Karl-Heinz Langer
Born19 April 1914
Görlitz
Died6 May 1955(1955-05-06) (aged 41)
Remscheid
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service?–1944
RankMajor
UnitJG 3
Commands heldIII./JG 3
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Karl-Heinz Langer (19 April 1914 – 6 May 1955) 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 he was credited with 30 aerial victories in 486 missions, 10 on the Western Front and 20 on the Eastern Front.

Career

Langer was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) on 1 June 1943. He succeeded Oberleutnant Eberhard von Boremski who was wounded in combat the day before.[1] On 14 October, during the Second Raid on Schweinfurt, Langer claimed the destruction of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber shot down 8 kilometers (5.0 miles) east of Hammelburg.[2] In this engagement, his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 26924—factory number) was shot down by defensive fire. Langer was forced to bail out near Hammelburg.[3] Due to the injuries sustained, he was replaced by Leutnant Erwin Stahlberg as leader of 7. Staffel.[4]

On 14 July 1943, Langer was temporarily given command of III. Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 3 after its former commander Hauptmann Wolfgang Ewald was shot down behind enemy lines and taken prisoner of war. In consequence, command of 7. Staffel was briefly given to Leutnant Hans Schleef. When on 20 July, Hauptmann Walther Dahl took command of the Gruppe, Langer returned to his 7. Staffel.[5] On 21 May 1944, Langer was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of JG 3. He thus succeeded Dahl who was transferred.[6]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Langer was credited with 30 aerial victories claimed in 486 combat missions.[7] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 29 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This number includes ten on the Western Front, including four four-engined bombers, and 19 on the Eastern Front.[8]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 4056". 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
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 –[8]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 6 November 1941
1 14 July 1941 07:10 I-153[10] 2 5 October 1941 14:55 DB-3[11]
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[12]
Eastern Front – 10 February 1942 – 14 April 1942
3 9 March 1942 11:08 I-61 (MiG-3) 12 km (7.5 mi) southwest of Salustsche[13] 4 18 March 1942 10:15 Pe-2[14]
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[12]
Eastern Front – 19 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
5 24 August 1942 13:50 R-5 Zarjew[15] 9 17 October 1942 06:23 Il-2 PQ 4056, west of Rulew[16]
6 24 August 1942 13:56 MiG-1 east of Leninsk[15] 10 26 October 1942 14:15 Il-2 PQ 49357, Bassargino railway station[16]
7 3 September 1942 15:53 LaGG-3 Akelin[17] 11 28 December 1942
—
 Yak-1 Stalingrad[18]
8 1 October 1942 06:57 LaGG-3 PQ 40793, northeast Gratschi[19]
vicinity of Spartak
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[12]
Eastern Front – 1 June – 1 August 1943
12 5 July 1943 11:16 La-5 southeast of Kobenaja[20]
southeast of Rakitnoye		 14 21 July 1943 09:45 Il-2 14 km (8.7 mi) northeast of Dworeznaja[21]
9 km (5.6 mi) northwest of Bogoroditskoye
13 7 July 1943 04:07 Il-5 northwest of Vovchansk[22] 15 31 July 1943 11:15 Il-2 Kuybyshevo[21]
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[12]
Defense of the Reich — 8 August – 14 October 1943
16 14 October 1943 14:40 B-17 8 km (5.0 mi) east of Hammelburg[23]

Awards

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Prien et al. 2012, p. 124.
  2. ↑ Prien et al. 2008, pp. 3321, 29.
  3. ↑ Prien et al. 2008, p. 330.
  4. ↑ Prien et al. 2008, p. 326.
  5. ↑ Prien et al. 2012, pp. 124, 137.
  6. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 442.
  7. 1 2 Obermaier 1989, p. 153.
  8. 1 2 Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 720–721.
  9. ↑ Planquadrat.
  10. ↑ Prien et al. 2003, p. 142.
  11. ↑ Prien et al. 2003, p. 148.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 721.
  13. ↑ Prien et al. 2005, p. 34.
  14. ↑ Prien et al. 2005, p. 35.
  15. 1 2 Prien et al. 2006, p. 221.
  16. 1 2 Prien et al. 2006, p. 226.
  17. ↑ Prien et al. 2006, p. 223.
  18. ↑ Prien et al. 2006, p. 228.
  19. ↑ Prien et al. 2006, p. 225.
  20. ↑ Prien et al. 2012, p. 131.
  21. 1 2 Prien et al. 2012, p. 133.
  22. ↑ Prien et al. 2012, p. 132.
  23. ↑ Prien et al. 2008, p. 329.
  24. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 269.
  25. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 284.
  26. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 493.

Bibliography

  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 23 July 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.
  • MacLean, French L (2007). Luftwaffe Efficiency & Promotion Reports: For the Knight's Cross Winners. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7643-2657-8.
  • 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.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard (1996). Messerschmitt Bf 109 im Einsatz bei der III./Jagdgeschwader 3 in 1940 – 1945 [Messerschmitt Bf 109 in Action with the III./Jagdgeschwader 3 in 1940 – 1945] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-33-5.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/I—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/I—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-69-4.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2005). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/I—Winterkampf im Osten—6.12.1941 bis 30.4.1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/I—Winter War in the East—6 December 1941 to 30 April 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-76-2.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/II—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/II—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-77-9.
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