Otto Schultz

Otto Schultz (31 May 1920 – 28 July 2013) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Schultz was credited with 73 aerial victories claimed in approximately 820 combat missions.

Early life and career Schultz was born on 31 May 1920 in Dannenberg, at the time in the Province of Hanover within the Weimar Republic. Following flight training, Schultz was posted to II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) on 1 April 1940 where he initially served with 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of JG 51. At the time, 4. Staffel was headed by Oberleutnant Josef Fözö and the Gruppe was under command of Hauptmann Günther Matthes which was based at Böblingen Airfield.

World War II In June 1941, JG 51 and the majority of the Luftwaffe were transferred to the Eastern Front in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.

II. Gruppe had been withdrawn from the Eastern Front in early October 1942 and sent to Jesau in East Prussia, present day Yushny, Bagrationovsky District, for conversion to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Conversion training began on 7 October and on 4 November, the unit received the order to convert back to the Bf 109 and to transfer to the Mediterranean theatre. Via various stopovers, II. Gruppe moved to Sidi Ahmed airfield, arriving on 14 November. There, the unit was subordinated to Fliegerführer Tunis (Flying Leader Tunis). There, Schultz claimed his first western aerial victory on 1 December, downing a Supermarine Spitfire. In December, the Gruppe was very successful over the new American pilots - claiming 50 victories while losing only two of their own. But as in Russia, in 1943, the superior numbers soon made their impact.

On 14 March 1943, Schultz was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 51 aerial victories claimed. On 18 April, II. Gruppe received orders to exchange their newer Bf 109 G-4 and G-6 aircraft with older Bf 109 G-2 trop aircraft of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) and retreat from Africa to Bari, Italy. In August, orders transferred II./JG 51 to Munich to retrain as a specialist anti-bomber unit.

On 4 February 1944, Schultz was transferred and appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 6. Staffel of JG 51. He succeeded Hauptmann Herbert Puschmann who was killed in action the day before.

With Romania's surrender to Soviet forces in late August, and its subsequent declaration of war against Germany, II./JG 51 retreated to Yugoslavia. Left as final air-cover for the army retreating out of Greece, 6./JG 51 reportedly engaged their former allies in Romanian-flown Bf 109s.

On 23 December 1944, Schultz was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of JG 51. He succeeded Hauptmann Karl Rammelt who had been wounded in combat that day. Consequently, command of 6. Staffel was passed on to Leutnant Elias Kühlein.

Later life Following World War II, Schultz rejoined military service with the German Air Force, at the time referred to as the Bundesluftwaffe, retiring as an Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) on 30 September 1976. From 1 October 1966 to 30 September 1971, Schultz served as deputy commander of Helicopter Transport Wing 64 based at Landsberg-Lech Air Base, formerly known as Penzing Air Base, which was under command of Oberst Johannes Naumann. Schultz died on 28 July 2013 at the age of in Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany.

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Schultz was credited with 73 aerial victories. Spick also list him with 73 aerial victories claimed in over 800 combat missions. Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 72 aerial victory claims, 39 were claimed on the Eastern Front and 33 on the Western Front, including seven heavy bombers.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 47814". 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 – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941 1 22 June 1941 09:32 SB-2 10 26 July 1941 18:45 Pe-2 2 22 June 1941 09:40 SB-2 11 26 July 1941 18:50 Pe-2 3 29 June 1941 17:50 I-18 (MiG-1) 12 9 August 1941 13:50 Pe-2 4 30 June 1941 17:30 DB-3 13 16 August 1941 15:42 I-18 (MiG-1) 5 30 June 1941 17:40 DB-3 14 25 August 1941 07:55 DB-3 south of Gomel 6 8 July 1941 19:20 SB-2 south of Walki 15 24 September 1941 10:50 R-3? 7 10 July 1941 09:50 I-16 16 27 October 1941 15:40 I-61 (MiG-3) 8 11 July 1941 16:25 DB-3 17 29 October 1941 07:20 I-16? northeast of Oryol 9 13 July 1941 10:07 DB-3 18 29 October 1941 12:40 I-16? – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Eastern Front — 1 May – 4 October 1942 19 8 June 1942 03:50 I-180 (Yak-7) 28 9 August 1942 11:05 LaGG-3 PQ 47814vicinity of Zubtsov 20 24 June 1942 15:20 Pe-2 29 22 August 1942 14:50 Il-2 PQ 54283 south of Kozelsk 21 2 July 1942 18:07 Pe-2 north-northwest of Olenino 30 22 August 1942 14:52? Il-2 PQ 54253 south of Kozelsk 22 6 July 1942 19:35 Yak-1 northeast of Zhizdra 31 23 August 1942 07:00 Il-2 PQ 54283 south of Kozelsk 23 9 July 1942 14:55 Yak-1 32 25 August 1942 08:25 LaGG-3 PQ 54261 northwest of Belyov 24 17 July 1942 06:10 LaGG-3 south of Russinitschi 33 25 August 1942 14:25 Pe-2 PQ 54283 south of Kozelsk 25 3 August 1942 04:53 LaGG-3 PQ 47524 north-northwest of Rzhev 34 27 August 1942 17:45 MiG-3 PQ 64774 west of Zalegoshch 26 4 August 1942 10:48 Il-2 PQ 47823 east of Zubtsov 35 27 August 1942 17:48 MiG-3 PQ 64772 north of Oryol 27 6 August 1942 18:57 Il-2 PQ 56373vicinity of Gagarin 36 27 August 1942 17:58 Il-2 PQ 63131 north of Oryol – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Mediterranean Theater, North Africa — 5 November – 31 December 1942 37 1 December 1942 10:45 Spitfire southwest of Mateur 40 4 December 1942 15:47 Spitfire southwest of Mateur 38 3 December 1942 10:18 P-38 south of Tunis 41 28 December 1942 15:33? P-38 south of Pont du Fahs 39 4 December 1942 15:40 Spitfire southwest of Mateur – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Mediterranean Theater, North Africa — 1 January – 11 April 1943 42 2 January 1943 12:27 P-38 southwest of Pont du Fahs 49 30 January 1943 10:30 P-38 west of El Hamma 43 10 January 1943 07:30 Spitfire northwest of Fériana 50 30 January 1943 10:45 P-38 west of El Hamma 44 10 January 1943 11:00 B-26 west of Gabès 51 2 February 1943 17:30 P-40 PQ 03 Ost 95311 45 11 January 1943 16:00 P-38 west of Gabès 52 8 February 1943 12:52 B-25 northwest of Gabès 46 15 January 1943 13:25 P-38 west of Gabès 53 26 February 1943 15:05 B-17 west of Cagliari 47 22 January 1943 12:20 P-38 west of Gabès 54 21 March 1943 14:20 Spitfire east-southeast of Gabès 48 23 January 1943 09:35 P-38 northeast of Kebili – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Mediterranean Theater, Sardinia and Sicily — May – July 1943 55 31 May 1943 13:05 P-38 PQ 03 Ost 70632 56 24 June 1943 09:15 P-40 PQ 03 Ost 98214 – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Mediterranean Theater, Northern Italy — December 1943 57 25 December 1943 11:24 P-38 south of Rovigo 59 28 December 1943 11:55 B-24 south of Montagnana 58 25 December 1943 11:24 P-38 south of Rovigo – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Mediterranean Theater and in the Southeast — 1 January – 3 February 1944 60 16 January 1944 12:40 Boston PQ 14 Ost KD-6, northeast of Civitavecchia 62 22 January 1944 16:05 P-38 PQ 14 Ost KE-6, south-southwest of Rome 61 22 January 1944 15:50 P-47 PQ 14 Ost JF-2, east-northeast of Guidonia – 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Mediterranean Theater and in the Southeast — 4 February – 31 August 1944 63 5 April 1944 14:18 B-24 west-southwest of Ploiești 67? 11 June 1944 P-51 east of Dupnitsa 64 16 April 1944 11:30 B-24 PQ 24 Ost RK-2, northwest of Pitești 68 11 June 1944 11:45 B-24 PQ 24 Ost GF-7/6 65? 21 April 1944 11:50 B-24 northwest of Craiova 24 June 1944 08:55 B-24& PQ 24 Ost GF-9Radomir 66 6 June 1944 10:45 B-24 PQ 24 Ost UD 2/6, north of VidinŽagubica – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Southeast of the Eastern Front — 23 December 1944 – 12 April 1945 69 22 December 1944 14:30 La-5 PQ 14 Ost N/ES-6/3 72 4 January 1945 Il-2 70 3 January 1945 La-5 73 2 February 1945 Boston 71 3 January 1945 Il-2

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (3 November 1941) German Cross in Gold on 24 September 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the II./Jagdgeschwader 51 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 March 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 4./Jagdgeschwader 51