Gustav Sprick

Gustav "Micky" Sprick (29 November 1917 – 28 June 1941) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace and squadron leader during World War II. He is credited with 31 victories in 192 missions. All his victories were claimed over the Western Front.

Born in Biemsen, Sprick was posted to Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) in September 1939 and claimed his first aerial victory on the first day of the Battle of France. In August 1940, Sprick was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 8. Staffel of JG 26. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 October after gaining his 20th aerial victory. On 28 June 1941, Sprick was killed in action when his Messerschmitt Bf 109 lost its wing due to structural failure.

Early life and career Sprick, who was born on 29 November 1917 in Biemsen, at the time in the Principality of Lippe. After completing his pilot-training, Fähnrich Sprick was posted to Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) on 23 September 1939, and assigned to 8. Staffel (8th squadron), a squadron of III. Gruppe (3rd group). JG 26 was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a martyr cultivated by the Nazi Party. At the time, 8. Staffel was under the command of Oberleutnant Eduard Neumann and III. Gruppe was headed by Major Ernst Freiherr von Berg.

World War II World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. During the campaign against France, JG 26 was controlled by Jagdfliegerführer 2, Oberst Kurt-Bertram von Döring, and was deployed on the right flank of Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2), supporting the attack of Army Group B against the Netherlands. On 10 May 1940, the opening day of Fall Gelb (the invasion of the West), the now Leutnant Sprick shot down his first enemy aircraft: a Dutch Fokker T.V twin-engined bomber, over Breda in the Netherlands. The next day, III. Gruppe attacked a formation of Curtiss Hawk Model 75A fighters from Groupe de Chasse I/4 (GC—fighter group) over the Antwerp-Breda road. The Gruppe claimed five Curtiss fighters destroyed, including Sprick's second aerial victory. On 17 May, III. Gruppe transferred to Saint-Trond and Sprick claimed a Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 near Grammont.

Having scored nine victories by the fall of France, he had been promoted to Oberleutnant. He was shot down however, on 14 June near Évreux, by RAF (Royal Air Force) Hurricane fighters after claiming one of their number. But he managed to crash-land uninjured and was rescued by German troops.

Squadron leader On 8 August 1940, Sprick was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 8. Staffel of JG 26, replacing Oberleutnant Kuno Wendt. His Gruppe, III./JG 26 had a formidable team of leaders during the Battle of Britain, with the experienced Kommandeur Adolf Galland and Gerhard Schöpfel (9. Staffel), with Sprick (8. Staffel) and Joachim Müncheberg (7. Staffel). These four pilots all had 10 or more victories and over the next 2 months claimed 50 aircraft between them.

Sprick himself scored 11 victories in the battle, including a pair of Hurricanes of 85 Sqn on 31 August (his 14th & 15th victories). He was awarded the Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 8 September, and then the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 October after gaining his 20th victory on 28 September. By the end of 1940, with the battle falling back into a relatively quiet period, his score had increased to 23. (Müncheberg had 23, Schöpfel had 22 and Galland with 58). On 27 November, Sprick claimed an aerial victory over a Spitfire in the vicinity of Deal. According to Mathews and Foreman, this claim is unconfirmed. However, Sarkar states that Sprick shot down Keith Lawrence from No. 421 (Reconnaissance) Flight who was injured in the encounter that day.

June 1941 marked the invasion of the Soviet Union in the east. With the majority of the Luftwaffe involved in Operation Barbarossa, it left just JG 26, JG 2 and JG 1 defending the west. Coinciding with this, the British started their own air offensive, taking the fight to the Germans over France. Now, however, the roles were reversed, and it was the RAF fighters that found themselves vulnerable, operating at the limit of their range.

On 16 June 1941, Sprick claimed his 24th aerial victory. That day, the RAF had attacked Boulogne-sur-Mer with six Bristol Blenheim bombers in "Circus" No. 13. The bombers were escorted by six fighter squadrons from No. 11 Group.

Death On 28 June, the RAF flew "Circus" No. 26, with the objective to bomb the electrical power station at Comines. III. Gruppe, led by Schöpfel, was ordered to intercept the "Circus" escorted by No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron. The 8 Staffel, which was flying the high cover, was jumped from above by Spitfires and in the ensuing melee, the right wing of Sprick's Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 5743—factory number) sheared off while he attempted an evasive Split S maneuver. He crashed to his death near Holque, inland from Calais. Sprick is buried in the Bourdon German war cemetery, France in block 38, row 8, grave 305.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for more than 30 aerial victory claims, plus five further unconfirmed claims. All of his aerial victories were claimed on the Western Front of World War II.

Chronicle of aerial victories Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940 1? 10 May 1940 Fokker T.V Breda 6 June 1940 MB.151 2 11 May 1940 19:30 Curtiss northwest of Antwerp 6 June 1940 MB.151 3 17 May 1940 18:30 M.S.406 Grammont 6 June 1940 MB.151 4 31 May 1940 15:40 Hurricane Furnes 6 13 June 1940 12:39 Defiant vicinity of Paris 5 2 June 1940 09:25 Spitfire Dunkirk 7 14 Jun 1940 17:50 Hurricane Poix/Abbeville – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –Action at the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 21 June 1941 8 12 August 1940 12:20 Hurricane northwest of Margate 20 28 September 1940 11:30 Spitfire Canterbury 9 15 August 1940 12:58 Spitfire Dover, northwest of Boulogne 21 15 October 1940 13:45 Spitfire 10 18 August 1940 13:50 Hurricane Canterbury 22 25 October 1940 14:30 Spitfire Maidstone 11 24 August 1940 12:20 Hurricane Ashford 23 17 November 1940 10:22 Spitfire east of Harwich 12 31 August 1940 19:05 Hurricane Folkestone 27 November 1940 09:35 Spitfire Deal 13 31 August 1940 19:15 Hurricane Folkestone 24 16 June 1941 16:35 Spitfire Dungeness 14 1 September 1940 15:05 Hurricane London 25 17 June 1941 19:42 Hurricane north Étaples 15 3 September 1940 11:10 Spitfire Rochester 26 17 June 1941 19:58 Hurricane Dover Strait 16 6 September 1940 10:10 Spitfire southwest of Dungeness 27 18 June 1941 18:20? Spitfire Pas-de-Calais 17 11 September 1940 19:30 Hurricane Canterbury/Ashford 28 21 June 1941 16:42 Hurricane west of Boulogne 18 17 September 1940 16:35 Spitfire Gravesend 29 21 June 1941 16:55 Spitfire west-northwest of Boulogne 19 23 September 1940 10:35 Spitfire Thames Estuary – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –Action at the Channel and over England — 22–28 June 1941 30 22 June 1941 16:20 Spitfire off Gravelines 31 24 June 1941 20:58 Spitfire off Gravelines

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (8 September 1940) Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 October 1940 as Leutnant and pilot in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"