Luftwaffe Aces in the Battle of Britain

By Chris Goss

“An extraordinary analysis of the ‘scores’ chalked up by individual fighter pilots serving in the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain. So much detail!” —Books Monthly

The term “fighter ace” grew in prominence with the introduction and development of aerial combat in the First World War. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an “ace” has varied but is usually considered to be five or more.

For the Luftwaffe, a number of its fighter pilots, many of whom had fought with the Legion Condor in Spain, had already gained their Experte, or ace, status in the Battle of France. However, many more would achieve that status in the hectic dogfights over southern England and the Channel during the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940. A number would also be either killed or captured. Some of these men, individuals such as Adolf Galland, Werner Mölders, and Helmut Wick, who between them had claimed 147 aerial victories by October 31st1940, are well-known, but most are less so.

In this book, the story of each of the Luftwaffe’s 204 Messerschmitt Bf 109 “aces” from the summer of 1940 is examined, with all of the individual biographies, detailing individual fates during the war, being highly illustrated throughout. Original German records from the summer of 1940, have been examined, providing a definitive list of each pilot’s individual claims. It also covers, to a lesser extent, those forgotten fifty-three Messerschmitt Bf 110 pilots who also achieved ace status by day and also by night between 10 July and 31 October 1940.

“A fascinating book indeed.” —UK Historian

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Dec 2, 2020
• ISBN: 9781526754233

Chris Goss

Having retired from the RAF with the rank of Wing Commander, CHRIS GOSS is a regular and highly respected contributor to major aviation publications in the UK, France and Germany.

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Major Wolfgang Schellmann, Kommandeur II./JG 2, Kommodore JG 2

+ 24.06.1941

Joined the Heer in April 1930 and after flying training, transferred to the Luftwaffe in August 1934, becoming the Adjutant of I./JG 135 and then in March 1935, the Staffelkapitän of 2 Staffel. On 19 December 1937, he took command of 1.J/88 in Spain from Hauptmann Harro Harder. He was credited with twelve kills in Spain, the first being a Rata on 18 January 1938, the last also a Rata on 20 August 1938, by which time he had been promoted to Hauptmann. On 2 September 1938, he handed over the Staffel to Hauptmann Siebelt Reents and returned to IV./JG 132 which a few months later became I./JG 331 and in May 1939 I./JG 77, by which time Schellmann was serving in the RLM. On the outbreak of war, he returned to Stab I./JG 77 but after the Polish campaign he was posted to Stab Luftflotte 2. On 15 December 1939, he was given command of II./JG 2 and led it in the Battle of France, getting his first victory on 15 May 1940. By 3 June 1940, he had shot down seven aircraft. His first victory of the Battle of Britain came on 18 July 1940, but on 2 September 1940 he was given command of JG 2 and promoted to Major. By the time he had been awarded the RK, he had shot down eleven aircraft and would shoot down his twelfth on 26 September 1940 before being posted to command JG 27 on 20 October 1940. In November 1940, JG 27 moved back to Germany and then to the Balkans where the Geschwader would operate, as well as over Greece, with Schellmann getting his thirteenth kill, a Hurricane over Tanagra, on 20 April 1941. In May 1941, JG 27 moved back to Germany and then moved eastwards for Operation BARBAROSSA. Schellmann would get just the one kill on 22 June 1941, a I-153 of either the 41st or 127th Fighter Aviation Regiment near Grodno at 0315 hrs. However, wreckage from his fourteenth victory hit his Bf 109 E-7, Wk Nr 4189, coded <-+- and he baled out in the vicinity of Kamenki. He was captured by Soviet troops and evidence seems to indicate that he was executed two days later. His body has never been found and he was promoted to Oberstleutnant posthumously.

Maj Wolfgang Schellmann with Hptm Helmut Wick.

With Stab II:

8. 18 July 1940: Blenheim, 1415 hrs, near Le Havre

With Stab:

9. 25 August 1940: Spitfire, 1830 hrs, Warmwell

10. 27 August 1940: Spitfire, Unk, Wareham

11. 31 August 1940: Spitfire, 0925 hrs, Eastchurch

12. 26 September 1940: Spitfire, 1740 hrs, Isle of Wight

Oberleutnant/Hauptmann/Major Helmut Wick, Staffelkapitän 3./JG 2, 6./JG 2, Kommandeur I./JG 2, Kommodore JG 2

+ 28.11.1940

Joined the Luftwaffe in July 1936 and after training at Luftkriegschule Dresden, was posted to II./KG 254 in June 1937. He returned to LKS Dresden in November 1937 and began pilot training in March 1938. He then started fighter pilot training at JFS Werneuchen in August 1938 and was then posted to I./JG 333 in January 1939. He was posted to 1./JG 53 on 10 August 1939 but on 30 August 1939 he transferred to 3./JG 2. On 22 November 1939, he was credited with the Geschwader’s first kill of the war when he shot down a Curtiss Hawk, believed to have been from GC II/4 and which crashed near Phalsbourg. His first victory of the Battle of France was not until 20 May 1940 and by the end of the campaign, he had raised his score to twelve with a Fairey Battle, probably from 226 Squadron, on 13 June 1940. By now an Oberleutnant, he took command of 3 Staffel from Hauptmann Hennig Strümpell on 22 June 1940 when Strümpell took command of I./ JG 2. He would score the Geschwader’s first kill of the Battle of Britain, a Spitfire on 17 July 1940, and by 25 August 1940 had raised his total to twenty kills for which he was awarded the RK two days later. He was promoted to Hauptmann at the start of September 1940 and five days later was posted to command 6./JG 2 as a replacement for Oberleutnant Karl Müller who had been killed in action the previous day. However, his time with the new Staffel lasted four days (during which time he increased his score to twenty-eight victories) as he returned to take command of I./JG 2 on 9 September 1940. By 5 October 1940, he had shot down forty aircraft which resulted in the award of the EL the following day. On 20 October 1940, he was promoted to command JG 2, taking over from Major Wolfgang Schellmann who moved to take command of JG 27, getting his first kill as Kommodore (his forty-third kill) on 29 October 1940. However, on the afternoon of 28 November 1940, during the first mission he claimed his fifty-fifth kill and then on the second was believed to have shot down his fifty-sixth aircraft but was shot down himself while flying a Bf 109 E-4, Wk Nr 5344, <-+-, a possible victim of Flight Lieutenant John Dundas DFC of 609 Squadron who himself was shot down by Wick’s Rottenflieger, Oberleutnant Rudi Pflanz. The bodies of both pilots were never found. Wick was the first EL winner to be killed during the war and at the time of his death was the second highest-scoring fighter pilot with his nearest rival being Adolf Galland (JG 26) who shot down his fifty-sixth aircraft two hours before Wick’s death, while Werner Mölders (JG 51) did not get his fifty-sixth until 10 February 1941. The veracity of many of Wick’s claims has now been challenged by historians. For example, on 5 October 1940, I./JG 2 claimed ten Hurricanes and four Spitfires with Wick claiming five; RAF losses over the west of England were one Hurricane shot down, its pilot bailing out with burns, and four Hurricanes force-landed with varying degrees of damage; no Spitfires were lost.

With 3 Staffel:

14. 17 July 1940: Spitfire, 1507 hrs, S. Isle of Wight

15. 11 August 1940: Curtiss, 1130 hrs

16. 11 August 1940: Spitfire, 1134 hrs

17. 11 August 1940: Hurricane, 1145 hrs, 40 km S. Portland

18. 16 August 1940: Hurricane, 1435 hrs, E. Portsmouth

19. 25 August 1940: Hurricane, 1825 hrs

20. 25 August 1940: Spitfire, 1830 hrs

21. 26 August 1940: Hurricane, 1730 hrs

22. 26 August 1940: Hurricane, 1735 hrs

With 6 Staffel:

23. 5 September 1940: Spitfire, 1610 hrs

24. 6 September 1940: Spitfire, 0950 hrs

25. 7 September 1940: Spitfire, 1825 hrs

26. 8 September 1940: Hurricane, 1320 hrs

27. 8 September 1940: Hurricane, 1330 hrs

28. 8 September 1940: Hurricane, 1340 hrs

With I Gruppe:

29. 25 September 1940: Spitfire, 1430 hrs

30. 26 September 1940: Spitfire, 1740 hrs

31. 27 September 1940: Spitfire, 1300 hrs

32. 28 September 1940: Hurricane, 1540 hrs

33. 30 September 1940: Spitfire, 1230 hrs, Portland

34. 30 September 1940: Spitfire, 1235 hrs, Portland

35. 1 October 1940: Spitfire, 1140 hrs, S. Swanage

36. 1 October 1940: Spitfire, 1145 hrs, S. Swanage

37. 5 October 1940: Hurricane, 1458 hrs, S. Bournemouth

38. 5 October 1940: Hurricane, 1500 hrs, Bournemouth

39. 5 October 1940: Hurricane, 1503 hrs, Bournemouth

40. 5 October 1940: Spitfire, 1835 hrs, E. Isle of Wight

41. 5 October 1940: Spitfire, 1840 hrs, E. Isle of Wight

42. 15 October 1940: Spitfire, 1345 hrs, Portsmouth

With Stab:

43. 29 October 1940: Hurricane, 1529 hrs, Portsmouth

44. 29 October 1940: Hurricane, 1533 hrs, Portsmouth

Oberleutnant Rudi Pflanz, 3./JG 2, Stab I./JG 2, Stab./JG 2

+ 31.07.1942

Born in 1914 at Ichenheim, he was serving with 3./JG 2 at the start of the war. His first kill was on 30 May 1940 and during the Battle of Britain he moved to Stab I./JG 2, then Stab/JG 2. By the end of 1940, he had shot down eight but had greater success in 1941, resulting in him being awarded the RK on 1 August 1941. By the end of 1941, he had shot down twenty-three enemy aircraft. In May 1942, he was given command of 11./JG 2 flying the high-altitude Bf 109 G-1, but after having shot down his fifty-second aircraft at 1502 hrs on 31 July 1942, he was shot down and killed, possibly by Sergeant Bill Kelly of 121 Squadron who claimed a Bf 109 near Le Crotoy. It is believed he crashed at Monchaux les Quend and is now buried at Bourdon German Military Cemetery.

Stab./JG 2, August 1941. Oblt Rudi Pflanz is second from right. To his left is Uffz Günther Seeger and to his right Maj Walter Oesau and Oblt Erich Leie

With 3 Staffel:

2. 11 August 1940: Hurricane, 1138 hrs, 25 km off Portland

3. 5 September 1940: Spitfire, 1610 hrs, Canterbury

With Stab I:

4. 27 September 1940: Spitfire, 1308 hrs

5. 30 September 1940: Spitfire, 1240 hrs

With Stab:

6. 29 October 1940: Hurricane, 1530 hrs, Portsmouth

Hauptmann Otto Bertram, Staffelkapitän 1./JG 2, Kommandeur III./JG 2

‘Otsch’ joined the cavalry in 1934 but in November 1935 transferred to the Luftwaffe as a pilot. Posted to JG 134 in October 1936, he was then in II./JG 134 from February 1936. In March 1938, he joined 1.J/88 in Spain where he would shoot down nine aircraft, the first being a Rata on 12 August 1938, the last a Curtiss on 4 October 1938. On 4 October 1938 he was shot down, baled out and was briefly held captive before being released by Nationalist troops. On his return from Spain, he joined JG 131 in early 1939 before joining 2./JG 2 in September 1939 and taking over as Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 2 from Hauptmann Ernst-Günther Burggaller at the end of October 1939 with the rank of Oberleutnant. He would get an unconfirmed kill of a P-36 near Saint-Avold on 20 April 1940, but his first confirmed kill was a Morane 406 near Sedan at 2005 hrs on 14 May 1940. On 19 May 1940 he would claim two aircraft, but after shooting down a Hurricane, believed to have been flown by Flying Officer John Milner of 32 Squadron, his Bf 109 E-4, Wk Nr 677, coded white 1 was then damaged by Pilot Officer John Flinders and probably Flying Officer Peter Brothers of 32 Squadron, and its undercarriage collapsed on landing at Beaulieu. His last victory of the Battle of France was his fourth on 3 June 1940. His next kill would not come until 2 September 1940 and his last with 1./JG 2 was his eleventh on 6 September 1940. On 24 September 1940, he took command of III./JG 2 from Major Dr Erich Mix with the rank of Hauptmann. He would get just two kills with III./JG 2 on 9 October 1940, taking him to thirteen. On 28 October 1940, Bertram was posted away from operational flying following the deaths in action of his two brothers, Leutnant Kurt Bertram (1./Erprobungsgruppe 210, killed 11 August 1940) and Oberleutnant Hans Bertram (3./JG 27, killed 30 September 1940). He joined JFS 5 and for the remainder of the war carried out a series of training or staff postings, but in February 1945 was given command of I./JG 6 which he led until the end of the war, although how much operational flying he achieved is not known, his final rank being Major.

With 1 Staffel:

5. 2 September 1940: Spitfire, 1425 hrs, New Romney

6. 2 September 1940: Spitfire, 1825 hrs, Unk

7. 4 September 1940: Spitfire, 1010 hrs, Folkestone

8. 4 September 1940: Spitfire, 1405 hrs, London

9. 5 September 1940: Spitfire, 1610 hrs, S. Canterbury

10. 5 September 1940: Spitfire, 1610 hrs, S. Canterbury

11. 6 September 1940: Hurricane, 1020 hrs, S-W. Dover

With III Gruppe:

12. 9 October 1940: Blenheim, 1835 hrs, 20 km near Le Havre

13. 9 October 1940: Blenheim, 1835 hrs, 20 km near Le Havre

Oberleutnant Siegfried Bethke, Staffelkapitän 2./JG 2

At the start of the war, he was an instructor with Ergänzungs Jagdstaffel 4, becoming Staffelkapitän and then Staffelkapitän of 4./Erg. JGr Merseburg. He transferred to 2./JG 2 at the end of April 1940 and his first victory came on 14 May 1940, but after shooting down his fourth aircraft on 31 May 1940, was either hit by return fire or flak and baled out near Béthune. His first two victories of the Battle of Britain came on 11 August 1940, and on 2 September 1940 he took command of 2./JG 2 when Hauptmann Karl-Heinz Greisert took command of II./JG 2. His score at the end of the Battle of Britain stood at nine. On 11 July 1941, he was shot down in combat, his Bf 109 F-2 coded White 1 crash-landing near Dunkirk. He would only shoot down one aircraft in 1941 and when he handed over 2./JG 2 on 2 October 1942, his score stood at twelve. A series of flying training and staff appointments followed and he survived the war.

5. 11 August 1940: Hurricane, 1135 hrs, Portland

6. 11 August 1940: Hurricane, 1142 hrs, S. Portland

7. 7 September 1940: Hurricane, 1842 hrs, E. London

8. 7 October 1940: Blenheim, 1900 hrs, London

9. 15 October 1940: Hurricane, 1340 hrs, Isle of Wight

Hauptmann Karl-Heinz Krahl, Staffelkapitän 3./JG 2, Kommandeur I./JG 2

+ 14.04.1942

Transferred from the Heer to the Luftwaffe, after which he flew with K/88 in Spain. On his return, he retrained as a fighter pilot and on the outbreak of war was flying with Stab I./JG 2, but in early 1940 he moved to 1./JG 2. His first kill was an MS 406 at 1726 hrs on 21 April 1940, by which stage he was an Oberleutnant and by the end of the Battle of France, his victories totalled five, the last coming on 26 May 1940. It is believed that he then moved to Stab I./JG 2, but by the end of August 1940 was with 3./JG 2. His first kill of the Battle of Britain was on 30 August 1940 and on 5 September 1940 when he took command of 3./JG 2 from Oberleutnant Helmut Wick, he shot down his ninth aircraft. On 20 October 1940, he became Kommandeur of I./JG 2, again taking over from Helmut Wick, and his first victory as Kommandeur came on 29 October 1940, his last of the Battle of Britain and his thirteenth of the war. His last kills of 1940 came on 5 November 1940, taking his score to fifteen, and he would be awarded the RK eight days later. His first kills of 1941 did not come until 24 July 1941, taking his score to eighteen. However, he failed to shoot down anything further until he was posted to command II./JG 3 on 20 November 1941, taking over from EL winner Hauptmann Gordon Gollob. II./JG 3 had just returned to Germany from the Russian Front and in January 1942, Krahl took the Gruppe to Italy. His first and only kill came on 10 March 1942 when he shot down a Spitfire of 249 Squadron over Malta flown by Pilot Officer Ken Murray and who was killed when his parachute failed to open properly. On the late morning of 14 April 1942, Krahl took off from San Pietro to carry out a strafing attack on Hal Far airfield in Malta. Krahl’s Bf 109 F-4, Wk Nr 8784, Black <<+- crashed between Defence Post HF5 and what is today Lyster Barracks at Hal Far. His body was recovered and buried as an unidentified Oberleutnant but now lies in the German Military Cemetery at Cagliari in Sardinia. Some records state that he was credited with twenty-four victories, but only nineteen have been positively identified.

Hermann Göring meeting pilots from JG 2, October 1940. Karl-Heinz Krahl is 5th from right.

With 3 Staffel:

6. 30 August 1940: Hurricane, 1245 hrs, Unk

7. 31 August 1940: Hurricane, 1855 hrs, S. Dover

8. 31 August 1940: Curtiss, 1930 hrs, Unk

9. 5 September 1940: Spitfire, 1605 hrs, Unk

10. 28 September 1940: Hurricane, 1544 hrs, Unk

11. 5 October 1940: Hurricane, 1450 hrs, Bournemouth

12. 15 October 1940: Hurricane, 1340 hrs, Portsmouth

With Stab I:

13. 29 October 1940: Hurricane, 1545 hrs, Unk

Oberfeldwebel/Oberleutnant Johann Schmid, 1./JG 2

+ 06.11.1941

A pre-war pilot who had flown with the Legion Condor, at the start of the war he was flying with 1./JG 2. His first victory came on 14 May 1940, and by 5 June 1940 his total stood at seven. His first victory of the Battle of Britain was on 28 July 1940. His next was not until 20 September 1940, by which time he had been promoted from Oberfeldwebel to Oberleutnant. He would then become an instructor and on 10 July 1941, he arrived on JG 26, flying with the Stab. His tenth victory came on 22 July 1941 and by 19 August 1941, he had been promoted to Hauptmann, his score stood at twenty-four and two days later he was awarded the RK. On 21 August 1941, he took command of 8./JG 26, his first victory coming on 24 August 1941. His last confirmed victory was his fortieth on 3 October 1941, but it is believed that he shot down at least another three in October 1941 and then another on 6 November 1941. On this date, it is believed that he shot down a Spitfire of 452 Squadron flown by either Sergeant Eric Schrader or Sergeant Bernard Geissmann 10 miles north of Cap Gris Nez. However, while circling the crash, the wing of his Bf 109 F-4, Wk Nr 7211, Black 2+I hit the water and he crashed. He is still missing in action.

8. 28 July 1940: Blenheim, 1035 hrs, 40 km N-W Le Havre

9. 20 September 1940: Spitfire, 1210 hrs, S. Brighton

Oberleutnant Paul Temme, Stab I./JG 2

PoW 13.08.1940

With I./JG 2 at the start of the war, by the time of the Battle of France he was Gruppen Adjutant I./JG 2. His first victory came on 15 May 1940 and by 26 May 1940, it had risen to three. His next victory was a Blenheim of 59 Squadron flown by Pilot Officer Deryck Drew on 2 August 1940, with his fifth coming on 11 August 1940. On 13 August 1940 he was shot down on an escort sortie, his Bf 109 E-1, Wk Nr 5068 <+ crash-landing at New Salts Farm, Shoreham at 0710 hrs and he was taken prisoner. It is possible that he was shot down by Sergeant Jack Mills of 43 Squadron.

4. 2 August 1940: Blenheim, 1105 hrs, 40 km N. Le Havre

5. 11 August 1940: Hurricane, 1137 hrs, S-E Portsmouth

Leutnant Kurt Votel, 3./JG 2

+ 03.05.1941

Still in training at the start of the war, he did not join 3./JG 2 until March 1940. His first claim was for a Wapiti on 29 May 1940, but it was probably a Swordfish of 825 Squadron. His first victories of the Battle of Britain came on 31 August 1940 when he claimed three aircraft, his last his eighth on 5 October 1940. He would then move to 1./JG 2 and would shoot down a Spitfire of 616 Squadron flown by Sergeant Bob Sellars on 21 April 1941, but on 3 May 1941 his Bf 109 E-7 Wk Nr 6471 collided with another flown by Unteroffizier Hermann Maier, both aircraft crashing just west of the airfield at Théville, killing both pilots.

3. 31 August 1940: Hurricane, 0905 hrs

4. 31 August 1940: Spitfire, 1858 hrs

5. 31 August 1940: Spitfire, 1859 hrs

6. 6 September 1940: Spitfire: 1419 hrs

7. 11 September 1940: Hurricane, 1646 hrs

8. 5 October