Siegfried Lemke
Siegfried "Wumm" Lemke
Nickname(s)"Wumm"
Born7 April 1921
Schivelbein
Died18 December 1995(1995-12-18) (aged 74)
Worfelden, Germany
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service?–1945
RankHauptmann
UnitJG 2
Commands heldIII./JG 2
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Siegfried "Wumm" Lemke (7 April 1921 – 18 December 1995) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross[1] 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 between 70 and 96 aerial victories.

Biography

Lemke was born on 7 April 1921 in Schivelbein, Farther Pomerania (today Świdwin, Poland).

In the autumn of 1942, Unteroffizier Lemke was posted to the 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing), based on the French coast. His was to remain with JG 2 throughout the rest of the war. His first victory came on 12 March 1943 when he downed an RAF Spitfire fighter near Fécamp. He was promoted to Staffelführer of his squadron on 12 September 1943.

In late January 1944, I. Gruppe under the command of Hauptmann Erich Hohagen was moved to Aix-en-Provence Aerodrome in southern France. There the unit fought against the 15th Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF).[2] On 9 February 1944 Lemke shot down four Spitfires southeast of Cannes - one of which was flown by American pilot Bob Hoover[3] - to move his tally to 19 victories. His squadron were again transferred to Italy to counter the Allied landings at Anzio. In March, 1944 Lemke added sixteen further victories to his tally. The USAAF sent 200 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress and 80 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers to the Rome marshalling yards on 3 March. The bombers were escorted by Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters of which two were shot down by Lemke.[4]

By the early summer of 1944, Lemke's squadron was again moved, this time to Creil, an airfield north of Paris. From here Lemke flew combat missions over the developing campaign in Normandy following D-Day. On 14 June 1944, Lemke was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for his then tally of 47 victories.

Group commander

In July 1944, Lemke was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of the III. Gruppe of JG 2, replacing Hauptmann Josef Wurmheller who had been killed in action on 22 June. He led this Gruppe until the end of the war.[5]

Lemke flew a total of 325 combat missions and ultimately reached 70 victories, including 25 Spitfires, eight P-47 Thunderbolts, six P-51 Mustangs and at least five four-engine bombers (B-17s).

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Lemke was credited with 70 aerial victories.[6] Spick lists him with 96 aerial victories claimed in 325 combat missions. This figure includes one claim on the Eastern Front and 95 claims on the Western Front of which 21 are four-engined heavy bombers.[7] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that Lemke was credited with more than 54 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Western Front, including at least five four-engined bombers.[8]

Awards

Notes

  1. ↑ According to Obermaier on 31 March 1944.[10]
  2. ↑ According to Scherzer on 11 June 1944 as Staffelführer in the I./Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen".[13]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 501.
  2. ↑ Weal 2000, p. 105.
  3. ↑ Hoover 1997, pp. 65–67.
  4. ↑ Page 2020, p. 101.
  5. ↑ Weal 2000, p. 118.
  6. ↑ Zabecki 2014, p. 1616.
  7. ↑ Spick 1996, p. 234.
  8. ↑ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 737–738.
  9. ↑ Patzwall 2008, p. 134.
  10. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 156.
  11. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 275.
  12. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 236.
  13. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 501.

Bibliography

  • 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.
  • Hoover, Robert A. (1997). Forever Flying: Fifty Years of High-Flying Adventures, From Barnstorming in Prop Planes to Dogfighting Germans to Testing Supersonic Jets: An Autobiography. New York: Pocket Books. ISBN 978-0-67153-761-6.
  • 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.
  • Page, Neil (2020). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1943–45. Philadelphia, PA: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61200-879-0.
  • 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.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
  • Weal, John (2000). Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen". Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 1. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-046-9.
  • Zabecki, David T., ed. (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.
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