Alfred Teumer

Alfred Teumer (11 February 1918 – 4 October 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 76 aerial victories claimed in over 300 combat missions. This figure includes 66 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, and further ten claims over the Western Allies.

Born in Neustadt am Rübenberge, Teumer grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. In December 1941, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) which was fighting on the Eastern Front. Flying with this wing, Teumer claimed his first aerial victory on 28 December 1941 during the Siege of Leningrad. Teumer was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of JG 54 in April 1943. He then commanded the newly created 10. Staffel of JG 54 before he was wounded in combat on 3 September 1943. Following his recovery, he was given command of 2. Staffel of JG 54 in December 1943. In April 1944, Teumer was transferred to 7. Staffel of JG 54 which was fighting in Defense of the Reich on the Western Front. On 19 August 1944, Teumer was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 76 aerial victories claimed. He was then transferred to Kommando Nowotny, an experimental unit flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Teumer was killed in a flying accident on 4 October 1944 at Hesepe airfield when his Me 262 suffered engine failure during the landing approach.

Career Teumer was born on 11 February 1918 in Neustadt am Rübenberge in the Province of Hanover of the German Empire. Following completion of flight and fighter pilot training, he was posted to 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) on 2 December 1941 during the final days of Operation Barbarossa holding the rank of Leutnant. At the time, 3. Staffel was temporarily commanded by Oberleutnant Max-Hellmuth Ostermann, who was substituting for Oberleutnant Hans Schmoller-Haldy. The Staffel was subordinated to Gruppe (1st group) of JG 54 headed by Hauptmann Erich von Selle and was based at Krasnogvardeysk, present-day Gatchina. The Gruppe fought in the northern sector of the Eastern Front in the aerial battles of the Siege of Leningrad.

War against the Soviet Union On 28 December 1941, I. Gruppe flew combat air patrols along the Volkhov where German ground forces were retreating fighting against the Volkhov Front. During these missions, Teumer claimed his first aerial victory when he shot down a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber. On 5 January 1942, command of I. Gruppe was given to Hauptmann Franz Eckerle when Selle was transferred. Teumer claimed his second aerial victory on 9 January over a I-26 fighter, an early war German designation for the Yakovlev Yak-1. That day, the Gruppe again flew missions in support of the Heer (army) along the Volkhov in the combat area southeast of Leningrad near Tosno. Two days later, flying over the same combat area, Teumer was credited with two I-18 fighters shot down, a reference to the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 fighter aircraft. The fighting along the Volkhov continued in the second half of January, predominately in the area between Leningrad and Shlisselburg. On 26 January, Teumer claimed his fifth aerial victory when he shot down a Pe-2 bomber. Then on 30 January, Teumer made an emergency landing in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 9685—factory number) at Chudovo, damaging the aircraft to 40%. On 14 February, Eckerle was killed in action and command of I. Gruppe went to Hauptmann Hans Philipp. In early March, the Gruppe supported the German 18th Army which was fighting in the Battle of Lyuban. In these battles, Teumer claimed a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter on 5 March. The next day, he was credited with another P-40 fighter and an I-18 fighter shot down.

On 9 February 1943, Teumer's Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 10321) was hit by anti-aircraft artillery and suffered engine failure, resulting in a forced landing at Sologubowka, approximately southeast of Saint Petersburg. Teumer was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel of JG 54 in April 1943. He replaced Hauptmann Paul Steindl who was transferred. On 20 June, the creation of a newly formed IV. Gruppe (4th group) of JG 54 was ordered. Its first commander was Hauptmann Erich Rudorffer. Teumer was tasked with the creation of 10. Staffel in July, a squadron of IV. Gruppe. When Rudorffer was transferred on 1 August, Teumer was briefly tasked with leading the Gruppe until its new commander, Hauptmann Rudolf Sinner, took command on 14 September. On 3 September, he was wounded in aerial combat flying a Bf 109 G-6 northwest of Gatchina. He was replaced Oberleutnant Robert Weiß as commander of 10. Staffel while command of IV. Gruppe briefly went to Oberleutnant Siguurd Haala. During his convalescence, Teumer was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 17 October. After his recovery, he took command of 2. Staffel of JG 54 from Oberleutnant Otto Vinzent in December 1943. On 14 February, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield named Wesenberg near Rakvere, located approximately north of Lake Peipus and west of Narva. Here the Gruppe was subordinated to the 3. Flieger-Division (3rd Air Division) and fought in the Battle of Narva.

Western Front Combat box of a 12-plane B-17 squadron. Three such boxes completed a 36-plane group box. In April 1944, Teumer was transferred to 7. Staffel of JG 54. He took command of the Staffel from Oberleutnant Rudolf Klemm who had been wounded in aerial combat on 9 April. The Staffel was subordinated to III. Gruppe led by Major Werner Schröer. At the time, the Gruppe was based at Lüneburg Airfield and subordinated to 2. Jagd-Division (2nd Fighter Division) fighting in Defence of the Reich. On 20 April, III. Gruppe relocated to Landau an der Isar for conversion training to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. In consequence of this relocation, the Gruppe came under the control of 7. Jagd-Division (7th Fighter Division). Conversion training was relatively short and the Gruppe flew its first mission on the Fw 190 against attacking United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) heavy bombers on 19 May. That day, Teumer was credited with an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from its combat box which was counted as an aerial victory—over a Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber. The Gruppe flew further missions on 22, 24, 25, 27, 28 and 29 May. On 24 May, Teumer was credited with shooting down a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber followed by another Herausschuss over a B-17 bomber on 27 May.

When Allied forces launched Operation Overlord, the invasion of German-occupied Western Europe on 6 June, III. Gruppe was immediately ordered to relocate to Villacoublay Airfield. That day, the Gruppe reached Nancy, arriving in Villacoublay the following day where it was subordinated to II. Fliegerkorps (2nd Air Corps). Its primary objective was to fly fighter-bomber missions in support of the German ground forces. The Gruppe flew its first missions on 7 June to the combat area east of Caen and the Orne estuary. Teumer claimed his first aerial victory in this combat area on 8 June when he shot down a USAAF North American P-51 Mustang fighter. Two days later, he was shot down in aerial combat near the Orne estuary. He managed to bail out of his Fw 190 A-8 ZY (Werknummer 730384) but was wounded in the encounter. In July, the Gruppe supported the German forces fighting in the Battle of Saint-Lô and the combat area near Paris predominantly under the control of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing). In these battles, Teumer claimed a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter on 26 July. In early August, combat shifted to Avranches, Mortain and Falaise. On 8 and 9 August, Teumer was credited with two further P-38 fighters shot down, one on each of these dates.

On 16 August, III. Gruppe was withdrawn from the front and sent to München Gladbach, present-day Mönchengladbach, for a period of rest and replenishment. There, Teumer was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 August 1944 for 76 aerial victories claimed. During this period, Teumer served as acting Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe until 17 September. Teumer, who was childhood friend of Martin Drewes, took command of 2. Staffel of Kommando Nowotny, flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. The unit was named after Major Walter Nowotny and was tasked with testing the Me 262 under operational conditions. Teumer, who had received some training on the Me 262 at Rechlin, was killed in a flying accident on 4 October 1944 at Hesepe airfield. His Me 262 A-1a (Werknummer 170044) had suffered engine failure during the landing approach.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Teumer was credited with 76 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 76 aerial victories, 66 of which on the Eastern Front and ten on the Western Front, claimed in over 300 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 74 aerial victory claims. This figure includes 67 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and seven over the Western Allies, including three four-engined bombers.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 00283". The Luftwaffe grid map 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 . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.

Chronicle of aerial victories Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942 1 28 December 1941 10:45? Pe-2 5 26 January 1942 13:20 Pe-2 2 9 January 1942 15:20 I-26 (Yak-1) 6 5 March 1942 11:55 P-40 3 11 January 1942 15:02 I-18 (MiG-1) 7 6 March 1942 17:17 P-40 4 11 January 1942 15:06 I-18 (MiG-1) 8 6 March 1942 17:22 I-18 (MiG-1) – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943 9 2 September 1942 12:23? Yak-1 PQ 00283 west of Mga 16♠ 14 January 1943 08:08 Yak-1 PQ 10191east of Mga 10 12 January 1943 10:55 Il-2 PQ 10251 west-southwest of Shlisselburg 17♠ 14 January 1943 12:20 I-16 PQ 00292 southwest of Mga 11 12 January 1943 11:02 Il-2 PQ 0024 18♠ 14 January 1943 12:22 I-16 PQ 00292 southwest of Mga 12 12 January 1943 12:45 Yak-1 PQ 00253 west-southwest of Shlisselburg 19 27 January 1943 11:27 LaGG-3 PQ 00263 southwest of Shlisselburg 13 12 January 1943 12:48 Yak-1 PQ 00432 southwest of Mga 20 27 January 1943 14:10 MiG-3 PQ 10153southeast of Shlisselburg 14♠ 14 January 1943 07:57 Yak-1 PQ 10232vicinity of Mga 21 27 January 1943 14:20 LaGG-3 PQ 10162southeast of Shlisselburg 15♠ 14 January 1943 07:59 Yak-1 PQ 10174vicinity of Mga – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — 4 February – April 1943 22 9 February 1943 09:34 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 10181east of Mga 26 20 March 1943 09:10 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 00414 east of Pushkin 23 16 March 1943 09:07 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 18223 east-southeast of Staraya Russa 27 23 March 1943 08:05 Yak-1 PQ 36 Ost 00334Pushkin 24 16 March 1943 14:10 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 18219 east-southeast of Staraya Russa 28? 8 April 1943 14:26 LaGG-3 east of Pushkin 25 19 March 1943 17:14? I-16 PQ 36 Ost 00414 east of Pushkin 29 8 April 1943 14:27 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 00413 east of Pushkin – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — May – July 1943 30 4 May 1943 06:00 La-5 PQ 36 Ost 20474 south-southeast of Volkhov 34 30 May 1943 20:20 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 10162southeast of Shlisselburg 31 26 May 1943 19:25 La-5 PQ 26 Ost 81141Gulf of Finland, north of Hungerburg 35 1 June 1943 05:09 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 20153southwest of Volkhov 32 27 May 1943 19:53 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 20153southwest of Volkhov 36 7 July 1943 16:27 I-153 PQ 36 Ost 21893 33 27 May 1943 19:55 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 20114west of Volkhov – 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — August – 3 September 1943 37 17 August 1943 14:37 Yak-9 Leningrad 42 27 August 1943 17:02 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 00173 north of Selo 38 19 August 1943 10:33 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 10473 northeast of Lyuban 43 29 August 1943 17:58 La-5 PQ 36 Ost 00411 east of Pushkin 39 19 August 1943 16:27 I-16 PQ 36 Ost 10141south of Shlisselburg 44 31 August 1943 17:48 La-5 PQ 36 Ost 00272 northeast of Pushkin 40 21 August 1943 11:42 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 00264 southwest of Shlisselburg 45 2 September 1943 16:32 La-5 PQ 26 Ost 90164 southwest of Lomonosov 41 21 August 1943 18:17 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 10114vicinity of Shlisselburg 46 3 September 1943 16:57 Pe-2 PQ 36 Ost 00444 southeast of Slutsk – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — December 1943 – April 1944 47 15 December 1943 09:45 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 06341 58 7 February 1944 10:25 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 05134 48 16 December 1943 09:42 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 96494north of Gorodok 59 24 February 1944 15:12 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 80712 south of Narva 49 16 December 1943 12:02 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 06521 60 25 February 1944 10:23 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 70694 southwest of Narva 50 16 December 1943 12:03 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 06522 61 26 February 1944 15:00? Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 60674Gulf of Finland, southwest of Kunda 51 23 December 1943 11:48 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 06763 62 26 February 1944 15:29 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 60591southwest of Kunda 52 4 January 1944 09:58 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 96561 southwest of Gorodok 63 26 February 1944 15:31 Yak-1 PQ 26 Ost 60592southwest of Kunda 53 8 January 1944 09:33 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 06711 64 2 April 1944 11:43 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 70452Baltic Sea, northwest of Hungerburg 54 8 January 1944 09:35 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 96692 south of Gorodok 65 2 April 1944 15:33 LaGG-3 PQ 26 Ost 70433Baltic Sea, northeast of Kunda 55 8 January 1944 09:40 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 06884 66 3 April 1944 17:12 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 70273Baltic Sea, northeast of Kunda 56 8 January 1944 12:55 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 06583 67 4 April 1944 09:42 La-5 PQ 26 Ost 60481northeast of Kunda 57 12 January 1944 08:45 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 06877 – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Western Front — May – August 1944 68 19 May 1944 13:21 B-24* PQ 15 Ost JBsouth of Wittingen 72 26 July 1944 14:55 P-38 PQ 04 Ost N/BA-2Le Merlerault 69 24 May 1944 11:57 B-17 PQ 15 Ost DD 2Prignitz Heath 73 8 August 1944 14:31 P-38 PQ 15 Ost S/BT-4Mortain 70 27 May 1944 12:19 B-17* PQ 15 Ost DPElzach/Black Forest 74 9 August 1944 13:32 P-38 PQ 14 Ost N/AU-5Falaise 71 8 June 1944 06:27 P-51 PQ 15 West S/TU-9/2Dives-sur-Mer

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 12 April 1943 as Oberleutnant and pilot German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943 as Oberleutnant in the VI./Jagdgeschwader 54 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 August 1944 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 7./Jagdgeschwader 54