Ulrich Wernitz

Ulrich Wernitz (21 January 1921 – 23 December 1980) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. He was credited with 101 aerial victories—that is, 101 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in roughly 240 combat missions. He served in the post World War II German Air Force of the Federal Republic of Germany, retiring with the rank of Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel).

Early life and career Wernitz, nicknamed Pipifax (nonsense), was born on 21 January 1921 in Schweinitz/Herzberg in the district of Wittenberg, a Province of Saxony. He joined the Luftwaffe in late 1941 and following flight training, he was posted to 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in April 1943. The Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Franz Eisenach and subordinated to I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 54 under command of Major Reinhard Seiler, flying the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Seiler had just replaced Hauptmann Gerhard Koall who temporarily led the Gruppe after Major Hans Philipp was transferred to take command of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing) fighting in Defence of the Reich.

World War II World War II in Europe had begun on Friday, 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. In June 1941, German forces had launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. In April 1943, I. Gruppe of JG 54 was based at Krasnogvardeysk, present-day Gatchina, located approximately south-south-west of Leningrad on the northern sector of the Eastern Front. Here on 2 May, Wernitz claimed his first aerial victory on his second combat mission to date. In support of 18th Army during the Siege of Leningrad, a Rotte, a flight of two aircraft, from 3. Staffel was scrambled shortly before 17:00 and intercepted a formation of Lavochkin La-5 fighter aircraft near Pushkin. In this encounter, Wernitz claimed a La-5 shot down. At the time, he flew as wingman of Günther Scheel.

With the Geschwaderstab of JG 54 In early June 1943, Wernitz was transferred the Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) of JG 54, where he served on the staff of the Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander), initially und command of Oberstleutnant Hannes Trautloft and then Major Hubertus von Bonin. Based at Ziverskaya, Wernitz claimed his first aerial victory while flying with the Geschwaderstab on 1 June when he shot down a Yakovlev Yak-1 fighter. During this assignment, Wernitz frequently flew combat missions as wingman to Hermann Schleinhege.

On 5 July, German forces had launched Operation Citadel, the failed attempt to eliminate the Kursk salient that initiated the Battle of Kursk. In support of this offensive, JG 54 moved to Oryol on 9 July, fighting on the northern pincer of Generaloberst Walter Model's 9th Army. Here Wernitz claimed two Yakovlev Yak-9 fighters shot down on 16 July and another Yak-9 the following day. On 23 July, he was credited with the destruction of an Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft. The air element of the Geschwaderstab returned to Ziverskaya on 25 July. Wernitz claimed his last aerial victory, and tenth in total, while flying with the Geschwaderstab on 1 August. By October, he had been awarded both classes of the Iron Cross .

On the Eastern Front In September 1943, Wernitz was transferred again to 3. Staffel, which was still under command of Eisenach. Command of I. Gruppe had been transferred to Hauptmann Walter Nowotny which was then based at the airbase Schatalowka, present-day Shatalovo air base, southeast of Smolensk. Here, Wernitz claimed a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter shot down on 15 September. Two days later, the Gruppe moved to Vitebsk. On combat missions, he frequently flew as wingman to Otto Kittel.

On 22 June 1940, Soviet forces launched Operation Bagration, the offensive which shattered the German front line on the Eastern Front, leading to the subsequent isolation of 300,000 German soldiers in the Courland Pocket. In consequence, I. Gruppe relocated to Polotsk, located approximately northwest of Vitebsk. Here, the Gruppe supported the German forces fighting on the left wing of Army Group Centre. Two days later, Wernitz became an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time when he claimed two Yak-9 fighters, two Il-2 ground-attack aircraft and a single Bell P-39 Airacobra fighter shot down.

On 2 August, I. Gruppe moved to an makeshift airfield at Šķirotava, located approximately southeast of Riga. Here on 28 August, Wernitz claimed his 82nd aerial victory, a Petlyakov Pe-2 shot down. He then fell ill in September. During his convalescence, Wernitz, was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 October 1944 for 82 aerial victories claimed. On 1 January 1945, Wernitz also received the German Cross in Gold .

He returned to his unit in early February 1945, which at the time was fighting in the Courland Pocket. He was then appointed Staffelführer (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 54 and claimed 19 further aerial victories, including eight on 8 March 1945. On 26 March 1945, Wernitz was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 100th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.

Later life Following World War II, Wernitz served in the German Air Force of the Federal Republic of Germany, retiring with the rank of Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel). He died on 23 December 1980.

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Wernitz was credited with 101 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with the same number of aerial victories claimed in approximately 240 combat missions and a mission-to-claim ratio of 2.38. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that Wernitz was credited with 101 aerial victories, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 36 Ost 00333". 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 – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – 1 2 May 1943 16:56 La-5 PQ 36 Ost 00333vicinity of Pushkin 3 24 May 1943 18:53 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 10184east of Mga 2 21 May 1943 19:07 La-5 PQ 36 Ost 10464 northeast of Luban – Stab of Jagdgeschwader 54 – 4 1 June 1943 04:58 Yak-1 PQ 36 Ost 10293 southwest of Volkhov 8 17 July 1943 03:55 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 54121 south-southwest of Sukhinichi 5 18 June 1943 06:28 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 21753 north-northwest of Volkhov 9 23 July 1943 08:55 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 54333 east-southeast of Zhizdra 6 16 July 1943 07:54 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 54487 northwest of Bolkhov 10 1 August 1943 11:22 La-5 PQ 36 Ost 10183east of Mga 7 16 July 1943 08:03 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 54498 west-northwest of Bolkhov – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – 11? 15 September 1943 16:15 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 35341, Satki 52 17 July 1944 17:11 Pe-2 PQ OP-7/4 12 9 October 1943 06:55 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 07743 northeast of Nevel 53 17 July 1944 17:14 Pe-2 PQ OP-5/7 13 9 October 1943 06:59 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 07751 northeast of Nevel 54 21 July 1944 14:40 Yak-9 PQ ON-5/5 14 9 October 1943 07:00 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 07753 northeast of Nevel 55 21 July 1944 19:15 Yak-9 PQ NM-4/6 15 12 October 1943 10:55 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 15943 56 21 July 1944 19:17 Yak-9 PQ OM-2/4 16 13 October 1943 08:43 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 15561 south of Krassnji 57 21 July 1944 19:21 Yak-9 PQ OM-5/2 17 20 October 1943 09:14 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 06163, Lake Ssennitza 58 27 July 1944 14:50 La-5 PQ NL-8/2 18 22 October 1943 08:15 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 15342, north of Gorki 59 27 July 1944 14:52 La-5 PQ NL-8/3 19 15 December 1943 09:08 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 06167 60 27 July 1944 14:53 La-5 PQ NL-8/9 20 1 January 1944 12:55 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 06794 61 1 August 1944 11:01 La-5 PQ KH-2/8 21 6 January 1944 10:43 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 05151 62 1 August 1944 11:06 La-5 PQ KH-7/9 22 8 January 1944 09:30 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 96684 southwest of Gorodok 63 1 August 1944 11:10 La-5 PQ LH-4/5 23 15 January 1944 12:26 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 05161 64 1 August 1944 19:45 La-5 PQ KG-9/5 24 7 February 1944 07:50 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 06784 65 5 August 1944 14:42 Il-2 PQ LN-2/3 25 30 March 1944 12:32 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 70694 southwest of Narva 66 5 August 1944 14:47 Il-2 PQ LN-3/7 26 30 March 1944 15:26? La-5 PQ 26 Ost 70352Baltic Sea, northeast of Kunda 67 7 August 1944 16:11 P-39 PQ KN-4/1 27 2 April 1944 11:45 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 60462northeast of Kunda 68 15 August 1944 09:11 Yak-9 PQ LJ-9/3 28 4 April 1944 09:52 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 6044northeast of Kunda 69 15 August 1944 09:13 Yak-9 PQ LJ-7/4 29 19 April 1944 09:25 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 70693 southwest of Narva 70 15 August 1944 09:22 Yak-9 PQ LJ-3/4 30 8 May 1944 14:01 P-40 PQ 26 Ost 70313Baltic Sea, east-northeast of Kunda 71 15 August 1944 13:32 P-39 PQ LK-4/5 31 8 May 1944 14:03 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 70331Gulf of Finland, north of Hungerburg 72 16 August 1944 10:11 Il-2 PQ LK-5/8 32 16 May 1944 10:20 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 70523Baltic Sea, west of Hungerburg 73 16 August 1944 10:13 Il-2 PQ LK-8/2 33 28 May 1944 08:42 LaGG-3 PQ 26 Ost 70693 southwest of Narva 74 23 August 1944 11:09 Il-2 PQ JN-5/3 34 29 May 1944 10:06 La-5 PQ 26 Ost 60412In Gulf of Finland 75 24 August 1944 17:41 La-5 PQ JG-6/5 35 29 May 1944 10:11 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 60432northeast of Kunda 76 25 August 1944 12:46 Yak-9 PQ LG-7/1 36 29 May 1944 10:18 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 70452Baltic Sea, northwest of Hungerburg 77 25 August 1944 12:47 La-5 PQ LG-4/9 37 30 May 1944 21:11 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 70433Baltic Sea, north-northwest of Hungerburg 78 25 August 1944 12:49 Yak-9 PQ KG-4/5 38 15 June 1944 07:10 Yak-9 PQ SP-3/3 79 28 August 1944 11:26? Yak-9 PQ JM-5/4 north-northwest of Kreuzburg 39 15 June 1944 07:15 Yak-9 PQ RP-9/4 80 28 August 1944 11:28? Pe-2 PQ JM-9/1 north of Kreuzburg 40 15 June 1944 07:18 La-5 PQ RP-7/2 81 28 August 1944 15:50? P-39 PQ LG-6/1 41 15 June 1944 07:25 Il-2 PQ SP-6/2 82 28 August 1944 16:12? P-39 PQ LG-2/2 42 28 June 1944 12:10 LaGG-3 PQ QT-8/4 28 August 1944 Yak-9 43 28 June 1944 19:22 P-39 PQ QT-3/2 ♠ 5 March 1945 unknown 44♠ 30 June 1944 15:02 Yak-9 PQ PS-7/3 ♠ 5 March 1945 unknown 45♠ 30 June 1944 16:01? Yak-9 PQ OS-5/3 ♠ 5 March 1945 unknown 46♠ 30 June 1944 16:10 Il-2 PQ OT-1/4 ♠ 5 March 1945 unknown 47♠ 30 June 1944 16:14 P-39 PQ OT-2/1 ♠ 5 March 1945 unknown 48♠ 30 June 1944 19:48 Il-2 PQ PS-5/8 ♠ 5 March 1945 unknown 49 3 July 1944 11:38 P-39 PQ OS-7/7 ♠ 5 March 1945 unknown 50 3 July 1944 11:46 P-39 PQ OS-5/7 ♠ 5 March 1945 unknown 51 16 July 1944 05:13 P-39 PQ OO-3/4 100 26 March 1945 unknown

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 17 April 1944 as Feldwebel and pilot Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 October 1944 as Feldwebel in the 4./Jagdgeschwader 54 German Cross in Gold on 1 January 1945 as Feldwebel in the 3./Jagdgeschwader 54