Ludwig Meister
Born(1919-12-14)14 December 1919
Erbendorf
Died26 November 2011(2011-11-26) (aged 91)
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service1939–1945
RankHauptmann (captain)
UnitNJG 1, NJG 4
Commands held1./NJG 4, III./NJG 4
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Ludwig Meister (14 December 1919 – 26 November 2011) was a Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) 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 claimed 39 aerial victories, 38 of them at night.[Note 1]

Career

Meister was born on 14 December 1919 in Rohrmühle, present-day part of Erbendorf, at the time in the Free State of Bavaria within the Weimar Republic.[1] In October 1939, Meister joined the Luftwaffe and reived his basic military training with 4. Kompanie (4th company) of Fliegerausbildungsregiment 51 (51st Flight Training Regiment) at Weimar before he was transferred to the Air War School Klotzsche in Dresden in November. On 30 June 1940, Meister then attended the advanced Flugzeugführerschule C 9 (FFS C 9—advanced flight school) at Altenburg.[Note 2] He the attended the blind flying school Blindflugschule 1 (BFS 1—1st blind flying school) at Brandis, Germany from 21 February 1941. He was then posted to the Zerstörerschule (destroyer school) at Neubiberg where he received operational training on the Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter. In mid-June 1941, Meister was posted to Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1—Night Fighter Wing 1).[3]

Night fighter career

A map of part of the Kammhuber Line. The 'belt' and night fighter 'boxes' are shown.

Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, Royal Air Force (RAF) attacks shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defense of the Reich campaign.[4] By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector named a Himmelbett (canopy bed) would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942.[5]

The effectiveness of RAF Bomber Command to accurately hit German targets had been questioned by the War Cabinet Secretary David Bensusan-Butt who published the Butt Report in August 1941. The report in parts concluded that the British crews failed to navigate to, identify, and bomb their targets. Although the report was not widely accepted by senior RAF commanders, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, instructed Commander-in-Chief Richard Peirse that during the winter months only limited operations were to be conducted. Flight operations were also hindered by bad weather in the first months of 1942, so II. Gruppe only saw very limited action and Meister was the only pilot of II. Gruppe to claim an aerial victory during that period.[6]

On 8 February 1942, Meister along with other pilots of II. Gruppe was transferred to Koksijde Air Base. The objective of this assignment was to give the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen fighter protection in the breakout from Brest to Germany. The Channel Dash operation (11–13 February 1942) by the Kriegsmarine (Navy) was codenamed Operation Cerberus by the Germans. In support of this, the Luftwaffe under the leadership of General der Jagdflieger (General of the Fighter Force) Adolf Galland, formulated an air superiority plan dubbed Operation Donnerkeil for the protection of the three German capital ships. II./NJG 1 was briefed of these plans in the early morning hours on 12 February. The plan called for protection of the German ships at all costs. The crews were told that if they ran out of ammunition they must ram the enemy aircraft. To the relief of the night fighters they were assigned to the first-line reserves.[7] The operation, which took the British by surprise, was successful and the night fighters were kept in their reserve role. On the evening of 12 February, II. Gruppe was relocated to Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. They then relocated again to Aalborg-West in Denmark from where they made a low-level flight in close formation over the Skaggerak, landing at Stavanger-Sola. Over the following days they operated from the airfield at Forus, making a short-term landing at Bergen-Herdla. In total, Schnaufer made two operational flights without contact with the enemy. Following this assignment they relocated to 5. Staffel's new base in Germany at Bonn-Hangelar via Oslo-Gardermoen, Aalborg, and Lüneburg.[8]

On 11 August 1943, Meister was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 1. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 (NJG 4—Night Fighter Wing 4).[9] On 6 December 1944, Meister was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of NJG 4, succeeding Hauptmann Hans-Karl Kamp in this capacity.[10]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Meister was credited with 39 aerial victories, 38 of which at night and over a four-engined bomber by day, claimed in 125 combat missions.[1] Foreman, Parry and Mathews, authors of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 39 nocturnal victory claims.[11] Mathews and Foreman also published Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, listing Meister with 32 claims plus four further unconfirmed claims.[12]

Chronicle of aerial victories

  This and the ? (question mark) indicates discrepancies between Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945 and Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims.

Claim Date Time Type Location Serial No./Squadron No.
– 5. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 –[12]
1 30 November 1941 22:21 Halifax[13] 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Bramstedt
2 30 November 1941 22:25 Whitley[13] 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Stade
3?[Note 3] 30 November 1941 23:25 Wellington[13] Hamburg
– 8. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 –[15]
4 29 August 1942 00:12 Wellington north-northeast of Worms[16]
5?[Note 4] 29 August 1942 00:15 Wellington Bad Kreuznach[16]
6 29 August 1942 00:43 Stirling Allenbach[16]
– 1. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 –[15]
7 25 October 1942 02:54 Wellington 9 km (5.6 mi) southeast of Valenciennes[17]
8 22 November 1942 23:48 Lancaster Le Tilleul-Lambert[18]
9?[Note 4] 21 December 1942 23:00 Stirling[19]
10 9 March 1943 00:30 Halifax 9 km (5.6 mi) east of Le Cateau[20] Halifax W7851/No. XXXV (Madras Presidency) Squadron[21]
11 17 April 1943 04:08 Halifax northwest of Saint-Hubert[22]
12 30 May 1943 02:07 Stirling 3 km (1.9 mi) southwest of Cambrai[23] Stirling EF349/No. 90 Squadron RAF[24]
13 26 June 1943 01:23 Stirling 3 km (1.9 mi) southwest of Aalter[25]
14 4 July 1943 02:40 Halifax vicinity of Rance[26] Halifax JD262/No. 51 Squadron RAF[27]
15?[Note 3] 14 July 1943 02:30 Halifax Vossigny-la-Victoire[28]
16 28 August 1943 01:35 Lancaster Wolpertshausen[29]
17 28 August 1943 01:57 four-engined bomber vicinity of Nuremberg[29]
18 4 October 1943 21:02 Halifax Neuerburg[30]
19?[Note 3] 4 October 1943 21:03 Halifax Trier[30]
20 3 November 1943 19:57 Halifax 21 km (13 mi) west-northwest of Cologne[31]
21 23 November 1943 20:16 Halifax central Berlin[32]
Grebs
22 20 December 1943 19:12 Halifax 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Euskirchen[33]
23 2 January 1944 05:00 Lancaster 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Saint-Pol[34]
24 2 January 1944 05:15 Lancaster southeast of Mons[34]
25 2 January 1944 05:51 Lancaster west of Saint-Pol[35]
26 2 January 1944 06:00 Halifax west of Saint-Pol[35]
27?[Note 3] 7 January 1944 13:00 B-17 Cambrai[36]
28 20 January 1944 19:20 Halifax 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Liebenwalde[37]
29 20 January 1944 19:37 Halifax 25 km (16 mi) northeast of Neuruppin[38]
30 20 February 1944 02:48 Lancaster 13 km (8.1 mi) northeast of Celle[39]
31 20 February 1944 03:19 Lancaster Wesendorf[40]
32 21 February 1944 03:17 Lancaster vicinity of Rastatt[41]
33 25 February 1944 20:55 Lancaster 25 km (16 mi) west of Rethel[42]
34 25 February 1944 20:59 Lancaster 13 km (8.1 mi) southeast of Rethel[42]
35 25 February 1944 21:14 Lancaster 23 km (14 mi) south of Vouziers[42]
36 16 March 1944 01:18 Halifax south of Aachen[43]
37 16 March 1944 01:30 Lancaster 23 km (14 mi) south of Berine[43]
38 22 March 1944 21:51 four-engined bomber Gütersloh[44]
– III. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 –[15]
39 7 March 1945 20:30 Lancaster north of Kassel[45]

Awards

Notes

  1. ↑ For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces.
  2. ↑ 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. For pilots destined to fly multi-engine aircraft, the training was completed with the Luftwaffe Advanced Pilot's Certificate (Erweiterter Luftwaffen-Flugzeugführerschein), also known as the C-Certificate.[2]
  3. 1 2 3 4 According to Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, this claim was unconfirmed while Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945 confirm this claim.[14][15]
  4. 1 2 This claim is not listed in Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims.[15]

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Obermaier 1989, p. 167.
  2. ↑ Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, p. 17.
  3. ↑ Bowman 2016, p. 57.
  4. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 9.
  5. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 27.
  6. ↑ Hinchliffe 1999, pp. 40–41.
  7. ↑ Hinchliffe 1999, pp. 41–42.
  8. ↑ Hinchliffe 1999, pp. 43–46.
  9. ↑ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 834.
  10. ↑ Aders 1978, p. 229.
  11. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, pp. 33–240.
  12. 1 2 Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 834–835.
  13. 1 2 3 Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 33.
  14. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, pp. 33, 93, 119, 139.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 835.
  16. 1 2 3 Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 56.
  17. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 61.
  18. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 62.
  19. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 63.
  20. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 70.
  21. ↑ Halifax W7851.
  22. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 75.
  23. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 83.
  24. ↑ Stirling EF349.
  25. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 90.
  26. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 92.
  27. ↑ Halifax JD262.
  28. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 93.
  29. 1 2 Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 107.
  30. 1 2 Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 119.
  31. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 126.
  32. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 129.
  33. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 133.
  34. 1 2 Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 137.
  35. 1 2 Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 138.
  36. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 139.
  37. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 141.
  38. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 142.
  39. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 148.
  40. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 149.
  41. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 150.
  42. 1 2 3 Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 152.
  43. 1 2 Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 155.
  44. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 156.
  45. ↑ Foreman, Mathews & Parry 2004, p. 240.
  46. ↑ Patzwall 2008, p. 144.
  47. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 302.
  48. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 307.
  49. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 536.

Bibliography

  • 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.
  • Bowman, Martin (2016). Nachtjagd, Defenders of the Reich 1940–1943. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-4738-4986-0.
  • 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; Mathews, Johannes; Parry, Simon (2004). Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939–1945. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-0-9538061-4-0.
  • Hinchliffe, Peter (1999). Schnaufer: Ace of Diamonds. Brimscombe Port, UK: Tempus. ISBN 978-0-7524-1690-8.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 3 M–R. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-20-2.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Accident description for Halifax JD262 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 29 November 2023.
  • Accident description for Halifax W7851 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 29 November 2023.
  • Accident description for Stirling EF349 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 29 November 2023.
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