Alfred Heckmann (25 June 1914 – 27 July 1993) was a
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
flying ace
A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviation, military aviator credited with shooting down a certain minimum number of enemy aircraft during aerial combat; the exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ...
of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. A flying ace or fighter ace is a
military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy
aircraft
An aircraft ( aircraft) is a vehicle that is able to flight, fly by gaining support from the Atmosphere of Earth, air. It counters the force of gravity by using either Buoyancy, static lift or the Lift (force), dynamic lift of an airfoil, or, i ...
during aerial combat. He was also a recipient of the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...
(). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Career
Heckmann was born 25 June 1914 at
Bochum
Bochum (, ; ; ; ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia. With a population of 372,348 (April 2023), it is the sixth-largest city (after Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg) in North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous German federa ...
-
Langendreer
Langendreer is the largest and most populous district of the city of Bochum in the Ruhr area in Germany, with a population of 25,438 as of 31 December 2023. The district is located between the cities Dortmund, the largest city of Westphalia, to t ...
in the
Province of Westphalia
The Province of Westphalia () was a Provinces of Prussia, province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia from 1815 to 1946. In turn, Prussia was the largest component state of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, of the Weimar ...
, a
province
A province is an administrative division within a country or sovereign state, state. The term derives from the ancient Roman , which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire, Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of the
Kingdom of Prussia
The Kingdom of Prussia (, ) was a German state that existed from 1701 to 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Rev. ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1946. It played a signif ...
within the
German Empire
The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...
. In early 1939 he joined the military service in the
Luftwaffe
The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...
and following fighter pilot training, Heckmann was posted to 5. ''
Staffel'' (5th squadron) of
''Jagdgeschwader'' 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) with the rank of ''
Unteroffizier
() is a junior non-commissioned officer rank used by the . It is also the collective name for all non-commissioned officers in Austria and Germany. It was formerly a rank in the Imperial Russian Army.
Austria
, also , is the collective name to ...
'' (a junior
non-commissioned officer
A non-commissioned officer (NCO) is an enlisted rank, enlisted leader, petty officer, or in some cases warrant officer, who does not hold a Commission (document), commission. Non-commissioned officers usually earn their position of authority b ...
) in February 1940.
He claimed his first victory in June 1940, when he shot down a French
Morane MS 406 fighter over
Abbeville
Abbeville (; ; ) is a commune in the Somme department and in Hauts-de-France region in northern France.
It is the of one of the arrondissements of Somme. Located on the river Somme, it was the capital of Ponthieu.
Geography
Location
A ...
. He added two
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced conti ...
s during the
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain () was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force ...
.
War against the Soviet Union
In preparation for
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and several of its European Axis allies starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during World War II. More than 3.8 million Axis troops invaded the western Soviet Union along ...
, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, II. ''Gruppe'' headed further east on 18 June. Following a stopover at
Kraków
, officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
, the unit was moved to
Hostynne
Hostynne is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Werbkowice, within Hrubieszów County, Lublin Voivodeship, in eastern Poland. It lies approximately west of Werbkowice, south-west of Hrubieszów, and south-east of the regional capi ...
. At the start of the campaign, JG 3 under the command of ''
Major
Major most commonly refers to:
* Major (rank), a military rank
* Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits
* People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames
* Major and minor in musi ...
'' (Major)
Günther Lützow
Günther Lützow (4 September 1912 – 24 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe aviator and fighter ace credited with 110 enemy aircraft shot down in over 300 combat missions. Apart from five victories during the Spanish Civil War, most of his cl ...
was subordinated to the
5th Air Corps, under the command of ''
General der Flieger
() was a General of the branch rank of the Luftwaffe (air force) in Nazi Germany. Until the end of World War II in 1945, this particular general officer rank was on three-star level ( OF-8), equivalent to a US Lieutenant general.
The "Genera ...
'' (General of the Aviators)
Robert Ritter von Greim
Robert Ritter von Greim (born Robert Greim; 22 June 1892 – 24 May 1945) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field marshal) and First World War flying ace. In April 1945, in the last days of World War II in Europe, Adolf Hitler appointed Gre ...
, itself part of
''Luftflotte'' 4 (4th Air Fleet), under the command of ''
Generaloberst
A ("colonel general") was the second-highest general officer rank in the German '' Reichswehr'' and ''Wehrmacht'', the Austro-Hungarian Common Army, the East German National People's Army and in their respective police services. The rank w ...
'' (Colonel General)
Alexander Löhr
Alexander Löhr (20 May 1885 – 26 February 1947) was an Austrian Air Force (1927–1938), Austrian Air Force commander during the 1930s and, after the Anschluss, annexation of Austria, he was a Luftwaffe commander. Löhr served in the Luftwaff ...
. These air elements supported ''
Generalfeldmarschall
''Generalfeldmarschall'' (; from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several German states and the Holy Roman Empire, (''Reichsgeneralfeldmarsch ...
'' (Field Marshal)
Gerd von Rundstedt
Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt (12 December 1875 – 24 February 1953) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (Field Marshal) in the ''German Army (1935–1945), Heer'' (Army) of Nazi Germany and OB West, ''Oberbefehlshaber West'' (Commande ...
's
Army Group South
Army Group South () was the name of one of three German Army Groups during World War II.
It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland, Army Group South was led by Ge ...
, with the objective of capturing Ukraine and its capital
Kiev
Kyiv, also Kiev, is the capital and most populous List of cities in Ukraine, city of Ukraine. Located in the north-central part of the country, it straddles both sides of the Dnieper, Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2022, its population was 2, ...
. At 17:00 on 21 June 1941, the 5th Air Corps, based at
Lipsko
Lipsko is a town in eastern Poland, in northern Lesser Poland, Masovian Voivodeship. It is the capital of Lipsko County. The population is 5,895 (2004). Lipsko’s coat of arms is the Dębno, which was used by previous owners of the town.
Geogr ...
, briefed the various unit commanders of the upcoming attack.
[All times used in this section are ]Central European Time
Central European Time (CET) is a standard time of Central, and parts of Western Europe, which is one hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).
The UTC offset, time offset from UTC can be written as UTC+01:00.
It is used in most parts of Eur ...
unless otherwise noted. That evening, ''
Gruppenkommandeur
''Gruppenkommandeur'' is a Luftwaffe position (not rank), that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air forces. A ''Gruppenkommandeur'' usually has the rank of Major or ''Oberstleutnant'' (Lieutenant Colonel), and comman ...
'' (group commander) of II. ''Gruppe''
Lothar Keller
Lothar or Lothair is a Danish, Finnish, German, Norwegian, and Swedish masculine given name, while Lotár is a Hungarian masculine given name. Both names are modern forms of the Germanic Chlothar (which is a blended form of ''Hlūdaz'', mean ...
informed his subordinates of the attack.
The II. ''Gruppe'' of JG 3 (II./JG 3—2nd group of the 3rd fighter wing) was relocated to
Sicily
Sicily (Italian language, Italian and ), officially the Sicilian Region (), is an island in the central Mediterranean Sea, south of the Italian Peninsula in continental Europe and is one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. With 4. ...
in January 1942, and Heckmann flew over
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
without claiming any aerial victories. II./JG 3 returned to the Eastern Front in June 1942. In July ''
Oberfeldwebel
(; OFw or OF) is the fourth highest non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Army and German Air Force.
History
The rank was introduced first by the German Reichswehr in 1920. Preferable most experienced Protégée-NCO of the old ...
'' Heckmann claimed 17 Soviet aircraft, including four
Douglas Boston
The Douglas A-20 Havoc (company designation DB-7) is an American light bomber, attack aircraft, Intruder (air combat), night intruder, night fighter, and reconnaissance aircraft of World War II.
Designed to meet an Army Air Corps requirement for ...
bombers shot down on 10 July. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in September 1942.
With ''Jagdgeschwader'' 26
In October 1942, Heckmann was transferred to 1. ''Staffel'' of
''Jagdgeschwader'' 26 "Schlageter" (1./JG 26—1st squadron of the 26th fighter wing) on the Channel front.
In January 1943, the Luftwaffe planned to move JG 26 to the
Eastern Front. The idea was to exchange JG 26 with
''Jagdgeschwader'' 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) which supported
Army Group North
Army Group North () was the name of three separate army groups of the Wehrmacht during World War II. Its rear area operations were organized by the Army Group North Rear Area.
The first Army Group North was deployed during the invasion of Pol ...
. The style of combat between the two fronts was quite different and overall the experiment was not a success; I. ''Gruppe'' of JG 26 was the only ''Gruppe'' of JG 26 to serve in Russia. On 21 January, I. ''Gruppe'' left France and arrived in
Heiligenbeil The term Heiligenbeil can refer to:
*The German name of Mamonovo, Russia
* Heiligenbeil concentration camp built near Mamonovo
*Heiligenbeil Pocket
The Heiligenbeil Pocket or Heiligenbeil Cauldron () was the site of a major encirclement battle o ...
, present-day Mamonovo, on 27 January. There, the ''Gruppe'' received factory-new Fw 190 A-5 and A-4 aircraft. On 31 January, I. ''Gruppe'' moved to
Riga
Riga ( ) is the capital, Primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Latvia, largest city of Latvia. Home to 591,882 inhabitants (as of 2025), the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga Planni ...
and two days later to an airfield named Rielbitzi at
Lake Ilmen
Lake Ilmen (, ) is a large lake in Novgorod Oblast, Russia. A historically important lake, it formed a vital part of the medieval trade route from the Varangians to the Greeks. The city of Veliky Novgorod, which is a major trade center of the ro ...
.
In the 14 weeks the ''Gruppe'' was based in Russia ''Oberfeldwebel'' Heckmann claimed four victories; all
Il-2 Stormovik's.
On 28 February 1943, Heckmann was transferred to ''
Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost
''Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost'' (EJGr Ost)For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization (Supplementary Fighter Group, East) was a fighter pilot training unit of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It w ...
'' (Supplementary Fighter Group, East), a specialized training unit for new fighter pilots destined for the Eastern Front. He returned to JG 26 on 31 July. Heck claimed his first aerial victory in
defense of the Reich
The Defence of the Reich () is the name given to the strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany over German-occupied Europe and Germany during World War II against the Allied strategic bombing campaign. Its aim ...
over the
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...
(USAAF)
VIII Bomber Command
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9.
Etymology
English ''eight'', from Old English '', æhta'', Proto-Germanic ''*ahto'' is a direct continuation of Proto-Indo-European '' *oḱtṓ(w)-'', and as such cognate wi ...
, later renamed to Eighth Air Force, on 14 October, during the
second Schweinfurt raid also called "Black Thursday". That day, Heckmann was credited with the destruction of a
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is an American four-engined heavy bomber aircraft developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). A fast and high-flying bomber, the B-17 dropped more bombs than any other aircraft during ...
heavy bomber
Heavy bombers are bomber Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually Aerial bomb, bombs) and longest range (aeronautics), range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy ...
.
Squadron leader
He returned to 1./JG 26 in July. On 23 January 1944, Heckamm was appointed ''
Staffelkapitän
''Staffelkapitän'' is a command appointment, rather than a military rank, in the air force units of German-speaking countries.
The rank normally held by a ''Staffelkapitän'' has changed over time. In the present-day German ''Luftwaffe'' – p ...
'' (squadron leader) of 3. ''Staffel'' of JG 26. He succeeded ''Leutnant'' Herfried Kloimüller who had briefly led the ''Staffel'' after its former commander, ''Oberleutnant'' Heinrich Jessen, had been killed in a flying accident on 10 January. On 21 September, I./JG 26 attacked a formation of RAF C-47
Douglas Dakota
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for troo ...
transports over
's-Hertogenbosch
s-Hertogenbosch (), colloquially known as Den Bosch (), is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Netherlands with a population of 160,783. It is the capital of ...
en route to supply the Allied aerial landings at
Arnhem
Arnhem ( ; ; Central Dutch dialects, Ernems: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands, near the German border. It is the capita ...
. Heckmann claimed four shot down.
On 1 January 1945, Heckmann led 23
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' (Shrike) is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, the ...
D-9s of 3./JG 26 in
Operation Bodenplatte
Operation Bodenplatte (; "Baseplate"), launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the German Luftwaffe to cripple Allies of World War II, Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the World War II, Second World War. The goal of ''Bodenpl ...
, the attack on the Allied airfields in the Netherlands and Belgium.
On 26 March 1945, ''Oberleutnant''
Karl-Wilhelm Hofmann, the ''Staffelkapitän'' of 5. ''Staffel'' of JG 26 was
killed in action
Killed in action (KIA) is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their personnel at the hands of enemy or hostile forces at the moment of action. The United States Department of Defense, for example, ...
. In consequence, Heckmann was transferred, taking command of 5. ''Staffel'' on 29 March. Command of his former 3. ''Staffel'' was passed on to ''Oberleutnant''
Hans Dortenmann
Hans Dortenmann (11 December 19211 April 1973) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 39 aerial victories achieved in 150 combat missions. This figure includes 17 aerial victories on th ...
. On 14 April, Heckmann received orders from ''Generalleutnant''
Adolf Galland
Adolf Josef Ferdinand Galland (19 March 1912 – 9 February 1996) was a German Luftwaffe general and flying ace who served throughout the Second World War in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions and fought on the Western Front and in the Defenc ...
and transferred to
''Jagdverband'' 44 at
Munich-Riem. Command of 5. ''Staffel'' of JG 26 was passed on to ''Leutnant'' Peter Crump.
Later life
Heckmann died on 27 July 1993 at the age of in
Brakel Brakel may refer to:
;Places
* Brakel, Belgium, East Flanders, Belgium
* Brakel, Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
* Brakel (Gelderland), Gelderland, Netherlands
* Brakel (North Brabant), North Brabant, Netherlands
;Other uses
* Wilhelmus � ...
, Germany.
Summary of career
Aerial victory claims
According to US historian
David T. Zabecki, Heckmann was credited with 71 aerial victories. Spick also lists him 71 aerial victories, 54 on the Eastern Front and 17 over the
Western Allies
Western Allies was a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It primarily refers to the leading Anglo-American Allied powers, namely the United States and the United Kingdom, although the term has also be ...
, including three four-engined
heavy bomber
Heavy bombers are bomber Fixed-wing aircraft, aircraft capable of delivering the largest payload of air-to-ground weaponry (usually Aerial bomb, bombs) and longest range (aeronautics), range (takeoff to landing) of their era. Archetypal heavy ...
s, claimed in approximately 600 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of ''Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims'', researched the
German Federal Archives
The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv (BArch) (, lit. "Federal Archive") are the national archives of Germany. They were established at the current location in Koblenz in 1952.
They are subordinated to the Federal Commissioner for Culture ...
and found documentation for 69 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claims This number includes fifteen on the Western Front, including three four-engined heavy bombers, and 54 on the Eastern Front.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = ''Planquadrat''), for example "PQ 08453". The Luftwaffe grid map () covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15
minutes
Minutes, also known as minutes of meeting, protocols or, informally, notes, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting and may include a list of attendees, a statement of the activit ...
of
latitude
In geography, latitude is a geographic coordinate system, geographic coordinate that specifies the north-south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from −90° at t ...
by 30 minutes of
longitude
Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east- west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lett ...
, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.
Awards
*
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
(1939) 2nd and 1st Class
*
Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe
The ''Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe'' (Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe) was a Luftwaffe award established on 27 February 1940 by ''Reichsmarschall'' Hermann Göring, the ''Reich'' Minister of Aviation and Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe. It was ...
(11 August 1941)
*
German Cross
The War Order of the German Cross (), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repeated acts of bravery or military leade ...
in Gold on 9 April 1942 as ''
Oberfeldwebel
(; OFw or OF) is the fourth highest non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Army and German Air Force.
History
The rank was introduced first by the German Reichswehr in 1920. Preferable most experienced Protégée-NCO of the old ...
'' in the 5./''Jagdgeschwader'' 3
*
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...
on 19 September 1942 as ''Oberfeldwebel'' and pilot in the 4./''Jagdgeschwader'' 3 "Udet"
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Heckmann, Alfred
1914 births
1993 deaths
Luftwaffe pilots
German World War II flying aces
Recipients of the Gold German Cross
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Military personnel from the Province of Westphalia
Military personnel from Bochum