Bruno Stolle

Bruno Stolle (13 April 1915 – 22 January 2004) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Stolle was credited with 35 aerial victories in 271 combat missions. Following World War II, he served in the German Air Force.

Early life and career Stolle was born on 13 April 1915 in Münster, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia within the German Empire. Following graduation from school, he volunteered for service in the Luftwaffe in 1935. After completion of flight training, Stolle was posted to Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1—1st Demonstration Wing) in November 1936. On 1 November 1938, LG 1 was restructured. The I. (leichte Jagd) Gruppe, the light fighter group, was detached from LG 1 while II. (schwere Jagd) Gruppe, the heavy fighter group, became the new I. (schwere Jagd) Gruppe of LG 1 and was based at Barth. Until the outbreak of World War II, Stolle served with I. (schwere Jagd) Gruppe as a blind flying instructor.

World War II World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. Stolle was then posted to 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) and on 15 March 1940 to 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing). III. Gruppe of JG 2 to which his Staffel was subordinated had just been formed from elements of JG 51 in Magdeburg and placed under the command of Major Erich Mix. The Gruppe was equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1 and E-3. On 10 April, in preparation for the Battle of France, the Gruppe moved to Frankfurt-Rebstock Airfield.

Squadron leader Following the Battle of France, III. Gruppe of JG 2 returned to Frankfurt-Rebstock Airfield for a period of rest and maintenance. The Gruppe returned to France in late July 1940, arriving at an airfield at Octeville-sur-Mer near Le Havre on 4 August to fight against the Royal Air Force (RAF). Here on 11 August during the Battle of Britain, Stolle claimed his first aerial victories, two Supermarine Spitfire fighters near the Isle of Portland. On 7 September, Stolle was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 8. Staffel of JG 2. He succeeded Oberleutnant Karl-Heinz Metz who made an emergency landing near Detling the day before and was taken prisoner of war.

Stolle claimed a Handley Page Hampden bomber during Operation Donnerkeil on 12 February 1942. The objective of this operation was to give the German battleships and and the heavy cruiser fighter protection in the breakout from Brest to Germany. The Channel Dash operation (11–13 February 1942) by the Kriegsmarine was codenamed Operation Cerberus by the Germans. In support of this, the Luftwaffe, formulated an air superiority plan dubbed Operation Donnerkeil for the protection of the three German capital ships. Stolle was promoted to Hauptmann (captain) on 1 April 1942. In May, III. Gruppe of JG 2 converted from the Bf 109 F to the radial engine powered Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A. In August Upon request by Fliegerführer Atlantik (Flyer Command Atlantic), Stolle's 8. Staffel escorted Arado Ar 196 observation seaplanes patrolling over the Bay of Biscay in search for Allied shipping. The slow flying Ar 196 planes had become easy targets for long range RAF Bristol Beaufighters. Flying these missions, Stolle claimed five Beaufighters shot down, one each on 8 September, 26 November and 1 December, and two on 18 December. On 21 October, Stolle claimed his first United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) heavy bomber, a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber attacking Lorient, his 23rd aerial victory in total. This earned him the German Cross in Gold on 29 October.

On 29 December, Stolle led a Rotte, a flight of two aircraft, on a fighter bomber mission against Eastbourne. The attack destroyed two houses, extensively damaging three other houses and killed two civilians and wounded further 33 people. On his return, Stolle intercepted two Spitfires from No. 91 Squadron and shot down Pilot Officer Irvin Downer who was killed in action. On 17 March 1943, Stolle was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross . He was the only member of JG 2 who received this distinction in 1943.

Group commander, instructor and testing the Ta 152 On 25 June 1943, Stolle was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of JG 2. He succeeded Hauptmann Egon Mayer in this capacity who was given command of JG 2 as Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander). In consequence, command of 8. Staffel was passed on to Hauptmann Herbert Huppertz. On 30 December, Stolle claimed his 35th and last aerial victory. That day, the USAAF VIII Bomber Command had attacked Ludwigshafen. Leading the attack of III. Gruppe against the returning bombers, Stolle claimed a B-17 bomber shot down. In February 1944, Stolle was transferred to the at Værløse Airfield, an aerial gunnery school for fighter pilots, as an instructor. As a result, Huppertz was given command of III. Gruppe.

In October 1944, Stolle was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing) where he replaced Hauptmann Walter Matoni as commander of I. Gruppe. On 25 November, Stolle was transferred again to take command of the Erprobungskommando Ta 152 (EKdo Ta 152—Testing Command Ta 152), testing the Focke-Wulf Ta 152 fighter under operational conditions at Rechlin, the Luftwaffe's main testing ground for new aircraft designs. Command of I. Gruppe of JG 11 was handed to Hauptmann Rudiger Kirchmayr. On 23 January 1945, ordered EKdo Ta 152 to be redesignated and became the Stabsstaffel (headquarters squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 301 (JG 301—301st Fighter Wing). The Stabsstaffel however was not operationally subordinated to JG 301 and remained independent.

Later life and career Following World War II, Stolle initially worked for the Belgian airline Sabena as a member of the ground personnel. In 1956, he joined the newly created German Air Force, at the time referred to as the . Stolle served with the Flugzeugführerschule "B" (FFS B—Pilot Training School "B") at Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base, the Military Counterintelligence Service, as a liaison officer in Lisbon, and lastly with the Federal Ministry of Defence in Bonn. He retired on 31 March 1972 holding the rank of Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel). Stolle died on 22 January 2004 at the age of in Rheinbach, Germany.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims According to Schumann, Stolle was credited with 35 aerial victories claimed in 271 combat missions. Obermaier also list him with 35 aerial victories, including five heavy bombers, claimed in 271 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 28 aerial victory claims, plus six further unconfirmed claims. All of his victories were claimed on the Western Front and include three four-engined heavy bombers.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 14 West 8954". 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 – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –At the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 21 June 1941 1 11 August 1940 11:45 Spitfire Portland 3 26 September 1940 17:42 Spitfire southwest of the Isle of Wight 2 11 August 1940 11:49 Spitfire Portland – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –On the Western Front — 22 June 1941 – 31 December 1941 4 2 July 1941 12:35 Spitfire west of Armentières 10 16 August 1941 13:47 Spitfire east of Boulogne-sur-Mer 5? 5 July 1941 13:30 Blenheim 11 17 September 1941 16:03 Spitfire 6 23 July 1941 20:37? Spitfire vicinity of Marzingarbe 12 21 October 1941 13:02 Spitfire 7 14 August 1941 18:30 Spitfire GravelinesBury St Edmunds-Gravelines 13 24 November 1941 16:49 Spitfire 8 14 August 1941 18:33 Spitfire Gravelines 14 5 December 1941 16:37? Spitfire 9 16 August 1941 13:45 Spitfire east of Boulogne-sur-Mer 15 5 December 1941 16:45? Spitfire – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –On the Western Front — 1 January – 31 December 1942 16? 12 February 1942 15:50 Hampden off Holland 24 7 November 1942 17:12? B-24 north of Landerneau 17? 10 June 1942 14:14 Spitfire 25 26 November 1942 14:45 Beaufighter west of Brest 18? 25 June 1942 18:10 Spitfire off Ushant 26 1 December 1942 09:48 Beaufighter PQ 14 West 8954 19? 18 August 1942 11:08 Wellington 27 18 December 1942 15:36 Beaufighter PQ 14 West 8951 20? 8 September 1942 09:12 Beaufighter 28 18 December 1942 15:39 Beaufighter PQ 14 West 8963 21 21 September 1942 20:05 Whitley northwest of Quimper 29 20 December 1942 10:32 Boston PQ 14 West 8962 22 26 September 1942? 18:46 Spitfire north of Landerneau 30 20 December 1942 10:36 Boston PQ 14 West 8959 23 21 October 1942 14:00 B-17 PQ 14 West 6826 31 29 December 1942? 14:35 Spitfire PQ 14 West 6953PQ 14 West 4075 – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –On the Western Front — 1 January – 25 June 1943 32 26 February 1943 17:25 B-24? PQ 15 West 6054 34 29 May 1943 16:27 B-17* PQ 14 West 2987PQ 14 West 2937 33 5 April 1943 17:45 Ventura PloudalmézeauPQ 14 West 5939 35 30 December 1943 12:41 B-17

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 15 September 1941 as Oberleutnant in a Jagdgeschwader German Cross in Gold on 29 October 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 2 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 17 March 1943 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 8./Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen"