Emil Bitsch

Emil Bitsch (14 June 1916 – 15 March 1944) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. He was one of the most successful pilots on the Eastern Front; being credited with 108 aerial victories. He claimed 104 over the Eastern Front and four four-engine bombers over the Western Front. He may have been the pilot that shot down Soviet female ace Yekaterina Budanova. Bitsch was killed in action against United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) fighters on 15 March 1944.

Career Bitsch was born on 14 June 1916 in Bad Griesbach in the Grand Duchy of Baden within the German Empire.

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. In July 1941, Bitsch served with III. Gruppe (3rd group) of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3–3rd Fighter Wing), based on the Eastern Front and under the command of Walter Oesau. The Wehrmacht had launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, on 22 June 1941. III. Gruppe supported Army Group South in its strategic goal towards the heavily populated and agricultural heartland of Ukraine, taking Kiev before continuing eastward over the steppes of southern USSR to the Volga with the aim of controlling the oil-rich Caucasus.

Operating from an airfield at Lutsk, Bitsch claimed his first victory on 2 July over an Ilyushin Il-2. He had a total of five victories by the end of the year. He claimed two Russian Yak-4 twin-engine fighters which were shot down on 24 June 1942 to claim his 9th and 10th victories. In July, he claimed 15 victories, including his 20th 'kill' which he shot down on 13 July. Bitsch recorded 18 victories in August, including his 30th victim shot down on 16 August; his score had risen to 40 on 28 August. On 6 November, III. Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and sent to Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield for a period of rest and replenishment. The first elements of the Gruppe arrived by train in Mannheim on 8 December, the transfer was completed a week later. There, the personnel was sent on home leave. The Gruppe received a full complement of 41 Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 aircraft and on 6 January 1942 was ordered to relocated to Sicily. On 13 January, 7. Staffel and elements of 8. and 9. Staffel boarded a train to Bari in southern Italy while the rest of III. Gruppe headed for Sciacca, Sicily. The relocation progressed until 26 January when new orders were received, ordering the Gruppe to return to Germany. At Jesau near Königsberg, present-day Kaliningrad in Russia, III. Gruppe began preparations for redeployment to the Eastern Front again.

On 4 September 1942, Oberleutnant Bitsch was shot down by anti aircraft artillery northwest of Stalingrad. He bailed out of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 (Werknummer 13325—factory number) and landed safely but suffered light injuries in the incident. He later returned to combat duty and continued flying. Bitsch claimed his 50th aerial victory on 19 March 1943, this was also III. Gruppes 1,600 aerial victory to date. On 1 June 1943, Bitsch succeeded Oberleunant Franz Beyer who was transferred to IV. Gruppe as Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 8./JG 3. In July, Oberleutnant Bitsch claimed 29 aerial victories. On 5 July, he became an "ace-in-a-day", including three Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft on one mission. On 19 July he shot a Yakovlev Yak-1 down on the Mius front, possibly flown by Soviet female ace Yekaterina Budanova. He recorded his 100th victory on 21 July 1943 over a Lavochkin La-5. He was the 46th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. III. Gruppe flew its last combat missions on the Eastern Front on 1 August 1943. The next day, the Gruppe was ordered to Chasiv Yar and then back to Germany where it was based at Münster-Handorf Airfield.

Defense of the Reich and death Combat box of a 12-plane B-17 squadron. Three such boxes completed a 36-plane group box. III. Gruppe arrived in Münster-Handorf on 3 August where it was placed under the command of Major Walther Dahl. Dahl had been appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) on 20 July 1943. The Gruppe immediately began preparations for Defense of the Reich missions and was subordinated to Fighter Leader for the Holland area . Bitsch was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 August after 104 victories claimed on the Eastern Front. On 25 August, III. Gruppe was ordered to relocate to Bad Wörishofen in southern Germany. On 1 October, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) attacked German aircraft production, approaching from the south, targeting the Wiener Neustadt Flugzeugwerke (WNF) in Wiener Neustadt and other targets at Friedrichshafen. At 12:30, III. Gruppe was scrambled. Approximately one hour later, the Gruppe intercepted the flight of 50 to 60 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers and 25 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers. In aerial combat which in parts was fought in Swiss airspace, III. Gruppe, without loss, claimed four aerial victories and three Herausschüsse (separation shots–a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from its combat box and which the Luftwaffe counted as an aerial victory). In this engagement, Bitsch claimed the destruction of a B-17 which was shot down at 13:44.

On 14 October, the USAAF Eighth Air Force (USAAF) launched the second Schweinfurt raid, attacking the vital ball bearing factories at Schweinfurt. In total, 291 B-17s from the 1st and 3rd Air Division, escorted by two fighter groups, were sent on the mission. The USAAF suffered heavy losses that day. III. Gruppe claimed eighteen aerial victories and Herausschüsse that day. A B-17 destroyed at 14:45 was credited to Bitsch. On 19 December, the Fifteenth Air Force targeted the railroad transportation infrastructure at Insbruck as well as Messerschmitt aircraft manufacturing sites at Augsburg. III. Gruppe intercepted the bombers near Insbruck and claimed eight aerial victories, among them, a B-17 shot down by Bitsch.

Because the weather conditions at Bad Wörishofen rendered the airfield unserviceable, III. Gruppe was ordered to relocate to Leipheim on 18 February 1944. Bitsch claimed his 108th and last aerial victory on 23 February during the USAAF "Big Week" operation. On 15 March 1944, 344 heavy bombers of 2nd and 3rd Air Division, escorted by 588 fighter aircraft, attacked German aircraft manufacturing at Braunschweig. At 10:57, 20 aircraft from III. Gruppe took off at Leipheim and were initially ordered to Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. While the flight was still airborne, the Gruppe received further instructions and were vectored to intercept the USAAF bombers on their return from the target area. In the vicinity of Volkel in North Brabant, Netherlands, III. Gruppe came under attack of approximately 20 to 30 Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters. In this engagement, III. Gruppe lost six Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 fighters for one aerial victory claimed. That day, Bitsch was shot down and killed in action by a P-47 of the 352d Fighter Group in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 161139) west of Schijndel. Bitsch was succeeded by Oberleutnant Raimund Koch as commander of 8. Staffel.

Post-war

Bitsch is buried at the German war cemetery at Ysselsteyn (in the Netherlands). The crash site was rediscovered in 1994 by Thijs Hellings, a researcher of the World War II airwar from Schijndel. With help from the landowner, remains of the plane were recovered including the radio, armored glass, the compass and many other small items.

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Bitsch was credited with 108 aerial victories. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 106 aerial victory claims. This figure includes 105 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and one four-engined bomber on the Western Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 34 Ost 7546". 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 3 –Operation Barbarossa – 22 June – 5 December 1941 1 2 July 1941 12:28 V-11 (Il-2) 4 3 October 1941 14:42 V-11 (Il-2) 2 10 July 1941 14:45 I-16 south of Sabelotschje 5 5 October 1941 14:38 SB-3 3 20 September 1941 17:06 Pe-2 6 5 November 1941 11:55 I-61 (MiG-3) – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front – 10 February 1942 – 14 April 1942 7 26 February 1942 14:33 I-301 (LaGG-3) south of Staraya Russa 9 19 March 1942 08:57 I-61 (MiG-3) south of Staraya Russa 8 15 March 1942 12:58 Pe-2 south of Demyansk – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front – 19 May – 13 August 1942 10 24 June 1942 18:12 Yak-4 northeast of Shchigry 21 13 July 1942 09:58 R-10 11 24 June 1942 18:17 Yak-4 northeast of Stary Tschenoissinowo 22 26 July 1942 16:15 LaGG-3 12 2 July 1942 07:00 MiG-3 23 26 July 1942 16:18 LaGG-3 13 2 July 1942 12:10 Boston 24 28 July 1942 13:13 LaGG-3 14 2 July 1942 12:13 Boston 25 31 July 1942 11:05 Pe-2 southeast of Kalach 15 3 July 1942 19:25 Il-2 26 31 July 1942 11:42 Il-2 west of Kletskaya 16 3 July 1942 19:26 Il-2 27 7 August 1942 17:40 Pe-2 southwest of Stalingrad 17 4 July 1942 17:16 Boston 28 7 August 1942 17:41 Pe-2 southwest of Stalingrad 18 4 July 1942 17:17 Boston 29 12 August 1942 18:00 LaGG-3 southeast of Kalach 19 5 July 1942 06:20 Yak-4 30 13 August 1942 09:35 MiG-3 north of Pasow 20 5 July 1942 06:22 Yak-4 – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front – 16 August 1942 – 3 February 1943 31 16 August 1942 09:35 MiG-3 south of Jagowo 40 28 August 1942 17:00 LaGG-3 northeast of Stalingrad 32 19 August 1942 17:50 Il-2 southeast of Katschalinskaya 41 28 August 1942 17:20 Il-2 east of Stalingrad 33 19 August 1942 17:55 R-5 southeast of Katschalinskaya 42 29 August 1942 06:05 LaGG-3 northwest of Dubovka 34 20 August 1942 16:22 Pe-2 south-southwest of Rajgorod 43 30 August 1942 16:50 Il-2 west of Sarepta 35 20 August 1942 16:26 Pe-2 west of Lake Svetlija 44 31 August 1942 10:45 Il-2 east of Sarepta 36 21 August 1942 17:40 LaGG-3 east of Stalingrad 45 2 September 1942 17:10 Pe-2 northeast of Stalingrad 37 25 August 1942 05:30 R-5 Stalingrad 46 2 September 1942 17:11 Pe-2 northeast of Stalingrad 38 27 August 1942 05:25 I-16 Akhtuba 47 4 September 1942 06:55 Il-2 west of Stalingrad 39 27 August 1942 15:20 LaGG-3 north-northwest of Akhtuba – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front – 4 February – March 1943 48 9 March 1943 11:35 Yak-1 Petrovsky ? 16 March 1943 15:15 La-5? 49 9 March 1943 11:37 Yak-1 southwest of Petrovsky – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front – March – April 1943 50 19 March 1943 10:38 Il-2 south of Stary 55 23 April 1943 09:15 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 7546, Kabardinka 51 20 March 1943 08:45 LaGG-3 southwest of Rostov-on-Don 56 27 April 1943 04:45 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 8812, southeast of Makiivka 52 23 March 1943 15:46 Il-2 east of Chuhuiv 57 27 April 1943 04:50 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 8823, southeast of Makiivka 53 25 March 1943 13:50 LaGG-3 south of Rostov-on-Don 58 27 April 1943 04:52 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 8979, east of Makiivka 54 20 April 1943 08:35 LaGG-3 59 29 April 1943 09:20 R-5 PQ 34 Ost 9868, south of Massalskoje ? 20 April 1943 11:05 Il-2 south of Novorossiysk – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front – 4 February – 1 August 1943 60? 2 May 1943 06:05 LaGG-3 east of Starobilsk 83 8 July 1943 05:57 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 6123, southeast of Prokhorovka 61 6 May 1943 18:10 Il-2 southeast of Slavyansk 84 8 July 1943 13:02 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 6127, north of Belgorod 62 6 May 1943 18:13 Il-2 east of Krasnyi Lyman 85 8 July 1943 13:12 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 6124, north of Belgorod 63 9 May 1943 06:55 LaGG-3 Bataysk 86 11 July 1943 13:35 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 6124, southeast of Werchopenje 64 9 May 1943 16:10 Pe-2 northeast of Krasnyi Lyman 87 11 July 1943 13:35 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 6124, southeast of Werchopenje 65 12 May 1943 05:05 Il-2 southwest of Izium 88 13 July 1943 05:39 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 6287, west of Prokhorovka 66 14 May 1943 17:35 Il-2 east of Pribodnoje 89 13 July 1943 05:41 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 6288, west of Prokhorovka 67 24 May 1943 07:14 I-16 west of Bataysk 90 15 July 1943 18:10 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 7072, Izium 68 24 May 1943 07:17 I-16 west of Bataysk 91 16 July 1943 04:57 La-5 east of Izium 69 10 June 1943 08:45 La-5 north of Starobilsk-Ost 92 16 July 1943 18:25 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 89142 70 11 June 1943 11:01 La-5 east of Pokrowskoje 93 17 July 1943 10:25 Il-2 south of Izium 71 13 June 1943 04:05 LaGG-3 southeast of Starobilsk 94 19 July 1943 05:35 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 7087, southeast of Izium 72 13 June 1943 04:15 LaGG-3 east of Starobilsk 95 19 July 1943 05:42 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 7085, southeast of Izium 73 15 June 1943 17:34 LaGG-3 north of Starobilsk 96 19 July 1943 05:45 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 7068, northeast of Izium 74 2 July 1943 09:40 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 7922, southeast of Sslawjansk 97 19 July 1943 12:10 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 9814 75♠ 5 July 1943 03:21? Il-2 east of Belgorod 98 20 July 1943 04:15 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 7075, Izium 76♠ 5 July 1943 03:25 Il-2 east of Belgorod 99 20 July 1943 04:20 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 7072, Izium 77♠ 5 July 1943 07:42 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 61184, west of Volchansk 100 21 July 1943 14:14 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 7913, northwest of Sslawjank 78♠ 5 July 1943 07:51 Il-2 northwest of Prokhorovka 101 31 July 1943 05:35 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 8826 79♠ 5 July 1943 12:35 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 6133, southeast of Prokhorovka 102 31 July 1943 05:55 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 8823 80♠ 5 July 1943 16:40 Il-5 PQ 35 Ost 6149, southeast of Belgorod 103 1 August 1943 10:30 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 8822 81 7 July 1943 04:15 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 6162, southeast of Belgorod 104 1 August 1943 10:32 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 8825 82 7 July 1943 17:15 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 6127, east of Jakowlewo – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Defense of the Reich – 8 August 1943 – 15 March 1944 ? 1 October 1943 13:44 B-17 107 19 December 1943 12:28 B-17 PQ 04 Ost S/KC 105? 14 October 1943 14:45 B-17 southeast of Schweinfurt 108? 23 February 1944 B-24 106? 14 October 1943 14:55 B-17* north of Arnstein

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 31 August 1942 as Leutnant and pilot German Cross in Gold on 19 October 1942 as a Leutnant in the I./Jagdgeschwader 3 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 August 1943 as an Oberleutnant (war officer) and Staffelkapitän of the 8./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"