Ernst Düllberg

Ernst Düllberg (28 March 1913 – 27 July 1984) was a former German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Ernst Düllberg was credited with 45 victories in 650 combat missions, 36 over Western Front and 9 victories over the Eastern Front.

Career

Düllberg was born on 28 March 1913 in Unna, at the time in the Province of Westphalia within the German Empire.Template:Sfn In mid-1936, he joined the military service of the Luftwaffe. In November 1937, Düllberg attended the flight school in Celle.Template:SfnTemplate:Refn In August 1939, he was posted to the 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Merseburg, a supplementary training unit stationed at Merseburg, where newly trained fighter pilots received instruction from pilots with combat experience. There, Düllberg served as an instructor. In July 1940, he was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) where he was assigned to 8. Staffel.Template:Sfn On 1 August, Düllberg shot down the Bristol Blenheim bomber R2774 from the Royal Air Force (RAF) No. 236 Squadron.Template:Sfn

Battle of Britain and squadron leader

On 5 August 1940, II. Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 27 was ordered to an airfield at Crépon, France for combat in the Battle of Britain. During this battle, JG 27 was subordinated to the VIII. Fliegerkorps (8th Air Corps). On 8 August, the Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) Hauptmann Werner Andres was shot down. Although rescued, his injuries prevented him from leading the Gruppe. In consequence, Düllberg was briefly put in command until Hauptmann Wolfgang Lippert officially assumed command on 4 September.Template:Sfn In parallel, Düllberg was also appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel of JG 27. He replaced Hauptmann Albrecht von Ankum-Frank who had been killed in a crash landing on 2 August.Template:Sfn On 18 August, also known as the Hardest Day, Düllberg led the Gruppe on a Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber escort mission to Thorney Island. Near the Isle of Wight, the flight was intercepted by two squadrons of Hawker Hurricane fighters, shortly after Supermarine Spitfire engaged too. During this encounter, I. Gruppe of Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (StG 77—77th Dive Bomber Wing) suffered heavy losses while Düllberg claimed one of the Hurricanes shot down.Template:Sfn

North African Campaign

Following the withdrawal from the Eastern Front, II. Gruppe arrived at Döberitz, located approximately west of Staaken, on 24 July. Here, the Gruppe was equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 and prepared for combat in the North African campaign. On 24 September, 5. Staffel under command of Düllberg began the relocation, arriving at Ayn al-Ġazāla on 1 October.Template:Sfn Düllberg claimed his first aerial victory in North Africa on 5 October. That day, 5. Staffel deployed to a makeshift airfield near Gambut, flying multiple missions from Gambut before returning to Ayn al-Ġazāla that evening. At 09:20, Düllberg led a flight of three Bf 109s on a combat air patrol to Sidi Omar where they engaged in aerial combat with four Hurricanes. During this melee, Düllberg claimed one of two Hurricane fighters shot down.Template:Sfn The Hurricanes belonged to the RAF No. 33 Squadron. Both pilots were captured and taken prisoner of war.Template:Sfn On 22 October, Düllberg shot down the Curtiss P-40 Tomahawk AN230 from the South African Air Force (SAAF) 2 Squadron. The pilot, Lieutenant Denis Hubert Byrne Sturman was killed in action.Template:Sfn In preparation for Operation Crusader, Allied air operations targeted the Axis supply lines into North Africa and the airfields in the Cyrenaica. On 12 November, 5. Staffel engaged in aerial combat with P-40s in the area between Sollum and Bardia, claiming three aerial victories, one of which by Düllberg.Template:Sfn Allied units lost five aircraft that day, a P-40 belonging to the SAAF 4 Squadron, a Hurricane of the SAAF 40 Squadron, two Hurricanes of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) No. 451 Squadron, and a Hurricane from the No. 2 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit.Template:Sfn

On 22 November 1941, Düllberg was wounded in aerial combat south of Sidi Rezegh resulting in a forced landing in his Bf 109 F-4 trop (Werknummer 8466—factory number).Template:Sfn After the war it was established that Düllberg's aircraft was hit by Alan Rawlinson.Template:Sfn His Bf 109 was hit in the cockpit. Although severely injured, Düllberg flew his damaged aircraft back to the airfield at Ayn al-Ġazāla. He was immediately flown to Athens on a Junkers Ju 52. He was then sent on home-leave for further treatment and a period of convalescence. Düllberg returned to his unit in early February 1942.Template:Sfn

Adjutant and group commander

On 20 May 1942, Düllberg was succeeded by Oberleutnant Ernst Börngen as commander of 5. Staffel of JG 27.Template:Sfn Düllberg was then transffered and made Geschwaderadjutant, the adjutant to the wing commander of JG 27 on 26 May. He held this position until 16 October 1942.Template:Sfn On 11 October, Düllberg was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III. Gruppe of JG 27. He succeeded Hauptmann Erhard Braune who was transferred.Template:Sfn

Wing commander

On 30 September 1944, Düllberg was appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of Jagdgeschwader 76 (JG 76—76th Fighter Wing). Command of III. Gruppe of JG 27 was then temporarily transferred to Oberleutnant Franz Stigler.Template:Sfn Command of JG 76 was transferred from Major Anton Hackl on 7 October. In mid-October, JG 76 was transferred from Freiburg to the southeastern sector of the Eastern Front and placed under the command of Luftflotte 4 (Air Fleet 4).Template:Sfn

Later life

Düllberg died on 27 July 1984 at the age of in Essen, West Germany.Template:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Düllberg was credited with 45 aerial victories claimed in approximately 650 combat missions. This figure includes nine aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 36 over the Western Allies, including ten four-engined bombers.Template:Sfn Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and states that he was credited 43 aerial victory claims, plus four further unconfirmed claims. This figure includes nine aerial victories on the Eastern Front and another 34 on the Western Front, including nine four-engined bombers.Template:Sfn

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 94 Ost N/AU". 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 – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Düllberg 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	Unit	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Unit
– Claims with III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 – On the Channel Front – 26 June – August 1940
1?Template:Refn	1 August 1940	16:45	Blenheim	vicinity of CherbourgTemplate:Sfn	8./JG 27
– Claims with II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 –Template:Sfn On the Channel Front – August – 10 November 1940
2	18 August 1940	15:27	Hurricane	Selsey BillTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27	5	30 September 1940	17:50	Hurricane	LondonTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27
3	30 August 1940	12:15	Spitfire	AshfordTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27	6	7 October 1940	14:45	Hurricane	LondonTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27
—	6 September 1940	—	SpitfireTemplate:Sfn		5./JG 27	—	28 October 1940	—	SpitfireTemplate:Sfn		5./JG 27
4	27 September 1940	10:17	Hurricane	Biggin HillTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27
– Claims with II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 –Template:Sfn Operation Barbarossa – 22 June – 19 July 1941
7	25 June 1941	12:31	DB-3	southwest of VilniusTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27
– Claims with II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 –Template:Sfn In North Africa — September 1941 – 20 May 1942
8	5 October 1941	09:40	Hurricane	north of Sidi OmarTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27	12	12 February 1942	13:25	Hurricane	north of TobrukTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27
9	22 October 1941	12:00	P-40	east of Sidi OmarTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27	— ?Template:Refn	27 March 1942	—	P-40		5./JG 27
10	12 November 1941	15:44	P-40	east-northeast of BardiaTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27	13	11 April 1942	10:54	P-40	east-southeast of Sidi-el-MansurTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27
11	9 February 1942	09:58	P-40	southeast of MartubaTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27	14	20 April 1942	11:55	P-40	south of GambutTemplate:Sfn	5./JG 27
– Claims with the Stab of Jagdgeschwader 27 – In North Africa — 26 May – 16 October 1942
15	13 July 1942	18:48	Hurricane	southwest of El AlameinTemplate:Sfn	Stab/JG 27
– Claims with III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 – In North Africa — 16 October – November 1942
16	20 October 1942	09:25	P-46	east of El DabaaTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27	17	25 October 1942	08:40	P-46	northwest of El AlameinTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27
– Claims with III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 – Mediterranean theater — February – December 1943
18	28 September 1943	16:08	Spitfire	south of KardamainaTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27	23	6 December 1943	12:55	B-17	west of MilosTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27
19	30 September 1943	14:40	Walrus	Strait of LerosTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27	24	13 December 1943	08:18	Baltimore	south of GeorgiosTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27
20	5 October 1943	12:55	B-24	west of LidorikiTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27	25	14 December 1943	10:55	B-17	east of TatoiTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27
21	14 November 1943	13:35	Beaufighter	northeast of LerosTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27	26	20 December 1943	12:39	B-17	EleusisTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27
22	16 November 1943	12:30	Beaufighter	east of LevithaTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27	27	20 December 1943	12:50	B-17	north-northwest of MegaraTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27
– Claims with III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 – Defense of the Reich — 1 March – 6 June 1944
28	2 April 1944	10:34	B-24	southwest of WolfsbergTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27	31	24 May 1944	10:15	B-24	north of Bruck an der MurTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27
29	23 April 1944	13:40	B-24	west of VeszprémTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27	32	29 May 1944	09:50	B-24	southeast of MarkersdorfTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27
30	12 May 1944	12:35	B-17	northeast of FrankfurtTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27
– Claims with III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 – In defense of the Normandy Invasion — 6 June – 30 September 1944
33	10 June 1944	14:30	P-47	northeast of LisieuxTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27	35	17 August 1944	19:07	Typhoon	PQ 94 Ost N/AU, vicinity of FlersTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27
34	6 July 1944	06:25	P-47	northeast of LisieuxTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27	36	18 August 1944	19:25	P-51	west of LaignevilleTemplate:Sfn	Stab III./JG 27
– Claims with the Stab of Jagdgeschwader 76 – Eastern Front — November 1944 – May 1945
37	4 November 1944	14:45	Yak-9Template:Sfn		Stab JG 76
According to Mathews and Foreman, his last seven aerial victories claimed on the Eastern Front were not documented.Template:Sfn

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st ClassTemplate:Sfn
• German Cross in Gold on 16 January 1944 as Major in the III./Jagdgeschwader 27Template:Sfn
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 27Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn