Wolfgang Späte

Wolfgang Späte
Wolfgang Späte
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
Service / branch	Heer, Luftwaffe
Years of service	?-1945, 1956-1967
Rank	Major (Wehrmacht) Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
Unit	JG 54, JG 400, JG 7
Commands	5./JG 54, IV./JG 54, JG 400, I./JG 7
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work	Bundeswehr

Major Wolfgang Späte (born 8 September, 1911 in Podersam, in the today's Czech Republic – died 30 April, 1997 in Edewecht) was German World War II Luftwaffe 99 victories Flying ace. Serving with Jagdgeschwader 54 on the Eastern front front, Jagdgeschwader 400 and Jagdgeschwader 7 in Western Europe, he is credited with the destruction of 99 enemy aircraft shot down in over 600 combat missions. He claimed five confirmed victories with the Messerschmitt Me 262.

Before World War II Späte was a well-known and award-winning glider pilot and a student of the TH Darmstadt. After serving with a squadron within JG 54, flying Bf 109s, he became head of the testing program for the Messerschmitt Me 163 "Komet" and flew this advanced rocket plane on several occasions. When the Me 163 was deemed combat-ready, the testing program was disbanded and Späte transferred to a combat unit on the Eastern Front. He served in various squadrons during the hectic, last-ditch air defense of the Reich.

In 1956 he rejoined the military service in the Bundeswehr. Oberstleutnant Späte retired on 30 September 1967.

Awards

• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (9 August 1941)
• German Cross in Gold (9 December 1941)
• Iron Cross
  • 2nd Class (8 November 1939)
  • 1st Class (27 June 1940)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross (5 October 1941)
  • 90. Oak Leaves (23 April 1942)

References

• "Lexikon der Wehrmacht". Wolfgang Späte. Retrieved 28 September. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Morgan, Hugh & Weal, John (1998). German Jet Aces of World War 2. Orsprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-85532-634-5.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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 Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Späte, Wolfgang. Der streng geheime Vogel Me 163. DÖRFLER im NEBEL VERLAG GmbH. ISBN 978-3-89555-142-0.

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