Johannes Seifert

Johannes Seifert
Johannes Seifert
Nickname(s)	"Hannes"
Born	6 October 1915; Pinneberg
Died	25 November 1943 (aged 28); Béthune, France
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Template:Luftwaffe
Years of service	?–1943
Rank	Oberstleutnant (Posthumously)
Unit	JG 26
Commands	I./JG 26; II./JG 26
Battles / wars	World War II Invasion of Poland; Battle of the Netherlands; Battle of France; Battle of Britain; Dieppe Raid; Demyansk Pocket; Operation Büffel; Defense of the Reich;
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Johannes "Hannes" Seifert (6 October 1915 – 25 November 1943) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. For fighter pilots, it was a quantifiable measure of skill and success.

Military career

Johannes "Hannes" Seifert was born on 6 October 1915 at Pinneberg, Holstein. After service flying the Bf 110 during the Polish campaign Oberleutnant, Seifert was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 26 as Staffelkapitän of 3 Staffel in March 1940. His first claim was a Dutch Air Force Fokker D.XXI on 10 May 1940 near Rotterdam. His success continued through the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. By the end of 1940 he had eight victories. Along with JG 2, JG 26 was tasked with defending the west as the rest of the Luftwaffe went east for the invasion of Russia. On 17 July 1941, Seifert was made Gruppenkommandeur, I./JG 26, a position he would hold for nearly two years. Although it was essentially a defensive role, as the Royal Air Force (RAF) tried to exert more pressure over France, there were regular opportunities for air combat and Seifert continued to score regularly. He had raised his total to 24 by the start of 1942. In June 1942, Hauptmann Seifert was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his leadership and 36 victories. In the furious air battles over the Dieppe landings in August 1942 Seifert shot down a Spitfire for his 41st victory.

In January 1943, his unit was withdrawn to Germany to re-equip and retrain on the new Fw190A fighter. At the same time, Seifert led the transfer of I./JG 26 to the Eastern Front, as the first part of a misguided idea by High Command to rotate the fighter gruppen between the Western and Eastern Fronts. The style of combat between the two fronts was quite different and overall the experiment was not a success; I./ JG26 was the only gruppe of JG 26 to serve in Russia.^[1] The unit was involved in fighting around Demyansk and then the withdrawal from the Moscow front (Operation Büffel). From February to mid March, I./JG 26 claimed 126 Soviet aircraft, while only losing nine pilots in combat themselves. Seifert led from the front, personally claiming 11 victories during the Eastern Front tour of duty.

In June 1943, Seifert had to leave his command of I./JG 26 when transferred to a Luftwaffe staff position in Bulgaria and given promotion to Major. Unknown to Seifert, his mother had invoked the 'last surviving son' ruling as his younger brother, Gerhard, had been killed in action, and was thus allowed to be removed from active combat duties.^[2] However, after a personal appeal to Adolf Galland, commander of the Jagdwaffe and his former C.O. at JG 26, he returned to France in September 1943, now as Gruppenkommandeur II./JG 26.

By now the American 8th Air Force was exerting increasing pressure with its daylight bomber raids. On 25 November 1943, Seifert led 6. and 8./JG 26 against the USAAF P-38s of the 55th Fighter Group over Lille. During combat Seifert’s Fw 190A-6 (WNr 470006) collided with a P-38, and crashed. Presumably knocked out or severely injured in the collision, Seifert hadn't made an effort to bale out and his body was found in the wreckage still strapped in.^[3]

Posthumously promoted to the rank of Oberstleutnant, Johannes Seifert flew some 439 combat missions. Of his 57 victories, 46 victories were over the Western Front, including 3 four-engine heavy bombers and 32 Spitfires, and 11 victories over the Eastern Front, including 6 Il-2 Sturmoviks.

Victories

No	Date	Time	Unit & Airfield	Kommodore/Kommandeur	Location / Planquad	Claimed Aircraft	Source / Comments^[4]
1	10 May 1940	10:15	3./JG 26 - Bönninghardt	Maj Gotthardt Handrick	SE of Rotterdam	Fokker D.XXI	OKL, Prien/Bock; of 1e JaVA Dutch AF
2	28 May 40	10:45	3./JG 26 - Antwerp	Maj Gotthardt Handrick	20 km SW of Ostend: 4200m	Spitfire	OKL, Prien/Bock
3	8 Jun 40	14:50	3./JG 26 - Hesdin, Pas de Calais	Maj Gotthardt Handrick	N of Beauvais	Battle	OKL, Prien/Bock; of 103 Sqn
4	9 Jun 40	11:10	3./JG 26 - Hesdin	Maj Gotthardt Handrick	10–15 km SE of Rouen: 3000m	Potez 63	C.2035/II, Prien/Bock
5	20 Sep 40	12:25	3./JG 26 - Audembert, Pas de Calais	Hptm Rolf Pingel	Thames estuary	Hurricane	OKL, Prien/ Bock; of 253 Sqn
6	20 Sep 40	12:37	3./JG 26 - Audembert	Hptm Rolf Pingel	Maidstone	Hurricane	OKL, Prien/Bock; of 242 Sqn
7	5 Nov 40	17:15	3./JG 26 - Audembert	Hptm Rolf Pingel	Thames estuary	Hurricane	OKL, Prien/Bock; P/O Hart of 242 Sqn
8	13 Nov 40	12:00	3./JG 26 - Audembert	Hptm Rolf Pingel	2 km S of Folkestone: 400m	Hurricane	OKL, Prien/Bock; of 249 Sqn
9	11 Jun 1941	13:30	3./JG 26 - St Omer, Pas de Calais	Hptm Rolf Pingel	English Channel	Hurricane	C.2036/II Nr 64913/41; 248 Sqn
10	23 Jun 41	13:50	3./JG 26 - St Omer	Hptm Rolf Pingel	near Samer	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 65565/41
11	4 Jul 41	15:20	3./JG 26 - St Omer	Hptm Rolf Pingel	6 km N of Bethune	Spitfire	C.2033/I; Prien/Bock
12	11 Jul 41	15:05	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Obstlt Adolf Galland	E of Wimereux	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 69272/41
13	14 Jul 41	10:30	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Obstlt Adolf Galland	S of Dunkirk	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 69272/41
14	21 Jul 41	8:25	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Obstlt Adolf Galland	SW of Ypres	Spitfire	C.2033/I; Prien/Bock
15	21 Jul 41	8:40	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Obstlt Adolf Galland	English Channel: 2000m	Stirling	C.2036/II Nr 67901/41; 15 Sqn
16	7 Aug 41	11:25	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Obstlt Adolf Galland	near Gravelines: 4-5000m	Spitfire	C.2033/I; Prien/Bock
17	12 Aug 41	13:00	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Obstlt Adolf Galland	SE of Vlissengen	Blenheim	C.2036/II Nr 69272/41
18	19 Aug 41	11:45	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Obstlt Adolf Galland	near Gravelines: 8000m	Spitfire	C.2033/I; Prien/Bock; 452 or 485 Sqn
19	19 Aug 41	19:40	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Obstlt Adolf Galland	near Cassel	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 69272/41; of 111 Sqn
20	17 Sep 41	15:30	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Obstlt Adolf Galland	N of Hazebrouck	Spitfire	?
21	3 Oct 41	15:37	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Obstlt Adolf Galland	20 km NW of Ostend	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 69272/42; of 92 Sqn
22	12 Oct 41	13:20	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Obstlt Adolf Galland	Berck-sur-Mer	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 69272/42; of 452 or 602 Sqn
23	8 Nov 41	13:05	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Obstlt Adolf Galland	NW of Dunkirk	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 89281/42; F/O Surma of 308 Sqn
24	8 Dec 41	13:20	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	near le Touquet	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 89281/42
25	13 Mar 1942	16:15	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	SW of Dunkirk: 4500m	Spitfire	C.2033/I; Prien/Bock; of 303 Sqn
26	24 Mar 42	17:10	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	12 km W of Boulogne	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 94043/42; of 411 Sqn
27	4 Apr 42	11:40	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	S of Gravelines	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 94043/42; of 317 Sqn
28	12 Apr 42	13:35	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	Boulogne/St Omer	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 94043/42; of 41 Sqn
29	24 Apr 42	15:02	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	E of Calais	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 94043/42; of 72 or 124 Sqn
30	25 Apr 42	16:40	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	5–10 km W of Berck-sur-Mer: 8000m	Spitfire	C.2033/I AnerkNr 64
31	27 Apr 42	15:50	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	near Bourbourg	Boston	C.2036/II Nr 94043/42; of 107 Sqn
32	28 Apr 42	11:35	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	3 km W of Gravelines	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 94043/42; 121, 222 or 317 Sqn
33	5 May 42	15:40	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	Bailleul	Spitfire	Prien/Bock; F/Lt de Hemptinne of 122 Sqn
34	17 May 42	11:40	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	2 km NW of Wissant	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 101540/42
35	1 Jun 42	13:45	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	15 km NNW of Ostend	Spitfire	Prien/Bock; of 111 Sqn
36	2 Jun 42	11:25	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	5 km S of St Valery	Spitfire	C.2036/II Nr 101540/42; 403 Sqn
37	30 Jul 42	17:45	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	Boulogne: 6000m	Spitfire	C.2031/II AnerkNr 65
38	30 Jul 42	17:47	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	near Dungeness: 7000m	Spitfire	C.2031/II ; Prien/Bock
39	30 Jul 42	19:18	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	NW of St Omer: 500m	Spitfire	C.2031/II AnerkNr 3
40	31 Jul 42	15:28	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	20 km W of Berck-sur-Mer: 250m	Spitfire	C.2031/II AnerkNr 6; of 133 Sqn
41	19 Aug 42	?	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	7 km W of Dieppe: 800m	Spitfire	C.2031/II ; Prien/Bock
42	4 Dec 42	14:52	Stab I./JG 26 - St Omer	Maj Gerhard Schöpfel	S of Calais: 2000m	Spitfire	C.2027/II AnerkNr 42; 401 or 402 Sqn
43	16 Feb 1943	14:10	Stab I./JG 26 - Rielbitzi	Maj Josef Priller	8–10 km SE of 'Adler7': 300m	Il-2	C.2035/I AnerkNr 46
44	23 Feb 43	11:10	Stab I./JG 26 - Dno, Pskov	Maj Josef Priller	[18430] S of Lake Ilmen: 200m	Il-2	C.2035/I AnerkNr 48
45	28 Feb 43	15:00	Stab I./JG 26 - Dno	Maj Josef Priller	[18412], Bodennähe: 200m	P-39	C.2035/I AnerkNr ?
46	28 Feb 43	15:01	Stab I./JG 26 - Dno	Maj Josef Priller	[18350] SE of Lake Ilmen: 2000m	LaGG-5	C.2035/I AnerkNr 51
47	5 Mar 43	13:40	Stab I./JG 26 - Dno	Maj Josef Priller	[18220] ~30 km S of L.Ilmen: 1200m	Pe-2	C.2032/II AnerkNr 53
48	5 Mar 43	13:53	Stab I./JG 26 - Dno	Maj Josef Priller	[18160] ~30 km S of L.Ilmen: 1200m	Il-2	C.2032/II AnerkNr 54
49	5 Mar 43	13:54	Stab I./JG 26 - Dno	Maj Josef Priller	[18240] ~30 km S of L.Ilmen: 500m	Il-2	C.2032/II AnerkNr 55
50	14 Mar 43	14:50	Stab I./JG 26 - Schatalowka	Maj Josef Priller	[18282]~40 km S of L.Ilmen:200m	Pe-2	C.2032/II AnerkNr 57
51	16 Mar 43	16:16	Stab I./JG 26 - Schatalowka	Maj Josef Priller	[18211] ~30 km S of L.Ilmen: 600m	Il-2	C.2032/II AnerkNr 61
52	12 May 43	11:35	Stab I./JG 26 - Orel	Maj Josef Priller	[35612] NE of Roslavl: 300m	Il-2	C.2032/II AnerkNr 62
53	13 May 43	14:05	Stab I./JG 26 - Orel	Maj Josef Priller	[4556/4564] N of Bryansk: <1000m	MiG-3	C.2032/II AnerkNr 63
54	23 Sep 43	17:10	Stab II/JG 26 - Beauvais	Maj Josef Priller	8 km SE of Eu: 100m	Spitfire	C.2031/II AnerkNr 110; of 308 Sqn
55	10 Oct 43	15:30	Stab II/JG 26 - Cambrai	Maj Josef Priller	Missingen: 700m	B-17	C.2031/II AnerkNr 72
56	14 Oct 43	13:32	Stab II/JG 26 - Cambrai	Maj Josef Priller	near Maastricht: 7500m	B-17	C.2031/II AnerkNr 59; of 305 BG, USAAF
57	25 Nov 43	13:21	Stab II/JG 26 - Cambrai	Maj Josef Priller	[OF-8], nr Cuinchy SW of La Bassée	P-38	C.2031/II AnerkNr 111; Lt Aldecoa of 55 FG USAAF

Awards

Flugzeugführerabzeichen
Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (30 December 1940)
Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
German Cross in Gold on 25 February 1942 as Hauptmann in the I./Jagdgeschwader 26^[5]
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 7 June 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"^[6]

References

Citations

^ Weal 1995, pp. 29–30.
^ Aces of the Luftwaffe website.
^ Aces of the Luftwaffe website.
^ Aces of the Luftwaffe website.
^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 440.
^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 323.

Bibliography

Caldwell, Donald L (1993). JG26 – Top Guns of the Luftwaffe Ballantine ISBN 0-87938-845-5
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help)
Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
Weal, John (1995). Focke-Wulf Fw190 Aces of the Russian Front Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85532-518-7.
Weal, John (1996). Focke-Wulf Fw190 Aces of the Western Front Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85532-595-0 including a colour profile of his aircraft (#28)

External links

Military offices
Preceded by Hptm Wolfheinrich von Houwald	Squadron Leader of 3./JG 26 1 March 1940 – 10 July 1941	Succeeded by Oblt Walter Otte
Preceded by Hptm Rolf Pingel	Group Commander of I./Jagdgeschwader 26 11 July 1941 – 31 May 1943	Succeeded by Hptm Fritz Losigkeit
Preceded by Hptm Hans Naumann	Group Commander of II./Jagdgeschwader 26 9 September 1943 – 25 November 1943	Succeeded by Maj Wilhelm Gäth

[1] Weal 1995, pp. 29–30.

[2] Aces of the Luftwaffe website.

[3] Aces of the Luftwaffe website.

[4] Aces of the Luftwaffe website.

[5] Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 440.

[6] Fellgiebel 2000, p. 323.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

v t e Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"
Walter Adolph Karl Borris Hans Dortenmann Heinz Ebeling Adolf Galland (Oak Leaves, Swords & Diamonds) Wilhelm-Ferdinand Galland Adolf Glunz (Oak Leaves) Alfred Groß Karl-Wilhelm Hofmann Wilhelm Mayer Johann-Hermann Meier Klaus Mietusch (Oak Leaves) Joachim Müncheberg¹ (Oak Leaves & Swords) Rolf Pingel Josef Priller² (Oak Leaves & Swords) Waldemar Radener Johann Schmid Gerhard Schöpfel Johannes Seifert Gustav Sprick Heinz-Gerhard Vogt Karl Willius
¹Swords with JG 51. ²Knight's Cross with JG 51. This along with the ? (question mark) indicates doubt regarding the veracity and formal correctness of the listing.