Heinz Golinski

Heinz Golinski (11 July 1919 – 16 October 1942) was a German fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Career Golinski was born on 11 July 1919 in Nordstemmen and was posted as an Unteroffizier to 3./Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53) in the autumn of 1941, operating over the German Bight and over Malta. He then served as a test pilot with Messerschmitt. In August 1942, Golinski joined I./JG 53 on the Eastern Front. He claimed his first victory on 28 July 1942, an R-5 biplane. During August, he claimed 17 victories. Golinski claimed 27 victories in September. In late September, I./JG 53 transferred to the Mediterranean.

Malta and death In October 1942, I. Gruppe of JG 53 relocated from the Eastern Front to Comiso Airfiled in Sicily where they arrived on 10 October. On 16 October, Golinski claimed a Supermarine Spitfire fighter shot down in a location south of Ħal Far. His Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 trop (Werknummer 10582—factory number) was then shot down south of Ħal Far, killing Golinski. It is thought Golinski was the victim of the Canadian fighter pilot F/L Henry Wallace "Wally" McLeod of No. 1435 Squadron RCAF. Prior to flying this fighter escort mission for seven Junkers Ju 88 bombers, Golinski had sprained an ankle and was unable to walk nor able to fly. When he reported this to his superior, he was accused of cowardice in the face of the enemy and forced to fly. Golinski's casualty report noted that after his Bf 109 was hit, it was observed that he made a half-role, then his right undercarriage came down before it went straight down and crashed. Posthumously, Golinski was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 5 November and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 December for his 47 aerial victories.

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 47 aerial victory claims plus. With the exception of a single aerial victories claimed over the Western Allies, all other aerial victories were claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 1762". 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 – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Eastern Front — 28 May – 27 September 1942 1 28 July 1942 12:25 R-5 PQ 1762 25 9 September 1942 12:58 Yak-1 PQ 4079 north of Gumrak 2 29 July 1942 15:45 MiG-1 PQ 1711 26 9 September 1942 16:54? Il-2 PQ 4919 north of Grebenka 3 3 August 1942 10:55 Il-2 PQ 3919vicinity of Kalach 27 10 September 1942 05:10 P-40 PQ 4944vicinity of Stalingrad 4 3 August 1942 11:02 Il-2 PQ 3927vicinity of Kalach 28 10 September 1942 08:40 Il-2 PQ 4927 southeast of Stalingrad 5 5 August 1942 09:38 Il-2 PQ 4957 north-northeast of Aksay 29 11 September 1942 16:20 Yak-1 PQ 5073 east of Stalingrad 6 8 August 1942 05:58 Il-2 PQ 4956 south of Stalingrad 30 12 September 1942 09:15 LaGG-3 PQ 4928 northeast of Stalingrad 7 8 August 1942 05:59 Il-2 PQ 4956 south of Stalingrad 31 12 September 1942 12:45 LaGG-3 PQ 4927 east of Stalingrad 8 12 August 1942 04:24 Il-2 PQ 2823 32 13 September 1942 09:30 Yak-1 PQ 49244 east of Stalingrad 9 13 August 1942 17:45 Il-2 PQ 3929vicinity of Pitomnik 33 13 September 1942 09:33 Yak-1 PQ 40871 northeast of Stalingrad 10? 14 August 1942 05:05 MiG-3 34 14 September 1942 10:22 LaGG-3 PQ 4945 northeast of Stalingrad 11 19 August 1942 08:55 R-5 PQ 49471 35 14 September 1942 16:48? LaGG-3 PQ 49413 southeast of Stalingrad 12 19 August 1942 15:26 Il-2 PQ 49294 south-southeast of Stalingrad 36 15 September 1942 10:32 La-5 PQ 4941 east of Stalingrad 13 22 August 1942 11:35 LaGG-3 PQ 5077, northeast of Rachinka east of Stalingrad 37 16 September 1942 10:35 LaGG-3 PQ 49293 southeast of Stalingrad 14 22 August 1942 11:35? LaGG-3 PQ 5077, northeast of Rachinka northeast of Stalingrad ? 16 September 1942 10:35 LaGG-3 east of Stalingrad 15 22 August 1942 17:22 MiG-3 PQ 5077, northeast of Rachinka northeast of Stalingrad 38 16 September 1942 16:28 Pe-2 PQ 49424 east of Stalingrad 16 23 August 1942 10:17 U-2 PQ 5077, northeast of Rachinka northeast of Stalingrad 39 18 September 1942 15:22 Yak-1 PQ 4078 north of Gumrak 17 23 August 1942 15:45 R-5 PQ 4922 northeast of Stalingrad 40 22 September 1942 07:40 Yak-1 PQ 4076 north of Grebenka 18 30 August 1942 05:29 Il-2 PQ 4921 east of Grebenka 41 22 September 1942 07:43 Yak-1 PQ 4075 north of Grebenka 19 30 August 1942 10:10 MiG-3 PQ 5935 northeast of Grebenka 42 23 September 1942 09:21 Yak-1 PQ 4075 north of Gumrak 20 2 September 1942 06:05 I-180 (Yak-7) PQ 4989 east-southeast of Stalingrad 43 25 September 1942 06:25 Yak-1 PQ 49223 northeast of Stalingrad 21 2 September 1942 09:45 P-40 PQ 4949 south of Stalingrad 44 25 September 1942 09:42 Yak-1 PQ 49364 east of Stalingrad 22 6 September 1942 13:34 Il-2 PQ 4913 southeast of Stalingrad 45 25 September 1942 14:00 Yak-1 PQ 49263 east of Stalingrad 23 8 September 1942 12:05 Il-2 PQ 4943 north of Grebenka 46 25 September 1942 14:04 La-5 PQ 49261 east of Stalingrad 24 8 September 1942 16:37 Yak-1 PQ 4052 east-southeast of Stalingrad – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Eastern Front — Mediterranean Theater — 1–16 October 1942 47 16 October 1942 11:17 Spitfire south of Ħal Far

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 26 October 1942 as Unteroffizier and pilot German Cross in Gold on 5 November 1942 as Unteroffizier in the I./Jagdgeschwader 53 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 December 1942 (posthumous) as Unteroffizier and pilot in the 3./Jagdgeschwader 53