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Otto Tange

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Otto Tange
Born22 September 1915
Hochdonn
Died30 July 1943(1943-07-30) (aged 27)
Bolkhov
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service?–1943
RankOberleutnant (first lieutenant)
UnitJG 51
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Otto Tange (22 September 1915 – 30 July 1943) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Tange claimed 68 aerial victories, 3 over the Western Front and 65 over the Eastern Front. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career[edit]

Tange was born on 22 September 1915 in Hochdonn in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein within the German Empire.[1]

He was a member of the Luftwaffe at the beginning of the war and participated in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. During the Battle of Britain he claimed his first three victories. Tange then participated in Operation Barbarossa, by the end of 1941 he claimed 33 more victories. On 19 March 1942 Otto Tange was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for having 40 victories.

On 11 July 1943, Tange was posted to the Stabsstaffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). On 30 July, his third mission with the Stabsstaffel, Tange was killed in action when his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 was hit by Soviet anti-aircraft artiller 35 kilometers (22 miles) southwest of Bolkhov.[2][3] Posthumously, Tange was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant).[4]

Summary of career[edit]

Aerial victory claims[edit]

According to Spick, Tange was credited with 68 aerial victories claimed in 426 combat missions.[5] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 63 aerial victory claims, plus two further unconfirmed claims. This number includes one claim on the Western Front with others claimed on the Eastern Front.[6]

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
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[7]
At the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 7 June 1941
1?[Note 1] 10 July 1940 12:10 Spitfire northwest of Dover[8] 3 5 March 1941 15:14 Spitfire Le Touquet[9]
2?[Note 1] 15 August 1940 20:05 Hurricane south of Clacton-on-Sea[10]

Awards[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b According to Mathews and Foreman, this claim was unconfirmed.[7]

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

  1. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 213.
  2. ^ Prien et al. 2012, pp. 413, 429.
  3. ^ Weal 2007, pp. 44–45.
  4. ^ a b Dixon 2023, p. 178.
  5. ^ Spick 1996, p. 239.
  6. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1301–1302.
  7. ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1301.
  8. ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 61.
  9. ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 66.
  10. ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 65.
  11. ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 203.
  12. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 470.
  13. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 418.
  14. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 737.

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.
  • 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.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
  • 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 (2012). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/I—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/I—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-02-4.
  • 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.
  • Weal, John (2007). More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 76. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-177-9.
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