Heinrich Sturm

Heinrich Sturm (12 June 1920 – 22 December 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 158 enemy aircraft shot down in an unknown number of combat missions. All of his aerial victories were claimed over the Eastern Front. He was "ace-in-a-day" four times, shooting down five or more aircraft on a single day.

Born in Dieburg, Sturm joined the military service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany and was trained as a fighter pilot. He was then posted to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) in the summer 1941. JG 52 was based on the central sector of the Eastern Front, where he claimed his first aerial victory on 16 October 1941. In September 1943, he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of JG 52. Sturm was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 March 1944 and severely wounded by bomb shrapnel on 16 April. Following his convalescence, he returned to JG 52, taking command of 5. Staffel. Sturm was killed in a takeoff accident on 22 December 1944 in Csór, Hungary.

Career

Sturm was born on 12 June 1920 in Dieburg in the Province of Hesse-Nassau as part of the Weimar Republic.Template:Sfn Following fighter pilot training,Template:Refn he was posted to 6. Staffel (6th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd fighter wing) with the rank of Feldwebel (Sergeant) in the summer of 1941.Template:Sfn At the time, JG 52 was based on the Eastern Front, supporting Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. His commanding officer in 6. Staffel was Oberleutnant Rudolf Resch, a squadron subordinated to II. Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 52 headed by Hauptmann Erich Woitke.Template:Sfn

On 2 October, German forces launched Operation Typhoon, the failed strategic offensive to capture Moscow. In support of this offensive, the Gruppe had moved to an airfield west of Kalinin, present-day Tver, on 16 October.Template:Sfn Two days later, Sturm claimed his first three aerial victory when he shot down a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber.Template:Sfn Sturm then returned to Germany, where he served as an instructor at a fighter pilot school and attended the Kriegsschule.Template:Sfn

Eastern Front

Following his return to the Eastern Front, he was assigned to the Gruppenstab (headquarters unit) II. Gruppe of JG 52. On 1 January 1943, he was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant).Template:Sfn Sturm claimed his first aerial victory with the Gruppenstab, and tenth in total, on 13 February when he shot down a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter south of Novorossiysk.Template:Sfn At the time, II. Gruppe was based at Slavyansk-na-Kubani and fighting over the Kuban bridgehead following the German defeat in the Battle of Stalingrad.Template:Sfn The commanding officer of II. Gruppe was Hauptmann Johannes Steinhoff.Template:Sfn On 13 March, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Anapa where it remained until 5 July. On 24 March, Steinhoff left the Gruppe and was replaced by Hauptmann Helmut Kühle.Template:Sfn

Sturm claimed three LaGG-3 fighters shot down on 15 April near Abinskaya, taking his total to 22 aerial victories.Template:Sfn Five days later he became an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time, bringing his total to 30. That day, he shot down a Lavochkin La-5 fighter on mission before noon, and three Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft and a further La-5 fighter near Gelendzhik in the afternoon.Template:Sfn He reached his 40th aerial victory on 6 June when he shot down two La-5 fighters.Template:Sfn On 23 July, Sturm was awarded the German Cross in Gold ().Template:Sfn

Squadron leader and death

File:II-JG52-ins.svg

II./JG 52 insignia

On 1 August 1943, Sturm was appointed acting Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of JG 52. He replaced Leutnant Helmut Lipfert in this capacity who was transferred to the 6. Staffel (4th squadron) of JG 52. Sturm later officially became the Staffelkapitän of 4. Staffel on 1 September, succeeding Hauptmann Gerhard Barkhorn who was given command of II. Gruppe.Template:Sfn That day, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Karlivka where they fought in the aftermath of the Belgorod–Kharkov offensive operation, also referred to as the fourth Battle of Kharkov.Template:Sfn Here, Sturm claimed his first aerial victory as Staffelkapitän when he shot down a La-5 fighter.Template:Sfn In November, the Red Army launched the Kerch–Eltigen operation leading to the Crimean offensive in early 1944. On 2 November, II. Gruppe was moved to Baherove where elements of the Gruppe remained until 19 March 1944.Template:Sfn On 5 November, Sturm again became an "ace-in-a-day" when he shot down an Il-2 ground attack aircraft and five Yakovlev Yak-1 fighters over the Soviet bridge heads. The following day, he claimed six further victories, five Yak-1 fighters and a Bell P-39 Airacobra, making him yet again an "ace-in-a-day".Template:Sfn

On 13 December, Sturm claimed his last aerial victory of 1943 when he shot down a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter east of Eltingen, present-day part of Kerch.Template:Sfn On 28 February 1944, 4. and 5. Staffel was ordered to Grammatikowo located near Sovietskyi.Template:Sfn Sturm was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () on 26 March 1944. On 8 April, Sturm claimed eight aerial victories, including 100th in total, his last "ace-in-a-day" achievement.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn He was the 66th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.Template:Sfn A few weeks later on 16 April, he was wounded badly by bomb debris in an attack on the airfield at Chersonesus at Sevastopol on the Crimea.Template:Sfn In consequence, command of 4. Staffel was passed on to Leutnant Hans Waldmann.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

In August 1944, he returned to JG 52 and took over command of 5. Staffel (5th squadron) on 1 September.Template:Sfn He replaced Otto Fönnekold, who was killed in action on 31 August.Template:Sfn On 22 December 1944, he claimed his last two aerial victories. Taking off for another sortie from Csór that day, one of his Bf 109 G-6/U4 (Werknummer 442036—factory number) aircraft's landing gear struts hit a truck, killing him in the accident.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The following day, command of 5. Staffel was given to Leutnant Peter Düttmann.Template:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Sturm was credited with 158 aerial victories.Template:Sfn Spick lists Sturm with 157 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions, all of them on the Eastern Front.Template:Sfn Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that he is attributed with 158 aerial victories, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front. The archives revealed records for 123 of these claims. However, there are 52 additional claims attributed to II. Gruppe of JG 52 in the timeframe November to December 1944 that have no names associated to them. The authors assume that many of these claims belong to Sturm.Template:Sfn According to Prien, Stemmer, Balke, and Bock, it is currently impossible to verify the exact number of aerial victories claimed by Sturm. According to the authors, the number could be closer to 124.Template:Sfn The authors Daniel and Gabor Horvath compared Soviet enemy loss reports to Sturm's claims over Hungary. In the timeframe 18 October to 22 December 1944, Sturm claimed 13 aerial victories, while the authors found eight matching Soviet losses, a corroboration of 62%.Template:Sfn

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 19424". 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 Sturm 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 ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Barbas, Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Operation Barbarossa — June – December 1941
1	18 October 1941	13:27	Pe-2Template:Sfn
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 7 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
2	28 May 1942	18:35	Il-2Template:Sfn		6	8 December 1942	08:21	Boston	PQ 19424Template:Sfn
3	30 June 1942	09:22	LaGG-3Template:Sfn		7	8 December 1942	17:15?Template:Refn	Il-2	PQ 29652Template:Sfn
4	28 August 1942	I-180 (Yak-7)	11:12	PQ 49172Template:Sfn east of Pitomnik	8	17 December 1942	07:47	LaGG-3	PQ 49772Template:Sfn east of Aksal
5	30 October 1942	09:23	Yak-1	PQ 95823Template:Sfn northeast of Lazarevskoye	9	17 December 1942	13:20?Template:Refn	Il-2	PQ 3976Template:Sfn
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 4 February – 1 August 1943
10	13 February 1943	15:17	LaGG-3	south of NovorossiyskTemplate:Sfn	26♠	20 April 1943	11:10	La-5	PQ 34 Ost 75461, south of DatschoTemplate:Sfn southwest of Kabardinka
11	23 February 1943	06:38	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 75211Template:Sfn southeast of Gostagajewskaja	27♠	20 April 1943	16:10	LaGG-3?Template:Refn	PQ 34 Ost 75462Template:Sfn Black Sea, west of Gelendzhik
12	23 February 1943	06:42	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 7525Template:Sfn	28♠	20 April 1943	16:13	Il-2 m.H.Template:Refn	PQ 34 Ost 75464, west of GelendzhikTemplate:Sfn Black Sea, south of Kabardinka
13	5 March 1943	09:17	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 8656, FlamanskajaTemplate:Sfn	29♠	20 April 1943	16:14	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 85371Template:Sfn vicinity of Gelendzhik
14	5 March 1943	09:21	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 8662Template:Sfn	30♠	20 April 1943	16:19?Template:Refn	La-5	PQ 34 Ost 75462, over of KabardinkaTemplate:Sfn
15	10 March 1943	14:10	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 8515Template:Sfn north of Novocherkassk	31	21 April 1943	11:02	MiG-3	PQ 34 Ost 75462Template:Sfn
16	10 March 1943	14:15	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 8516Template:Sfn north of Novocherkassk	32	21 April 1943	11:20	MiG-3	PQ 34 Ost 75464Template:Sfn Black Sea, south of Kabardinka
17	12 March 1943	11:25	U-2	PQ 34 Ost 85234Template:Sfn vicinity of Cholmskaja	33	23 April 1943	07:20	Pe-2	PQ 34 Ost 85561Template:Sfn Black Sea, south of Gelendzhik
18	22 March 1943	13:45	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 86393Template:Sfn south of Nowo-Nikplajewskaja	34	9 May 1943	16:28	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 75264, south of KrymskajaTemplate:Sfn east of Nowo-Bakanskoja
19	22 March 1943	13:55	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 86454Template:Sfn south of Dneprowskaja	35	30 May 1943	07:46	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 75352Template:Sfn Black Sea, south of Anapa
20	15 April 1943	12:05	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85142, northwest of AbinskayaTemplate:Sfn southeast of Krymsk	36	31 May 1943	17:39	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 76894, east of KijewskojeTemplate:Sfn
21	15 April 1943	15:17	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85181Template:Sfn northeast of Usun	37	3 June 1943	17:47	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 76893, southeast of KijewskojeTemplate:Sfn south of Bakanskij
22	15 April 1943	15:20?Template:Refn	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85184Template:Sfn southeast of Tscherkassowski	38	3 June 1943	18:09?Template:Refn	La-5	PQ 34 Ost 76773, southwestern edge of KijewskojeTemplate:Sfn northeast of Krymsk
23	16 April 1943	16:13	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 85273Template:Sfn vicinity of Dneprowskaja	39	3 June 1943	18:11	La-5	PQ 34 Ost 75232, southeast of KijewskojeTemplate:Sfn north of Krymsk
24	17 April 1943	11:05	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 86452Template:Sfn south of Novorossiysk	40	6 June 1943	07:36	La-5	PQ 34 Ost 76894, east of KijewskojeTemplate:Sfn
25	17 April 1943	11:10	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85371, southwest of GelendzhikTemplate:Sfn	41	6 June 1943	07:37	Il-2 m.H. ?Template:Refn	PQ 34 Ost 76894, east of KijewskojeTemplate:Sfn
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — September – 31 December 1943
42?Template:Refn	1 September 1943	13:32	Yak-1	PQ 35 Ost 41812Template:Sfn north of Busk	63♠	5 November 1943	07:22	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 66731, south of EltigenTemplate:Sfn
43	1 September 1943	16:36	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 60322Template:Sfn southeast of Merefa	64♠	5 November 1943	07:30	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 66732Template:Sfn vicinity of Tobetschik
44	5 September 1943	08:01	Yak-1	PQ 35 Ost 51874Template:Sfn south of Bohodukhiv	65♠	5 November 1943	11:47	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 66671, east of KerchTemplate:Sfn
45	5 September 1943	08:02	Yak-1	PQ 35 Ost 51873Template:Sfn south of Bohodukhiv	66♠	5 November 1943	12:07	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 66672Template:Sfn east of Kerch
46	6 September 1943	06:20	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 41483Template:Sfn south-westsouth of Lebedin	67♠	5 November 1943	15:00	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 66641, northwest of BakssyTemplate:Sfn east of Bulganak
47	6 September 1943	15:20	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 60184Template:Sfn east of Merefa	68♠	6 November 1943	07:35	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 66564Template:Sfn vicinity of Kerch
48	7 September 1943	05:45	Yak-1	PQ 35 Ost 60334Template:Sfn east of Taranovka	69♠	6 November 1943	07:45	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 66732, east of EltigenTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Tobetschik
49	2 October 1943	17:07	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 58683Template:Sfn north of Bolschoj Tokmak	70♠	6 November 1943	11:05	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 66841Template:Sfn Kerch Strait, southwest of Tamanj
50	13 October 1943	15:41	Yak-1	PQ 35 Ost 10154Template:Sfn south of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi	71♠	6 November 1943	11:45	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 66813Template:Sfn Kerch Strait, vicinity of Kap Tusla
51	13 October 1943	15:42	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 10161Template:Sfn southeast of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi	72♠	6 November 1943	11:47	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 66813Template:Sfn Kerch Strait, vicinity of Kap Tusla
52	13 October 1943	15:45	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 10133Template:Sfn southeast of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi	73♠	6 November 1943	15:10	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 6653Template:Sfn
53	15 October 1943	05:49	Yak-1	PQ 35 Ost 10131, south of TraktomirowTemplate:Sfn southeast of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi	74	30 November 1943	12:03	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 66732, east of EltigenTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Tobetschik
54	15 October 1943	15:17	Yak-1	PQ 35 Ost 10124Template:Sfn south of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi	75	30 November 1943	12:07	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 66592Template:Sfn south of Kerch
55	22 October 1943	15:09	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 39321Template:Sfn east of Alexandrija	76	2 December 1943	07:19	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 6673, south of EltigenTemplate:Sfn
56	22 October 1943	15:14	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 39324Template:Sfn east of Alexandrija	77	2 December 1943	07:25	Il-2	southeast of TobetschikTemplate:Sfn
57	26 October 1943	07:35	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 57142Template:Sfn west of Melitopol	78	2 December 1943	07:29	Il-2	southeast of OrtmaetiTemplate:Sfn
58	29 October 1943	11:07	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 47182Template:Sfn northwest of Ivanovka	79	5 December 1943	07:43	Yak-9	south of Kossa TuslaTemplate:Sfn
59	2 November 1943	13:30	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 66813Template:Sfn Kerch Strait, vicinity of Kap Tusla	80	9 December 1943	11:15	Il-2	southeast of Kossa TuslaTemplate:Sfn
60	4 November 1943	09:07	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 66641, northwest of BakssyTemplate:Sfn east of Bulganak	81	11 December 1943	11:40	P-39	east of Kamysch-BurunTemplate:Sfn
61	4 November 1943	14:17	Yak-1	PQ 34 Ost 6653Template:Sfn	82	13 December 1943	09:46	P-40	east of EltigenTemplate:Sfn
62♠	5 November 1943	07:15	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 66813Template:Sfn Kerch Strait, vicinity of Kap Tusla
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 1 January – April 1944
83	12 January 1944	06:55	Boston	Adshim-UschkaiTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Kap Tarchan	95	7 April 1944	17:12?Template:Refn	Yak-1	PQ 55242Template:Sfn
84	12 January 1944	06:57	P-39	PQ 66533Template:Sfn vicinity of Bagerowo	96♠	8 April 1944	11:25	Il-2	PQ 37891Template:Sfn southeast of Perekop
85	12 January 1944	08:40	P-39	PQ 6563Template:Sfn vicinity of Grammatikowo	97♠	8 April 1944	11:27	Yak-1	vicinity of An-NajmanTemplate:Sfn
86	12 January 1944	11:30	P-39	PQ 66561Template:Sfn vicinity of Malyj	98♠	8 April 1944	13:35	Yak-1	PQ 37814Template:Sfn northwest of Perekop
87	7 February 1944	06:18	Yak-1	Cape KhroniTemplate:Sfn	99♠	8 April 1944	13:40	Il-2	vicinity of An-NajmanTemplate:Sfn
88?Template:Refn	8 February 1944	10:08	Yak-9	east of Bulganek	100♠	8 April 1944	15:45	Yak-7	PQ 37894Template:Sfn southeast of Perekop
89	10 February 1944	15:12?Template:Refn	Yak-9	vicinity of BulganekTemplate:Sfn east of Bulganek	101♠	8 April 1944	17:31	P-39	PQ 46114Template:Sfn east of Tomoschewka
90	15 February 1944	06:08	P-39	PQ 66671Template:Sfn east of Kerch	102♠	8 April 1944	17:44	Yak-1	vicinity of An-NajmanTemplate:Sfn
91	14 March 1944	15:35	Yak-7	PQ 47751Template:Sfn south of Dornburg	103♠	8 April 1944	17:47	Yak-1	PQ 36232Template:Sfn southeast of Perekop
92	26 March 1944	16:00?Template:Refn	Yak-1	PQ 47843Template:Sfn south of Genitschek	104	10 April 1944	08:16	Yak-7	TomaschewkaTemplate:Sfn
93	6 April 1944	13:39	Yak-1	PQ 47771Template:Sfn south of Gromovka	105	13 April 1944	08:22	Yak-7	vicinity of SevastopolTemplate:Sfn east of Sevastopol
94	7 April 1944	17:10?Template:Refn	Il-2	PQ 55132Template:Sfn vicinity of Feodosia	106	13 April 1944	13:30	Yak-7	vicinity of An-NajmanTemplate:Sfn
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — September 1944
107	24 September 1944	09:22	Ju 87	PQ 37445Template:Sfn west-northwest of Turda	109	24 September 1944	11:45	La-5	PQ 37318Template:Sfn east-southeast of Klausenburg
108	24 September 1944	11:40	Il-2	PQ 37453Template:Sfn north of Turda	110	25 September 1944	13:37	Hs 129	PQ 37487Template:Sfn vicinity of Turda
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — October – December 1944
111	18 October 1944	15:29	Yak-7	PQ 18617Template:Sfn north of Miki Peres	118	31 October 1944	15:28	Il-2	PQ 97243Template:Sfn west of Kecskemét
112	20 October 1944	07:59	La-5	PQ 08841Template:Sfn east of Szolnok	119	2 November 1944	11:35	Yak-9	PQ 98811Template:Sfn north-northwest of Nagykőrös
113	29 October 1944	14:35	La-5	PQ 08735Template:Sfn northeast of Szolnok	120	23 November 1944	11:21	Il-2	PQ 98454Template:Sfn southwest of Gyöngyös
114	29 October 1944	14:36	Il-2	PQ 08754Template:Sfn vicinity of Szolnok	121	23 November 1944	11:22	Il-2	PQ 98455Template:Sfn southwest of Gyöngyös
115	31 October 1944	15:18	La-5	PQ 97222Template:Sfn north of Kecskemét	122	22 December 1944	—	unknown	vicinity of CsórTemplate:Sfn
116	31 October 1944	15:23	Il-2	PQ 97256Template:Sfn vicinity of Kecskemét	123	22 December 1944	—	unknown	vicinity of CsórTemplate:Sfn
117	31 October 1944	15:26	La-5	PQ 97224Template:Sfn north of Kecskemét

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st ClassTemplate:Sfn
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 26 July 1943 as Leutnant and pilotTemplate:Sfn
• German Cross in Gold on 23 July 1943 as Leutnant in the Stab/Jagdgeschwader 52Template:Sfn
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 March 1944 as Leutnant (war officer) and Staffelführer of the 4./Jagdgeschwader 52Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn