Wolfgang Ewald

Wolfgang Ewald (26 March 1911 – 24 February 1995) 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.

Early life and career Ewald was born on 26 March 1911 in Hamburg, at the time a sovereign state of the German Empire. In 1938, Ewald volunteered for service with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. Flying with 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgruppe 88 (J/88—88th Fighter Group), Ewald claimed a Polikarpov I-16 fighter shot down on 13 June. He was later awarded the Spanish Cross with Swords on 14 April 1939 for his service in the Spanish Civil War.

On 1 November 1938, I. Gruppe (1st group) of Jagdgeschwader 433 (JG 433—433rd Fighter Wing) was formed at the Ingolstadt-Manching Airfield, north of Munich. Initially the Gruppe was placed under the command of Hauptmann Dietrich Graf von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth and equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 D-1 fighter aircraft. That day, Ewald was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the Gruppes 2. Staffel. On 1 May 1939, the Gruppe was renamed and became I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing).

World War II

On 18 August 1940, known as The Hardest Day, twelve Bf 109s from 2. Staffel of JG 52, led by Ewald, attacked RAF fighters out in the open at RAF Manston. After two passes, the Germans claimed ten fighters and three Bristol Blenheim bombers destroyed. In fact, just two No. 266 Squadron Supermarine Spitfire fighters were destroyed with another six Hawker Hurricane fighters damaged but repairable. A single Hurricane was also destroyed. On 26 August, Ewald was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of JG 52. He succeeded Hauptmann Siegfried von Eschwege who was transferred. On 24 May 1941, Ewald was posted to the staff of Jagdfliegerführer 2. Command of I. Gruppe of JG 52 was passed on to Oberleutnant Karl-Heinz Leesmann.

In late June 1942, Ewald was transferred to the Gruppenstab (headquarters unit) of III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing). At the time, III. Gruppe was based at Shchigry, located approximately east-northeast of Kursk. On 28 June, German forces had launched Case Blue, the strategic summer offensive in southern Russia. That day, Ewald claimed two aerial victories with the Gruppenstab, a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter and a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber.

On 23 July 1942, Ewald was given command as Gruppenkommandeur of III. Gruppe of JG 3. He replaced Major Karl-Heinz Greisert who was killed in action the day before. Ewald was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 December 1942.

On 14 July 1943 during the Battle of Kursk, Ewald was shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 20220—factory number) by Soviet flak northeast of Belgorod. He was temporarily replaced by Hauptmann Leo Eggers and Hauptmann Karl-Heinz Langer before command of III. Gruppe was officially given to Hauptmann Walther Dahl on 20 July. Ewald was taken prisoner of war and was held until 1949.

Later life and death Following World War II, Ewald joined the post-war German Air Force, at the time referred to as the Bundesluftwaffe, attaining the rank of Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel). He died on 24 February 1995 at the age of in Sindelfingen, Germany.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Ewald was credited with 78 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 78 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number combat missions. This figure includes one aerial victory during the Spanish Civil War, two during the Battle of France and Britain and further 75 aerial victories on the Eastern Front. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 65 aerial victory claims, plus two further unconfirmed claims. This number includes one claim during the Spanish Civil War, one over the Western Allies, and 63 on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 4932". 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 Spanish Civil War – 2. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 –Spanish Civil War — June 1938 1 13 June 1938 I-16 World War II – Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Action at the Channel and over England — 26 August – 30 October 1940 2 September 1940 18:25 Spitfire 1 27 September 1940 13:30 Hurricane – Stab of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front — 19 May – June 1942 2 20 May 1942 03:49 R-Z? 7 12 June 1942 10:42 Pe-2 east of Artemivka south-southeast of Bely Kolodez 3 20 May 1942 03:51 R-Z? 8? 13 June 1942 LaGG-3 4? 28 May 1942 MiG-1 9 22 June 1942 04:00 LaGG-3 5? 12 June 1942 10:30 Pe-2 northeast of Dwuretschnaja 10 22 June 1942 10:15 Pe-2 6 12 June 1942 10:35 MiG-1 northeast of Dwuretschnaja north-northeast of Kupiansk 11 24 June 1942 15:20 Pe-2 – Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front — June 1942 – 3 February 1943 12 28 June 1942 12:05 LaGG-3 35 14 September 1942 09:45 Yak-1 Stalingrad 13 28 June 1942 19:09 Pe-2 36 18 September 1942 17:00 Il-2 east of Stalingrad 14 1 July 1942 17:26 LaGG-3 east of Stary Oskol 37 18 September 1942 17:07 Yak-1 northeast of Kotluban train station 15 9 July 1942 19:27 Il-2 Voronezh 38 1 October 1942 06:25 Il-2 northeast of Kotluban train station 16 17 July 1942 19:03 MiG-3 39 1 October 1942 06:30 Il-2 south of Iwanowka train station 17 24 July 1942 11:25 MiG-1 40 17 October 1942 09:12 Yak-1 northeast of Stalingrad 18 31 July 1942 11:40 Yak-1 north of Peselasowski 41 25 October 1942 10:12 Il-2 Stalingrad 19 6 August 1942 10:55 Pe-2 north of Aksay 42 25 October 1942 14:32 Il-2 Stalingrad 20 6 August 1942 10:58 Pe-2 north of Aksay 43 25 October 1942 14:36 Il-2 Beketovka 21 13 August 1942 17:43 MiG-3 east of Kalach 44 26 October 1942 11:15 Il-2 southeast of Stalingrad 22 19 August 1942 10:50 LaGG-3 PQ 40821 45 26 October 1942 14:00 Il-2 west of Sarepta 23 23 August 1942 05:40 LaGG-3 north of Popiwskaja 46 26 October 1942 14:04 Il-2 west of Sarepta 24 23 August 1942 05:55 LaGG-3 southwest of Leninsk 47 26 October 1942 14:07 Il-2 southwest of Sarepta 25 24 August 1942 17:30 Hurricane north of Leninsk 48 2 November 1942 10:14 Yak-1 Akhtuba 26 25 August 1942 11:05 LaGG-3 Stalingrad 49 2 November 1942 12:54 MiG-1 Akhtuba 27 30 August 1942 09:25? Hurricane north-northwest of Stalingrad 50 10 November 1942 13:50? MiG-3 south of Dubovka 28 31 August 1942 17:15 Pe-2 north of Sarepta 51 1 December 1942 09:02 MiG-3 north of Tshir railroad station 29 31 August 1942 17:23 LaGG-3 northeast of Leninsk 52 2 December 1942 10:02 Il-2 PQ 4932south of Borodajewka 30 1 September 1942 10:48 Il-2 west of Stalingrad 53 2 December 1942 10:15 Il-2 PQ 4912 31 4 September 1942 15:40 Yak-1 southwest of Stalingrad 54 8 December 1942 09:55 P-40 PQ 3961 32 7 September 1942 15:52 Il-2 north of Kotluban train station 55 8 December 1942 10:00 P-40 PQ 3942 33 9 September 1942 10:38 Il-2 Prudki 56 8 December 1942 10:12 P-40 PQ 2943 34 10 September 1942 11:20 Pe-2 south of Kalach 57 8 December 1942 13:07 Boston PQ 3915 – Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Eastern Front — 4 February – 14 July 1943 58 16 March 1943 14:15 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 7041, west of Kamenka According to Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, Ewald claimed aerial victories 59 to 63 while commanding a German/Romanian fighter group in April 1943. These five claims are not listed by Mathews and Foreman. 64 2 May 1943 15:10 MiG-3 69 8 July 1943 10:12 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 62763, west of Dmitriyevskoye southeast of Oboyan 65 5 July 1943 03:50 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 61119, west of Werchopenje 70 8 July 1943 18:42 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 6279, northeast of Tomarovka 66 5 July 1943 07:28 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 61681, west of Volchansk 71 9 July 1943 09:27 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 62824, Rshawa train station east of Oboyan 5 July 1943 Il-2 72 11 July 1943 13:32 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 6287, Bogorodizoje 67 7 July 1943 03:50 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 6167, southeast of Belgorod 14 July 1943 Il-2 68 7 July 1943 10:42 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 6278, Bogorodizoje

Awards Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (14 April 1939) Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 21 September 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur German Cross in Gold on 3 October 1942 as Hauptmann in the III./Jagdgeschwader 3 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 December 1942 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"