Horst Ademeit

Horst Ademeit (8 February 1912 – 7 August 1944) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Template:Langx) during World War II.Template:Sfn Ademeit fought in the Battle of Britain and the Eastern Front where he was officially credited with 166 aerial victories before his disappearance during a mission over Latvia on 7 August 1944.

Early life

Horst Ademeit was born on 8 February 1912 in Breslau in the Kingdom of Prussia of the German Empire (present-day Wrocław, Poland) the son of Walter Ademeit, a Regierungsbaurat (government building officer). He studied chemistry at the Königsberg Albertina University and was a member of the Corps Masovia Königsberg. In 1933, he transferred to the Technische Hochschulen in Charlottenburg, Berlin (now Technische Universität Berlin) while his family had moved to nearby Potsdam, where his father was leading the construction of the Niederfinow Boat Lift.

On 1 August 1936, Ademeit joined the Luftwaffe as a reservist.Template:Sfn He graduated as Diplom Ingenieur from the Technische Hochschulen in Braunschweig (now Technische Universität Braunschweig) in 1938. On 9 December 1938, Ademeit was made an officer cadet of the reserves and received flight training.Template:Sfn

World War II

In the spring of 1940, Unteroffizier Ademeit was transferred to 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) Grünherz and participated in the Battle of Britain. He claimed his first aerial victory during the Battle of Britain on 18 September 1940. However, shortly afterwards he was shot down over the English Channel, bailing out and rescued by the Seenotdienst unharmed.

In June 1941, after the German invasion of Soviet Union, Ademeit accompanied I./JG 54 to the Eastern Front. In quick succession he achieved aerial victories, promotions and awards. On 7 March 1943, Ademeit was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 6. Staffel of JG 54, replacing Oberleutnant Hans Beißwenger who was killed in action the day before.Template:Sfn In October 1943, Ademeit was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 61st Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.Template:Sfn

On 4 February 1944, Ademeit succeeded Hauptmann Walter Nowotny as Gruppenkommandeur (group commander of I. Gruppe of JG 54.Template:Sfn On 14 February, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield named Wesenberg near Rakvere, located approximately north of Lake Peipus and west of Narva. Here the Gruppe was subordinated to the 3. Flieger-Division (3rd Air Division) and fought in the Battle of Narva.Template:Sfn

Disappearance

On 7 August 1944, Ademeit, flying a Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5 (Werksnummer 5960 — factory number) led a flight of four Fw 190s to the combat area near Kreutzburg on the right bank of the Daugava, where they intecepted a flight of ten Ilyushin Il-2s and Yakovlev Yak-9 fighters at 15:17. His wingman, Gefreiter Biebrichter, later reported that Ademeit was last seen in pursuit of an Il-2 into a thick cloud of smoke.Template:Sfn He pursued the Il-2 eastwards near Dünaburg across the front line, but failed to return from this mission and was considered missing in action.Template:Sfn

Ademeit was succeeded by Hauptmann Franz Eisenach as commander of I. Gruppe.Template:Sfn Berlin radio announced his loss on 29 September 1944. Ademeit was officially credited with 166 victories in over 600 missions over the Eastern Front. He was posthumously promoted to Major.Template:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to American historian David T. Zabecki, Ademeit was credited with 166 aerial victories.Template:Sfn Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 160 aerial victory claims, all of which confirmed and claimed on the Eastern Front.Template:Sfn The authors Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock list six further victories, aerial victories numbered 99–104, which were not documented by Mathews and Foreman, in the timeframe 18 September to 3 October 1943.Template:Sfn

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 2525". 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 Ademeit 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 Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Balke, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Template:Sfn Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
1	23 June 1941	10:13	SB-2	PQ 2525Template:Sfn	8	24 September 1941	10:11	I-15Template:Sfn?Template:Refn
2	6 July 1941	17:35	SB-3Template:Sfn		9	7 October 1941	16:25	MBR-2Template:Sfn
3	7 August 1941	18:13	I-16Template:Sfn		10	9 October 1941	07:47	I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn
4	27 August 1941	19:00	I-16Template:Sfn		11	12 October 1941	09:57	U-2Template:Sfn
5	5 September 1941	17:35	I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn		12	25 October 1941	13:27	I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn
6	5 September 1941	18:04	R-5Template:Sfn		13	6 November 1941	12:42	Pe-2Template:Sfn
7	23 September 1941	13:17	I-153Template:Sfn		14	3 December 1941	12:11	I-16Template:Sfn
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942
15	8 January 1942	09:55	I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn		18	7 February 1942	08:33	I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn
16	8 January 1942	13:14	SB-2	GuijkaTemplate:Sfn	19	16 February 1942	07:45	Il-2Template:Sfn
17	20 January 1942	11:23	I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn		20	18 February 1942	13:15	I-16Template:Sfn
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
21	5 May 1942	18:42	Yak-1	LeningradTemplate:Sfn	29	9 September 1942	18:10?Template:Refn	MiG-3	PQ 11802Template:Sfn northwest of Volkhov
22	10 May 1942	06:50	P-40	PQ 10621Template:Sfn	30	22 October 1942	07:35	I-153	PQ 11762Template:Sfn over Lake Ladoga
23	12 May 1942	11:10	Yak-1	east of PossademkowoTemplate:Sfn	31	6 November 1942	08:22	P-40	northern LeningradTemplate:Sfn
24	12 May 1942	11:15	Yak-1	PQ 10463Template:Sfn	32	16 December 1942	09:35	Pe-2	PQ 11852Template:Sfn northwest of Volkhov
25	29 May 1942	10:20	SB-3Template:Sfn		33	12 January 1943	09:20	Il-2	PQ 10151Template:Sfn southeast of Shlisselburg
26	30 May 1942	05:32	MiG-3Template:Sfn		34	12 January 1943	14:08	Yak-1	PQ 10182Template:Sfn vicinity of Shlisselburg
27	30 May 1942	18:34	P-40Template:Sfn		35	27 January 1943	09:30	Il-2	PQ 00294Template:Sfn west of Mga
28	8 June 1942	15:25	P-40Template:Sfn		36	27 January 1943	14:40	LaGG-3	PQ 10123Template:Sfn east of Shlisselburg
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — February 1943
37	11 February 1943	09:58	Il-2	PQ 36 Ost 00454Template:Sfn east-southeast of Sluzk	42	22 February 1943	15:05	Il-2	PQ 36 Ost 10123Template:Sfn east of Shlisselburg
38	11 February 1943	10:00	Il-2	PQ 36 Ost 00424Template:Sfn Pushkin-Mga	43	23 February 1943	07:05	Il-2	PQ 36 Ost 10151Template:Sfn southeast of Shlisselburg
39	15 February 1943	07:50	LaGG-3	PQ 36 Ost 10483Template:Sfn northeast of Lyuban	44	23 February 1943	11:15	La-5	PQ 36 Ost 10172Template:Sfn northeast of Leningrad
40	18 February 1943	09:35	La-5	PQ 36 Ost 10444Template:Sfn southeast of Mga	45	27 February 1943	08:35	LaGG-3	PQ 36 Ost 10254Template:Sfn west-southwest of Shlisselburg
41	21 February 1943	13:25	La-5	PQ 36 Ost 10454Template:Sfn northeast of Lyuban
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — March – 31 December 1943
46	13 March 1943	15:16	R-5	PQ 36 Ost 20122, north of WolchowstrojTemplate:Sfn west of Volkhov	73	2 August 1943	08:51	Yak-7	PQ 36 Ost 10184Template:Sfn east of Mga
47	15 March 1943	15:55	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 18284Template:Sfn southeast of Staraya Russa	74	2 August 1943	13:19	Yak-7	PQ 36 Ost 10161Template:Sfn southeast of Shlisselburg
48	16 March 1943	15:20	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 18342Template:Sfn southeast of Staraya Russa	75	2 August 1943	19:22	La-5	PQ 36 Ost 10354Template:Sfn southeast of Mga
49	19 March 1943	10:00	Il-2	PQ 36 Ost 00411Template:Sfn east of Pushkin	76	7 August 1943	11:05	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 54818Template:Sfn west-southwest of Bolkhov
50	21 March 1943	12:03	La-5	PQ 36 Ost 00271Template:Sfn northeast of Pushkin	77	7 August 1943	14:02	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 54684Template:Sfn southwest of Bolkhov
51	23 March 1943	17:10	P-40	PQ 36 Ost 00412Template:Sfn east of Pushkin	78	14 August 1943	05:00	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 45772Template:Sfn west-southwest of Kirov
52	25 March 1943	07:50	Yak-1	PQ 36 Ost 00283Template:Sfn west of Mga	79	16 August 1943	13:28	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 45752, northwest of KirovTemplate:Sfn northwest of Kirov
53	3 April 1943	18:15	Yak-1	PQ 36 Ost RD 57Template:Sfn	80	17 August 1943	08:52	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 44583Template:Sfn west of Karachev
54	1 June 1943	16:17	LaGG-3	PQ 36 Ost 21774Template:Sfn north of Volkhov	81	17 August 1943	09:27	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 43663Template:Sfn southwest of Dmitrowsk
55	5 June 1943	12:13	LaGG-3	PQ 36 Ost 21752Template:Sfn north of Volkhov	82	20 August 1943	06:22	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 43824Template:Sfn east-northeast of Sevsk
56	12 June 1943	11:25	La-5	PQ 26 Ost 90131Template:Sfn west of Lomonossow	83	21 August 1943	16:42	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 43853Template:Sfn southeast of Sevsk
57	18 June 1943	17:15	LaGG-3	PQ 36 Ost 20174Template:Sfn south of Volchov	84	22 August 1943	06:22	P-39	PQ 35 Ost 4382Template:Sfn
58	18 June 1943	17:17	La-5	PQ 36 Ost 20421Template:Sfn southeast of Volkhov	85	23 August 1943	10:00	P-39	PQ 35 Ost 43893Template:Sfn southeast of Sevsk
59	22 June 1943	19:22?Template:Refn	LaGG-3	PQ 36 Ost 01751Template:Sfn north of Leningrad	86	23 August 1943	18:35	P-39	PQ 35 Ost 43851Template:Sfn southeast of Sevsk
60	12 July 1943	18:27?Template:Refn	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 64863Template:Sfn southeast of Mtsensk	87	24 August 1943	14:55	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 44472Template:Sfn east-southeast of Datkovo
61	13 July 1943	06:53	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63293Template:Sfn southeast of Oryol	88	28 August 1943	11:47	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 43674Template:Sfn northeast of Sevsk
62	13 July 1943	06:54	Yak-7	PQ 35 Ost 63261Template:Sfn east-southeast of Oryol	89	30 August 1943	14:21	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 35611Template:Sfn southeast of Yelnya
63	13 July 1943	06:56	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 63234Template:Sfn southeast of Mtsensk	90	31 August 1943	06:47	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 35624Template:Sfn west-northwest of Spas-Demensk
64	13 July 1943	11:06	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63283Template:Sfn southeast of Mtsensk	91	31 August 1943	15:28	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 35582Template:Sfn south of Yelnya
65	14 July 1943	14:10	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 54353Template:Sfn southeast of Zhizdra	92	31 August 1943	15:38	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 35384, southwest of JelnjaTemplate:Sfn southeast of Yelnya
66	16 July 1943	18:45	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 63524Template:Sfn west-northwest of Maloarkhangelsk	93	2 September 1943	12:30	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 35381Template:Sfn southeast of Yelnya
67	17 July 1943	06:42	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 54474Template:Sfn west-northwest of Bolkhov	94	4 September 1943	17:02	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 35374Template:Sfn southwest of Yelnya
68	21 July 1943	17:18	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 53462Template:Sfn south-southwest of Oryol	95	4 September 1943	17:06	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 35371, west of JelnjaTemplate:Sfn southwest of Yelnya
69	28 July 1943	09:14	La-5	PQ 36 Ost 10154Template:Sfn southeast of Shlisselburg	96	5 September 1943	11:13	P-39	PQ 35 Ost 25631Template:Sfn southwest of Yelnya
70	28 July 1943	09:17	Yak-7	PQ 36 Ost 10331Template:Sfn east-southeast of Mga	97	5 September 1943	13:28	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 26814Template:Sfn north-northwest of Yartsevo
71	28 July 1943	09:25	La-5	PQ 36 Ost 10334Template:Sfn east-southeast of Mga	98	10 September 1943	10:50	Hurricane	PQ 35 Ost 35372, northwest of YelnyaTemplate:Sfn southwest of Yelnya
72	31 July 1943	18:15	La-5	PQ 36 Ost 10243Template:Sfn east-southeast of Shlisselburg
According to Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, Ademeit claimed aerial victories 99–104, which were not documented, in the timeframe 18 September to 3 October 1943.Template:Sfn These six claims are not listed by Mathews and Foreman.Template:Sfn
105	7 October 1943	16:12	La-5	southeast of KotitschiTemplate:Sfn southeast of Ashitka	118♠	12 October 1943	16:08	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 10131Template:Sfn east of Shlisselburg
106	7 October 1943	16:14	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 01214Template:Sfn Lake Ladoga	119	13 October 1943	15:40	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 01334Template:Sfn northeast of Zelenogorsk
107	7 October 1943	16:19	La-5	west of TcherninTemplate:Sfn west of Tschermin	120	14 October 1943	07:40	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 11512Template:Sfn over Lake Ladoga
108	9 October 1943	11:32	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 01334Template:Sfn northeast of Zelenogorsk	121	20 October 1943	14:11	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 01191Template:Sfn
109	10 October 1943	15:55	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 11781Template:Sfn over Lake Ladoga	122	20 October 1943	15:42	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 01391Template:Sfn northeast of Zelenogorsk
110	10 October 1943	16:15	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 10121Template:Sfn east of Shlisselburg	123	21 October 1943	07:12	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 11793Template:Sfn northeast of Shlisselburg
111	11 October 1943	10:12	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 01122Template:Sfn	124	21 October 1943	07:29	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 10111Template:Sfn vicinity of Shlisselburg
112	11 October 1943	15:51	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 10121Template:Sfn east of Shlisselburg	125	21 October 1943	07:30	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 11773Template:Sfn over Lake Ladoga
113♠	12 October 1943	08:25	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 10122Template:Sfn east of Shlisselburg	126	21 October 1943	09:52	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 10124Template:Sfn east of Shlisselburg
114♠	12 October 1943	08:30	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 11784Template:Sfn over Lake Ladoga	127	12 December 1943	07:28	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 00154Template:Sfn south of Leningrad
115♠	12 October 1943	10:43	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 11791Template:Sfn over Lake Ladoga	128	12 December 1943	07:30	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 01783Template:Sfn north of Leningrad
116♠	12 October 1943	10:43	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 11791Template:Sfn over Lake Ladoga	129	15 December 1943	07:20	Yak-9	PQ 25 Ost 91393Template:Sfn southeast of Vyborg
117♠	12 October 1943	11:22	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 11763Template:Sfn over Lake Ladoga	130	17 December 1943	08:08	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 00161Template:Sfn
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 1 January – 3 February 1944
131	11 January 1944	14:00	Pe-2	PQ 26 Ost 80874Template:Sfn south-southeast of Narva	135	15 January 1944	09:15	La-5?Template:Refn	PQ 26 Ost 80821Template:Sfn southeast of Narva
132	14 January 1944	11:12?Template:Refn	Il-2	PQ 26 Ost 80691Template:Sfn east-southeast of Narva	136	15 January 1944	09:20	La-5	PQ 26 Ost 80824Template:Sfn southeast of Narva
133	15 January 1944	09:10	La-5	PQ 26 Ost 80831Template:Sfn southeast of Narva	137	24 January 1944	14:14	La-5	PQ 26 Ost 80434Template:Sfn Gulf of Finland, northeast of Hungerburg
134	15 January 1944	09:13	La-5	PQ 26 Ost 80822Template:Sfn southeast of Narva
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 4 February – 7 August 1944
138	7 February 1944	10:41	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 05132Template:Sfn	153	29 June 1944	19:47	P-39	PQ NS-8/1Template:Sfn
139	5 March 1944	09:27?Template:Refn	La-5	PQ 26 Ost 70821Template:Sfn southwest of Narva	154	2 July 1944	08:00	Pe-2	PQ OS-8/2Template:Sfn
140	5 March 1944	12:20	La-5	PQ 26 Ost 70832Template:Sfn southwest of Narva	155	2 July 1944	10:48	P-39	PQ OS-6/4Template:Sfn vicinity of Polotsk
141	5 March 1944	12:45	La-5	PQ 26 Ost 80574Template:Sfn southwest of Narva	156	2 July 1944	17:25	P-39	PQ OT-7/6Template:Sfn northeast of Polotsk
142	9 March 1944	08:46	Il-2?Template:Refn	PQ 26 Ost 70524Template:Sfn west of Hungerburg	157	3 July 1944	12:35	Yak-9	PQ OS-4/3Template:Sfn vicinity of Polotsk
143	9 March 1944	11:40	Il-2	PQ 26 Ost 80682Template:Sfn southwest of Narva	158	3 July 1944	12:38	Yak-9	PQ OS-7/6Template:Sfn vicinity of Polotsk
144	18 March 1944	15:43	La-5	PQ 26 Ost 70182Template:Sfn northeast of Kunda	159	21 July 1944	09:21?Template:Refn	Il-2	PQ OL-2/3Template:Sfn
145	19 March 1944	10:35	Yak-9	PQ 26 Ost 80573Template:Sfn vicinity of Hungerburg	160	21 July 1944	09:26	P-39	PQ NM-8/6Template:Sfn
146	23 March 1944	11:30?Template:Refn	Yak-9	PQ 26 Ost 70593Template:Sfn southeast of Kunda	161	21 July 1944	19:09?Template:Refn	La-5	PQ NN-1/8Template:Sfn
147	28 March 1944	16:18?Template:Refn	LaGG-3?	PQ 25 Ost 89231Template:Sfn northeast of Opotschka	162	22 July 1944	09:26	Yak-9	PQ NM-9/7Template:Sfn
148	30 March 1944	08:30	La-5	PQ 26 Ost 6025Template:Sfn	163	23 July 1944	14:17	Il-2	PQ NN-7/4Template:Sfn vicinity of Daugavpils
149	21 April 1944	14:25	Yak-9	southwest of NarvaTemplate:Sfn	164	23 July 1944	14:20	Yak-9	PQ NN-7/5Template:Sfn vicinity of Daugavpils
150	28 May 1944	08:32	LaGG-3	PQ 26 Ost 70691Template:Sfn southwest of Narva	165	25 July 1944	13:58	P-39	PQ ON-6/6Template:Sfn
151	28 June 1944	08:12?Template:Refn	P-39Template:Sfn		166	27 July 1944	15:50	Pe-2	PQ NN-7/5Template:Sfn vicinity of Mitau
152	29 June 1944	04:18	Yak-9	PQ NR-5/3Template:Sfn

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (7 September 1940)Template:Sfn
  • 1st Class (5 September 1941)Template:Sfn
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for fighter pilots in Gold and Penant
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 8 December 1941 as Leutnant and pilotTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn
• German Cross in Gold on 25 February 1942 as Leutnant in the 1./Jagdgeschwader 54Template:Sfn
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 16 April 1943 as Leutnant (war officer) and pilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 54Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
  • 414th Oak Leaves on 2 March 1944 as Hauptmann (war officer) and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 54Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

See also

• List of people who disappeared