Ulrich Wernitz

Ulrich Wernitz (21 January 1921 – 23 December 1980) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. He was credited with 101 aerial victories—that is, 101 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in roughly 240 combat missions.[1] He served in the post World War II German Air Force of the Federal Republic of Germany, retiring with the rank of Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel).

Ulrich Wernitz
Nickname(s)Pipifax
Born(1921-01-21)21 January 1921
Schweinitz/Herzberg
Died23 December 1980(1980-12-23) (aged 59)
Fürstenfeldbruck
Allegiance Nazi Germany (to 1945)
 West Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
 German Air Force
RankLeutnant (Wehrmacht)
Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
UnitJG 54
Commands held3./JG 54
Battles/wars
See battles

World War II

AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Wernitz was born in Schweinitz/Herzberg in the district of Wittenberg, a Province of Saxony, on 21 January 1921. Following flight training, he was posted to 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in April 1943.[2][Note 1] At the time, JG 54 was based on the northern sector of the Eastern Front.

Nicknamed Pipifax by his comrades, he claimed his first aerial victory on 2 May 1943 over a Lavochkin La-5 fighter aircraft near Pushkin during the Siege of Leningrad. On combat missions, he frequently flew as wingman to Otto Kittel, Hermann Schleinhege and Günther Scheel.[3] Wernitz claimed his 82nd aerial victory, a Petlyakov Pe-2 shot down on 28 August 1944. He then fell ill in September.[4] During his convalescence, Feldwebel (Sergeant) Wernitz, was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 29 October 1944, and the German Cross in Gold (German: Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 1 January 1945. He returned to his unit in early February 1945, which at the time was fighting in the Courland Pocket.[3] He was then appointed Staffelführer (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 54 and claimed 19 further aerial victories, including eight on 8 March 1945.[2] On 26 March 1945, Wernitz was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 100th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[5]

Following World War II, Wernitz served in the German Air Force of the Federal Republic of Germany, retiring with the rank of Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel). He died on 23 December 1980.[3]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that Wernitz was credited with 101 aerial victories, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.[6]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 36 Ost 00333". 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.[7]

Awards

Notes
  1. For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations, see Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
  2. This claim is not listed by Matthews and Foreman.[3]
  3. According to Scherzer as pilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 54.[17]

References

Citations
  1. Spick 1996, p. 233.
  2. Obermaier 1989, p. 223.
  3. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 1404.
  4. Weal 2001, p. 114.
  5. Obermaier 1989, p. 244.
  6. Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1404–1405.
  7. Planquadrat.
  8. Prien et al. 2012, p. 173.
  9. Prien et al. 2012, p. 174.
  10. Prien et al. 2012, p. 78.
  11. Prien et al. 2012, p. 184.
  12. Prien et al. 2012, p. 185.
  13. Prien et al. 2012, p. 186.
  14. Prien et al. 2012, p. 188.
  15. Patzwall 2008, p. 216.
  16. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 443.
  17. Scherzer 2007, p. 780.
  18. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 508.

Bibliography
  • Bergström, Christer. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Retrieved 18 April 2018.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (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.
  • Matthews, 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Weal, John (2001). Jagdgeschwader 54 'Grünherz'. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-286-9.
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