Adolf Dickfeld

Adolf Dickfeld (20 February 1910 – 17 May 2009) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, an ace credited with 136 enemy aircraft shot down in about 1,072 combat missions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. He was "ace-in-a-day" four times, shooting down five or more aircraft on a single day.

Early life and career

Dickfeld was born on 20 February 1910 in Jüterbog in the Province of Brandenburg, the son of an artillery officer. In his youth he learned to fly glider aircraft. He made his first flights at the glider school in Grunau in Silesia, present-day Jeżów Sudecki, Poland. Here, among others, he was taught to fly by Hanna Reitsch. He was also trained by Wolf Hirth on the Hornberg in the Black Forest, and by Heini Dittmar and Oskar Ursinus at the Wasserkuppe in the Rhön Mountains.Template:Sfn

After attending school and passing his Abitur (School Leaving Certificate), Dickfeld attended the flight school at Frankfurt (Oder) from 3 September to 23 December 1934, receiving his A-license for motor powered aircraft. He then received the B-license at the flight school in Stolp, present-day Słupsk, after completing a course from 2 January to 28 February 1935.Template:Sfn On 3 March, he continued his training at the flight school in Hagenow, a course with emphasis on aerobatics which he completed in June 1935.Template:Sfn

From 2 July 1935 to 28 February 1937, Dickfeld was based at the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule, a covert military-training organization, under the command of Alfred Keller in Braunschweig. There, he received further training and became an instrument flight instructor. In parallel, Dickfeld participated three times in the Template:Ill, a cross-country flight contest for pilots, and various other aviation contests. He also trained in the military reserve force of the newly emerging Luftwaffe. Dickfeld studied radio technology before officially joining the Luftwaffe on 1 January 1939, where he served in aerial reconnaissance.Template:Sfn

World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. Dickfeld was transferred to II. Gruppe (2nd Group) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) on 28 October 1939 and was promoted to Leutnant der Reserve (second lieutenant of the reserves) on 1 December 1939. He received the Iron Cross 2nd Class () on 13 December and the Iron Cross 1st Class () on 12 January 1940, both during the Phoney War period in protection of Germany's western border.Template:Sfn

In 1940, Dickfeld flew missions during the Battle of France and Britain. He was then posted to a Luftwaffe training battalion as a company commander and on 21 February 1941, he was made a war office candidate. He was the posted to the Stab (headquarters unit) of JG 52. On 15 May, III./JG 52 was moved to Athens and together with other Luftwaffe units, flews its first combat missions in support of the Battle of Crete. During this campaign, Dickfeld flew multiple missions against Greek forces and other Allied forces.Template:Sfn

Eastern Front

Following its brief deployment in the Balkan Campaign, III. Gruppe was ordered to Bucharest by mid-June.Template:Sfn There, the unit was subordinated to the Luftwaffenmission Rumänien (Luftwaffe Mission Romania) and reequipped with the new, more powerful Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 model. On 21 June 1941, the Gruppe was ordered to Mizil in preparation of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Its primary objective was to provide fighter protection for the oil fields and refineries at Ploiești.Template:Sfn The invasion of the Soviet Union began on 22 June. The next day, the Gruppe moved to Mamaia, the northern district of Constanța on the Black Sea coast.Template:Sfn There, Dickfeld claimed his first two aerial victories on 26 June. He was credited with shooting down a Soviet Ilyushin DB-3 bomber and a Tupolev SB bomber in the morning.Template:Sfn

The Gruppe moved to Belaya Tserkov on 1 August during the Battle of Kiev and also used an airfield at Yampil from 6 to 8 August.Template:Sfn In August. Dickfeld increased his number of aerial victories to ten, claiming three Soviet fighters on 4 August, one on 11 August, another on 14 August, and two Polikarpov I-16 fighters on 16 August.Template:Sfn

On 23 October, III. Gruppe moved from Poltava to Chaplynka.Template:Sfn The following day, Dickfeld became an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time when shot down five Soviet Polikarpov I-15 fighter aircraft near Ishun.Template:Sfn

On 19 March 1942, Dickefeld together with fellow JG 52 pilot Feldwebel Edmund Roßmann were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ().Template:Sfn On 29 April, III. Gruppe had relocated to Zürichtal, a small village at the Inhul in the former German settlement west of Feodosia in the Crimea during the Crimean campaign. On 1 May, the Gruppe was subordinated to VIII. Fliegerkorps and was supporting the 11th Army in the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula and the Siege of Sevastopol.Template:Sfn There, Dickfeld claimed eleven aerial victories on 8 May making him a "double-ace-in-a-day", taking his total to 73 aerial victories.Template:Sfn

According to Obermaier, Dickfeld was credited with his 100th aerial victory on 18 May 1942. He was the 8th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.Template:Sfn That day, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (). He was the 94th member of the German armed forces to be so honored. The presentation was made by Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, Hitler's headquarters in Rastenburg on 25 May.Template:Sfn

North Africa

File:Fw 190 A4 Dickfeld.jpg

Fw 190 A-4 of II./JG 2, flown by group commander Dickfeld, Tunisia 1943

In early November 1942, the Western Allies launched Operation Torch, the Anglo–American invasion of French North Africa. On 17 November, II. Gruppe of JG 2 was withdrawn from the English Channel Front and ordered to San Pietro Clarenza, Sicily. At the time, the Gruppe was equipped with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-3, some Fw 190 A-2s, and received the A-4 variant in early December. This made II. Gruppe of JG 2 the only Fw 190 equipped fighter unit in the Mediterranean Theater. The Gruppe flew its first missions on 19 November, securing German air and sea transportation to Tunis. That day, elements of II. Gruppe began relocating to Bizerte Airfield.Template:Sfn On 8 January 1943 during an emergency takeoff, Dickfeld crashed his Fw 190 A-4 (Werknummer 0750—factory number) by running into a bomb crater. The aircraft summersaulted and Dickfeld was injured.Template:Sfn Command of II. Gruppe of JG 2 was briefly passed to Oberleutnant Erich Rudorffer.Template:Sfn

On 15 April, Dickfeld was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11h Fighter Wing), an office he held until May when he transferred command to Hauptmann Günther Specht.Template:Sfn He was transferred to the Reich Air Ministry in December 1943. There, he was appointed Reichs-Inspekteur der Flieger Hitlerjugend (Reich inspector of the Aviation Hitler Youth). He was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) on 1 June 1944 and appointed General für Nachwuchs Luftwaffe (general of procreation/recruitment), a position he held until the end of World War II.Template:Sfn

Dickfeld was officially credited with 136 victories claimed in 1072 combat missions. He also claimed a further 15 enemy aircraft unconfirmed. He claimed about 128 victories over the Eastern Front. He claimed one victory flying the Heinkel He 162 Salamander ("Volksjäger") jet fighter, a P-47 Thunderbolt on 11 April 1945.

Later life

After the war in 1952, Dickfeld initiated the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients.Template:Sfn He then lived in East Africa for many years and founded the safari-airline "Alf Air Safaris" in Dar es Salaam, flying tourists to the various African landmarks and points of interest. Dickfeld, who also published a number of books, died on 17 May 2009 in Dreieich, Germany.Template:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Dickfeld was credited with 136 aerial victories.Template:Sfn Spick also lists him with 136 aerial victories, 115 on the Eastern Front and 18 in North Africa and the Western Front, including 11 four engine bombers.Template:Sfn Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 132 aerial victory claims, plus five further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 128 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and four Western Front, including two four-engine bombers.Template:Sfn

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 0512". The Luftwaffe grid map () covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.Template:Sfn

Chronicle of aerial victories
This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Dickfeld an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.   This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Dickfeld did not receive credit.   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
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
1	26 June 1941	04:30	DB-3	vicinity of ConstanțaTemplate:Sfn	17♠	24 October 1941	12:42	I-15Template:Sfn	vicinity of Ishun
2	26 June 1941	05:25	SB-2	vicinity of ConstanțaTemplate:Sfn	18♠	24 October 1941	12:43	I-15	south of IshunTemplate:Sfn
3	21 July 1941	15:15	SB-2	Danube estuary near SulinaTemplate:Sfn	19♠	24 October 1941	12:44	I-15Template:Sfn	vicinity of Ishun
4	4 August 1941	14:28	I-153Template:Sfn	Sulina	20♠	24 October 1941	12:46	I-15Template:Sfn	vicinity of Ishun
5	4 August 1941	14:37	I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn		21	25 October 1941	15:20	Pe-2Template:Sfn	south of Cape Takyl
6	4 August 1941	19:03	I-16Template:Sfn		22	25 October 1941	15:24	I-61 (MiG-3)	south of Cape TakylTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Ishun
7	11 August 1941	12:23	I-16Template:Sfn		23	25 October 1941	15:26	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn	south of Cape Takyl
8	14 August 1941	10:42	I-16Template:Sfn		—	30 October 1941	—	Yak-1
9	16 August 1941	08:58?Template:Refn	I-16	southeast of KievTemplate:Sfn	24	31 October 1941	15:20	I-61 (MiG-3)	northeast of SevastopolTemplate:Sfn
10	16 August 1941	08:59?Template:Refn	I-16	southeast of KievTemplate:Sfn	25	22 November 1941	14:27	I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn
11	5 October 1941	15:03	I-153Template:Sfn		26	23 November 1941	10:17	I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn
12	5 October 1941	15:09	I-153Template:Sfn		27	28 November 1941	10:29	I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn
13	17 October 1941	07:18	I-26?Template:SfnTemplate:Refn		28	28 November 1941	10:35	I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn
14	17 October 1941	07:23	I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn		29	28 November 1941	12:50	I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn
15	17 October 1941	07:31	R-10 (Seversky)Template:Sfn		30	3 December 1941	08:01	I-16Template:Sfn
16♠	24 October 1941	12:40	I-15Template:Sfn	vicinity of Ishun	31	3 December 1941	08:01	I-16Template:Sfn
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 28 April 1942
32	6 December 1941	08:18	I-16Template:Sfn		41	17 February 1942	08:01	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
33	6 December 1941	08:20	I-16Template:Sfn		42	17 February 1942	08:03	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
34	6 December 1941	13:50	I-16Template:Sfn		43	17 February 1942	08:04	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
35	6 December 1941	13:52	I-16Template:Sfn		44	17 February 1942	10:31	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
36	7 December 1941	08:20	I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn		45	17 February 1942	10:34	I-16Template:Sfn
37	9 December 1941	08:55	I-16Template:Sfn		46	19 February 1942	08:24	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
38	9 December 1941	08:59	I-16Template:Sfn		47	19 February 1942	08:29	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
39	11 December 1941	10:45	I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn		48	23 February 1942	11:40	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
40	16 February 1942	15:01	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn		49	23 February 1942	11:53	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 28 April 1942
50	17 March 1942	—	I-16Template:Sfn		53	22 March 1942	—	I-16Template:Sfn
51	17 March 1942	—	I-16Template:Sfn		54	27 March 1942	10:31	R-5	Werchow-RoganskijTemplate:Sfn
—	17 March 1942	—	I-16Template:Sfn		55	27 March 1942	—	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
52	18 March 1942	—	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 29 April 1942 – 3 February 1943
56	29 April 1942	—	Yak-1Template:Sfn		66♠	8 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn
57	30 April 1942	—	I-153Template:Sfn		67♠	8 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn
58	30 April 1942	—	I-16Template:Sfn		68♠	8 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn
59	1 May 1942	—	I-16Template:Sfn		69♠	8 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn
60	2 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn		70♠	8 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn
61	5 May 1942	—	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn		71♠	8 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn
62	5 May 1942	—	I-16Template:Sfn		72♠	8 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn
63♠	8 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn		73♠	8 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn
64♠	8 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn		74	9 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn
65♠	8 May 1942	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 29 April 1942 – 3 February 1943
75	12 May 1942	14:45	I-153Template:Sfn		86♠	14 May 1942	12:11	MiG-1Template:Sfn
76♠	13 May 1942	10:15	I-16Template:Sfn		87♠	14 May 1942	12:12	MiG-1Template:Sfn
77♠	13 May 1942	10:31	MiG-1	east of Werch. StorganskijTemplate:Sfn	88♠	14 May 1942	16:10	Yak-1Template:Sfn
78♠	13 May 1942	10:32	MiG-1Template:Sfn		89♠	14 May 1942	16:44	Yak-1Template:Sfn
79♠	13 May 1942	10:33	MiG-1Template:Sfn		—	14 May 1942	—	MiG-1Template:Sfn
80♠	13 May 1942	13:15	MiG-1Template:Sfn		90	21 May 1942	18:35	MiG-1Template:Sfn
81♠	13 May 1942	13:18	MiG-1Template:Sfn		91	23 May 1942	10:20	MiG-1Template:Sfn
82♠	14 May 1942	09:36	MiG-1	east of Stary SaltovTemplate:Sfn	92	26 May 1942	17:25	LaGG-3Template:Sfn
83♠	14 May 1942	09:41	MiG-1Template:Sfn		93	26 May 1942	17:27	LaGG-3Template:Sfn
84♠	14 May 1942	09:45	MiG-1Template:Sfn		94	27 May 1942	19:15	Su-2 (Seversky)Template:Sfn
85♠	14 May 1942	12:09	MiG-1Template:Sfn
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 29 April 1942 – 3 February 1943
95	5 August 1942	16:30?Template:Refn	MiG-1	PQ 0512Template:Sfn	112	23 August 1942	07:42	LaGG-3	PQ 44411Template:Sfn
96	6 August 1942	15:22	LaGG-3	PQ 0516Template:Sfn	113	23 August 1942	07:44	Boston	PQ 44411Template:Sfn
97	6 August 1942	15:40	I-153	PQ 0527Template:Sfn	114	28 August 1942	08:45	LaGG-3	PQ 44464Template:Sfn south of Modok
98	13 August 1942	18:23	Boston	PQ 44351Template:Sfn	115	28 August 1942	10:35	Boston	PQ 54322Template:Sfn
99	14 August 1942	09:50	Boston	PQ 3425Template:Sfn	116	30 August 1942	08:15	LaGG-3	PQ 54532Template:Sfn vicinity of Jelenskiy
100	14 August 1942	10:22	Boston	PQ 3441Template:Sfn	117	30 August 1942	08:31	LaGG-3	PQ 54882Template:Sfn Maken Jurt
101	16 August 1942	15:40	LaGG-3	PQ 34492Template:Sfn	118	30 August 1942	11:26	LaGG-3	PQ 54544, ArlenbokoskijTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Jelenskiy
102	16 August 1942	15:46	Il-2	PQ 34494Template:Sfn	119	30 August 1942	11:27	LaGG-3	PQ 54544, ArlenbokoskijTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Jelenskiy
103	17 August 1942	07:48	LaGG-3	PQ 44381Template:Sfn	120	2 September 1942	12:58	Su-2 (Seversky)	PQ 44442, south of MozdokTemplate:Sfn
104	17 August 1942	07:49	LaGG-3	PQ 44383Template:Sfn	121	2 September 1942	13:03	Su-2 (Seversky)	PQ 44472Template:Sfn south of Mozdok
105	18 August 1942	13:18	LaGG-3	PQ 34644Template:Sfn southeast of Naltschik	122	4 September 1942	15:25	Boston	PQ 44372Template:Sfn south of Mozdok
106	18 August 1942	13:20	LaGG-3	PQ 34662Template:Sfn southeast of Naltschik	123	4 September 1942	16:43	LaGG-3	PQ 44452Template:Sfn south of Mozdok
107	18 August 1942	13:25	I-153	PQ 34484Template:Sfn	124	5 September 1942	11:10	Boston	northeast of MozdokTemplate:Sfn
108	19 August 1942	08:18	LaGG-3	PQ 44541Template:Sfn southwest of Daiskoje	125	5 September 1942	11:12	LaGG-3	northeast of MozdokTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Wosnessnokaja
109	19 August 1942	14:18	I-153	PQ 34433, west of AltudTemplate:Sfn	126	10 September 1942	16:05	Il-2	PQ 44423Template:Sfn Mozdok region
110	19 August 1942	14:30	LaGG-3	PQ 34452Template:Sfn	127	10 September 1942	16:06	LaGG-3	south of MalgobekTemplate:Sfn
111	19 August 1942	14:40	LaGG-3?Template:Refn	PQ 34621Template:Sfn	128	17 September 1942	06:26	LaGG-3	PQ 54392Template:Sfn Maken Jurt
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 –Template:Sfn Mediterranean Theater — 17 November – 31 December 1942
—	30 November 1942	09:30~	Bisley	vicinity of Bizerte	130	3 December 1942	11:47	P-38	west BizerteTemplate:Sfn
129	1 December 1942	15:35	Spitfire	north of TebourbaTemplate:Sfn
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 –Template:Sfn On the Western Front — 17 April – May 1943
131	17 April 1943	13:08	B-17	PQ 05 Ost S/84/6/1, near StotelTemplate:Sfn	132	15 May 1943	10:50	B-17Template:Sfn	PQ 05 Ost 75/7/3Template:Sfn
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader "Hitler Jugend" –Template:Sfn
—	21 April 1945	—	P-47	vicinity of Goslar

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (13 December 1939)Template:Sfn
  • 1st Class (12 January 1940)Template:Sfn
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 15 December 1941 as Leutnant and pilotTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
• German Cross in Gold on 22 January 1942 as Leutnant of the Reserves in the 7./Jagdgeschwader 52Template:Sfn
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 19 March 1942 as Leutnant (war officer) and pilot in the 7./Jagdgeschwader 52Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
  • 94th Oak Leaves on 19 May 1942 as Leutnant (war officer) and pilot in the 7./Jagdgeschwader 52Template:SfnTemplate:Refn
• Royal Bulgarian Merit medal in Gold