Heinz Kemethmüller

Heinz Kemethmüller (26 June 1914 – 20 February 1984) 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, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

Early life and career Kemethmüller was born on 26 June 1914 in Nuremberg in the Kingdom of Bavaria within the German Empire. He volunteered for military service in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany in 1935. Initially serving in the Army, he transferred to the Luftwaffe (air force) in 1939. Following flight and fighter pilot training, Kemethmüller was posted to 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) in early 1941. At the time, the Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Willy Stange and subordinated to III. Gruppe of JG 3 headed by Hauptmann Walter Oesau.

War against the Soviet Union On 18 June, III. Gruppe relocated to Moderówka in south-eastern Poland. On 22 June, German forces launched Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. At the start of the campaign, JG 3 was subordinated to the V. Fliegerkorps (5th Air Corps), under command of General der Flieger Robert Ritter von Greim, which was part of Luftflotte 4 (4th Air Fleet), under command of Generaloberst Alexander Löhr. These air elements supported Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt's Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South), with the objective of capturing Ukraine and its capital Kiev. Due to pilot error, Kemethmüller crash landed his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 8146—factory number) that day at Moderówka.

On 6 July 1941, Kemethmüller's Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 8162) was damaged in aerial combat with PZL.37 Łoś bombers near Polonne. Both Kemethmüller and Feldwebel Siegfried Engfer from 9. Staffel of JG 3 claimed their 50th aerial victories on 18 September 1942. Consequently both pilots were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 2 October 1942. He received the Knight's Cross following his 59th aerial victory, which he had claimed on 355 combat missions.

With Jagdgeschader 26 on the Western and Eastern Front On 30 December 1942, Kemethmüller was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing). Here, he was assigned to 7. Staffel under the command of Oberleutnant Klaus Mietusch, a Staffel of III. Gruppe based at Wevelgem. On 13 January 1943, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) VIII Bomber Command flew a mission to Lille, targeting the locomotive works and steel factory. Both I. and III. Gruppe of JG 26 were scrambled and intercepted the bombers near Calais. In a frontal attack of the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers from the 305th Bombardment Group, Kemethmüller was credited with the destruction of a B-17 bomber between Ypres and Lille.

On 4 February, Kemethmüller's Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4 (Werknummer 2438—factory number) sustained engine damage in combat with fighters of (Royal Air Force) (RAF) No. 331 Squadron, resulting in a forced landing north of Merville. Injuries sustained in the encounter kept him grounded until mid-May, when his Staffel had already relocated to the Eastern Front.

In January 1943, the Luftwaffe planned to move JG 26 to the Eastern Front. The idea was to exchange JG 26 with Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) which supported Army Group North. In order to keep up operations, the exchange was planned by rotating each Gruppe by Gruppe and every Staffel by Staffel. In this context, 7. Staffel of JG 26 was attached to I. Gruppe of JG 54 which was commanded by Hauptmann Hans Philipp and was based outside of Leningrad. On 17 February, 7. Staffel left Courtrai, heading east by train. Following a stop at Heiligenbeil, the unit was based at the airbase at Krasnogvardeysk, present day Gatschina, which is located approximately southwest of Leningrad. At Heiligenbeil, 7. Staffel received 13 new Fw 190 A-4 and A-5 fighters. The combat area of I. Gruppe of JG 54 was predominantly over the front of 18th Army, on the left flank of Army Group North, and on the Volkhov River.

On 10 July, 7. Staffel left the Eastern Front, returning to Germany where they again joined III. Gruppe then based at Cuxhaven-Nordholz Airfield where they were equipped with the Bf 109 G. On 28 July, VIII Bomber Command sent 82 bombers of the 1st Bombardment Wing to Kassel while 120 bombers of the 4th Bombardment Wing attacked Oschersleben. Defending against this attack, Kemethmüller was credited with the destruction of a B-17 bomber north of Sylt. The following day, VIII Bomber Command attacked Kiel and Warnemünde. III. Gruppe intercpted the bombers near Heligoland, pursuing them on their attack run to Kiel. In the area of northeast of Schleswig, Kemethmüller shot down a B-17 bomber of the 306th Bombardment Group.

III. Gruppe transferred from Cuxhaven-Nordholz to Amsterdam-Schiphol Airfield on 13 August. The USAAF targeted the German aircraft industry on 17 August in the Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission. On this mission, Kemethmüller claimed two B-17 bombers shot down. The first of which was a endgültige Vernichtung (final destruction), a coup de grâce inflicted on an already damaged heavy bomber, over a 385th Bombardment Group B-17 south of Woensdrecht, the second B-17 was claimed over Holland. Kemethmüller did not receive credit either of these two claims. Shortly after, he was shot down in his Bf 109 G-4 (Werknummer 19216) near Leopoldsburg by Major Loren G. McCollom, commander of the 353rd Fighter Group flying Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighters. Sustaining wounds to his hands, Kemethmüller bailed out at low altitude and was hospitalized.

Following his convalescence, Kemethmüller returned to III. Gruppe of JG 26 in early January 1944, which was then based at Mönchengladbach. On 4 January, he flew his first combat mission since sustaining his injuries on 17 August 1943. During his absence from the Gruppe, as part of the group expansion from three Staffeln per Gruppe to four Staffeln per Gruppe, Kemethmüller' 7. Staffel had been re-designated on 1 October and had become the 9. Staffel of JG 26. On 9 January 1944, III. Gruppe returned to France with Gruppenstab (headquarters unit), 9. and 11. Staffel at Lille-Vendeville, and 10. and 12. Staffel at Denain. Here on 14 January, Kemethmüller claimed a Supermarine Spitfire fighter of the No. 308 Polish Fighter Squadron shot down near Calais. On 21 January, the USAAF Ninth Air Force sent 119 Martin B-26 Marauder bombers and their escorting Spifire fighters on a mission against V-1 flying bomb launch sites. III. Gruppe intercepted the formation south of Saint-Omer. In this encounter, Kemethmüller claimed a Spitfire fighter shot down, the claim was not approved.

On 17 April 1944, III. Gruppe relocated from Pocking to Munich-Neubiberg Airfield, flying training missions for the next three days. The Gruppe flew its first combat mission from southern Germany on 23 April when they were ordered to intercept a USAAF bomber formation of the Fifteenth Air Force south of Vienna. The bombers were escorted by North American P-51 Mustang fighters of the 31st Fighter Group. In this encounter, Kemethmüller claimed two P-51 fighters shot down, one south of Wiener Neustadt and a second south of Lake Neusiedl, only receiving credit for the second claim.

Squadron leader and end of war On 24 April 1944, Kemethmüller was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 4. Staffel of JG 26. He succeeded Oberleutnant Wolfgang Neu who had been killed in action two days earlier. The Staffel was subordinated to I. Gruppe of JG 26, commanded by Hauptmann Karl Borris and based at Lille-Vendeville.

On 4 November, Kemethmüller was severely injured in landing accident in his Fw 190 A-9 (Werknummer 205206) at Greven. In consequence, he was replaced by Leutnant Waldemar Söffing as commander of 4. Staffel.

Later life Kemethmüller died on 20 February 1984 at the age of in Bonn-Beuel, West Germany.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Kemethmüller was credited with 89 aerial victories. Spick also lists Kemethmüller with 89 aerial victories claimed in 463 combat missions. This figure includes 70 claims on the Eastern Front and 19 over the Western Allies, including three four-engined bombers. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 88 aerial victory claims, plus three further unconfirmed claims. This number includes eighteen on the Western Front, including three four-engined bombers, and 70 on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 26 Ost 80442". 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 29 June 1941 16:20 ZKB-19? 5 19 August 1941 09:15 DB-3 2 17 July 1941 19:15 DB-3 6 2 October 1941 13:08 DB-3 3 9 August 1941 06:20 SB-3 7 3 October 1941 16:40 Il-2 4 11 August 1941 05:35 SB-2 8 3 October 1941 09:30? Il-2 east of Oryol – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942 9 22 February 1942 08:10? I-61 (MiG-3) south-southeast of Staraya Russa 10 15 March 1942 10:22 Pe-2 west-northwest of Litzinowo – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942 11 22 May 1942 16:35 MiG-1 east of Bugajewka 36 31 August 1942 09:08 Il-2 Kuzmyn 12 21 June 1942 17:15 I-153 west of Nowoschuli 37? 3 September 1942 10:13 MiG-3 13 2 July 1942 07:02? MiG-3 38 6 September 1942 09:35 Il-2 east of Kotluban train station 14 4 July 1942 13:55 Il-2 39 6 September 1942 14:35 MiG-3 northeast of Stalingrad 15 4 July 1942 17:15 Boston 40 7 September 1942 14:00 Il-2 north of Stalingrad 16 4 July 1942 17:20 Boston 41 10 September 1942 11:40 Il-2 western edge of Stalingrad 17 6 July 1942 19:35 MiG-3 42 10 September 1942 11:43 Il-2 western edge of Stalingrad 18 9 July 1942 18:56 Yak-4 43 11 September 1942 07:10 Il-2 northeast of Stalingrad 19 9 July 1942 18:58 Yak-4 44 11 September 1942 16:15? Pe-2 northeast of Dubovka 20 11 July 1942 13:50 MiG-3? 45 11 September 1942 16:17 Pe-2 northeast of Dubovka 21 17 July 1942 18:38 LaGG-3 46 12 September 1942 12:10 Il-2 Soadki 22 26 July 1942 14:15 Pe-2 47 15 September 1942 08:40 MiG-3 south of Stalingrad 23 26 July 1942 14:18? Pe-2 48 15 September 1942 09:15 Il-2 west of Stalingrad 24 3 August 1942 17:20 LaGG-3 southeast of Kalach 49 16 September 1942 16:15 Il-2 northeast of Kasuga 25 8 August 1942 09:32 Pe-2 south-southeast of Kalach 50 18 September 1942 10:50 Il-2 Gorodishche train station 26 8 August 1942 09:33 Pe-2 south-southeast of Kalach 51 18 September 1942 16:40 Il-2 eastern edge of Stalingrad 27 13 August 1942 17:46 BB-1? north of Kartowka 52 18 September 1942 16:41? Il-2 east of Stalingrad 28 17 August 1942 16:45? Il-2 Kotluban 53 18 September 1942 16:50 La-5 north of Akhtuba 29 18 August 1942 06:50? Il-2 east of Katschalinskaya 54 23 September 1942 08:27 Il-2 east of edge of Stalingrad 30 19 August 1942 04:55 MiG-3 Katschalinskaya 55 27 September 1942 16:00 Il-2 western edge of Stalingrad 31 23 August 1942 18:10 Pe-2 Kotluban 56 29 September 1942 12:02 Il-2 north of Stalingrad 32 25 August 1942 09:10 Pe-2 Staro-Schostkaja 57 29 September 1942 12:06 Il-2 north of Stalingrad 33 30 August 1942 09:20 Il-2 northeast of Radkovo 58 30 September 1942 05:42 Il-2 south of Kotluban train station 34 30 August 1942 09:25 Il-2 northeast of Radkovo 59 30 September 1942 15:03 LaGG-3 south of Kotluban train station 35 31 August 1942 09:05 Il-2 Buchowka 60 4 October 1942 07:20 LaGG-3 east of Dubovka – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –On the Western Front — 1 January – 17 February 1943 61 13 January 1943 14:45 B-17 Warneton/Furnesvicinity of Düren 62 3 February 1943 11:12 Ventura northwest of Dunkirk – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –Eastern Front — 17 February – 10 July 1943 63 21 May 1943 05:46 Pe-2 PQ 26 Ost 80442, Lake Glubokoye 69 8 June 1943 15:57 I-180 (Yak-7) PQ 36 Ost 20123, northwest of Volkhov 64 21 May 1943 05:51 LaGG-3 PQ 26 Ost 80283 8 June 1943? I-180 (Yak-7) 65 21 May 1943 10:21 I-16 PQ 26 Ost 70221, south of Lavansaari 70 18 June 1943 06:13? Yak-1 PQ 36 Ost 20173, forest near Kinderovo 66 30 May 1943 13:35 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 10112, Kopena 71 18 June 1943 12:22 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 20113, Wolchowstroj 67 2 June 1943 14:55 La-5 PQ 26 Ost 90113, west of Lipovo 72 22 June 1943 02:33 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 00552, east of Siverskaya 68 5 June 1943 12:10 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 20763Lake Ladoga – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –On the Western Front — 10 January – 30 September 1944 73 28 July 1943 09:16 B-17 PQ 05 Ost S/RP-5north of Sylt 17 August 1943 11:20 B-17 south of Woensdrecht 74 29 July 1943 09:30 B-17 northeast of Schleswig 17 August 1943 B-17 – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –On the Western Front — 10 January – 23 April 1944 75 14 January 1944 11:50 Spitfire PQ 05 Ost ND-5, Calais 76 13 April 1944 13:34? B-17 PQ 05 Ostnorthwest of Kaiserslautern 21 January 1944 12:45 Spitfire Saint-Omer 77 23 April 1944 14:22 P-51 south of Lake Neusiedl – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –On the Western Front — 24 April – 4 November 1944 78 8 May 1944 10:05 P-47 PQ 05 Ost PH-7/9west of Hirson 84 14 July 1944 14:36 P-47 PQ 04 Ost N/ACSaint-André-de-l'Eure Airfield 79 24 June 1944 21:37 P-47 PQ 05 Ost BC-2/5 northeast of Saint-Dizier 85 16 July 1944 21:31 P-47 PQ 05 Ost S/TB-3 southwest of Rouen 80 29 June 1944 08:40 Spitfire PQ 05 Ost TB-8north of Caen 86 18 July 1944 09:30 P-38 PQ 04 Ost N/AD-1 southeast of Vernon 81 12 July 1944 14:30 P-47 PQ 05 Ost UB-6southwest of Elbeuf 87 26 August 1944 14:25 Spitfire PQ 05 Ost TD-4west of Beauvais 82 12 July 1944 14:31 P-47 PQ 05 Ost N/AB-6west of Damville 88 16 September 1944 17:41 P-38 PQ 05 Ost ON-2/3Monschau 83 13 July 1944 16:58 P-47 PQ 15 West US-2/6northwest of Vernon 89 17 September 1944 17:56 Spitfire PQ 05 Ost JN-7Nijmegen-Kleve

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 31 August 1942 as Feldwebel and pilot German Cross in Gold on 3 October 1942 as Feldwebel in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 3 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 2 October 1942 as Feldwebel and pilot in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"