Horst Tietzen

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Horst Tietzen
Born19 July 1912
Arnswalde
(today Poland)
Died18 August 1940(1940-08-18) (aged 28)
over the Thames Estuary, England
Buried
Bourdon German war cemetery (Cimetière militaire allemand de Bourdon)
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service?–1940
RankHauptmann (Posthumously)
UnitCondor Legion
JG 51
Battles/wars
See battles
AwardsSpanish Cross In Gold with Swords
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Horst Tietzen (19 July 1912 – 18 August 1940) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.

Career[edit]

Tietzen was born 19 July 1912 at Arnswalde (today Choszczno in Poland). As a Leutnant, Tietzen served with 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 of the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. He claimed his first air victory on 19 July 1938, downing a Republican I-16. He claimed a further six victories and was awarded the Spanienkreuz in Gold. On 1 November 1939, Tietzen was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the newly created 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing).[1] The Staffel had been created in August 1939 as the Reservestaffel (reserve squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 71 (JG 71—71st Fighter Wing).[2]

His grave at the Bourdon German war cemetery.

He shot down a French Bloch MB.174 bomber for his first victory of World War II on 20 April 1940. He recorded his 17th victory on 25 July 1940, a Spitfire near Dover. On 15 August Tietzen shot down three Hurricanes. He became the fourth German fighter pilot to record 20 victories on 18 August. However, on the same day, he was shot down in aerial combat with Royal Air Force Hurricane fighters over the Thames Estuary.[3] His victors were Flying Officer Stefan Witorzenc and Pilot Officer Pawel Zenker from No. 501 Squadron who reported two Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters shot down between Canterbury and Westgate-on-Sea which crashed near the North Goodwin Lightship. His body later washed ashore at Calais in France. Tietzen now rests at the Bourdon German war cemetery.[4] He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 20 August 1940.[5]

Summary of career[edit]

Aerial victory claims[edit]

According to Obermaier, Tietzen was credited with 27 aerial victories, seven in the Spanish Civil War and 20 on the Western Front of World War II.[6] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 24 aerial victory claims, plus further three unconfirmed claims. This number of confirmed claims includes seven claims during the Spanish Civil War and 17 over the Western Allies.[5]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 –[5]
Spanish Civil War
1 19 July 1938
—
 I-16[7]
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 –[5]
Spanish Civil War
2 20 September 1938
—
 I-16[7] 5 27 September 1938
—
 I-16[7]
3 20 September 1938
—
 I-16[7] 6 21 December 1938
—
 I-16[7]
4 27 September 1938
—
 I-16[7] 7 29 December 1938
—
 I-16[7]
World War II
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[5]
"Phoney War" — 1 November 1939 – 9 May 1940
1 20 April 1940 11:50 Potez 63 north of Saarburg[8]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[5]
Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
2 14 June 1940 20:15 Battle Évreux[9]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[5]
At the Channel and over England — 26 June – 18 August 1940
3 27 June 1940 20:10 Blenheim south of Dover[10] 12 31 July 1940 16:55 Spitfire Dover[11]
4 4 July 1940 14:45 Hurricane northeast of Dover[10] 13 11 August 1940 14:48 Hurricane east of Colchester[11]
5 9 July 1940 17:00 Spitfire northeast of Margate[10] 14 11 August 1940 14:50 Hurricane Thames Estuary[11]
6 13 July 1940 19:30 Hurricane southeast of Dover[11] 15 15 August 1940 12:40 Hurricane Folkestone[12]
7 14 July 1940 16:10 Hurricane southeast of Dover[11] 16 15 August 1940 12:41 Hurricane Folkestone[12]
8 18 July 1940 10:55 Spitfire 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Calais[11] 17?[Note 1] 15 August 1940
—
 Hurricane south of Harwich[12]
9 20 July 1940 19:15 Hurricane southeast of Dover[11] 18 16 August 1940 13:25 Hurricane east of Canterbury[12]
10 25 July 1940 17:10 Spitfire Dover[11] 19?[Note 1] 16 August 1940
—
 Spitfire southwest of Ramsgate[12]
11 29 July 1940 08:35 Spitfire 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Dover[11] 20?[Note 1] 18 August 1940
—
 Hurricane[12]

Awards[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c According to Mathews and Foreman this claim was unconfirmed.[5]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Prien et al. 2001a, p. 287.
  2. ^ Prien et al. 2001a, p. 285.
  3. ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 68.
  4. ^ Goss 2018, p. 64.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1325.
  6. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 216.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Forsyth 2011, p. 104.
  8. ^ Prien et al. 2001a, p. 291.
  9. ^ Prien et al. 2001b, p. 285.
  10. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2002, p. 61.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i Prien et al. 2002, p. 62.
  12. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2002, p. 65.
  13. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 14.
  14. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 746.
  15. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 423.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1939–1942. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-52677-864-2.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (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.
  • Forsyth, Robert (2011). Aces of the Legion Condor. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 99. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-347-8.
  • Goss, Chris (2018). Knights of the Battle of Britain — Luftwaffe Aircrew Awarded the Knight's Cross in 1940. Yorkshire, UK: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-52672-651-3.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2001a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 2—Der "Sitzkrieg"—1.9.1939 bis 9.5.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 2—The "Phoney War"—1 September 1939 to 9 May 1940] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-59-5.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2001b). 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.
  • 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.
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
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