Erich Schmidt

Erich "Schmidtchen" Schmidt (17 November 1914 – 31 August 1941) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. On 31 August 1941, Schmidt was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery on the Eastern Front near Dubno. Although he was reported to have bailed out safely, he remains missing in action. During his career, he was credited with 47 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions.

Early life and career Schmidt was born on 17 November 1914 in Neuhaus am Rennweg, then in the Thuringian states of the German Empire. He volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in early 1938. Trained as a fighter pilot, Schmidt was posted to 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing), a squadron of I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 53, in September 1939.

In February 1940, Schmidt was transferred to the recently formed 9. Staffel of JG 53, a squadron of III. Gruppe. The Gruppe had been formed on 26 September 1939 at Wiesbaden–Erbenheim Airfield. Leadership of the Gruppe had been given to Hauptmann Werner Mölders who had previously commanded 1. Staffel. Formation of the 9. Staffel was headed by Oberleutnant Ernst Boenigk. At the time, the Gruppe was equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E.

World War II Following the Armistice of 22 June 1940, III. Gruppe moved to Rennes Airfield where they patrolled the costal area of Brittany. On 10 July, the Gruppe relocated to an airfield at Lanvéoc-Poulmic, sometimes referred to as Brest-South airfield. Here, they flew their first combat missions during the Battle of Britain on 11 August, escorting Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers attacking British shipping. The next day, the Luftwaffe attacked airfields of the Royal Air Force (RAF), harbor facilities on the Isle of Portland, and Chain Home early-warning radar installations. That day, Schmidt claimed his first aerial victory. In combat east of the Isle of Wight, he claimed an RAF fighter shot down.

On 24 August, III. Gruppe began its relocation from Brest to Le Touquet Airfield, near Étaples and Le Touquet in the Pas-de-Calais on the English Channel. The Gruppe stayed here until 19 December. On 31 August, III. Gruppe flew a combat air patrol to Dover. In aerial combat with RAF fighters between 20:35 and 20:42, Schmidt claimed his second aerial victory. On 9 September, Schmidt claimed a Supermarine Spitfire for his fourth aerial victory. For his achievements, he was awarded both classes of the Iron Cross . On 15 September, later dubbed Battle of Britain Day, Schmidt claimed two aerial victories on the first mission of the day. On the second mission, flown later in the afternoon, he claimed his third aerial victory of the day, taking his total to seven. Schmidt claimed his tenth aerial victory on 30 September.

Flying a fighter bomber escort mission on 2 October, Schmidt claimed two aerial victories. Three days later, RAF Fighter Command reported the loss of two Hawker Hurricanes and one Spitfire fighter. Luftwaffe pilots claimed five aerial victories, including one by Schmidt which brought his total to 13. On 30 November 1940, Schmidt claimed his last aerial victory of 1940 and 17th in total. He was then briefly transferred to the Stab (headquarters unit) of III. Gruppe where he served as Gruppenadjutant, the assisting officer, helping the commanding officer of the Gruppe. Schmidt emerged as the leading fighter pilot of JG 53 during the Battle of Britain.

III. Gruppe was withdrawn from the Channel Front on 19 December and moved to Mönchengladbach. There, the Gruppe was replenished while the pilots were sent on a skiing holiday until late January 1941. They then received a full complement of Bf 109 F-2 aircraft. The pilots continued to train and familiarize themselves with this new aircraft before on 18 March, III. Gruppe was again ordered to the English Channel where they were based at Berck-sur-Mer.

Operation Barbarossa On 8 June 1941, the bulk of JG 53's air elements moved via Jever, in northern Germany, to Mannheim-Sandhofen. There the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul prior to moving east. On 12 June, III. Gruppe was ordered to transfer to a forward airfield at Sobolewo. On 21 June, the Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 53 and its Gruppenkommandeure were summoned to nearby Suwałki, where Generalfeldmarschall (field marshal) Albert Kesselring gave the final instructions for the upcoming attack. Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, who had been appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III. Gruppe on 12 August 1940, briefed his pilots that evening.

On 22 June, the Geschwader crossed into Soviet airspace to support Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, which opened the Eastern Front. III. Gruppe took off on its first mission at 6:00 a.m., a fighter escort mission for Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber attacking Grodno. On this mission, Schmidt claimed a Polikarpov I-16 fighter shot down. On 23 July, Schmidt was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 31 aerial victories claimed. The presentation was made by Oberst Werner Mölders.

On 26 July, Schmidt claimed five Ilyushin DB-3 bombers from 3 BAK (Bombardirovochnyy Aviatsionyy Korpus—bomber aviation corps) shot down, making him an "ace-in-a-day". He shot down his final three victories on 29 August taking his total to 47. On 31 August 1941, returning from a combat air patrol, Schmidt was shot down east of Velikiye Luki. His Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 12633—factory number) had been hit by Soviet anti-aircraft artillery. Schmidt bailed out near Dubno and was seen to have safely landed, he was never seen again and remains missing in action. At the time, Schmidt was the leading fighter pilot of III. Gruppe and was posthumously promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant).

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to Obermaier, Schmidt was credited with 47 aerial victories, including 28 aerial victories claimed on the Eastern Front and 19 on the Western Front. Page also lists him with 47 aerial victories of which 19 were claimed on the Western Front. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 47 aerial victory claims, including 30 aerial victories claimed on the Eastern Front and 17 on the Western Front.

Chronicle of aerial victories Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –At the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 7 June 1941 1 12 August 1940 12:37 Spitfire Isle of Wight 10 30 September 1940 14:33 Spitfire 2 31 August 1940 20:42 Spitfire vicinity of Dover 11 2 October 1940 11:06 Spitfire Thames Estuary 3 5 September 1940 16:35 Spitfire 12 2 October 1940 11:10 Spitfire Thames Estuary 4 9 September 1940 18:55 Spitfire 13 5 October 1940 12:33 Hurricane Thames Estuary 5 15 September 1940 12:44 Spitfire 14 7 October 1940 14:20 Spitfire Mayfield 6 15 September 1940 13:08 Spitfire south of London 15 10 October 1940 11:30 Spitfire Thames Estuary 7 15 September 1940 15:36 Spitfire 16 1 November 1940 12:45 Spitfire Tunbridge Wells 8 17 September 1940 16:41 Spitfire 17 30 November 1940 11:30 Spitfire north of Dover 9 27 September 1940 13:33 Spitfire – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 31 August 1941 18 22 June 1941 07:15 I-16 vicinity of Grodno 33♠ 26 July 1941 10:10 DB-3 19 22 June 1941 11:35 DJ-6 34♠ 26 July 1941 10:12 DB-3 20 22 June 1941 18:25 I-16 35♠ 26 July 1941 18:28 DB-3 21 22 June 1941 20:45 DJ-6 36♠ 26 July 1941 18:32 DB-3 22 25 June 1941 08:33 SB-3 37 2 August 1941 13:45 I-18 23 25 June 1941 11:30 SB-3 38 5 August 1941 10:41 I-18 24 26 June 1941 07:28 DB-3 39 5 August 1941 10:46 I-18 25 26 June 1941 07:41 DB-3 40 7 August 1941 10:22 I-16 26 27 June 1941 05:08 DB-3 41 19 August 1941 13:05 I-16 vicinity of Velikiye Luki 27 27 June 1941 14:57 DB-3 42 23 August 1941 17:00 I-18 (MiG-1) vicinity of Velikiye Luki 28 27 June 1941 18:34 DB-3 43 25 August 1941 14:55 V-11 (Il-2) Velikiye Luki/Toropets 29 2 July 1941 20:09 I-153 44 27 August 1941 16:25 I-153 30 4 July 1941 12:21 I-16 45 29 August 1941 15:35 I-16 31 14 July 1941 18:05 I-15 46 29 August 1941 15:44 I-18 32♠ 26 July 1941 09:35 DB-3 47 29 August 1941 15:46 I-18

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class 1st Class (12 September 1940) Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 July 1941 as Leutnant and pilot in the III./Jagdgeschwader 53