Edmund Roßmann

Edmund "Paule" Roßmann (11 January 1918 – 4 April 2005) was a Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace. He was credited with 93 aerial victories achieved in 640 combat missions, among the numerous ground attack missions. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.[1] He is also noted as being an early mentor of Erich Hartmann, history's leading fighter ace.

Edmund Roßmann
Nickname(s)"Paule"
Born(1918-01-11)11 January 1918
Caaschwitz, Principality of Reuss-Gera
Died4 April 2005(2005-04-04) (aged 87)
Krefeld
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
RankLeutnant (second lieutenant)
UnitJG 52, EJGr Ost
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Unteroffizier "Paule" Roßmann was transferred to 7./Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—7th Squadron of the 52nd Fighter Wing) on 1 March 1940 and participated in the Battle of France and Battle of Britain. He was credited with six aerial victories in the western theatre.

War against the Soviet Union

Following its brief deployment in the Balkan Campaign, III. Gruppe was back in Bucharest by mid-June.[2] There, the unit was again subordinated to the Luftwaffenmission Rumänien and reequipped with the new, more powerful Bf 109F-4 model. On 21 June, the Gruppe was ordered to Mizil in preparation of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Its primary objective was to provide fighter protection for the oil fields and refineries at Ploiești.[3] Prior to the invasion, Major Gotthard Handrick was replaced by Major Albert Blumensaat as commander of III. Gruppe. Blumensaat was then replaced by Hauptmann Hubertus von Bonin on 1 October. At the time, von Bonin was still in convalescence so that Hauptmann Franz Höring, the commander of 9. Staffel, was also made the acting Gruppenkommandeur (group commander).[4]

By the end of 1941 he had accumulated 32 aerial victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) after 250 combat missions and 49 aerial victories. From March to June 1942, he was posted to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost as fighter pilot instructor and returned to his Staffel afterwards. Nevertheless, he almost doubled his score by the end of 1942 and claimed his 80th victory on 29 November 1942.

On 9 July 1943, Roßmann attempted to rescue Feldwebel Ernst Lohberg who had crash landed behind enemy lines, approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Oboyan. Roßmann successfully landed his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 20154—factory number) next to Lohberg's aircraft. At this moment, the Soviet infantry arrived, while Lohberg was shot, Roßmann was taken prisoner of war.[5]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Spick, Roßmann was credited with 93 aerial victories claimed in approximately 640 combat missions. This figure includes 87 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, and further six victories over the Western Allies.[6] Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 93 aerial victory claims, plus six further unconfirmed claims. All of his confirmed aerialvitories were claimed on the Eastern Front.[7]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 44457". 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 × 4 km in size.[8]

Awards

Notes
  1. This claim is not listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock.[10]
  2. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 15:55.[9]
  3. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 12:40.[9]
  4. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 13:49.[21]
  5. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.[21]
  6. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as a Seversky Aircraft Company aircraft.[21]
  7. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 11:09.[21]
  8. The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
  9. According to Obermaier on 6 November 1941.[47]

References

Citations
  1. Spick 1996, pp. 3–4.
  2. Weal 2004, p. 56.
  3. Prien et al. 2003, p. 53.
  4. Prien et al. 2003, p. 65.
  5. Prien et al. 2012, p. 497.
  6. Spick 1996, p. 234.
  7. Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1060–1062.
  8. Planquadrat.
  9. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 1060.
  10. Prien et al. 2002, p. 172.
  11. Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1060–1061.
  12. Prien et al. 2003, p. 68.
  13. Prien et al. 2003, p. 71.
  14. Prien et al. 2003, p. 69.
  15. Prien et al. 2003, p. 72.
  16. Prien et al. 2003, p. 74.
  17. Prien et al. 2003, p. 70.
  18. Prien et al. 2003, p. 75.
  19. Prien et al. 2003, p. 76.
  20. Prien et al. 2003, p. 77.
  21. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 1061.
  22. Prien et al. 2005, p. 153.
  23. Prien et al. 2005, p. 156.
  24. Prien et al. 2005, p. 154.
  25. Prien et al. 2005, p. 157.
  26. Prien et al. 2005, p. 155.
  27. Prien et al. 2006, p. 549.
  28. Prien et al. 2006, p. 557.
  29. Prien et al. 2006, p. 551.
  30. Prien et al. 2006, p. 558.
  31. Prien et al. 2006, p. 559.
  32. Prien et al. 2006, p. 554.
  33. Prien et al. 2006, p. 561.
  34. Prien et al. 2006, p. 562.
  35. Prien et al. 2006, p. 555.
  36. Prien et al. 2006, p. 563.
  37. Prien et al. 2006, p. 564.
  38. Prien et al. 2006, p. 556.
  39. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 1062.
  40. Prien et al. 2012, p. 478.
  41. Prien et al. 2012, p. 483.
  42. Prien et al. 2012, p. 480.
  43. Prien et al. 2012, p. 481.
  44. Prien et al. 2012, p. 482.
  45. Prien et al. 2012, p. 484.
  46. Patzwall 2008, p. 173.
  47. Obermaier 1989, p. 189.
  48. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 386.
  49. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 364.
  50. Scherzer 2007, p. 640.

Bibliography
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