Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart
Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart | |
---|---|
Born | 3 May 1914 Saargemünd, German Empire (today Sarreguemines, France) |
Died | 8 June 1944 Les Champeaux, France | (aged 30)
Buried | |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service | Luftwaffe |
Years of service | 1935–1944 |
Rank | Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) |
Unit | JG 54 |
Commands | 8./JG 54 |
Battles / wars | World War II |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart (3 May 1914 – 8 June 1944) a former German fighter ace in the Luftwaffe. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II, awarded by Nazi Germany for extreme battlefield bravery. He was credited with 69 victories.[1]
Career
On 11 November 1941, Zweigart made a forced landing at Sablin, near Lyuban, following combat damage sustained to his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 12943—factory number).[2]
On 27 July 1943, Zweigart was shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 15678) by Supermarine Spitfire fighters, bailing out near Norden.[3]
On 8 June 1944, Zweigart was shot down flying Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 (Werknummer 170736) in aerial combat near Les Champeaux, France.[4][5] He bailed out and was allegedly shot and killed while hanging in his parachute.[6][7] He was interred at the Saint-Désir-de-Lisieux German war cemetery.[8]
Summary of career
Aerial victory claims
According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Zweigart was credited with 69 aerial victories.[9] Spick also lists him with 69 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions. This figure includes 54 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 15 over the Western Allies.[1] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 66 aerial victory claims plus two further unconfirmed claims. This figure includes 52 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 14 on the Western Front, including ten four-engined bombers.[10]
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 10131". 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.[11]
Chronicle of aerial victories | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Zweigart did not receive credit. This along with the * (asterisk) indicates an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory. This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman. | |||||||||
Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[7] Action at the Channel and over England — October 1940 – 29 March 1941 | |||||||||
1 | 10 November 1940 | 12:20 | Blenheim | 25 km (16 mi) northeast of De Kooy[12] | |||||
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[7] Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941 | |||||||||
2 | 22 June 1941 | 14:25?[Note 1] | I-153[13] | 6 | 11 September 1941 | 09:55 | I-18 (MiG-1)[14] | ||
3 | 30 June 1941 | 12:32 | SB-3 | Dünaburg[15] | 7 | 30 September 1941 | 16:30 | ground-attack aircraft?[16][Note 2] | |
4 | 6 July 1941 | 18:50 | SB-3[15] | 8 | 5 November 1941 | 13:05 | I-26 (Yak-1) | Kolpino[17] | |
5 | 14 July 1941 | 16:20 | SB-2[18] | 9 | 1 December 1941 | 09:27 | I-18 (MiG-1)[17] | ||
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[19] Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942 | |||||||||
10 | 9 February 1942 | 15:57 | R-Z?[20][Note 3] | 13 | 6 April 1942 | 08:03 | P-40[21] | ||
11 | 9 February 1942 | 16:12 | I-26 (Yak-1)[20] | 14 | 25 April 1942 | 11:32 | MiG-3[21] | ||
12 | 4 April 1942 | 15:14 | Pe-2[21] | 15 | 25 April 1942 | 11:40 | MiG-3[21] | ||
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[22] Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943 | |||||||||
16 | 28 May 1942 | 09:04 | I-16 | PQ 10131[23] east of Shlisselburg |
35 | 20 September 1942 | 17:28 | LaGG-3 | PQ 10214[24] 30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg |
— |
23 July 1942 | — |
P-40[25] | 36 | 21 September 1942 | 11:07 | P-40 | PQ 10161[24] southeast of Shlisselburg | |
17 | 30 July 1942 | 19:45 | I-18 (MiG-3) | PQ 18224[25] 25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Staraya Russa |
37 | 28 September 1942 | 14:46 | LaGG-3 | PQ 00321[26] 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Shlisselburg |
18 | 2 August 1942 | 16:52 | MiG-3 | PQ 00243[25] 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Leningrad |
38 | 28 September 1942 | 15:21 | Hurricane | PQ 00264[26] 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Shlisselburg |
19 | 2 August 1942 | 19:12 | MiG-3 | PQ 00164, Aleksandrowka[25] 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Leningrad |
39 | 29 September 1942 | 06:54?[Note 4] | LaGG-3 | PQ 00251, Oserki[26] 15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg |
20 | 13 August 1942 | 17:53 | P-40 | PQ 18261[27] 30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Staraya Russa |
40 | 26 October 1942 | 08:45 | Il-2 | PQ 28263[28] 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Waldi |
21 | 13 August 1942 | 17:55 | P-40 | PQ 18264[27] 30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Staraya Russa |
41 | 26 October 1942 | 13:57 | LaGG-3 | PQ 18334[28] 30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Staraya Russa |
22 | 28 August 1942 | 11:23 | MiG-3 | PQ 10181[29] east of Mga |
42 | 30 October 1942 | 08:55 | LaGG-3 | PQ 28123[28] 40 km (25 mi) northwest of Demyansk |
23 | 29 August 1942 | 10:28 | MiG-3 | PQ 10164[29] vicinity of Putilowo |
43 | 30 October 1942 | 09:37 | LaGG-3 | PQ 29783, Tschasyja[28] 45 km (28 mi) north-northwest of Demyansk |
24 | 29 August 1942 | 10:31 | MiG-3 | PQ 10164[29] vicinity of Putilowo |
44 | 7 November 1942 | 08:48 | P-40 | PQ 38742[28] vicinity of Ostashkov |
25 | 31 August 1942 | 17:16 | MiG-3 | PQ 10191, Kilosi[29] | 45 | 7 November 1942 | 08:57 | P-40 | PQ 28843[28] 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Ostashkov |
26 | 31 August 1942 | 17:20 | MiG-3 | PQ 10164[29] vicinity of Putilowo |
46 | 14 November 1942 | 11:35 | LaGG-3 | PQ 10262[28] 25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg |
27 | 1 September 1942 | 10:55 | LaGG-3 | PQ 10254[30] 30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg |
47 | 22 November 1942 | 11:45 | Pe-2 | PQ 90441[28] 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Volosovo |
28 | 2 September 1942 | 10:12 | LaGG-3 | PQ 00212[30] 20 km (12 mi) east of Leningrad |
48 | 17 December 1942 | 10:40?[Note 5] | MiG-3 | PQ 46214[31] 20 km (12 mi) south of Zubtsov |
29 | 2 September 1942 | 18:39 | MiG-3 | PQ 10113[30] vicinity of Shlisselburg |
49?[Note 6] | 25 December 1942 | 12:48 | Il-2 | PQ 07741[31] |
30 | 3 September 1942 | 11:02 | P-40 | PQ 10254[30] 30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg |
50 | 25 December 1942 | 12:50 | Il-2 | PQ 07742[31] 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Velikiye Luki |
31 | 3 September 1942 | 11:07 | P-40 | PQ 10254[30] 30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg |
51 | 29 December 1942 | 08:36 | Yak-1 | PQ 07692[31] 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Velikiye Luki |
32 | 9 September 1942 | 11:12 | P-40 | PQ 10242[32] 25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Shlisselburg |
52 | 29 December 1942 | 08:40 | La-5 | PQ 07733[31] 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Velikiye Luki |
33 | 9 September 1942 | 17:20 | MiG-3 | PQ 00264[32] 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Shlisselburg |
53 | 29 December 1942 | 08:49 | La-5 | PQ 07591[31] 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Velikiye Luki |
34 | 15 September 1942 | 06:04 | P-40 | PQ 10241[24] 25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Shlisselburg |
54 | 29 December 1942 | 11:16 | Yak-1 | PQ 07594[31] 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Velikiye Luki |
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[22] Defense of the Reich — 27 March – August 1943 | |||||||||
55 | 25 June 1943 | 09:03 | B-17 | southwest of Dörpen[33] | 58 | 27 July 1943 | 20:13 | Ventura | PQ 05 Ost S/GK[33] Haarlem |
56 | 18 July 1943 | 07:15 | P-51 | 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Scheveningen[33] | 59 | 12 August 1943 | 08:52 | B-17 | PQ 05 Ost S/LN-3/6[34] Kerken-Kempen |
57 | 25 July 1943 | 15:19 | Spitfire | west of Wijk aan Zee[33] | |||||
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[22] Defense of the Reich — November 1943 – March 1944 | |||||||||
60 | 29 November 1943 | 14:58 | B-17?[Note 7] | Cloppenburg[34] | 63 | 6 March 1944 | 11:58 | B-17 | PQ 05 Ost EQ[35] Sögel-Cloppenburg |
61 | 20 February 1944 | 12:57 | B-17 | PQ 15 Ost JD[35] | 64 | 6 March 1944 | 14:49 | B-17 | Reinsehlen[35] |
62 | 20 February 1944 | 13:06 | B-17* | PQ 15 Ost JE[35] | — |
6 March 1944 | — |
B-17[35] | |
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[22] Defense of the Reich — March 1944 | |||||||||
65 | 18 March 1944 | 15:20 | B-17 | PQ 04 Ost CQ-6[35] Lahr-Biberach |
|||||
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[36] Defense of the Reich — May 1944 | |||||||||
66 | 19 May 1944 | 13:10 | B-24* | PQ 15 Ost HB-4[35] | 67 | 27 May 1944 | 12:19 | B-17 | PQ 04 Ost DO-6/DP-4[37] Ballons de Voges |
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class[38]
- Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 26 October 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot[39]
- German Cross in Gold on 17 November 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 54[40]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 January 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 54[41][42]
Notes
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:21.[7]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as an Ilyushin Il-2.[7]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as an Polikarpov R-5.[7]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 06:56.[22]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 10:50.[22]
- ^ This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[22]
- ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.[22]
References
Citations
- ^ a b Spick 1996, p. 238.
- ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 272.
- ^ Prien et al. 2009, p. 287.
- ^ Weal 2007, p. 71.
- ^ Prien et al. 2019, p. 458.
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 228.
- ^ a b c d e f Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1470.
- ^ Dixon 2023, p. 5.
- ^ Zabecki 2014, p. 1616.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1470–1472.
- ^ Planquadrat.
- ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 340.
- ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 262.
- ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 265.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 263.
- ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 266.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 268.
- ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 264.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1470–1471.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2005, p. 250.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2005, p. 252.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1471.
- ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 213.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2006, p. 224.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2006, p. 218.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2006, p. 225.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 219.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Prien et al. 2006, p. 226.
- ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2006, p. 221.
- ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2006, p. 222.
- ^ a b c d e f g Prien et al. 2006, p. 228.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 223.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2009, p. 284.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2009, p. 285.
- ^ a b c d e f g Prien et al. 2019, p. 450.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1472.
- ^ Prien et al. 2019, p. 451.
- ^ Dixon 2023, p. 4.
- ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 225.
- ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 534.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 459.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 809.
Bibliography
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