Wolfgang Tonne

Wolfgang Tonne (28 February 1918 – 20 April 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 122 aerial victories—that is, 122 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—achieved in 641 combat missions. This figure includes 96 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, and further 26 victories over the Western Allies, including one four-engined bomber.

Born in Moßbach, Tonne grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. He joined the military service in the Luftwaffe in 1937. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) in 1939. Flying with this wing, Tonne claimed his first aerial victory on 14 May 1940 on the Western Front during the Battle of France. He then fought in the Battle of Britain and Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. In late 1941, his unit was sent to Mediterranean theater. There, he was made Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of JG 53 in January 1942. In May 1942, his unit was posted to the Eastern Front were following his 101st aerial victory he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 24 September 1942. His unit was then ordered to North Africa in October 1942. Tonne was killed in a flying accident on 20 April 1943 at Protville, Tunisia.

Early life and career Tonne was born on 28 February 1918 in Moßbach, near Schleiz, in Thuringia of the German Empire. His father was a one-room school teacher (Dorfschullehrer). Tonne had a brother who got him interested in flying glider aircraft. In November 1937, Tonne joined the Luftwaffe as an office cadet at the Luftkriegsschule 4 (LKS 4—4th Air War School) near Fürstenfeldbruck. He completed his A/B pilot license, and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 September 1939.

World War II World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 6 December 1939, Tonne was posted to 3. Staffel (3rd Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing). At the time, the Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Wolfgang Lippert and was subordinated to I. Gruppe (1st Group) of JG 53 headed by Hauptmann Lothar von Janson which was based at Darmstadt-Griesheim Airfield. Tonne received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 18 April 1940. Tonne claimed his first aerial victory over a Royal Air Force (RAF) Bristol Blenheim twin-engined bomber over Sedan from either No. 21, No. 107 or No. 110 Squadron on 14 May 1940 during the Battle of France. On that mission, he was also shot down near Bouillon in combat with Hawker Hurricane fighters. He bailed out of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-3 landing in enemy territory but was able to return to his unit uninjured.

Over England and the Channel he was to gain a further three victories by the spring of 1941. I. Gruppe left the English Channel front on 6 June 1941, relocating to Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield. Following a maintenance overhaul of the aircraft, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield named Krzewicza located near Międzyrzec Podlaski, approximately west of Brest, from 12 to 14 June.

Operation Barbarossa and Malta On 22 June, the Geschwader crossed into Soviet airspace in support of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, which opened the Eastern Front. I. Gruppe took off on its first mission at 3:40 am, escorting Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers. On 24 June 1941, Tonne who had been appointed adjutant in I. Gruppe of JG 53, claimed his first aerial victory when he shot down a Tupolev SB bomber. On 5 July, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Dubno. On 11 July, Tonne was wounded in aerial combat when a shell casing entered the cockpit of his Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 6728—factory number), hitting him in the face. Following the injury, he crash landed his aircraft near Berdychiv. On 1 October 1941, Tonne was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant). Flying combat air patrol the next day, Tonne claimed two aerial victories.

In August 1941, I. Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and were equipped with the Bf 109 F-4 at Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield. On 20 September, the Gruppe relocated to the Netherlands where they were based at airfields at Katwijk and Haamstede where they were tasked with patrolling the Dutch airspace. In December 1941, I. Gruppe was moved to Mediterranean air bases at Gela in Sicily where they fought in the aerial battles of the Siege of Malta. On 24 January 1942, Tonne was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 53. He succeeded Oberleutnant Ulrich Wollschläger. Tonne flew 116 combat missions over Malta, without claiming aerial victories. On 29 April, I. Gruppe flew its last mission over Malta before returning to Germany. In early May, the Gruppe transferred to Schwäbisch Hall for preparations to redeploy on the Eastern Front.

Eastern Front In early May 1942, I. Gruppe was transferred back to the Eastern Front. Prior to the relocation, the Gruppe received a full complement of 41 factory new Bf 109 F-4 aircraft at Schwäbisch Hall before heading for Prague Ruzyne Airfield on 28 May. The following day, I. Gruppe flew to Kursk. There, the Gruppe supported the German 4th Panzer Army in its advance towards Voronezh during Case Blue, the 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia between 28 June and 24 November 1942.

From 31 May 1942 to 29 September 1942, Tonne flew 155 combat missions and shot down 88 aircraft on the Eastern Front. He received the German Cross in Gold on 21 August. Tonne was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 September 1942 following his 54th aerial victory. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves were awarded on 24 September for 101 victories. The presentation was made by Adolf Hitler in October at the Führerhauptquartier Werwolf, Hitler's headquarters located in a pine forest about north of Vinnytsia, in Ukraine. Three other Luftwaffe officers were presented with the Oak Leaves that day by Hitler, Oberleutnant Friedrich-Karl Müller, Leutant Hans Beißwenger and Feldwebel Wilhelm Crinius. Following the presentation, Tonne, Müller and Crinius were ordered to Berlin where they made a propaganda appearance at the "House of the Press". At the same time, I. Gruppe of JG 53 relocated from the Eastern Front to Comiso Airfiled in Sicily where they arrived on 10 October.

North Africa and death

When British forces launched the Second Battle of El Alamein on 23 October, elements of I. Gruppe of JG 53 were ordered to North Africa. He claimed his first victory in this theater on 26 December 1942 shooting down a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) P-38 Lightning twin-engine fighter. On 28 December leading a flight of six Bf 109 to the Souk-el-Arba Airfield, Tonne shot down a Supermarine Spitfire fighter near the airfield. On 1 January 1943, I. Gruppe flew many missions to Bône harbor, escorting Ju 87 dive bombers. That day, Tonne claimed two Spitfire fighters shot down. The next day, I. Gruppe again escorted Ju 87 dive bombers from II. Gruppe Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 (StG 3—3rd Dive Bomber Wing) and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 ground attack aircraft from III. Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 2 (ZG 2—2nd Destroyer Wing) to Bône. During this mission, Tonne claimed a Spitfire fighter shot down.

Tonne flew 82 combat missions and claimed 21 victories over Tunisia. On 6 March, Tonne was credited with shooting down the RAF No. 93 Squadron Spitfire fighter piloted by Sergeant W.F. Hockey. On 2 April, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Protville located approximately northwest of Raoued and southwest of Kalâat el-Andalous.

On 20 April 1943, Tonne claimed his 122nd aerial victory. Returning from that mission, he was killed in a flying accident over the airfield at Protville in his Bf 109 G-6 /R1 (Werknummer 16523). Tonne had waggled his wings to signal an aerial victory claimed. He then pulled his Bf 109 into a steep climb, while turning the aircraft, extending the undercarriage, and sideslipping the excess altitude before touching down. He had executed this risky maneuver many times before but apparently had misjudged his height and crashed at the edge of the airfield. Tonne was posthumously promoted to Major (major). He was temporarily succeeded by Leutnant Rupert Weninger before Oberleutnant Walter Seiz took command of 3. Staffel.

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Tonne was credited with 122 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 122 aerial victories claimed in 641 combat missions, of which 5 victories were claimed during the Battle of France and Britain, 96 on the Eastern Front and 21 over North Africa. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 120 aerial victory claims, plus six further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 95 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 25 on the Western Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 49293". 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 53 –Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940 1 14 May 1940 19:40 Blenheim northwest of Sedan 2 9 June 1940 14:40 Hawk 36 Saint-Dizier – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Action at the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 7 June 1941 3 15 September 1940 15:55 Hurricane 5 26 April 1941 10:30 Spitfire south of Boulogne-sur-Mer 4 17 October 1940 16:37 Spitfire southeast of London – Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 7 August 1941 6 24 June 1941 09:40 SB-2 10 7 July 1941 09:08 DB-3 south of Ploskirov 7 24 June 1941 09:45 SB-2 north of Pruzhany 11 11 July 1941 13:40? DB-3 8 6 July 1941 17:30 DB-3 Tarnopol 12 12 July 1941 10:40 I-153? 9 6 July 1941 17:36 DB-3 Tarnopol 13 18 July 1941 12:08 SB-3 – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Eastern Front — 28 May – 27 September 1942 14 31 May 1942 03:45 I-61 (MiG-3) northeast of Kursk 58 18 August 1942 08:55 MiG-3 PQ 49293 east of Stalingrad 15 31 May 1942 03:48 I-61 (MiG-3) 59 19 August 1942 04:21 R-5 PQ 4084 north-northeast of Stalingrad 16 31 May 1942 03:55 I-61 (MiG-3) 60 19 August 1942 10:55 LaGG-3 PQ 4923 east-northeast of Stalingrad 17 5 June 1942 12:28 I-61 (MiG-3) 61 21 August 1942 17:35 I-180 (Yak-7) PQ 4945 southeast of Stalingrad 18 5 June 1942 12:34 I-61 (MiG-3) 62 22 August 1942 10:15 LaGG-3 PQ 4913 north of Grebenka 19 9 June 1942 17:09 I-61 (MiG-3) 63 23 August 1942 16:05 MiG-3 PQ 49124 north of Gumrak 20 23 June 1942 15:00 R-5 64 24 August 1942 06:12 MiG-3 PQ 5914 east-northeast of Stalingrad 21 23 June 1942 15:05 R-5 65 3 September 1942 05:01? MiG-3 PQ 49244 northeast of Stalingrad 22 28 June 1942 18:30? R-10 (Seversky) 66 3 September 1942 15:52 Yak-1 PQ 5089 23 28 June 1942 18:32 R-10 (Seversky) east of Schatowa 67 4 September 1942 07:50? LaGG-3 PQ 4019 north of Grebenka 24 2 July 1942 12:45 Pe-2 68 5 September 1942 10:05 Yak-1 PQ 49360 south of Stalingrad 25 5 July 1942 13:20 Boston east-northeast of Voronezh 69 5 September 1942 15:45 LaGG-3 PQ 4933Stalingrad 26 5 July 1942 18:50 Pe-2 northeast of Voronezh 70? 6 September 1942 13:55 Il-2 PQ 4913 27 6 July 1942 07:40 LaGG-3 east of Gnilowody 71 7 September 1942 16:57 Yak-1 PQ 4929 east of Stalingrad 28 6 July 1942 17:23? LaGG-3 72 8 September 1942 10:16? Yak-1 PQ 49142 29 6 July 1942 17:32 LaGG-3 73 8 September 1942 10:25 Yak-1 PQ 4087 north-northeast of Stalingrad 30 7 July 1942 18:15 LaGG-3 74 8 September 1942 10:30 Yak-1 PQ 5054 northeast of Grebenka 31 8 July 1942 07:15 MiG-3 75 8 September 1942 10:45 Yak-1 PQ 4085 north-northeast of Stalingrad 32 11 July 1942 09:57 Boston 76 9 September 1942 10:43? Yak-1 PQ 4076 north of Grebenka 33 11 July 1942 09:59 Boston 77 9 September 1942 10:49 Yak-1 PQ 4059 north of Grebenka 34 26 July 1942 04:25 LaGG-3 78 11 September 1942 11:30 La-5 PQ 4922 east-northeast of Stalingrad 35 26 July 1942 12:35? Pe-2 79 12 September 1942 16:53 Pe-2 PQ 4941 southeast of Stalingrad 36 31 July 1942 11:40 Il-2 PQ 3915 northwest of Kalach 80 13 September 1942 07:12? La-5 PQ 49282 east of Stalingrad 37 31 July 1942 13:55 Il-2 PQ 39163 north-northwest of Kalach 81 13 September 1942 07:28? LaGG-3 PQ 49122 north of Gumrak 38 31 July 1942 14:15 MiG-3 PQ 3919vicinity of Kalach 82 13 September 1942 15:45 LaGG-3 PQ 4933vicinity of Stalingrad 39 31 July 1942 17:00 Hurricane PQ 3927vicinity of Kalach 83 14 September 1942 04:45 Il-2 PQ 49413 east of Stalingrad 40 1 August 1942 14:19 LaGG-3 PQ 3926 north of Pitomnik 84 14 September 1942 16:40 Il-2 PQ 49452 east of Stalingrad 41 2 August 1942 12:25 Il-2 PQ 3919vicinity of Kalach 85 16 September 1942 16:48 Yak-1 PQ 5055 42 2 August 1942 12:35 Il-2 PQ 3948 southeast of Kalach 86 17 September 1942 06:29 Pe-2 PQ 49111 north-northeast of Pitomnik 43 5 August 1942 07:10 MiG-3? PQ 49742 east-northeast of Aksay 87 17 September 1942 09:47 Yak-1 PQ 4076 north of Grebenka 44 5 August 1942 07:17 MiG-3 PQ 49751 east-northeast of Aksay 88 18 September 1942 10:07 Yak-1 PQ 4059 north of Grebenka 45 5 August 1942 11:29 MiG-3 PQ 49783vicinity of Shutow 89 18 September 1942 16:53 Yak-1 PQ 40750 north of Gumrak 46 5 August 1942 17:10 MiG-3 PQ 49582 east-northeast of Aksay 90 18 September 1942 17:02? Yak-1 PQ 4073 north of Grebenka 47 6 August 1942 06:23 MiG-3 PQ 39891vicinity of Aksay 91 19 September 1942 09:28 Yak-1 PQ 49124 north of Gumrak 48 6 August 1942 06:30 MiG-3 PQ 39891vicinity of Aksay 92 19 September 1942 09:40 Yak-1 PQ 4039 north of Grebenka 49 6 August 1942 16:00 R-5 PQ 49321 south of Bassargino 93 20 September 1942 06:53 Yak-1 PQ 49133 north of Grebenka 50 8 August 1942 05:35 MiG-3 PQ 49512 south-southwest of Bassargino 94 20 September 1942 07:13 Yak-1 PQ 49422 east of Stalingrad 51 8 August 1942 06:02 Il-2 PQ 4956 south of Stalingrad 95 20 September 1942 10:07 Yak-1 PQ 49294 east of Stalingrad 52 8 August 1942 17:04 LaGG-3 PQ 49611 south-southeast of Stalingrad 96 21 September 1942 14:57 Yak-1 PQ 49431 east of Stalingrad 53 9 August 1942 07:04 MiG-3 PQ 4952 south-southwest of Stalingrad 97 21 September 1942 15:12 Yak-1 PQ 49433 east of Stalingrad 54 10 August 1942 17:20 LaGG-3 PQ 39670 northwest of Shutow 98 21 September 1942 17:20 Yak-1 PQ 4079 north of Grebenka 55 12 August 1942 04:23 Il-2 PQ 38114 west of Shutow 99 22 September 1942 06:46? Yak-1 PQ 49132 north of Grebenka 56 12 August 1942 04:33 MiG-3 PQ 39461 southwest of Bassargino 100 22 September 1942 16:29 Yak-1 PQ 49422 east of Stalingrad 57 15 August 1942 11:40 LaGG-3 PQ 4943 east-southeast of Stalingrad 101 22 September 1942 16:38 Yak-1 PQ 49262 east of Stalingrad – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Mediterranean Theater — 1 October – 20 April 1943 26 December 1942 P-38 112 1 March 1943 17:45 Spitfire west of Béja 102 28 December 1942 14:05 Spitfire south of Souk El Arbaa 113 3 March 1943 16:05 P-38 south of Majaz al Bab 103 1 January 1943 11:08 Spitfire south of Bône 114 6 March 1943 17:44 Spitfire south of Pont du Fahs 104 1 January 1943 15:51 Spitfire southwest of Bône 115 22 March 1943 13:41 P-38 north of Bizerte 105 2 January 1943 09:14 Spitfire northwest of La Calle 116 31 March 1943 15:51 Spitfire southwest of Abiod 106 15 January 1943 07:57 M.S.406 northeast of Tébessa 117 10 April 1943 16:50 Spitfire north of Oued Zarga 107 15 January 1943 08:16 P-40 northeast of Tébessa 118 10 April 1943 17:00 Spitfire south Béja 108 15 January 1943 11:08 P-40 airfield Thélepte 119 13 April 1943 07:00 Spitfire northeast of Oued Zarga 109 18 January 1943 16:32 Spitfire southwest of Bou Arada 120 20 April 1943 10:04 Spitfire airfield Tunis E-21 110? 29 January 1943 11:05 B-17 west of Béja 121 20 April 1943 10:11 Spitfire north of Tebourba 111 25 February 1943 16:40 Spitfire northwest of Cap Rosa 122 20 April 1943 16:58 Spitfire southwest of airfield 76

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (18 April 1940) 1st Class (23 May 1940) Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for fighter pilots in Gold (5 May 1941) Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (6 August 1941) German Cross in Gold on 21 August 1942 as Oberleutnant in the I./Jagdgeschwader 53 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 6 September 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 3./Jagdgeschwader 53 128th Oak Leaves on 24 September 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 3./Jagdgeschwader 53