Hermann Schleinhege

Hermann Schleinhege (21 February 1916 – 11 March 2014) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Schleinhege was credited with 97 aerial victories, all on the Eastern Front.

Career Schleinhege was born on 21 February 1916 in Essen in the Rhine Province of the German Empire. He joined the Luftwaffe before the war and upon completing his training, in February 1941, served as a flight instructor. In April 1942, he was transferred as an Unteroffizier to 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 Grünherz (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing), at the time stationed near Leningrad. On 15 May, Schleinhege damaged his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 (Werknummer 8618—factory number) during takeoff at Lyuban.

With the Geschwaderstab of JG 54 After Schleinhege's transfer to the Geschwaderstab (headquarters flight) of JG 54, he began flying as wingman to the unit commanders, including Hannes Trautloft, Hubertus von Bonin (78 victories) and Anton Mader (86 victories), gaining valuable experience. Flying with the Geschwaderstab, he crashed Focke-Wulf Fw 58 Weihe B-1 (Werknummer 3576) near Oryol on 9 July. By the end of the year when they were based in Orsha with Army Group Centre, his score stood at 32 aerial victories.

Schleinhege was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 20 March 1944, and scored his 37th victory on 4 April. Upon completing officer training, the newly commissioned Leutnant Schleinhege was transferred to 4./JG 54 in Estonia, he claimed his 50th on 17 September. On 9 October, now based out of Riga, he shot down two Bell P-39 Airacobras and two Il-2 ground attack aircraft.

Squadron leader In August 1944, Schleinhege temporarily assumed command of 4. Staffel of JG 54 after its former commander. Hauptmann Franz Eisenach had been transferred. On 1 September, the Staffel was redesignated and became 7. Staffel of JG 54. Later that month, he command of 7. Staffel was given to Leutnant Gerhard Thyben. At the end of November 1944, he was promoted to Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 8. Staffel of JG 54, remaining in this position until the end of World War II. By the end of the year, with his squadron based in Libau supporting the troops in the isolated Courland Pocket, his score had climbed to 81.

Schleinhege was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 28 January 1945, for 84 victories. He and his pilots covered the naval evacuation of the pocket. Based firstly from Libau until March, then from Heiligenbeil, near Königsberg, until the end of the war. His last flight was on 8 May 1945 when he squeezed his two mechanics into his (nominally) single-seater Fw 190 and flew to Kiel to surrender to the British troops.

Later life Schleinhege died on 11 March 2014 at the age of in Soest, Germany.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Schleinhege was credited with 97 aerial victories. Obermaier also lists him with 97 aerial victories claimed in 484 combat missions. Spick however lists him with 96 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number combat missions, all of which on the Eastern Front. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 94 aerial victory claims, plus five further unconfirmed claims.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 28734". 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 – 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943 1 9 August 1942 11:05 R-5 west of Chrenowaja 4? 26 August 1942 Il-2 2? 14 August 1942 Yak-1 ? 7 January 1943 09:22 LaGG-3 3? 26 August 1942 I-16 – 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — 4 February – March 1943 5 11 February 1943 08:55 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 28734 west-northwest of Ostashkov 7 7 March 1943 09:23 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 18274 southeast of Staraya Russa 6 27 February 1943 12:33 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 18483 west-southwest of Demyansk – Stab of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — June – 31 December 1943 8 1 June 1943 04:56 Yak-1 PQ 36 Ost 10292 southwest of Volkhov 20 2 August 1943 13:03 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 10183east of Mga 9 8 June 1943 16:04 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 20181southwest of Volkhov 21 4 August 1943 06:33 P-39 PQ 36 Ost 10153southeast of Shlisselburg 10 18 June 1943 06:22 Yak-1 PQ 36 Ost 21851 northeast of Volkhov 22? 19 August 1943 Yak-1 11 18 June 1943 06:27 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 21761 northwest of Volkhov 23? 19 August 1943 Il-2 12 23 June 1943 20:02 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 11743Lake Ladoga 24 11 October 1943 09:10 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 06164 13 13 July 1943 11:44 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 54167 south of Sukhinichi 25 12 October 1943 13:36 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 15544south of Lenin 14 14 July 1943 14:07 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 54474 west-northwest of Bolkhov 26 12 October 1943 13:55 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 15574northeast of Gorki 15 17 July 1943 08:05 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 63567 southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 27 14 October 1943 14:46 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 15553 northeast of Gorki 16 17 July 1943 13:08 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 54642 west-southwest of Bolkhov 28 17 October 1943 09:47 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 06321 ? 18 July 1943 07:02 LaGG-3 29 5 November 1943 10:28 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 06182 17 18 July 1943 07:18 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 64879 south of Mtsensk 30 5 November 1943 10:50 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 06321 18 31 July 1943 11:10 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 10154southeast of Shlisselburg 31 30 November 1943 12:07 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 05461 19 2 August 1943 12:37 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 10156southeast of Shlisselburg 32 30 November 1943 12:11 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 05481 – Stab of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — 1 January – April 1944 33 12 February 1944 14:47 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 06794 3 April 1944 unknown 34 26 February 1944 15:58 Il-2 vicinity of Lake Peipus 3 April 1944 unknown 28 March 1944 Pe-2 3 April 1944 unknown 35 3 April 1944 09:55 LaGG-3 PQ 25 Ost 88391 southeast of Selo 37 4 April 1944 17:52 Yak-9 west of Lake Peipus 36 3 April 1944 12:15 Il-2 southwest of Selo – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — August – November 1944 38 16 August 1944 13:08 Pe-2 56 28 September 1944 11:40 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 47291 south of Mālpils 39 17 August 1944 12:04 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 79582west of Lake Peipus 57 28 September 1944 11:48 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 47236south of Mālpils 40 17 August 1944 12:14 Yak-9 58 30 September 1944 12:35 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 57144 south-southeast of Mālpils 41 23 August 1944 15:02 Yak-9 south of Dorpat 59 9 October 1944 13:34 P-39 west-southwest of Telšiai 42 23 August 1944 15:30 Il-2 west of Dorpat 60 9 October 1944 15:45 P-39 PQ 25 Ost 17688 east-southeast of Liepāja 43 25 August 1944 17:15 La-5 north of Jēkabpils 61 9 October 1944 16:05 Il-2 southeast of Liepāja 44 5 September 1944 17:30 Pe-2 north of Jēkabpils 62 9 October 1944 16:07 Il-2 southeast of Liepāja 45 15 September 1944 11:56 Il-2 Gulf of Finland, north of Kunda 63 10 October 1944 08:25 Pe-2 east-southeast of Palanga 46 15 September 1944 11:57 Il-2 Gulf of Finland, north of Kunda 64 14 October 1944 14:00+ P-39 northeast of Polanga 47 15 September 1944 14:03 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 60315northwest of Kunda 65 16 October 1944 15:01 Il-2 southeast of Liepāja 48 17 September 1944 09:25 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 68146north of Walk 66 16 October 1944 15:27 Il-2 east of Liepāja 49 18 September 1944 18:14 Yak-9 southeast of Mālpils 67 17 October 1944 13:22 Il-2 southeast of Liepāja 50 18 September 1944 18:15 Yak-9 southeast of Mālpils 68 17 October 1944 13:42 Il-2 southeast of Liepāja 51 19 September 1944 15:31 Il-2 north of Dorpat 69 27 October 1944 09:43 Il-2 southeast of Liepāja 52 19 September 1944 15:32 Il-2 southeast of Paide 70 27 October 1944 11:36 Pe-2 north of Polanga 53 23 September 1944 12:38 Yak-9 south of Jēkabpils 71 30 October 1944 12:12 Pe-2 54 24 September 1944 11:25 La-5 north-northwest of Valmiera 72 19 November 1944 17:30 Il-2 east of Liepāja 55 28 September 1944 11:39 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 47266 east-southeast of Riga – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Eastern Front — December 1944 – 8 May 1945 73 14 December 1944 12:32 Il-2 86 29 January 1945 12:17 Il-2 Courland area 74 15 December 1944 10:50+ Pe-2 87 29 January 1945 12:28 Yak-3 Courland area 75 15 December 1944 10:58 Pe-2 88 6 February 1945 09:38 Il-2 Courland area 76 21 December 1944 10:17 Pe-2 89 21 February 1945 12:23 Il-2 Cīrava 77 22 December 1944 14:22 Il-2 90 21 February 1945 12:32 Pe-2 Cīrava 78 23 December 1944 08:58 Pe-2 91 21 February 1945 12:52 Pe-2 Cīrava 23 December 1944 unknown 92 23 February 1945 16:05 Pe-2 Cīrava 79 26 December 1944 12:28 Il-2 93 23 February 1945 16:06 Pe-2 Cīrava 80 27 December 1944 12:58? P-39 94 17 March 1945 16:43 Il-2 Courland area 81 29 December 1944 10:43? Yak-3 95 26 March 1945 08:47 Il-2 Courland area 82 29 December 1944 13:00 Il-2 96 26 March 1945 09:20 Il-2 Courland area 83 20 January 1945 10:53 Il-2 Courland area 97 9 April 1945 15:20 Pe-2 Courland area 84 26 January 1945 10:23 Il-2 Courland area 98 9 April 1945 19:21 Yak-3 Courland area 85 26 January 1945 13:24 Il-2 Courland area

Awards Flugzeugführerabzeichen Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 11 October 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot German Cross in Gold on 20 March 1944 as Oberfeldwebel in the Stab/Jagdgeschwader 54 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 28 January 1945 as Leutnant and pilot in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 54