Hermann Wischnewski

Hermann Wischnewski (9 February 1917 – 28 November 1993) 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. During his career Hermann Wischniewski was credited with between 24 and 28 victories.

Career Wischnewski was born on 9 February 1917 in Rensefeld, present-day part of Bad Schwartau, in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein within the German Empire. He joined the Luftwaffe in early 1940 and following flight training, he was posted to Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 700 flying the Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft. On 29 July 1944, Wischnewski was shot down and wounded in aerial combat with North American P-51 Mustang fighters. He bailed out of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6/U2 near Apolda.

Later life Wischnewski died on 28 November 1993 at the age of in Lübeck, Germany.

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to Spick, Wischnewski was credited with 28 aerial victories, 18 of which by night, claimed in over 500 missions. Aders lists him with 16 nocturnal aerial victories and two daytime claims. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that he was credited with at least eight aerial victory, plus sixteen further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes at least four four-engine heavy bombers, all on the Western Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 15 Ost S/GG-9". 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 Serial No./Squadron No. – 3. Staffel of Kommando Herrmann – 25/26 July 1943 four-engined bomber 1 31 July 1943 01:40 B-17? west of Remscheid – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 300 – 2 22 September 1943 22:37 Halifax Hanover Halifax HR924/No. 10 Squadron RAF – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 300 – 18 November 1943 four-engined bomber vicinity of Mannheim 18 November 1943 four-engined bomber vicinity of Mannheim 29 December 1943 four-engined bomber 3 1/2 January 1944 Lancaster 4 2/3 January 1944 Lancaster 5 2/3 January 1944 Lancaster 6 28/29 January 1944 four-engined bomber? 7 28/29 January 1944 four-engined bomber? 8 24/25 March 1944 four-engined bomber 9 24/25 March 1944 four-engined bomber 23 April 1944 01:22 Halifax north of Düsseldorf 23 May 1944 00:53 four-engined bomber Dortmund Lancaster DS848/No. 408 Squadron RCAF – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 300 –Defense of the Reich — 15 March – 29 July 1944 21 June 1944 10:03 B-24* PQ 15 Ost S/GG-9, Rangsdorf 29 June 1944 09:00 P-51 PQ 15 OS/S/KE, Bitterfeld 21 July 1944 B-24 21 July 1944 P-51 Friedrichshafen 29 July 1944 10:48 B-17 PQ 15 Ost S/MC-6Buttstädt 29 July 1944 10:55 B-17 PQ 15 Ost S/MD-7Apolda

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 5 June 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943 as Feldwebel in the III./Transportgeschwader 2 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 December 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 2./Jagdgeschwader 300