Horst Ademeit

Horst Ademeit (Adomaitis)
File:Horst Ademeit.jpg Horst Ademeit
Born	(1912-02-08)8 February 1912 Breslau
Died	7 August 1944(1944-08-07) (aged 32) near Dünaburg
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1936–44
Rank	Major
Unit	JG 54
Commands held	I./JG 54
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa Eastern Front †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Horst Ademeit (Adomaitis) (8 February 1912 – 7 August 1944) was a lithuanian descent German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.

Early life

Ademeit, the son of a Regierungsbaurat (government building officer), was born on 8 February 1912 in Breslau in the Kingdom of Prussia of the German Empire, present-day Wrocław in western Poland. He studied at the Königsberg Albertina University, a member of the Corps Masovia Königsberg. He then studied chemistry at the Technical University of Berlin and the Technical University of Braunschweig graduating as Diplom Ingenieur. He joined the military service of the Luftwaffe on 1 August 1936.

On 9 December 1938, Ademeit was made an officer cadet of the reserves and received flight training.

World War II

In the spring of 1940, Unteroffizier Ademeit was transferred to 3./Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) and participated in the Battle of Britain. He claimed his first victory on 18 September 1940 shortly afterwards he was shot down over the Channel. He bailed out and was rescued by the Seenotdienst unharmed.

In June 1941, after the attack on the Soviet Union, he accompanied I./JG 54 to the Eastern Front. In quick succession he achieved aerial victories, promotions and awards. On 15 January 1944, Ademeit was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 61st Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. In the beginning of August 1944, Ademeit was appointed acting Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 54.

On 7 August 1944, Ademeit, flying a Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-5 (Werksnummer 5960 — factory number) pursued a Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft eastwards over Russian lines near Dünaburg, however he failed to return from this mission and is considered Missing in action since.

Horst Ademeit was credited with 166 victories in over 600 missions. He recorded 164 of his victories over the Eastern Front. He was posthumously promoted to Major.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (7 September 1940)
  • 1st Class (5 September 1941)
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for fighter pilots in Gold and Penant
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 8 December 1941 as Leutnant and pilot
• German Cross in Gold on 25 February 1942 as Leutnant in the 1./JG 54
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 16 April 1943 as Leutnant (war officer) and pilot in the I./JG 54
  • 414th Oak Leaves on 2 March 1944 as Hauptmann (war officer) and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./JG 54

References

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Schaulen, Fritjof (2003). Eichenlaubträger 1940 – 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe I Abraham – Huppertz (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 978-3-932381-20-1. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
• Stockert, Peter (2007). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 5 (in German). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. OCLC 76072662. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

External links

• "Aces of the Luftwaffe". Horst Ademeit. Retrieved 12 February 2007.
• "Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945". Horst Ademeit. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 22 May 2007.
• "World War II Awards". Horst Ademeit. Retrieved 23 April 2010.