Otto Tange

Otto Tange (22 September 1915 – 30 July 1943) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Tange claimed 68 aerial victories, 3 over the Western Front and 65 over the Eastern Front. 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.

Career Tange was born on 22 September 1915 in Hochdonn in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein within the German Empire.

He was a member of the Luftwaffe at the beginning of the war and participated in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. During the Battle of Britain he claimed his first three victories. Tange then participated in Operation Barbarossa, by the end of 1941 he claimed 33 more victories.

Fighting in the Battles of Rzhev against the Kalinin Front in early 1942, II. and IV. Gruppen of JG 51 had become the most successful units of VIII. Fliegerkorps (8th Air Corps). By end-February, three pilots of II. Gruppe had claimed 40 aerial victories, these were Leutnant Hans Strelow, Oberfeldwebel Wilhelm Mink and Tange. On 19 March 1942, Tange was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 40 aerial victories claimed.

On 11 July 1943, Tange was posted to the Stabsstaffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). On 30 July, his third mission with the Stabsstaffel, Tange was killed in action when his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 was hit by Soviet anti-aircraft artiller southwest of Bolkhov. Posthumously, Tange was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant).

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Tange was credited with 68 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 68 aerial victories claimed in 426 combat missions and a mission-to-claim ratio of 6.26. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 63 aerial victory claims, plus two further unconfirmed claims. This number includes one claim on the Western Front with others claimed on the Eastern Front.

Chronicle of aerial victories Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –At the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 7 June 1941 1? 10 July 1940 12:10 Spitfire northwest of Dover 3 5 March 1941 15:14 Spitfire Le Touquet 2? 15 August 1940 20:05 Hurricane south of Clacton-on-Sea – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941 4 25 June 1941 10:55 SB-2 northeast of Vyhanaščanskaje Lake 20 6 September 1941 09:48 I-16 north of Bryansk 5 25 June 1941 10:55 SB-2 northeast of Vyhanaščanskaje Lake 21 9 September 1941 13:42 Pe-2 northeast of Konotop 6 25 June 1941 11:00 SB-2 northeast of Vyhanaščanskaje Lake 22 9 September 1941 16:13 Pe-2 northeast of Novgorod 7 30 June 1941 08:05 SB-3 east of Sevsk 23 13 September 1941 10:03 DB-3 east of Konotop 8 1 July 1941 14:17 I-16 northeast of Horodok 24 13 September 1941 10:07 DB-3 east of Konotop 9 12 July 1941 17:51 DB-3 east of Shklow 25 13 September 1941 10:12 DB-3 east of Konotop 10 12 July 1941 17:55 DB-3 east of Shklow 26 14 September 1941 16:28 V-11 (Il-2) southwest of Konotop 11 13 July 1941 12:20 Pe-2 southeast of Gorki 27 14 September 1941 16:33 V-11 (Il-2) southwest of Konotop 12 15 July 1941 18:33 DB-3 west of Mstislawl 28 27 September 1941 11:10 I-18 (MiG-1) east of Schatalowka 13 16 July 1941 12:45 DB-3 south of Smolensk 29 4 October 1941 12:16 (MiG-1) I-18 east of Dmitrovsk 14 28 July 1941 16:59 V-11 (Il-2) north of Propojsk 30 4 October 1941 12:43 DB-3 east of Kromy 15 23 August 1941 18:00 DB-3 Wysokaja 31 29 October 1941 12:50 DB-3 east of Mtsensk 16 30 August 1941 17:19 I-61 (MiG-3) east of Stajnja 32 28 November 1941 13:05 I-18 (MiG-1) east of Venyov 17 1 September 1941 16:18 R-3 east of Sechtschinskaja 33 2 December 1941 12:38 I-18 (MiG-1) west of Moscow 18 2 September 1941 09:31 R-3 east of Sechtschinskaja 34 2 December 1941 15:02 I-18 northwest of Moscow 19 2 September 1941 09:34 R-3 southeast of Sechtschinskaja 35 4 December 1941 12:53 I-61 (MiG-3) south of Kaschira – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942 36 14 December 1941 13:28 Pe-2 south of Serpukhov 43 5 April 1942 12:18 MiG-3 northeast of Scharkowka airfield 37 13 January 1942 15:03 DB-3 west of Kaluga 44 6 April 1942 11:25 Yak-1 west of Mosalsk airfield 38 21 January 1942 12:23 Pe-2 south of Terenowka 45 6 April 1942 11:28 Yak-1 west of Mosalsk airfield 39 27 January 1942 13:09 R-Z Mozhaysk airfield 46 6 April 1942 11:32 Yak-1 west of Mosalsk airfield 40 27 January 1942 13:21 R-Z south of Mozhaysk airfield 47 6 April 1942 11:34 Yak-1 west of Mosalsk airfield 41 31 March 1942 14:55 I-16 west of Klimowo airfield 48 27 April 1942 18:03 I-16 northeast of Mtsensk 42 5 April 1942 09:47 Yak-1 west of Mosalsk airfield – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Eastern Front — 1 May – 7 October 1942 49 16 May 1942 18:45 Boston east of Shulie 58 27 August 1942 17:57 Il-2 northeast of Oryol 50 16 May 1942 18:47 Yak-1 northeast of Shulie 59 29 August 1942 11:42 Il-2 southwest of Kosalsk 51 16 May 1942 18:50 Yak-1 northeast of Kudinowo 60 29 August 1942 11:47 Il-2 southwest of Kosalsk 52 12 August 1942 12:15 MiG-3 west of Belyov 61 5 September 1942 17:04 Il-2 southeast of Sychyovka 53 22 August 1942 12:05 MiG-3 west of Kosalsk 62 14 September 1942 09:53 Il-2 PQ 47641 54 22 August 1942 18:10 MiG-3 west of Belyov 63 14 September 1942 10:02 MiG-3 PQ 47563 55 23 August 1942 06:43 Pe-2 east of Uljanowo 64 14 September 1942 10:09 Il-2 PQ 47524 56 23 August 1942 06:48 Il-2 east of Uljanowo 65 30 September 1942 12:08 R-5 PQ 47484 57 27 August 1942 17:49 MiG-3 northeast of Oryol

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 1 September 1941 as Feldwebel in a Jagdgeschwader German Cross in Gold on 24 November 1941 as Feldwebel in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 51 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 March 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 4./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"