Günther Scheel
Günther Scheel
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Günther Scheel
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Born | Dannenberg, Germany |
23 November 1921
Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. MIA (Missing in Action) |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/ |
Luftwaffe |
Years of service | 1940–43 |
Rank | Leutnant |
Unit | JG 54 |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (posthumously) |
Günther Scheel (23 November 1921 – 16 July 1943) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (posthumously) during World War II. Günther Scheel holds the unique record in World War II of shooting down more aircraft than he flew missions. He was credited with 71 aerial victories—that is, 71 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—in just 70 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern Front.
Contents
Military career
Upon completing flight training, Leutnant Scheel was posted to 3 Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54[1] (sometimes cited as 2 Staffel[2][3]) which was based on the northern end of the Eastern Front in January 1943.[Note 1] At that time, most fighter activity was still involved in covering the blockade of Leningrad. He flew many ground attack missions destroying a number of locomotives and other vehicles. Scheel recorded his first aerial victories on 9 February 1943 by shooting down a pair of La-5 fighters. After that he rarely flew a day without claiming a victory. On 30 May, he shot down four fighters (18-21v.) and did so again on 21 June (26-29v.). By the time of his 50th mission on 22 June his score was 30 victories.
However it was in July, when his unit was transferred to Orel to support the Kursk offensive that he hit a phenomenal purple patch, shooting down 41 planes in just 16 days. On the opening day (5 July) he shot down 8 aircraft (31-38v.), then 7 aircraft on 7 July (40-46v.). He shot down five fighters on the 10th (53-57v.) and seven more on 13 July (62-67v.), including three Yak-9 fighters in just two minutes.[4]
But with such intense air activity, his luck finally ran out on the morning of 16 July 1943. Flying his Fw 190 A-5 (Werknummer 710 002, Yellow-8 - the 3 Staffel unit colour) he shot down two fighters, but then collided with the wreckage of the second and crashed.[2]
The loss report read: "Ltn Scheel took off at 07.07 hours together with 3.Staffel of I./JG 54 in order to provide a Stuka formation with fighter escort in the vicinity of Orel. After completion of this mission, Ltn Scheel shot down two Yak-9s, during a subsequent fighter sweep. During the second combat, his 71st in total, his left wing hit the enemy aircraft. The wing broke off at the fuselage, which caused the aircraft to immediately start descending from an altitude of 800 metres. In 50 metres altitude the aircraft caught fire and exploded on impact in Planquadrat 64356, at 8.06 hours. Point of impact: about 15 kilometres northest[clarification needed] of Bolkhov".[5]
In a tour of only six months he flew 70 missions and scored 71 victories. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern Front and included 20 Il-2 Sturmoviks. He was posthumously awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, the Ehrenpokal, and finally the Ritterkreuz on 5 December 1943.
Missing in Action
Reports of his fate vary: some say he was killed in the crash and subsequent explosion, others that he bailed out at 200 meters (660 feet) and landed behind enemy lines. Scheel was reportedly seen in a camp at Yelabuga in 1946, and receiving medical treatment in a camp at Solny in 1948.[2] However, he officially remains missing in action.
Victories
No | Date | Time | Unit & Airfield | Gruppe Kommandeur[6] | Location / Planquad | Claimed Aircraft | Source / Comments[2] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ? | ? | 2./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk | Hptm Hans Philipp | ? | ? | - |
2 | 9 February 1943 | 9:20 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk | Hptm Hans Philipp | 10 123 : 1000m | LaGG-5 | C.2035/I AnerkNr 361 |
3 | 9 February 1943 | 15:25 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk | Hptm Hans Philipp | 10 142 : 900m | LaGG-5 | C.2035/I AnerkNr 362 |
4 | 14 February 1943 | 13:21 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk | Hptm Hans Philipp | 10 473 : 400m | Il-2 | C.2035/I AnerkNr 370 |
5 | 14 February 1943 | 13:37 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk | Hptm Hans Philipp | 10 452 : 200m | Il-2 | C.2035/I AnerkNr 371 |
6 | 18 February 1943 | 8:20 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk | Hptm Hans Philipp | 10 532 : 50m | Il-2 | C.2035/I AnerkNr 385 |
7 | 23 February 1943 | 10:59 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk | Hptm Hans Philipp | 10 172 : 400m | LaGG-5 | C.2035/I AnerkNr 405 |
8 | 21 March 1943 | 8:45 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk ? | Hptm Hans Philipp | 00 193 : 4000m | LaGG-3 | C.2032/II AnerkNr 449 |
9 | 24 March 1943 | 8:53 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk ? | Hptm Hans Philipp | 10 193 : 150m | Il-2 | C.2032/II AnerkNr 452 |
10 | 3 April 1943 | 17:57 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk ? | ? | 10 141 : 2000m | P-39 | C.2032/II AnerkNr 463 |
11 | 8 April 1943 | 16:28 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk ? | ? | 90 252 : 10m | LaGG-5 | C.2032/II AnerkNr 467 |
12 | 16 April 1943 | 12:25 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk ? | Maj Reinhard Seiler | ? | LaGG-5 | C.2032/II AnerkNr 471 |
13 | 1 May 1943 | 15:55 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk ? | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 00 164 : 400m | LaGG-5 | C.2032/II AnerkNr 475 |
14 | 5 May 1943 | 11:45 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk ? | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 00 152 : 4000m | LaGG-3 | C.2032/II AnerkNr 475 |
15 | 5 May 1943 | 11:48 | 3./JG 54 - Krasnowardeisk ? | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 00 161 : 2500m | LaGG-3 | C.2032/II AnerkNr 476 |
16 | 24 May 1943 | 19:37 | 3./JG 54 - Staraja-Russa | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 09 791 : 400m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 478 |
17 | 24 May 1943 | 19:38 | 3./JG 54 - Staraja-Russa | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 09 872 : low-level | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 479 |
18 | 30 May 1943 | 13:48 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 10 113 : 2000m | LaGG-3 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 484 |
19 | 30 May 1943 | 19:50 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 11 783 : 3000m | LaGG-3 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 485 |
20 | 30 May 1943 | 19:51 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 11 784 : 2500m | LaGG-3 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 486 |
21 | 30 May 1943 | 20:18 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 10 123 : 1300m | P-40 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 487 |
22 | 5 June 1943 | 12:01 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 10 451 : 2000m | LaGG-3 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 490 |
23 | 5 June 1943 | 12:10 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 10 151 : 4000m | LaGG-3 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 492 |
24 | 10 June 1943 | 18:16 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 10 692 : 3000m | LaGG-5 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 498 |
25 | 18 June 1943 | 2:02 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 00 334 : low-level | LaGG-5 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 500 night-time intercept |
26 | 21 June 1943 | 10:14 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 10 261 : low-level | LaGG-3 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 503 |
27 | 21 June 1943 | 10:15 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 10 262 : 400m | LaGG-3 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 504 |
28 | 21 June 1943 | 15:25 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 20 112 : 400m | LaGG-5 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 507 |
28 | 21 June 1943 | 20:05 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 20 131 : 3000m | LaGG-3 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 508 |
30 | 22 June 1943 | 2:25 | 3./JG 54 - Nikolskoye | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 90 634 : low-level | LaGG-3 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 512 night-time intercept |
31 | 5 July 1943 | 4:18 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 63 612 : 2000m | LaGG-5 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 519 |
32 | 5 July 1943 | 10:02 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 63 551 : 1500m | P-40 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 526 |
33 | 5 July 1943 | 10:06 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 63 534: 50m | P-40 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 527 |
34 | 5 July 1943 | 12:02 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 63 583 : 1300m | P-40 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr.528 |
35 | 5 July 1943 | 18:35 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 63 481 : 50m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 535 |
36 | 5 July 1943 | 18:37 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 63 364 : 200m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 537 |
37 | 5 July 1943 | 18:38 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 63 444 : 100m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 538 |
38 | 5 July 1943 | 18:39 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 63 451 : 100m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 540 |
39 | 6 July 1943 | 11:48 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | Maj Reinhard Seiler | 63 568 : 200m | LaGG-5 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 546 |
40 | 7 July 1943 | 8:30 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 53 561 : 100m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 552 |
41 | 7 July 1943 | 8:31 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 56 563 : 100m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 553 |
42 | 7 July 1943 | 8:32 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 53 592 : 150m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 556 |
43 | 7 July 1943 | 8:32 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 53 591 : 150m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 555 |
44 | 7 July 1943 | 14:12 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 53 691 : 2400m | Boston | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 563 |
45 | 7 July 1943 | 14:15 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 514 : 1000m | Yak-7 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 565 |
46 | 7 July 1943 | 14:20 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 592 : 100m | Pe-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 567 |
47 | 8 July 1943 | 8:04 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 561 : 2500m | Boston | C. 2032/II AnerkNr.568 |
48 | 8 July 1943 | 17:31 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 531 : low-level | La-5 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 572 |
49 | 8 July 1943 | 17:40 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 53 693 : low-level | P-39 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 573 |
50 | 9 July 1943 | 4:45 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 576 : 1500m | P-39 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 574 |
51 | 9 July 1943 | 5:11 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 575 : 1000m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 576 |
52 | 9 July 1943 | 5:12 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 579 : 1000m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 578 |
53 | 10 July 1943 | 7:19 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 753 : 1500m | P-39 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 584 |
54 | 10 July 1943 | 7:20 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 754 : 1500m | P-39 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 585 |
55 | 10 July 1943 | 7:22 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 743 : 1000m | P-39 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 586 |
56 | 10 July 1943 | 13:33 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 543 : low-level | LaGG-3 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 590 |
57 | 10 July 1943 | 18:50 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 714 : low-level | Yak-1 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 593 |
58 | 11 July 1943 | 4:24 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 572 : 1200m | LaGG-3 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 594 |
59 | 11 July 1943 | 4:26 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 573 : 1500m | LaGG-3 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 595 |
60 | 11 July 1943 | 4:33 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 63 597 : low-level | La-5 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 596 |
61 | 12 July 1943 | 7:09 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 64 753 : 600m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 597 |
62 | 13 July 1943 | 11:11 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 73 144 : 1000m | LaGG-5 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 606 |
63 | 13 July 1943 | 11:13 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 73 123 : 1100m | Yak-9 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 607 |
64 | 13 July 1943 | 11:13 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 73 123 : 1200m | Yak-9 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 608 |
65 | 13 July 1943 | 14:04 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 54 413 : 200m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 614 |
66 | 13 July 1943 | 14:12 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 54 442 : 600m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 615 |
67 | 13 July 1943 | 19:12 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 64 821 : 1200m | LaGG-5 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 616 |
68 | 14 July 1943 | 15:45 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 54 481 : 100m | Il-2 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 618 |
69 | 16 July 1943 | 5:25 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 54 443 : 3000m | Spitfire | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 620 |
70 | 16 July 1943 | 7:55 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 65 412 : 800m | Yak-9 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 621 |
71 | 16 July 1943 | 8:05 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 64 356 : 200m | Yak-9 | C. 2032/II AnerkNr 623 |
† | 16 July 1943 | 8:06 | 3./JG 54 - Orel | - | 15 km NE of Bolkhov, Orel | JG 54 Archiv |
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
- German Cross in Gold on 31 August 1943 (posthumously) as Leutnant in the I./Jagdgeschwader 54[7]
- Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 13 September 1943 (posthumously) as Leutnant and pilot[8]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 December 1943 (posthumously) as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 3./Jagdgeschwader 54[9][Note 2]
Notes
- ↑ For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
- ↑ According to Scherzer as pilot in the 3./Jagdgeschwader 54.[10]
References
Citations
- ↑ Luftwaffe 39-45 Historia website.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Aces of the Luftwaffe website.
- ↑ Bergström 2007, pp. 53, 71, 73.
- ↑ Bergström 2007, p. 87.
- ↑ Bergström 2007, p. 103., taken from unpublished source JG 54 Grünherz Archiv, courtesy Günther Rosipal.
- ↑ Luftwaffe Air Units: Single–Engined Fighters website.
- ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 401.
- ↑ Patzwall 2008, p. 178.
- ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 375.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 657.
Bibliography
- Bergström. Christer (2007). Kursk – The Air Battle, July 1943. Classic Publications ISBN 1903223881.
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- Weal, John (2001). Aviation Elite Units #6: Jagdgeschwader 54 ‘Grünherz’. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-84176-286-5.
- Weal, John (2007). More Bf109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-84603-177-X.
- Weal, John (1995). Focke-Wulf Fw190 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-85532-518-7.
External links
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.Retrieved 24 November 2011
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Retrieved 29 December 2012
- Luftwaffe: Leutnant at the Wayback Machine (archived October 28, 2009) at www.geocities.com
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Retrieved 7 January 2013
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Retrieved 7 January 2013
- Wikipedia articles needing clarification from August 2015
- Pages with broken file links
- 1921 births
- 1943 deaths
- Luftwaffe pilots
- German World War II flying aces
- German military personnel killed in World War II
- Missing in action of World War II
- Recipients of the Gold German Cross
- Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross