Josef Wurmheller

Josef "Sepp" Wurmheller (4 May 1917 – 22 June 1944) was a German Luftwaffe pilot during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 102 enemy aircraft shot down in over 300 combat missions. He claimed the majority of his aerial victories over the Western Front, and nine over the Eastern Front. Of his 93 victories over the Western Allies, 21 were four-engined bombers and 60 were against Supermarine Spitfire fighters.

Born in Hausham, Wurmheller was a glider pilot in his youth, and volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1937. Following flight training he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) in 1939. He claimed his first aerial victory on the Western Front on 30 September 1939, a phase of World War II dubbed the Phoney War. He then served as a flight instructor before returning to JG 53 for the Battle of Britain. In June 1941 he participated in Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 4 September 1941 after 32 victories. Following another tour as fighter pilot instructor, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing) operating on the Channel Front. Wurmheller claimed seven aerial victories during the Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942 and after his 67th victory was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 1 October 1942.

In April 1943, Wurmheller was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9. Staffel (9th squadron) of JG 2 "Richthofen". On 8 June 1944, two days after the Allied Invasion of Normandy, he was given command of III. Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 2 "Richthofen". He and his wingman were killed in a mid-air collision during combat near Alençon, France, on 22 June 1944. Wurmheller was posthumously promoted to Major (major) and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 24 October 1944.

Early life and career Wurmheller was born on 4 May 1917 in Hausham in the Kingdom of Bavaria, a federated state of the German Empire. After growing up on his uncle's farm at Schliersee, he spent four years working as a miner like his father. He was also an enthusiastic glider pilot and in 1937 he volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe. Following training as a fighter pilot, Wurmheller, holding the rank of Unteroffizier (sergeant), was posted to 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) in 1939.

World War II World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. On 30 September, elements of I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 53 encountered a formation of five Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairey Battle single-engined bombers in the vicinity of Saarbrücken during the early Phoney War period. Wurmheller claimed his first victory during this encounter. The Fairey Battle K9283, of No. 150 Squadron flown by Squadron Leader William MacDonald, was on an aerial reconnaissance mission in the area from Metzing to Saarbrücken and crash-landed at Écury-sur-Coole. For this victory, Wurmheller received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 19 October 1939. He was posted to the Jagdfliegerschule (fighter pilot school) at Werneuchen as an instructor in November 1939.

Battle of Britain and Eastern Front Following a tour as an instructor at the Luftwaffe fighter pilot school, Wurmheller returned to 5. Staffel of JG 53 in June 1940. During the Battle of Britain, he flew combat missions as a fighter pilot and as a fighter-bomber pilot. He claimed four further victories in this campaign and was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class on 16 October 1940. He was shot down three times himself by RAF fighters and each time had to bail out. On the third occasion, he was shot down in Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-4 (Werknummer 5242—factory number) at approximately 5:10 pm on 23 November over the English Channel and had to swim for four-and-a-half hours before he was rescued by a Schnellboot (E-boat) of the Kriegsmarine (Navy). Hospitalized until March 1941, he returned to combat duty and claimed two Supermarine Spitfires shot down on 7 May 1941, his 9th and 10th victories.

Wurmheller's unit was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Front in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which began on 22 June 1941. During Barbarossa he was deployed in the southern sector of the German advance. He added nine victories—eight bombers and one Polikarpov I-16 "Rata" fighter—in this theater of operations. His last victory on the Eastern Front, his 19th overall, was claimed on 15 July 1941.

Channel Front

Wurmheller was transferred back to the Channel Front on 20 July 1941. He was assigned to the Stab (headquarters unit) of II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing), named after the World War I fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen. He claimed his 20th aerial victory on 24 July 1941 and over a period of four weeks claimed a further 12 victories, all over Spitfires, including five in one day, making him an "ace-in-a-day".

On 30 August 1941, Wurmheller was awarded the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe , and on 4 September he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 32 aerial victories. His former unit, 5. Staffel of JG 53, had nominated him for the Knight's Cross, but the nomination was not approved until he was assigned to JG 2 "Richthofen". On the same day, his fellow II. Gruppe pilot Oberfeldwebel Kurt Bühligen also received the Knight's Cross. At the time, Wurmheller flew a Bf 109 F-2 from the airbase at St Pol-Bryas.

Following a minor injury, Wurmheller was again posted to the fighter pilot school in Werneuchen as an instructor. Upon his return to front line duty in May 1942, he was posted to 1. Staffel and claimed 10 victories during May 1942 and a further 12 victories the following month. Among these claims were four Spitfires shot down on 31 May and five on 5 June 1942. Most of these missions were flown with Rudolf Pflanz as his wingman.

Wurmheller's most successful day as a fighter pilot was during the Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942. On that day, the Allies unsuccessfully attacked the German-occupied port of Dieppe. Over 6,000 infantrymen, predominantly Canadian, were supported by a Canadian armored regiment and a strong force of Royal Marines and smaller RAF landing contingents. Wurmheller, whose right foot was plastered in an orthopedic cast, claimed eight victories during the course of four combat missions that day, seven Spitfires and a Bristol Blenheim bomber. The Blenheim most likely was a misidentified Martin Baltimore. He had to abort his first mission due to engine trouble, suffering a minor concussion in the forced landing. He returned from his second mission claiming two Spitfires and a Blenheim shot down. His third mission resulted in the destruction of three more Spitfires, his 56th to 58th victories. Wurmheller claimed another Spitfire shot down on his fourth combat mission. The next day, 20 August, he claimed his 60th aerial victory, which earned him the German Cross in Gold ; it was awarded on 21 August.

Wurmheller was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) for bravery in the face of the enemy on 1 October 1942. Following his 67th aerial victory, achieved in about 150 combat missions, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 14 November 1942. He was the 146th officer or soldier of the Wehrmacht so honored.

The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), in particular the Eighth Air Force, began regular combat when the VIII Bomber Command attacked the Rouen–Sotteville marshalling yards in France on 17 August 1942. Wurmheller claimed four Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers shot down on 3 January 1943. On 1 April 1943 he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9. Staffel of JG 2 "Richthofen", succeeding Hauptmann (Captain) Siegfried Schnell, who was transferred to III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing). Wurmheller claimed his 70th victory on 17 May, when he shot down a B-17.

On 23 September, Wurmheller was wounded by bomb splinters while making an emergency landing in his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 during a bombing raid at Vannes–Meucon. "Sepp", as he was named by his comrades, was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) on 1 August 1943 and to Hauptmann on 1 November 1943. He claimed his first heavy bomber in the Defense of the Reich campaign on 8 February 1944 in the vicinity of Le Tréport. By March 1944, his total number of aerial victories had reached 92 claims.

Group commander and death

Wurmheller claimed further aerial victories following the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944. He was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of JG 2 "Richthofen" on 8 June, succeeding Hauptmann Herbert Huppertz who was killed in action near Caen earlier that day. Wurmheller claimed the last three victories of his total of 102 on 16 June 1944. He was the 80th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.

Wurmheller was killed in his Fw 190 A-8 (Werknummer 171 053) on 22 June 1944, when he collided with his wingman, Feldwebel (Staff Sergeant) Kurt Franzke, during aerial combat with USAAF Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Spitfire fighters near Alençon. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and promoted to the rank of Major (major) on 24 October 1944, which was back-dated to 1 June 1944. According to Goss, his victor may have been Pilot Officer J.W. Flemming from No. 441 Fighter Squadron. Wurmheller and Franzke were buried beside each other at the Champigny-Saint-André German war cemetery, near Saint-André-de-l'Eure, in plot 9, graves 1704 and 1705 respectively. Command of III. Gruppe of JG 2 was then given to Hauptmann Siegfried Lemke.

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Wurmheller was credited with 102 aerial victories. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 103 aerial victory claims, plus five further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes nine Soviet Air Forces piloted aircraft on the Eastern Front and 94 on the Western Front, including 21 four-engined bomber.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 3841". 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! Claim# Date Time Type Location Claim! Claim# Date Time Type Location – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –"Phoney War" — 1 September 1939 – 9 May 1940 1 30 September 1939 12:10 Battle west of Saarbrücken – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Action at the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 8 June 1941 2 1 28 September 1940 13:45 Spitfire vicinity of Portland 7 6 9 April 1941 17:21 Spitfire south of Dover 3 2 30 September 1940 17:43 Hurricane north of Portland 8 7 10 April 1941 18:43 Blenheim 4 3 12 October 1940 12:15 Spitfire northwest of Brest 9 8 7 May 1941 07:47 Spitfire Deal 5 4 16 October 1940 15:20 Blenheim north-northeast of Ile d'Ouessant 10 9 7 May 1941 07:47 Spitfire Deal 6 5 4 April 1941 11:18 Spitfire north of Wissant – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 8 October 1941 11 10 22 June 1941 18:01 SB-2 vicinity of Tauroggen 16 15 6 July 1941 19:45? SB-3 12 11 23 June 1941 09:00 SB-3 17 16 11 July 1941 03:25 I-16? 13 12 1 July 1941 19:50 SB-3 18 17 12 July 1941 19:46 SB-3 14 13 4 July 1941 14:52 SB-3 19 18 15 July 1941 18:35 SB-3? 15 14 6 July 1941 19:45 SB-3 – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –On the Western Front — 22 June – 31 December 1941 24 July 1941 12:25 Spitfire Hazebrouck 26 25 18 August 1941 16:16 Spitfire Lille/Calais 20 19 24 July 1941 12:26 Spitfire 27 26 21 August 1941 15:08 Spitfire 21 20 7 August 1941 07:52 Spitfire 28 27 26 August 1941 19:23 Spitfire 22 21 7 August 1941 17:47 Spitfire 29 28 26 August 1941 19:24 Spitfire 23 7 August 1941 P-40 30 29 27 August 1941 09:30 Spitfire Thérouanne 22 16 August 1941 16:05 Spitfire 31 30 29 August 1941 08:30 Spitfire 24 23 16 August 1941 19:40 Spitfire 32 31 4 September 1941 17:38 Spitfire Saint-Omer/Béthune 25 24 18 August 1941 16:05 Spitfire Lille/Calais – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –On the Western Front — 1 January – 31 December 1942 33 32 17 May 1942 14:02 Spitfire 5 June 1942 Spitfire 34 33 19 May 1942 20:45 Spitfire 52 51 20 June 1942 15:51 Spitfire northwest of Fécamp 35 34 19 May 1942 20:47 Spitfire north-northwest of Calais 53 52 20 June 1942 15:52 Spitfire northwest of Fécamp 36 35 19 May 1942 20:49 Spitfire 54♠ 53 19 August 1942 09:08 Spitfire west of Dieppe 37 36 30 May 1942 21:30 Spitfire 55♠ 54 19 August 1942 09:12 Spitfire west of Dieppe 38 37 30 May 1942 21:30 Spitfire 56♠ 55 19 August 1942 09:16 Blenheim southeast of Dieppe 39 38 31 May 1942 19:32 P-40 56 19 August 1942 15:16 Spitfire north of Dieppe 40 39 31 May 1942 19:33 P-40 57 19 August 1942 15:17 Spitfire north of Dieppe 41 40 31 May 1942 19:35 Spitfire 57♠ 58 19 August 1942 15:22 Spitfire north-northwest of Dieppe 42 41 31 May 1942 19:37 Spitfire 58♠ 59 19 August 1942 17:32 Spitfire northwest of Dieppe 43 42 2 June 1942 10:58 Spitfire over sea at Dieppe, vicinity of Le Tréport 60 19 August 1942 18:45 Spitfire vicinity of Dieppe 44 43 2 June 1942 11:00 Spitfire over sea at Dieppe, vicinity of Le Tréport 59 61 20 August 1942 19:02 Spitfire north of Le Havre north of Caen 45 44 2 June 1942 11:04 Spitfire over sea at Dieppe, vicinity of Le Tréport 62 20 August 1942 19:04 Spitfire northwest of Le Havre north of Caen 46 45 3 June 1942 16:47 Spitfire over sea in the vicinity of Le Havre 60 63 8 September 1942 14:39 Spitfire over sea, northwest of Le Havre 47 46 3 June 1942 16:50 Spitfire over sea in the vicinity of Le Havre 61 64 8 September 1942 14:40 Spitfire over sea, northwest of Le Havre 48 47 5 June 1942 15:45 Spitfire Somme Estuary, vicinity of Abbeville 62 65 2 October 1942 15:43 Spitfire north of Fécamp 49 48 5 June 1942 15:45 Spitfire Somme Estuary, vicinity of Abbeville 63 66 31 October 1942 18:08 Spitfire southeast of Canterbury 50 49 5 June 1942 15:46 Spitfire Somme Estuary, vicinity of Abbeville 64 67 31 October 1942 18:12 Spitfire southeast of Walmer 51 50 5 June 1942 15:46 Spitfire – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –On the Western Front — 1 January – 31 December 1943 65 68 16 February 1943 11:15 B-17 northeast of VannesPQ 3841 67 70 12 March 1943 13:11 Typhoon north of Fécamp 66 69 16 February 1943 11:18 B-17 LandévantPQ 4829 – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –On the Western Front — 1 January – 31 December 1943 68 71 16 April 1943 14:25 B-17 PQ 14 West 4838 77 14 August 1943 13:55 Spitfire south of Fruer 69 72 1 May 1943 11:30 B-17 PQ 14 West 3876 78 80 16 August 1943 12:28 Spitfire southwest of Bernay 70 73 17 May 1943 12:17 B-17 PQ 14 West 4845Lorient/Saint-Brieuc 79 81 22 August 1943 19:50 Spitfire PQ 05 Ost 0067vicinity of Bernay 71 74 29 May 1943 16:25 B-17 PQ 14 West 2939PQ 14 West 29359 80 82 27 August 1943 09:45? Spitfire PQ 05 Ost 0037PQ 05 Ost 0047 72 75 29 May 1943 16:27 B-17 PQ 14 West 2939PQ 14 West 2919 81 83 2 September 1943 19:05 P-47 PQ 05 Ost 1034 73 76 28 June 1943 17:10 B-17 PQ 14 West 3875vicinity of Saint-Nazaire 82 84 3 September 1943 09:47 B-17 PQ 04 Ost 29317 74 77 4 July 1943 13:09 B-17 PQ 14 West 4725 83 85 3 September 1943 10:48 B-17 PQ 15 West 1015 75 78 4 July 1943 13:11 B-17 PQ 14 West 4713PQ 14 West 72131 84 86 11 September 1943 18:13 Spitfire PQ 05 Ost 0049 76 79 3 August 1943 20:26 Spitfire north-northeast of Brest 85 87 15 September 1943 19:41 B-17 Saint-Germain-en-Laye – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –On the Western Front — 1 January – 8 June 1944 86 88 29 January 1944 11:04 B-24 PQ 05 Ost 4021 93 94 2 March 1944 11:35 B-17 Charleville 87 29 January 1944 11:04 P-47 94 95 16 March 1944 10:40 B-24* PQ 04 Ost 4912west of Saint-Dizier 88 89 8 February 1944 10:26 B-17 PQ 05 Ost 2049Crèvecœur/Le Tréport 95 96 10 April 1944 09:26 B-17 PQ 04 Ost N/292Dormans 20 February 1944 14:20 B-24 northwest of Étretat 96 97 10 April 1944 09:28 P-38 PQ 04 Ost N/292Dormans 89 90 24 February 1944 12:40 B-17* PQ 05 Ost 73489 97 98 12 April 1944 13:10 B-24* PQ 05 Ost 418 90 91 25 February 1944 11:26 B-26 PQ 05 Ost 224 north of Knokke 98 99 7 June 1944 06:03 Typhoon PQ 15 West TT/TU, over sea 91 92 25 February 1944 11:28 B-26 PQ 05 Ost 224 north of Knokke 99 100 8 June 1944 09:25 P-51 PQ 15 West TU-7north of Caen 92 93 25 February 1944 15:28 B-17 Bad Mondorf – Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" – 100 101 12 June 1944 10:44 P-47 PQ 05 Ost UA-1/2Lisieux 102 103 16 June 1944 19:52 P-51 PQ 05 Ost 1083 101 102 12 June 1944 10:48 P-47 PQ 15 West UU-6Caen

Awards Wound Badge in Black Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "400" Combined Pilots-Observation Badge Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (19 October 1939) 1st Class (16 October 1940) Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (30 August 1941) German Cross in Gold on 21 August 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the I./Jagdgeschwader 2 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Knight's Cross on 4 September 1941 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" 146th Oak Leaves on 13 November 1942 as Leutnant (war officer) and pilot in the 7./Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" 108th Swords on 24 October 1944 (posthumously) as Hauptmann (war officer) and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen"