Heinz Wernicke

Heinz Wernicke (17 October 1920 – 27 December 1944) was a Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace and was credited with 117 aerial victories—that is, 117 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Wernicke was killed in a mid-air collision with his wingman on 27 December 1944.

Heinz Wernicke
Heinz Wernicke
Born(1920-10-17)17 October 1920
Berlin
Died27 December 1944(1944-12-27) (aged 24)
near Dobele, Latvia
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
RankLeutnant (second lieutenant)
UnitEJGr Ost, JG 54
Commands held1./JG 54
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Wernicke was born on 17 October 1920 in Berlin of the Weimar Republic. He joined the 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in early 1942 as an Unteroffizier (non-commissioned officer).[Note 1] JG 54 at the time was stationed at the Eastern Front. In the fall of 1942, he was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost (Supplementary Fighter Group East) and then to 6. Staffel (6th squadron) of JG 54 in early 1943.[1] There, he claimed his first aerial victory on 7 March 1943 over an Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft in aerial combat south of Lake Ilmen.[2] At the time, II. Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 54 was based at Rjelbitzi, an airfield south of Leningrad.[3] On 11 March, II. Gruppe under the command of Hauptmann (Captain) Heinrich Jung, relocated to Gatchina for combat in the Siege of Leningrad and east in the vicinity of the Volkhov River.[4] In this combat area, Wernicke claimed a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter on 19 March, a Yakovlev Yak-4 light bomber one day later, and another LaGG-3 plus a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter on 27 March, taking his total to five aerial victories.[5]

Following five further victories in June 1943, Wernicke became a fighter pilot instructor and underwent officer training courses. On 4 July 1943, Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant) Horst Ademeit, his Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 6. Staffel, assessed Wernicke concluding that at the time Wernicke required further training to become an officer.[6]

In October 1943, he was back to front line service and claimed his 88th aerial victory on 3 August 1944, and surpassed the century mark—100 aerial victories—in mid-September 1944.[1] He was the 91st Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century-mark.[7] Wernicke was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 30 September 1944 after 112 victories. The presentation was made by General Kurt Pflugbeil.[8] Wernicke, now Staffelkapitän of the 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of JG 54, was killed in a midair collision with his wingman Unteroffizier Wollien on 27 December 1944.[1][9]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to authors Obermaier and Spick, Wernicke claimed 117 aerial victories, all of which on the Eastern Front.[1][10] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 118 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.[11]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 18382". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) 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 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[12]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Wernicke an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.
  This and the ? (exclamation mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[13]
1 7 March 1943 11:47 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 18382[14]
45 km (28 mi) north of Chełm		 26 14 December 1943 17:05 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 00154[15]
10 km (6.2 mi) south of Leningrad
2 19 March 1943 13:30 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 00421[14]
Pushkin-Mga		 27 15 December 1943 12:40 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 01794[15]
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Leningrad
3 20 March 1943 07:30 Yak-4 PQ 36 Ost 20363[14]
20 km (12 mi) southeast of Mga		 28 15 December 1943 12:45 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 01761[15]
20 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Leningrad
4 27 May 1943 16:43 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 00274[5]
15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Pushkin		 29 9 January 1944 10:15 La-5 over the Gulf of Finland, northeast of Hungerburg
5 27 May 1943 19:53 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 20211[5]
west of Volkhov		 30 13 January 1944 15:28 Yak-7 30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Narva
6 1 June 1943 04:57 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 20163[5]
south of Volkhov		 31 14 January 1944 09:30 Il-2 30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Narva
7 8 June 1943 15:59 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 20152[5]
southwest of Volkhov		 32 14 January 1944 09:32 Il-2 30 km (19 mi) east of Narva
8 17 June 1943 09:23 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 10252[5]
30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Schlüsselburg		 33 15 January 1944 12:15 Il-2 40 km (25 mi) southwest of Lissino
9 18 June 1943 05:59 La-5 PQ 36 Ost 20213[5]
vicinity of Volkhov		 34 15 January 1944 12:20 Il-2 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Lissino
10 24 June 1943 07:07 La-5 PQ 36 Ost 21793[16]
15 km (9.3 mi) north of Volkhov		 35 15 January 1944 12:24 Il-2 35 km (22 mi) southwest of Lissino
11 20 October 1943 14:10 Yak-9 southeast of Glebowka[17] 36 22 January 1944 11:56 La-5 35 km (22 mi) southwest of Lissino
12 21 October 1943 09:43 Pe-2 east of Gussenoje?[17][Note 2] 37 24 January 1944 13:56 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 01682[18]
40 km (25 mi) east of Narva
13♠ 5 November 1943 11:53 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 01682?[18][Note 3] 38 24 January 1944 07:17 Il-2 20 km (12 mi) west-northwest of Lissino
14♠ 5 November 1943 11:59 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 01684?[18][Note 3] 39 4 February 1944 07:17 Il-2 30 km (19 mi) south of Siverskij
15♠ 5 November 1943 14:25 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 01564?[18][Note 4] 40 4 February 1944 07:20 La-5 30 km (19 mi) south of Siverskij
16♠ 5 November 1943 14:28 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 01674?[18][Note 5] 41 9 February 1944 06:32 Pe-2
17♠ 5 November 1943 14:34 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 01642?[18][Note 6] 42 9 February 1944 12:25 R-5 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Siverskij
18 22 November 1943 09:00 Pe-2 PQ 25 Ost 91591?[15][Note 7] 43 12 February 1944 15:25 Yak-9 vicinity of Lyuban
19 28 November 1943 10:45 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 91534?[15][Note 8] 44♠ 16 February 1944 07:11 U-2 25 km (16 mi) south of Tosno
20 28 November 1943 10:48 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 91614?[15][Note 8] 45♠ 16 February 1944 07:12 U-2 25 km (16 mi) south of Tosno
21 28 November 1943 14:53 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 91591?[15][Note 7] 46♠ 16 February 1944 07:13 U-2 25 km (16 mi) south of Tosno
22 29 November 1943 14:30 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 91534?[15][Note 8] 47♠ 16 February 1944 07:15 U-2 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Lyuban
23 29 November 1943 14:32 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 91614?[15][Note 8] 48♠ 16 February 1944 07:18 U-2 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Lyuban
24 29 November 1943 14:33 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 91621?[15][Note 9] 49♠ 16 February 1944 14:56 Il-2 25 km (16 mi) south of Tosno
25 12 December 1943 13:34 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 00171[15]
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Selo		 50 21 February 1944 11:20 La-5 20 km (12 mi) east of Siverskij
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[19]
51 17 June 1944 17:55 P-39 55 km (34 mi) northeast of Zelenogorsk 59 26 June 1944 18:45 Yak-9 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Vupuri
52 18 June 1944 08:28 La-5 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Vyborg 60 28 June 1944 09:25 Yak-9 20 km (12 mi) east of Vyborg
53 19 June 1944 18:45 Yak-9 30 km (19 mi) north of Zelenogorsk 61 28 June 1944 20:45 La-5 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Vyborg
54 20 June 1944 15:40 P-39 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Zelenogorsk 62 29 June 1944 08:05 DB-3 65 km (40 mi) east-northeast of Vyborg
55 21 June 1944 09:20 La-5 over the Baltic Sea, northeast of Hungerburg 63 30 June 1944 09:43 Boston 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Vyborg
56 23 June 1944 12:28 Yak-9 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Vyborg 64 30 June 1944 20:44 Yak-9 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Vyborg
57 26 June 1944 13:42 La-5 3 km (1.9 mi) south of Vupuri 65 2 July 1944 06:51 P-39 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Vyborg
58 26 June 1944 13:47 La-5
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[20]
66 4 July 1944 08:25 P-39 69 9 July 1944 12:12 Yak-9 45 km (28 mi) east of Vyborg
67 6 July 1944 15:40 Yak-9 vicinity of Vyborg 70 9 July 1944 21:03 Yak-9 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Vyborg
68 8 July 1944 06:30 Yak-9 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Vyborg 71 14 July 1944 10:32 Yak-9 45 km (28 mi) east of Vyborg
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[20]
72 21 July 1944 20:52 Yak-9 over the Baltic Sea, near Kunda 82 27 July 1944 11:23 La-5 45 km (28 mi) west of Ostrov
73 22 July 1944 17:52 Yak-9 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Ostrov 83 27 July 1944 14:30 Yak-9 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Schwanenburg
74 23 July 1944 08:28 La-5 vicinity of Pskov 84 27 July 1944 18:45 Yak-9 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Schwanenburg
75 23 July 1944 15:19 Pe-2 85 27 July 1944 19:02 Il-2 40 km (25 mi) southwest of Selo
76 23 July 1944 15:21 Pe-2 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Pskov 86 2 August 1944 13:05 La-5 over the Baltic Sea, north-northwest of Hungerburg
77 24 July 1944 16:03 Il-2 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Narva 87 2 August 1944 13:09 La-5 over the Baltic Sea, northwest of Hungerburg
78 26 July 1944 16:36 Il-2 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Narva 88 3 August 1944 15:24 Il-2 southwest of Narva
79 26 July 1944 17:02 Pe-2 over the Gulf of Finland 89 3 August 1944 15:31 La-5 southeast of Narva
80 26 July 1944 17:03 Pe-2 over the Gulf of Finland 90 20 August 1944 13:59 Yak-9 50 km (31 mi) north-northwest of Kreuzburg
81 26 July 1944 17:05 Pe-2 40 km (25 mi) southwest of Narva 91 20 August 1944 16:09 Yak-9 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Kreuzburg
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[21]
92 26 August 1944 15:21 P-39 106 17 September 1944 16:26 Yak-9 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Mitau
93 26 August 1944 15:22 Pe-2 107 19 September 1944 15:57 La-5 25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Mitau
94 26 August 1944 15:24 Pe-2 108 19 September 1944 15:59 Il-2 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Mitau
95 3 September 1944 10:18 Pe-2 45 km (28 mi) southeast of Wenden 109 20 September 1944 14:09 Yak-9 45 km (28 mi) south-southwest of Riga
96 6 September 1944 07:35 Yak-9 15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Mitau 110 20 September 1944 14:10 Yak-9 45 km (28 mi) south-southwest of Riga
97 6 September 1944 07:45 Yak-9 20 km (12 mi) south of Mitau 111 27 September 1944 15:30 Yak-9 25 km (16 mi) south-southeast of Mālpils
98 14 September 1944 14:52 Il-2 45 km (28 mi) east-southeast of Mālpils 112 28 September 1944 13:54 Yak-9 20 km (12 mi) north-northwest of Mālpils
99 14 September 1944 14:53 Il-2 45 km (28 mi) east-southeast of Mālpils 113 1 October 1944 16:09 Yak-9 over the Baltic Sea, north-northeast of Riga
100 14 September 1944 16:50 P-39 20 km (12 mi) east of Riga 114 7 October 1944 15:56 Il-2 west of Mālpils
101 15 September 1944 13:35 Pe-2 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Mitau 115 7 October 1944 15:57 Il-2 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Valmiera
102 15 September 1944 18:20 La-5 45 km (28 mi) south of Riga 116 9 October 1944 09:56 Yak-9 25 km (16 mi) southeast of Riga
103 16 September 1944 09:18 La-5 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Mitau 117 12 October 1944 10:45 Pe-2 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Riga
104 16 September 1944 12:44 La-5 45 km (28 mi) northeast of Pasewalk 118 27 December 1944 Yak-9 Dobele
105 26 June 1944 16:24 P-39 25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Mitau

Awards

Notes
  1. For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
  2. According to Mathews and Foreman southeast of Schlüsselburg.[13]
  3. According to Mathews and Foreman 40 km (25 mi) north-northwest of Schlüsselburg.[13]
  4. According to Mathews and Foreman 45 km (28 mi) northeast of Zelenogorsk.[13]
  5. According to Mathews and Foreman 40 km (25 mi) north-northeast of Leningrad.[13]
  6. According to Mathews and Foreman 55 km (34 mi) north-northeast of Leningrad.[13]
  7. According to Mathews and Foreman 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Zelenogorsk.[13]
  8. According to Mathews and Foreman 30 km (19 mi) north of Zelenogorsk.[13]
  9. According to Mathews and Foreman 30 km (19 mi) north-northeast of Zelenogorsk.[13]
  10. According to Scherzer as pilot in the II./Jagdgeschwader 54.[25]

References

Citations
  1. Obermaier 1989, p. 222.
  2. Prien et al. 2012, pp. 208, 270.
  3. Prien et al. 2012, p. 265.
  4. Prien et al. 2012, pp. 209, 264.
  5. Prien et al. 2012, p. 271.
  6. MacLean 2007, p. 476.
  7. Obermaier 1989, p. 244.
  8. Bob 2011, p. 297.
  9. Weal 2001, p. 114.
  10. Spick 1996, p. 229.
  11. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1402–1404.
  12. Planquadrat.
  13. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1402.
  14. Prien et al. 2012, p. 270.
  15. Prien et al. 2012, p. 282.
  16. Prien et al. 2012, p. 272.
  17. Prien et al. 2012, p. 279.
  18. Prien et al. 2012, p. 281.
  19. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1402–1403.
  20. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1403.
  21. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1403–1404.
  22. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 508.
  23. Patzwall 2008, p. 217.
  24. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 443.
  25. Scherzer 2007, p. 780.

Bibliography
  • Bergström, Christer. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 16 January 2019.
  • Bob, Hans-Ekkehard (2011). Jagdgeschwader 54 — Die Piloten mit den grünen Herzen [Jagdgeschwader 54 — The Pilots with the Green Heart] (in German). Aachen, Germany: Helios Verlags- und Buchvertriebsgesellschaft. ISBN 978-3-86933-041-9.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • MacLean, French L (2007). Luftwaffe Efficiency & Promotion Reports: For the Knight's Cross Winners. Vol. Two. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0-7643-2658-5.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 4 S–Z. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-21-9.
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2012). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/III—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/III—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-07-9.
  • 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
  • Weal, John (2001). Jagdgeschwader 54 "Grünherz". Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 6. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-286-9.
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