Gustav Sprick
Gustav Sprick
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Nickname(s) | "Micky" |
Born | 29 November 1917 Biemsen, Germany |
Died | 28 June 1941 Holque, France |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/ |
Luftwaffe |
Years of service | 1935–41 |
Rank | Oberleutnant |
Unit | JG 26 |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Gustav "Micky" Sprick (29 November 1917 – 28 June 1941) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Sprick was credited with 31 victories in 192 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Western Front.
Contents
Military career
Sprick joined the Luftwaffe in 1937. After completing his pilot-training Fähnrich Sprick was posted to JG 26 on 23 September 1939,[1] and assigned to 8./JG 26 (8th squadron of the 26th Fighter Wing). On 10 May 1940, the opening day of Fall Gelb (the invasion of the West), the now Leutnant Sprick shot down his first enemy aircraft: a Dutch Fokker T-5 twin-engined bomber, over Breda in the Netherlands. He was very successful during the French campaign, having scored nine victories by the fall of France, and been promoted to Oberleutnant. He was shot down however, on 14 June near Évreux, by RAF (Royal Air Force) Hurricane fighters after claiming one of their number. But he managed to crash-land uninjured and was rescued by German troops.
On 8 August 1940 he was promoted to Staffelkapitän (Squadron leader) of 8./JG 26.[2] His Gruppe, III./JG 26 had a formidable team of leaders during the Battle of Britain, with the experienced Kommandeur Adolf Galland and Gerhard Schöpfel (9. Staffel), with Sprick (8. Staffel) and Joachim Müncheberg (7. Staffel). These four pilots all had 10 or more victories and over the next 2 months claimed 50 aircraft between them.
Sprick himself scored 11 victories in the battle, including a pair of Hurricanes of 85 Sqn on 31 August (his 14th & 15th victories). He was awarded the Ehrenpokal (Goblet of Honour) on 8 September,[3] and then the coveted Ritterkreuz (Knight’s Cross) on 1 October after gaining his 20th victory on 28 September.[4] By the end of 1940, with the battle falling back into a relatively quiet period, his score had increased to 23. (Müncheberg had 23, Schöpfel had 22 and Galland with 58)
June 1941 marked the invasion of the Soviet Union in the east. With the majority of the Luftwaffe involved in Operation Barbarossa, it left just JG 26, JG 2 and JG 1 defending the west. Coinciding with this, the British started their own air offensive, taking the fight to the Germans over France. Now, however, the roles were reversed, and it was the RAF fighters that found themselves vulnerable, operating at the limit of their range. Sprick quickly claimed 8 victories in the last fortnight of June.
On 28 June, III./JG 26 was ordered to intercept the RAF Circus No. 26 flown by No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron, en route to attack the Comines power station.[5] 8./JG 26 was jumped from above by Spitfires and in the ensuing melee, the right wing of Sprick's Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 5743—factory) sheared off while he attempted an evasive Split S maneuver. He crashed to his death near Holque, inland from Calais.[6][7][8][9][10] Other sources say he may have been shot down by Spitfires.[citation needed]
Oberleutnant Gustav Sprick was credited with 31 victories in 192 missions, all over the Western Front.
Victories
No | Date | Time | Unit & Airfield | Gruppe Kommandeur[11] | Location / Planquad | Claimed Aircraft | Source / Comments[12] |
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1 | 10 May 1940 | ? | 8./JG 26 – Essen | Maj Ernst, Fr. v.Berg | Breda | Fokker T.5 | Prien & Bock; of Dutch BomVA |
2 | 11 May'40 | 19:30 | 8./JG 26 – Essen | Maj Ernst, Fr. v.Berg | NW of Antwerp | Curtiss | Prien & Bock; of French GC I/4 |
3 | 17 May'40 | 18:30 | 8./JG 26 – Mönchen-Gladbach | Maj Ernst, Fr. v.Berg | Namur | Morane 406 | Prien & Bock |
4 ? | 31 May'40 | 15:40 | 8./JG 26 - Chievres | Maj Ernst, Fr. v.Berg | Furnes: 3000m | Hurricane | Prien & Bock |
5 | 2 Jun'40 | 9:25 | 8./JG 26 - Chievres | Maj Ernst, Fr. v.Berg | Dunkirk | Spitfire | Prien & Bock; of RAF 66, 266 or 611 Sqn |
- | 6 Jun'40 | - | 8./JG 26 – La Capelle | Maj Ernst, Fr. v.Berg | airfield strafe | Bloch 151 | Prien & Bock |
- | 6 Jun'40 | - | 8./JG 26 – La Capelle | Maj Ernst, Fr. v.Berg | airfield strafe | Bloch 151 | Prien & Bock |
- | 6 Jun'40 | - | 8./JG 26 – La Capelle | Maj Ernst, Fr. v.Berg | airfield strafe | Bloch 151 | Prien & Bock |
6 | 13 Jun'40 | 12:39 | 8./JG 26 – Les Thilliers | Hptm Adolf Galland | near Paris | Defiant | C.2036/II Nr 50935/40; of RAF 142 Sqn |
7 | 14 Jun'40 | 17:50 | 8./JG 26 – Les Thilliers | Hptm Adolf Galland | Abbeville | Hurricane | C.2036/II Nr 50935/40 |
8 | 12 Aug'40 | 12:20 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Maj Adolf Galland | NW of Margate | Hurricane | Prien & Bock; of 151 or 501 Sqn |
9 | 15 Aug'40 | 12:58 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Maj Adolf Galland | Channel, S of Dover | Spitfire | Prien & Bock; of 54 Sqn |
10 | 18 Aug'40 | 13:50 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Maj Adolf Galland | Canterbury | Hurricane | Prien & Bock; of 17 Sqn |
11 | 24 Aug'40 | 12:20 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | Ashford | Hurricane | Prien & Bock; of 151 Sqn |
12 | 31 Aug'40 | 19:05 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | Folkestone | Hurricane | Prien & Bock; of 85 Sqn |
13 | 31 Aug'40 | 19:15 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | Folkestone | Hurricane | Prien & Bock; of 85 Sqn |
14 | 1 Sep'40 | 15:05 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | London | Hurricane | Prien & Bock; of 79 or 85 Sqn |
15 | 3 Sep'40 | 11:10 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | Thames Estuary, Rochester | Spitfire | Prien & Bock |
16 ? | 6 Sep'40 | 10:10 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | Channel, SW of Dungeness: 3500m | Spitfire | Prien & Bock |
17 ? | 11 Sep'40 | 19:30 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | Canterbury: 5000m | Hurricane | Prien & Bock |
18 | 17 Sep'40 | 16:36 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | Gravesend | Spitfire | Prien & Bock |
19 | 23 Sep'40 | 10:35 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | Thames Estuary | Spitfire | Prien & Bock; of 92 Sqn |
20 | 28 Sep'40 | 11:30 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | Canterbury: 7000m | Spitfire | Prien & Bock; of 501 Sqn |
21 | 15 Oct'40 | 13:45 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | ? | Spitfire | Prien & Bock |
22 ? | 25 Oct'40 | 14:30 | 8./JG 26 – Caffiers | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | Maidstone: 7000m | Spitfire | Prien & Bock |
23 | 17 Nov'40 | 10:22 | 8./JG 26 – Abbeville | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | E of Harwich | Spitfire | Prien & Bock |
? | 27 Nov'40 | 9:25 | 8./JG 26 – Abbeville | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | Deal | Spitfire | Prien & Bock; of RAF 421 Flt |
24 | 16 June 1941 | 16:35 | 8./JG 26 – Liegescourt | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | Channel, S of Dungeness | Spitfire | C.2033/I |
25 | 17 Jun'41 | 19:42 | 8./JG 26 – Liegescourt | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | N of Etaples | Hurricane | C.2036/II: Nr 64913/41; of 56 or 242 Sqn |
26 | 17 Jun'41 | 19:58 | 8./JG 26 – Liegescourt | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | ? | Hurricane | C.2036/II: Nr 64913/41; of 56 or 242 Sqn |
27 | 18 Jun'41 | 18:20 | 8./JG 26 – Liegescourt | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | ? | Spitfire | C.2036/II: Nr 64913/41; of 145 Sqn |
28 | 21 Jun'41 | 16:42 | 8./JG 26 – Liegescourt | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | W of Boulogne | Hurricane | C.2036/II: Nr 65565/41; of 1 Sqn |
29 | 21 Jun'41 | 16:55 | 8./JG 26 – Liegescourt | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | 20 km WNW of Boulogne | Spitfire | C.2036/II: Nr 65565/41 |
30 | 22 Jun'41 | 16:20 | 8./JG 26 – Liegescourt | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | near Gravelines | Spitfire | C.2036/II: Nr 65565/41; of 611 Sqn |
31 | 24 Jun'41 | 20:58 | 8./JG 26 – Liegescourt | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | near Gravelines | Spitfire | C.2036/II: Nr 65565/41 |
† | 28 June 1941 | - | 8./JG 26 – Liegescourt | Hptm Gerhard Schöpfel | near Holque | - |
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 October 1940 as Leutnant and pilot in the 8./JG 26 "Schlageter"[13]
References
- Citations
- ↑ Luftwaffe 39-45 Historia website.
- ↑ Luftwaffe Officer Career Summaries website.
- ↑ Luftwaffe Officer Career Summaries website.
- ↑ Aces of the Luftwaffe website.
- ↑ Knoblock 2008, p. 79.
- ↑ Caldwell 1991, p. 89.
- ↑ Weal 1999, p. 94.
- ↑ Weal 2000, p. 76.
- ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 208.
- ↑ Hall 2001, p. 11.
- ↑ Luftwaffe Air Units: Single–Engined Fighters website.
- ↑ Aces of the Luftwaffe website.
- ↑ Fellgiebel 2001, p. 406.
- Bibliography
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- Weal, John (1996). Bf109D/E Aces 1939-41. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85532-487-3.
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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.
- Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Retrieved 30 August 2013
- 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 30 August 2013
- Franz Eisenach - Art prints and originals signed by Franz Eisenach at www.military-art.com
- Horrido1 - World War II Autographed Photos at home.pacbell.net
Military Offices held
Military offices | ||
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Preceded by
Oblt Kuno Wendt
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Squadron Leader of 8./JG 26 8 August 1940 – 28 June 1941 |
Succeeded by Hptm Johann Schmid |