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|birth_place=Biemsen, [[German Empire]]
|birth_place=Biemsen, [[German Empire]]
|death_place=[[Holque]], [[France]]
|death_place=[[Holque]], [[France]]
|nickname="Micky"
|nickname=
|allegiance={{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|allegiance={{flag|Nazi Germany}}
|branch={{Luftwaffe}}
|branch={{Luftwaffe}}
|serviceyears=1935–41
|serviceyears=
|rank=''[[Oberleutnant]]''
|rank=[[Oberleutnant]]
|unit=[[JG 26]]
|unit=[[JG 26]]
|battles=[[World War II]]
|battles=[[World War II]]{{KIA}}
*[[Battle of France]]
*[[Battle of Britain]]
|awards=[[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]
|awards=[[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]
|laterwork=}}
|laterwork=}}
'''Gustav "Micky" Sprick''' (29 November 1917 – 28 June 1941) was a [[Luftwaffe]] [[fighter ace]] and recipient of the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] during [[World War II]]. Sprick was credited with 31 victories in 192 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Western Front.
'''Gustav "Micky" Sprick''' (29 November 1917 – 28 June 1941) was a German [[Luftwaffe]] [[fighter ace]] and recipient of the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] during [[World War II]]. Sprick was credited with 31 victories in 192 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Western Front.


⚫
On 28 June 1941, 8./JG 26 was attacked by Spitfires and in the ensuing melee, the right-wing of Sprick's Bf 109 F-2 sheared off while he attempted an evasive [[Split S]] maneuver. He crashed to his death near [[Holque]], inland from Calais.<ref>Caldwell 1991, p. 89.</ref><ref>Weal 1999, p. 94.</ref><ref>Weal 2000, p. 76.</ref><ref>Hall 2001, p. 11.</ref>
== Military career ==
Sprick joined the Luftwaffe in 1937. After completing his pilot-training ''Fähnrich'' Sprick was posted to JG 26 on 23 September 1939, and assigned to 8./JG 26 (8th squadron of the 26th Fighter Wing). On 10 May 1940, the opening day of ''[[Fall Gelb]]'' (the invasion of the West), the now ''Leutnant'' Sprick shot down his first enemy aircraft: a Dutch Fokker T-5 twin-engined bomber, over [[Breda]] in the Netherlands. He was very successful during the French campaign, having scored nine victories by the fall of France, and been promoted to ''Oberleutnant''. He was shot down however, on 14 June near Évreux, by RAF (Royal Air Force) Hurricane fighters after claiming one of their number. But he managed to crash-land uninjured and was rescued by German troops.

On 8 August 1940 he was promoted to ''Staffelkapitän'' (Squadron leader) of 8./JG 26. His ''Gruppe'', III./JG 26 had a formidable team of leaders during the [[Battle of Britain]], with the experienced ''Kommandeur'' [[Adolf Galland]] and [[Gerhard Schöpfel]] (9. ''Staffel''), with Sprick (8. ''Staffel'') and [[Joachim Müncheberg]] (7. ''Staffel''). These four pilots all had 10 or more victories and over the next 2 months claimed 50 aircraft between them.

Sprick himself scored 11 victories in the battle, including a pair of Hurricanes of 85 Sqn on 31 August (his 14th & 15th victories). He was awarded the ''Ehrenpokal'' (Goblet of Honour) on 8 September, and then the coveted ''Ritterkreuz'' (Knight’s Cross) on 1 October after gaining his 20th victory on 28 September. By the end of 1940, with the battle falling back into a relatively quiet period, his score had increased to 23. (Müncheberg had 23, Schöpfel had 22 and Galland with 58)

June 1941 marked the invasion of the Soviet Union in the east. With the majority of the Luftwaffe involved in [[Operation Barbarossa]], it left just JG 26, JG 2 and JG 1 defending the west. Coinciding with this, the British started their own air offensive, taking the fight to the Germans over France. Now, however, the roles were reversed, and it was the RAF fighters that found themselves vulnerable, operating at the limit of their range. Sprick quickly claimed 8 victories in the last fortnight of June.

⚫
On 28 June, III./JG 26 was ordered to intercept the RAF Circus No. 26 flown by [[No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron]], en route to attack the Comines power station.<ref>Knoblock 2008, p. 79.</ref> 8./JG 26 was jumped from above by Spitfires and in the ensuing melee, the right wing of Sprick's Bf 109 F-2 (''Werknummer'' 5743—factory) sheared off while he attempted an evasive [[Split S]] maneuver. He crashed to his death near [[Holque]], inland from Calais.<ref>Caldwell 1991, p. 89.</ref><ref>Weal 1999, p. 94.</ref><ref>Weal 2000, p. 76.</ref><ref>Obermaier 1989, p. 208.</ref><ref>Hall 2001, p. 11.</ref> Other sources say he may have been shot down by Spitfires.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}

''Oberleutnant'' Gustav Sprick was credited with 31 victories in 192 missions, all over the Western Front.


==Awards==
==Awards==
*[[Iron Cross]] (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
*[[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] on 1 October 1940 as ''[[Leutnant]]'' and pilot in the 8./JG 26 "Schlageter"<ref>Fellgiebel 2001, p. 406.</ref>
*[[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] on 1 October 1940 as ''[[Leutnant]]'' and pilot in the 8./JG 26 "Schlageter"<ref>Fellgiebel 2001, p. 406.</ref>


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|publisher=Podzun-Pallas
|publisher=Podzun-Pallas
|isbn=978-3-7909-0284-6
|isbn=978-3-7909-0284-6
}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Hall
|first=Peter
|year=2001
|title=No. 91 'Nigeria' Sqn
|location=Oxford, UK
|publisher=[[Osprey Publishing]]
|isbn=978-1-84176-160-2
}}
}}
* {{Cite book
* {{Cite book
Line 81: Line 58:
|publisher=Ivy Books
|publisher=Ivy Books
|isbn=0-8041-1050-6
|isbn=0-8041-1050-6
}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Knoblock
|first=Glenn
|year=2008
|title=With Great Sacrifice and Bravery...
|location=Bennington, Vt
|publisher=Merriam Press
|isbn=978-1-4357-5550-5
}}
* {{Cite book
|last=Scherzer
|first=Veit
|year=2007
|title=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
|trans_title=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
|language=German
|location=Jena, Germany
|publisher=Scherzers Militaer-Verlag
|isbn=978-3-938845-17-2
}}
}}
* Weal, John (1996). ''Bf109D/E Aces 1939-41''. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd. {{ISBN|1-85532-487-3}}.
* Weal, John (1996). ''Bf109D/E Aces 1939-41''. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd. {{ISBN|1-85532-487-3}}.

Revision as of 16:24, 18 August 2019

Gustav Sprick
Born29 November 1917
Biemsen, German Empire
Died28 June 1941
Holque, France
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
RankOberleutnant
UnitJG 26
Battles/warsWorld War II †
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Gustav "Micky" Sprick (29 November 1917 – 28 June 1941) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Sprick was credited with 31 victories in 192 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Western Front.

On 28 June 1941, 8./JG 26 was attacked by Spitfires and in the ensuing melee, the right-wing of Sprick's Bf 109 F-2 sheared off while he attempted an evasive Split S maneuver. He crashed to his death near Holque, inland from Calais.[1][2][3][4]

Awards

References

Citations
  1. ^ Caldwell 1991, p. 89.
  2. ^ Weal 1999, p. 94.
  3. ^ Weal 2000, p. 76.
  4. ^ Hall 2001, p. 11.
  5. ^ Fellgiebel 2001, p. 406.
Bibliography
  • Caldwell, Donald L. (1991). JG 26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe. Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1050-6.
  • 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)
  • Caldwell, Donald L. (1991). JG 26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe. Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1050-6.
  • Weal, John (1996). Bf109D/E Aces 1939-41. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85532-487-3.
  • Weal, John (1999). Bf 109F/G/K Aces of the Western Front. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-905-8.
  • Weal, John (2000). Jagdgeschwader 2 'Richthofen'. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-046-9.
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