Fritz Dinger

Fritz Dinger (20 August 1915 – 27 July 1943) was born into an aristocratic German family. Fritz enlisted into the German Luftwaffe in 1939 and would later end up becoming an ace. Fritz was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. 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.

Career Dinger was born on 20 August 1915 in Ottweiler in the Kingdom of Prussia within the German Empire. Following flight and fighter pilot training, Dinger was posted to the 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing). At 14:45 on 16 August 1940 during the Battle of Britain, Dinger was shot down in aerial combat with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and crashed his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1 into the sea in a location south of Cherbourg.

The bulk of the Geschwaders air elements were moved via Jever, in northern Germany, to Mannheim-Sandhofen on 8 June 1941. There the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul prior to moving east. The II. Gruppe was transferred to Neusiedel in East Prussia, present-day Malomožaiskojė in Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia, between 12–14 June.

Operation Barbarossa On 22 June the Geschwader crossed into Soviet airspace in support of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union which opened the Eastern Front.

Following aerial combat on 5 October 1941, Dinger made a forced landing in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 (Werknummer 7187—factory number) at Sologubovka, located southeast of Saint Petersburg. That day, his unit had flown its final missions in the area of Shlisselburg. The Gruppe then relocated to the Western Front where it arrived at Leeuwarden in the Netherlands on 12 October. While based at Leeuwarden, Dinger claimed his twelfth aerial victory when he shot down a RAF Bristol Blenheim bomber on 27 October. On 2 December 1941, II. Gruppe moved to the Mediterranean theater and where then based at Comiso airfield during the siege of Malta.

Squadron leader and death In October 1942, Dinger was transferred to take command of 4. Staffel of JG 53. He succeeded Oberleutnant Wilhelm Hobirk who had led the Staffel for two months after its former commander, Oberleutnant Gerhard Michalski had been transferred in August. Dinger was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 December 1942 for 49 aerial victories claimed.

On an early morning mission flown on 27 July 1943, Dinger claimed his 67th aerial victory. Following this mission, the airfield at Scalea came under an Allied bombing attack. Dinger was hit in the back of his head by shrapnel, killing him instantly. In consequence, Hauptmann Willi Krauss replaced him as commander of 4. Staffel.

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Dinger was credited with 67 aerial victories. Obermaier also list him with 67 aerial victories, 41 of which on the Eastern Front and 25 over the Western Allies in the Mediterranean theater, claimed in over 600 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 64 aerial victory claims. This number includes 37 claims on the Eastern Front and 27 over the Western Allies, including one four-engined heavy bomber.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 49442". 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 – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 4 October 1941 # 4 July 1941 16:46 SB-3 # 7 July 1941 10:45? SB-3 # 4 July 1941 16:48 SB-3 # 10 July 1941 09:03 SB-3 According to Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, Dinger claimed two undocumented aerial victories in the timeframe 22 June to 10 October 1941. These two claims are not listed by Mathews and Foreman. 6 25 August 1941 13:42 I-18 (MiG-1) 9 29 August 1941 18:46 I-16 7 29 August 1941 15:57 I-16? 11 28 September 1941 16:09 Pe-2 8 29 August 1941 16:22 V-11 (Il-2) – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Netherlands — 12 October – 15 December 1941 12 27 October 1941 15:08 Blenheim northwest of Texel – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Mediterranean Theater — 25 November 1941 – July 1942 13 22 February 1942 12:05 Hurricane 16 7 July 1942 06:56 Spitfire 14 22 April 1942 10:30 Hurricane 17 10 July 1942 10:41 Spitfire 15 15 June 1942 18:25 Spitfire southwest of Gozo 18 13 July 1942 13:30 Spitfire south of Kalafrana ? 2 July 1942 07:48 Spitfire northeast of La Valletta – Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Eastern Front — August – 27 September 1942 19 18 August 1942 17:23 Il-2 west of Schintow According to Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, Dinger claimed two undocumented aerial victories in the timeframe August to September 1942. These two claims are not listed by Mathews and Foreman. # 19 August 1942 11:30 Pe-2 east of Kusserow # 10 September 1942 14:03 LaGG-3 PQ 49442 southeast of Stalingrad # 19 August 1942 11:31 LaGG-3? east of Kusserow # 11 September 1942 14:43 Yak-1 northeast Kotluban train station # 19 August 1942 17:47 Il-2 PQ 40774 northwest of Gumrak # 13 September 1942 06:40 I-180 (Yak-7) PQ 49432 east of Stalingrad # 21 August 1942 17:30 LaGG-3 PQ 4074 north-northwest of Gumrak # 13 September 1942 06:58 I-180 (Yak-7) PQ 49273 east of Stalingrad # 25 August 1942 11:06 MiG-1 PQ 49252 east of Stalingrad # 15 September 1942 09:36 Il-2 PQ 49243 northeast of Stalingrad # 30 August 1942 08:11 I-180 (Yak-7) PQ 49533 south of Stalingrad # 15 September 1942 09:37 Il-2 PQ 49212 east of Stalingrad # 30 August 1942 08:58 Il-2 PQ 49164vicinity of Grebenka # 16 September 1942 09:45 La-5 PQ 4945 southeast of Stalingrad # 30 August 1942 09:00 Il-2 PQ 49162vicinity of Grebenka # 23 September 1942 06:40 La-5 PQ 4072 north of Grebenka # 31 August 1942 09:00 Il-2 PQ 49473 south-southeast of Stalingrad # 23 September 1942 16:40 Yak-1 PQ 4064 north-northeast of Grebenka # 3 September 1942 09:43 Il-2 PQ 49422 east of Stalingrad # 24 September 1942 07:06 MiG-1 PQ 4075 north of Gumrak # 3 September 1942 15:10 Yak-1 PQ 40701 north of Gumrak 46 25 September 1942 10:48? MiG-1 PQ 4924 northeast of Stalingrad # 6 September 1942 10:15? LaGG-3 PQ 5933 east of Stalingrad 47 25 September 1942 10:52 Il-2 PQ 4087 # 7 September 1942 11:24 Il-2 PQ 40751 north of Gumrak 48 25 September 1942 16:32 Yak-1 PQ 4052 north of Gumrak # 7 September 1942 15:54 Il-2 PQ 40782 north of Gumrak – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Mediterranean Theater — October 1941 – 31 December 1942 49 16 October 1942 08:25 Spitfire east of Żonqor Tower 52 4 December 1942 15:52 Boston southwest of Mateur 50 4 December 1942 11:31 P-38 south Ferryville 53 5 December 1942 12:31? B-25 west of Cap Blanc 51 4 December 1942 15:50 Boston southeast of Mateur – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Mediterranean Theater — 1 January – 27 July 1943 54 22 March 1943 13:55 Boston PQ 13 Ost 0873Cape San Vito 61 7 July 1943 17:18 P-40 west of Marsala 55 5 April 1943 09:13 P-38 north of Zembra north of Feccabra 62 8 July 1943 12:25 B-17 south of Agrigento 56 18 April 1943 19:02 P-40 southwest of Ras el Almas 63 8 July 1943 16:18 P-40 west of Sciacca 57 19 April 1943 15:57 Spitfire west of Zembra 64 9 July 1943 07:43 P-40 north-northeast of Sciacca 58 25 April 1943 13:59 Spitfire south of Hammamet 65? 18 July 1943 07:45 Spitfire Catania ? 22 May 1943 18:44 Spitfire 66 24 July 1943 12:55 B-26 northeast of Stromboli 59 4 June 1943 07:56 Spitfire north of La Valetta 67 27 July 1943 09:25 P-40 east of Cesarò 60 6 July 1943 15:22 Spitfire west Pozallo

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 26 October 1942 as Leutnant and pilot German Cross in Gold on 5 November 1942 as Leutnant in the I./Jagdgeschwader 53 "Pik As" Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 December 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelführer of the 4./Jagdgeschwader 53