustang fighters. He bailed out of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/U2 near Apolda.[4]
Later life
[edit]Summary of career
[edit]Aerial victory claims
[edit]According to Spick, Wischnewski was credited with 28 aerial victories, 18 of which by night, claimed in over 500 missions.[6] Aders lists him with 16 nocturnal aerial victories and two daytime claims.[7] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that he was credited with at least eight aerial victory, plus sixteen further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes at least four four-engine heavy bombers, all on the Western Front.[8]
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 15 Ost S/GG-9". 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.[9]
| Chronicle of aerial victories | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Wischnewski did not receive credit.
This along with the * (asterisk) indicates an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.
This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Lorant, Goyat, Mathews, Foreman and Parry.
| |||||
| Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Serial No./Squadron No. |
| – 3. Staffel of Kommando Herrmann – | |||||
—
|
25/26 July 1943 | —
|
four-engined bomber[10] | ||
| 1 | 31 July 1943 | 01:40 | B-17?[Note 2] | west of Remscheid[12] | |
| – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 300 – | |||||
| 2 | 22 September 1943 | 22:37 | Halifax[13] | Hanover[14] | Halifax HR924/No. 10 Squadron RAF[15] |
| – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 300 – | |||||
—
|
18 November 1943 | —
|
four-engined bomber | vicinity of Mannheim[16] | |
—
|
18 November 1943 | —
|
four-engined bomber | vicinity of Mannheim[16] | |
—
|
29 December 1943 | —
|
four-engined bomber[16] | ||
| 3 | 1/2 January 1944 | —
|
Lancaster[17][18] | ||
| 4 | 2/3 January 1944 | —
|
Lancaster[17][19] | ||
| 5 | 2/3 January 1944 | —
|
Lancaster[17][19] | ||
| 6 | 28/29 January 1944 | —
|
four-engined bomber[17]?[Note 3] | ||
| 7 | 28/29 January 1944 | —
|
four-engined bomber[17]?[Note 3] | ||
| 8 | 24/25 March 1944 | —
|
four-engined bomber[21] | ||
| 9 | 24/25 March 1944 | —
|
four-engined bomber[21] | ||
| 23 April 1944 | 01:22 | Halifax | 5–8 km (3.1–5.0 mi) north of Düsseldorf[22] | ||
| 23 May 1944 | 00:53 | four-engined bomber | Dortmund[22] | Lancaster DS848/No. 408 Squadron RCAF[23] | |
| – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 300 – Defense of the Reich — 15 March – 29 July 1944 | |||||
| 21 June 1944 | 10:03 | B-24*[24] | PQ 15 Ost S/GG-9, Rangsdorf[25] | ||
| 29 June 1944 | 09:00 | P-51 | PQ 15 OS/S/KE, Bitterfeld[25] | ||
—
|
21 July 1944 | —
|
B-24[25] | ||
—
|
21 July 1944 | —
|
P-51 | Friedrichshafen[25] | |
| 29 July 1944 | 10:48 | B-17 | PQ 15 Ost S/MC-6[26] Buttstädt |
||
| 29 July 1944 | 10:55 | B-17 | PQ 15 Ost S/MD-7[26] Apolda |
||
Awards
[edit]- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class[3]
- Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 5 June 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot[27][Note 4]
- German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943 as Feldwebel in the III./Transportgeschwader 2[28][Note 5]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 December 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 2./Jagdgeschwader 300[29][30]
Notes
[edit]- ^ 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 Foreman, Mathews and Parry claimed as a Short Stirling.[11]
- ^ a b According to Foreman, Mathews and Parry claimed as a Handley Page Halifax.[20]
- ^ According to Obermaier on 26 May 1943.[1]
- ^ According to Obermaier on 10 January 1944.[1]
References
[edit]Citations
[edit]- ^ a b c Obermaier 1989, p. 225.
- ^ Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, p. 17.
- ^ a b Dixon 2023, p. 191.
- ^ Prien et al. 2020, p. 97.
- ^ Dixon 2023, p. 192.
- ^ Spick 1996, p. 246.
- ^ Aders 1978, p. 238.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1431.
- ^ Planquadrat.
- ^ Foreman, Matthews & Parry 2004, p. 97.
- ^ Foreman, Matthews & Parry 2004, p. 100.
- ^ Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 365.
- ^ Foreman, Matthews & Parry 2004, p. 114.
- ^ Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 367.
- ^ Halifax HR924.
- ^ a b c Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 369.
- ^ a b c d e Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 370.
- ^ Foreman, Matthews & Parry 2004, p. 137.
- ^ a b Foreman, Matthews & Parry 2004, p. 138.
- ^ Foreman, Matthews & Parry 2004, p. 144.
- ^ a b Foreman, Matthews & Parry 2004, p. 158.
- ^ a b Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 372.
- ^ Lancaster DS848.
- ^ Lorant & Goyat 2005, p. 374.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2020, p. 92.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2020, p. 93.
- ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 219.
- ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 517.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 449.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 790.
Bibliography
[edit]- Aders, Gebhard (1978). History of the German Night Fighter Force, 1917–1945. London: Janes. ISBN 978-0-354-01247-8.
- Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]; Antipov, Vlad; Sundin, Claes (2003). Graf & Grislawski – A Pair of Aces. Hamilton MT: Eagle Editions. ISBN 978-0-9721060-4-7.
- Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 17 February 2025.
- Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1943–1945. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-39903-073-1.
- 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.
- Foreman, John; Matthews, Johannes; Parry, Simon (2004). Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939–1945. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-0-9538061-4-0.
- Lorant, Jean Yves; Goyat, Richard (2005). Jagdgeschwader 300 "Wilde Sau" - Volume One: June 1943 – September 1944. Hamilton, MT: Eagle Edition. ISBN 978-0-9761034-0-0.
- 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; Bock, Winfried; Balke, Ulf (2020). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 13/VI—Einsatz im Reichsverteidigung und im Westen—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 13/VI—Action in the Defense of the Reich and in the West—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-942943-22-2.
- 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 978-0-8041-1696-1.
- Accident description for Halifax HR924 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 12 February 2024.
- Accident description for Lancaster DS848 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 13 February 2024.
