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Günther Scholz

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Günther Scholz
Born8 December 1911
Died24 October 2014(2014-10-24) (aged 102)
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service / branch Luftwaffe
UnitCondor Legion
CommandsJagdgeschwader 5
Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen
Known forLast surviving veteran of the Condor Legion
Battles / warsSpanish Civil War
World War II
AwardsGerman Cross in Gold

Günther Scholz (8 December 1911 – 24 October 2014)[1] was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II, and was the last surviving member of the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. He later participated in the Battle of Britain and commanded Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing) during World War II.[2] He had accumulated at least 33 "kills" during his time of service. His memoirs are documented in the book In the Skies over Europe.[3]

Career

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On 1 September 1943, Scholz was promoted to Geschwaderkommodore (Wing Commander) of JG 5 thus succeeding Oberstleutnant Gotthard Handrick. Scholz's previous position of Gruppenkommandeur (Group Commander) of III. Gruppe of JG 5 was backfilled by Hauptmann (captain) Heinrich Ehrler.[4] On 1 August 1944, Scholz was given the position of Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen. In consequence of this decision, Major Ehrler again succeeded Scholz in his previous command position of Geschwaderkommodore of JG 5.[5] At the time of his death, he was the last known surviving Lieutenant Colonel of the Wehrmacht.

Summary of career

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Aerial victory claims

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Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that Scholz was credited with 33 aerial victories. This figure includes one claim during the Spanish Civil War, eight claims during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain on the Western Front, eighteen claims during Operation Barbarossa and six further claims at the Arctic Sea of the Eastern Front.[6]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 36 Ost 2912". 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.[7]

Chronicle of aerial victories
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 –[6]
Spanish Civil War
1 19 August 1938
—
 I-16
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 21 –[6]
Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
2 13 May 1940 06:50 Hawk 75 east of Leuven[8] 4 26 May 1940 09:06 Hawk 75 vicinity of Lens/Douai[8]
3 20 May 1940 18:22 M.S.406 west of Péronne[8] 5 26 May 1940 09:16 Hawk 75 vicinity of Lens/Douai[9]
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[6]
Action at the Channel and over England — 26 June – 5 September 1940
6 25 August 1940 20:10 Spitfire west of Folkestone[10] 8 2 September 1940 13:55 Spitfire[10]
7 28 August 1940 17:20 Hurricane[10]
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[6]
Action at the Channel and over England — 5 September – 27 October 1940
9 28 September 1940 11:07 Spitfire[10]
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[6]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
10 23 June 1941 11:50 SB-2[11] 19 12 July 1941 16:00 DB-3[12]
11 30 June 1941 12:10 DB-3[13] 20 14 July 1941 03:30 I-16[12]
12 30 June 1941 12:12 DB-3[13] 21 21 July 1941 20:55 SB-3[12]
13 30 June 1941 12:14 DB-3[13] 22 1 August 1941 19:05 DB-3[12]
14 6 July 1941 10:00 SB-3 east of Ostrov[13] 23 19 September 1941 14:00 I-153[14]
15 6 July 1941 10:07 SB-3 east of Ostrov[13] 24 26 September 1941 16:07 MiG-1[14]
16 7 July 1941 15:40 SB-3[13] 25 30 September 1941 15:40 I-153[14]
17 7 July 1941 15:41 SB-3[13] 26 4 October 1941 08:35 I-18 (MiG-1)[14]
18 10 July 1941 09:15 SB-3 east of Pskov[13] 27 11 October 1941 11:10 I-26 (Yak-1)[14]
– III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 5 –[6]
Arctic Front
28 6 February 1942 11:10 P-40[15] 31 14 July 1942 12:35 Hurricane Murmansk[16]
vicinity of Murmashi
29 24 March 1942 18:25 Hurricane 32 12 August 1942 14:30 MiG-1 PQ 36 Ost 2912[16]
30 18 May 1942 10:25 Hurricane 20 km (12 mi) west of Murmansk[17] 33 18 August 1943 16:24 P-40 west of Cap Korabelnyj[18]

Awards

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References

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Citations

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  1. ^ "Obituary Günther Scholz" (in German).
  2. ^ Battleofbritainaviationart.com.
  3. ^ Scholz, Mobius & Johnston 2011.
  4. ^ Mombeek 2010, p. 62.
  5. ^ Mombeek 2011, pp. 89, 296.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1165.
  7. ^ Planquadrat.
  8. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2001, p. 197.
  9. ^ Prien et al. 2001, p. 198.
  10. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2002, p. 338.
  11. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 262.
  12. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003, p. 264.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Prien et al. 2003, p. 263.
  14. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2003, p. 266.
  15. ^ Mombeek 2011, p. 258.
  16. ^ a b Mombeek 2011, p. 264.
  17. ^ Mombeek 2011, p. 261.
  18. ^ Mombeek 2011, p. 273.

Bibliography

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  • "Gunther Scholz - Pilot Profile - Gunther Scholz". Battleofbritainaviationart.com. Retrieved 9 September 2015.
  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 4 January 2019.
  • 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.
  • Mombeek, Eric (2010). Eismeerjäger—Zur Geschichte des Jagdgeschwaders 5—Band 3 [Fighters in the Arctic Sea—The History of the 5th Fighter Wing—Volume 3]. Linkebeek, Belgium: ASBL, La Porte d'Hoves. ISBN 978-2-930546-02-5.
  • Mombeek, Eric (2011). Eismeerjäger—Zur Geschichte des Jagdgeschwaders 5—Band 4 [Fighters in the Arctic Sea—The History of the 5th Fighter Wing—Volume 4]. Linkebeek, Belgium: ASBL, La Porte d'Hoves. ISBN 978-2-930546-05-6.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2001). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 3—Einsatz in Dänemark und Norwegen 9.4. bis 30.11.1940—Der Feldzug im Westen 10.5. bis 25.6.1940 [Fighter Pilot Association of the German Luftwaffe 1934 to 1945 Part 3—Assignments in Denmark and Norway 9 April to 30 November 1940—The campaign in the West 10 May to 25 June 1940] (in German). Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-61-8.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/II—Einsatz am Kanal und über England—26.6.1940 bis 21.6.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 4/II—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-64-9.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/II—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/II—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-70-0.
  • Scholz, Günther; Mobius, Ingo; Johnston, David (2011). In the Skies over Europe: The Memoirs of Luftwaffe Fighter Pilot Günther Scholz : from the Legion Condor to the Defense of the Reich. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0-7643-3760-4.
Preceded by
Oberstleutnant Gotthard Handrick
 Commander of Jagdgeschwader 5 "Eismeer"
1 September 1943 – 26 July 1944 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Oberstleutnant Gerhard Schöpfel
 Commander of Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen
May 1944 – May 1945 		Succeeded by
disbanded
Preceded by Commander of Jagdgeschwader 5 "Eismeer"
January 1945 – May 1945 		Succeeded by
disbanded


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