Max-Hellmuth Ostermann

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Max-Hellmuth Ostermann (11 December 1917 – 9 August 1942) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.Template:Sfn He is credited with 102 enemy aircraft shot down claimed in over 300 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front with eight claims over the Western Front and one over Belgrade.Template:Sfn Ostermann was of such short height that wooden blocks had to be attached to his rudder pedals for him to engage in tight turning aerial combat.Template:Sfn

Born in Hamburg, Ostermann joined the military service of the Luftwaffe in 1937 and was trained as a pilot. After a brief period with Zerstörergeschwader 1 (ZG 1), a heavy fighter unit, he was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54). He participated in the Battle of France and Britain before transferring east. He became the sixth fighter pilot in aviation history to achieve 100 aerial victories on the Eastern Front for which he was awarded Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. He was killed in aerial combat with Soviet fighters southeast of Lake Ilmen on 9 August 1942.

Early life and career

Max-Hellmuth Ostermann was born on 11 December 1917 in Hamburg. His father was a civil servant in the justice department. Ostermann joined the Luftwaffe as a Fahnenjunker (Officer Cadet) in March 1937 after he had received his Abitur (diploma)—the final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education. His first assignment was with I. Gruppe (1st group) Zerstörergeschwader 1 (ZG 1) flying the Messerschmitt Bf 110 and participated in the Invasion of Poland in 1939.Template:Sfn[Note 1] In January 1940 Hauptmann (Captain) Wolfgang Falck took command of I./ZG 1. Falck came to the opinion that the Bf 110 was just a little too big for Ostermann and had him transferred to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 equipped I./Jagdgeschwader 21 (JG 21) on 7 April 1940. JG 21 at the time was based at Mönchengladbach and was subordinated to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) Max Ibel, the Geschwaderkommodore (Wing Commander) of Jagdgeschwader 27.Template:Sfn

He claimed his first of two aerial victories in the Battle of France on 20 May 1940.Template:Sfn Ostermann was appointed the commander of a Rotte, an element of two aircraft, with Unteroffizier (non-commissioned officer) Fritz Marcks as his wingman. The Schwarm (flight) led by Oberleutnant (Senior Lieutenant or First Lieutenant) Günther Scholz engaged eight French Morane-Saulnier M.S.406's fighters near Amiens with Ostermann, Marcks and Scholz claiming one each.Template:Sfn His second aerial victory was achieved over a Curtiss Hawk-75 on 26 May 1940. In a head on firing pass two 20mm shells tore off large parts of the aircraft's tail fin, which then collided with Osterrmann's starboard wing. The French pilot was observed to bail out with Ostermann managing to make a safe landing.Template:Sfn

By the time I./JG 21 was ordered to the coastal area of the English Channel the Gruppe was redesignated III./Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54). Ostermann's third aerial victory on 12 August 1940 may have been over Flight Lieutenant E.B.B. Smith of No. 610 Squadron RAF, who bailed out of his Supermarine Spitfire I K9818. Smith was rescued from the Channel and hospitalized.Template:Sfn On 8 October 1940 Ostermann claimed his 7th aerial victory of the war and 5th of the Battle of Britain. His opponent may have been the Czech Sergeant Josef František who was killed flying Hurricane Mk. I R4175 from No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron near Sutton, west of Croydon, in the southern outskirts of London that day. The reason for his fatal crash remains unclear. Apart from Ostermann's claim, Leutnant (Second Lieutenant) Max Clerico and Feldwebel (Sergeant) Fritz Oeltjens also claimed one aircraft each at the same time and in the same vicinity.Template:Sfn On 5 September 1940, III./JG 54's Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) failed to return from a mission and Geschwaderkommodore Hannes Trautloft temporarily appointed Oberleutnant Günther Scholz to lead the Gruppe. The leadership of 7. Staffel (7th squadron) was filled by Oberleutnant Hans-Ekkehard Bob, who became one of Ostermann's mentors. During an escort mission on 30 September 1940, Bob and Ostermann claimed one Spitfire shot down each. In return Ostermann's wingman was shot down and made a forced landing at Bexhill. He radioed his fellow pilots: "Spinat vier meldet sich ab nach Kanada—Spinach 4 reports off for Canada".Template:Sfn

His aerial victory on 20 October 1940 over a No. 74 Squadron RAF Spitfire was his sixth—his eight overall—victory over Royal Air Force (RAF) fighters and his last during the Battle of Britain.Template:Sfn The following day III./JG 54 was instructed to relocate. Five month later following a long combat pause, JG 54 was moved to the south-east to counter the pro-British coup d'état in Belgrade, Yugoslavia.Template:Sfn He claimed his ninth victory over a Yugoslav Royal Air Force Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3, piloted by Karel Štrbenk who was killed, on 6 April 1941 over Belgrade during the Balkans Campaign.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Eastern Front

A black and white photograph a propeller driven fighter aircraft viewed from the rear-left. The aircraft is on a grass field, engine appears to be running. It bears three black and white crosses, two on the upper wings and one on the left side of the fuselage besides a large number "2". The tail rudder shows a black swastika plus rudder bears approximately 33 small vertical black lines arranged in three groups of varying length.
Ostermann's Bf 109F-2 "white 2" bearing 33 victory marks, September 1941Template:Sfn

On 23 June 1941, during the opening phase of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Ostermann, in a free-hunting mission in the Lithuanian airspace north of Kaunas, intercepted a formation of nine Tupolev SB's and claimed two shot down in flames.Template:Sfn Ostermann survived a belly landing following combat with more SBs in south-eastern Latvia on 26 June.Template:Sfn On 5 July he claimed three SB-3 Soviet bombers in combat over the Velikaya River at Ostrov.Template:Sfn He claimed his 19th and 20th aerial victory on 6 July in the same combat area.Template:Sfn On the Eastern Front he claimed JG 54's 1,000th victory of the war on 1 August 1941.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Refn He became the eighth member of JG 54 to receive the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Script error: No such module "Lang".) on 4 September 1941 after 29 aerial victories.Template:Sfn The award was presented on 10 September 1941 in Dno by Generaloberst (Colonel General) Alfred Keller.Template:Sfn

From 5 November to 5 December 1941, Ostermann temporarily led 3./JG 54 (3rd squadron), substituting for Oberleutnant Hans Schmoller-Haldy.Template:Sfn He claimed his 50th aerial victory on 9 January 1942, the 60th on 28 January 1942 and the 70th on 19 February 1942. After this series of aerial victories Ostermann was sent on home leave. The reason for his leave was that he wanted to get married. Back home, on his way to his wedding ceremony, Ostermann was arrested and put in jail. A German police officer had assumed that Ostermann, with his childlike features, was actually a schoolboy who was playing a prank and illegally wearing a Luftwaffe uniform and military decorations. The consequences endured by the police officer for his bad judgement remain unknown.Template:Sfn

After he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Script error: No such module "Lang".) for 62 aerial victories on 12 March 1942 he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 8./JG 54 (8th squadron). His 80th and 81st aerial victory were claimed on 19 March 1942 followed by victories number 89 and 90 on 27 April 1942.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Ostermann claimed his 100th aerial victory on 12 May 1942, the second JG 54 pilot—Hans Philipp was the first—and sixth overall to achieve the century, though in the same engagement his Bf 109F-4 was hit and damaged. Ostermann himself was hit in the right arm and upper thigh. Although severely wounded, he managed to return to his home airfield.Template:Refn Five days later, while in the hospital, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Script error: No such module "Lang".). The award was presented at the Führerhauptquartier, the "Wolf's Lair" (Script error: No such module "Lang".) at Rastenburg, on 28 and 29 June 1942.Template:Sfn

Ostermann was killed in action on 9 August 1942 far behind Soviet lines east of Lake Ilmen. He and his wingman Unteroffizier Heinrich Bosin were flying at an altitude of Script error: No such module "convert". when they spotted a formation of nine Curtiss P-40 Warhawk's. Ostermann shot down the rear P-40. The two were reforming to make a second attack when they themselves were attacked from behind by a group of Soviet fighters emerging from the broken cloud cover. Ostermann's Bf 109G-2 (Werknummer 10438—factory number) was hit in the cockpit by 41 IAP's (41st Fighter Aviation Regiment) Starshiy Leytenant (First Lieutenant) Arkady Ivanovich Sukov flying a LaGG-3.[Note 2] The aircraft rolled over and crashed into the edge of a small wood.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn After Werner Mölders and Leopold Steinbatz, Ostermann was the third of 45 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords to die in World War II. This made him the first Swords recipient to be lost in air combat, as Mölders death was accidental and Steinbatz had only received the Oak Leaves before he died.Template:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Ostermann was credited with 102 aerial victories.Template:Sfn Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 102 aerial victory claims, plus six further unconfirmed claims. This number includes eight claims on the Western Front, one in Yugoslavia, and 93 Soviet Air Forces piloted aircraft on the Eastern Front.Template:Sfn

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 10481". 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 Script error: No such module "convert".. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area Script error: No such module "convert". in size.

Chronicle of aerial victories
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  This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Ostermann did not receive credit.
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  This and the ! (exclamation mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 21 –Template:Sfn
1 20 May 1940 18:20 M.S.406 west of PéronneTemplate:Sfn 2 26 May 1940 09:06 Curtiss ArrasTemplate:Sfn
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Template:Sfn
3 12 August 1940 09:35!Template:Refn SpitfireTemplate:Sfn Canterbury
—
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		12 August 1941
—
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		I-16Template:Sfn
4 30 August 1940 19:05 SpitfireTemplate:Sfn 23 14 August 1941 17:01 I-153Template:Sfn
5 5 September 1940 10:40 Hurricane!Template:SfnTemplate:Refn 24 14 August 1941 17:04 I-153Template:Sfn
6 30 September 1940 14:37 SpitfireTemplate:Sfn Tonbridge 25 17 August 1941 11:37 I-16Template:Sfn
7 8 October 1940 11:46 SpitfireTemplate:Sfn 26 18 August 1941 05:25 I-16Template:Sfn
8 20 October 1940 15:38 Spitfire southeast of LondonTemplate:Sfn 27 18 August 1941 11:02 I-16Template:Sfn
9 6 April 1941 12:43 Bf 109Template:Sfn Belgrade 28 21 August 1941 10:45 I-16Template:Sfn
10 23 June 1941 11:51 SB-2Template:Sfn north of Kaunas 29 23 August 1941 08:03 I-16 vicinity of RevalTemplate:Sfn
11 23 June 1941 11:58 SB-2Template:Sfn north of Kaunas
—
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		4 September 1941
—
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		I-16Template:Sfn
12 26 June 1941 18:32 DB-3 vicinity of DünaburgTemplate:Sfn 30 5 September 1941 15:45 I-16Template:Sfn
13 30 June 1941 12:10 DB-3Template:Sfn 31 7 September 1941 14:25 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn
14 30 June 1941 12:11 DB-3Template:Sfn 32 7 September 1941 14:30 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn
15 30 June 1941 12:15 DB-3Template:Sfn vicinity of Dünaburg 33 8 September 1941!Template:Refn 17:25 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn
16 5 July 1941 20:04 SB-3Template:Sfn vicinity of Ostrov 34 10 September 1941 10:24 I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn
17 5 July 1941 20:05 SB-3Template:Sfn vicinity of Ostrov 35 11 September 1941 07:51 I-15Template:Sfn vicinity of Staraya Russa
18 5 July 1941 20:08 SB-3Template:Sfn vicinity of Ostrov 36 11 September 1941 10:12 SB-3Template:Sfn vicinity of Staraya Russa
19 6 July 1941 17:35 SB-3 east of OstrovTemplate:Sfn
—
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		12 September 1941
—
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		DB-3Template:Sfn vicinity of Staraya Russa
20 6 July 1941 17:37 SB-3 east of OstrovTemplate:Sfn 37 17 September 1941 10:24 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn
21 28 July 1941 20:03 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn
—
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		7 October 1941
—
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn
22 1 August 1941 19:06 DB-3Template:Sfn 38 25 October 1941 14:15 I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn
—
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		10 August 1941
—
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 39 29 October 1941 13:50 I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn
—
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		10 August 1941
—
Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". 		I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 40 30 October 1941 11:35 ground attack aircraft north of MindTemplate:Sfn
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Template:Sfn
41 13 November 1941 15:04 Pe-2Template:Sfn 52 20 January 1942 14:22 I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn
42 16 November 1941 15:16!Template:Refn I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn 53 23 January 1942 11:03 I-16Template:Sfn
43 16 November 1941 15:20 I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn 54 23 January 1942 11:27 Il-2Template:Sfn
44 19 November 1941 08:35 PS-84 (DC-3)Template:Sfn 55 24 January 1942 13:07 I-16Template:Sfn
45 30 November 1941 13:45 PS-84 (DC-3)Template:Sfn 56 25 January 1942 10:45 MBR-2Template:Sfn
46 1 December 1941 15:10 Yak-1 Script error: No such module "convert". northeast of LeningradTemplate:Sfn 57 25 January 1942 11:12 I-153Template:Sfn
47 1 January 1942 12:37 I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn 58 25 January 1942 11:26 I-153Template:Sfn
48 8 January 1942 13:42 I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn 59 26 January 1942 13:21 Pe-2Template:Sfn
49 8 January 1942 13:50 I-180 (Yak-7)Template:Sfn 60 28 January 1942 09:18 I-15Template:Sfn
50 9 January 1942 15:15 I-26 (Yak-7)Template:Sfn 61 28 January 1942 15:01 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn
51 11 January 1942 15:05 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 62 1 February 1942 10:50 P-40Template:Sfn
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –Template:Sfn
63 14 March 1942 17:07 I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn 83 1 April 1942 18:12 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn
64 16 March 1942 08:26!Template:Refn I-26 (Yak-1)Template:Sfn 84 23 April 1942 12:30 MiG-3Template:Sfn
65 17 March 1942 10:06 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 85 23 April 1942 12:30 MiG-3Template:Sfn
66 17 March 1942 14:00 R-Z!Template:SfnTemplate:Refn 86 23 April 1942 16:02 MiG-3Template:Sfn
67 17 March 1942 14:03 R-Z!Template:Sfn[Note 3] 87 24 April 1942 06:41 R-Z!Template:Sfn[Note 3]
68 18 March 1942 16:35 P-40Template:Sfn 88 25 April 1942 11:30 I-180 (Yak-7)Template:Sfn
69 18 March 1942 17:02 biplane!Template:SfnTemplate:Refn 89 27 April 1942 06:15 P-40Template:Sfn
70 19 March 1942 11:15 P-40Template:Sfn 90 27 April 1942 18:18 P-40Template:Sfn
71 19 March 1942 11:42!Template:Refn I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 91 29 April 1942 16:22 MiG-3Template:Sfn
72 20 March 1942 12:21 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 92 29 April 1942 16:25 MiG-3Template:Sfn
73 20 March 1942 17:21 R-Z!Template:Sfn[Note 3] 93 30 April 1942 13:41 P-40Template:Sfn
74 21 March 1942 11:40!Template:Refn I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 94 30 April 1942 14:06 MiG-3Template:Sfn
75 22 March 1942 17:43!Template:Refn I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 95 6 May 1942 18:12 I-180 (Yak-7)Template:Sfn
76 22 March 1942 17:35 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 96 6 May 1942 18:19 I-180 (Yak-7)Template:Sfn
77 28 March 1942 10:14!Template:Refn I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 97 9 May 1942 15:23 P-40Template:Sfn
78 29 March 1942 09:28 I-16Template:Sfn 98 10 May 1942 08:25 Yak-7 PQ 10481Template:Sfn
Script error: No such module "convert". northeast of Lubań
79 29 March 1942 11:57 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 99 12 May 1942 09:36 I-16 PQ 10362Template:Sfn
Script error: No such module "convert". southeast of Mga
80 29 March 1942 12:05 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 100 12 May 1942 09:41 I-16Template:Sfn
81 31 March 1942 13:15 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 101 8 August 1942 18:58 P-40 PQ 29561Template:Sfn
Script error: No such module "convert". south-southeast of Malaya Vishera
82 31 March 1942 13:33 I-18 (MiG-1)Template:Sfn 102 9 August 1942 11:33 P-40 PQ 29521, DalewoTemplate:Sfn
Script error: No such module "convert". south of Malaya Vishera

Awards

Notes

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  1. ↑ For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
  2. ↑ IAP—Istrebitelny Aviatsionny Polk (Fighter Aviation Regiment—Истребительный Авиационный Полк)
  3. ↑ a b c Cite error: Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".Script error: No such module "Namespace detect".

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References

Citations

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Bibliography

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