Erich Woitke (29 January 1912 – 24 December 1944) was a fighter pilot 'ace' serving in the German

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 ...

during World War II.

Early life

Woitke was born 29 January 1912 in

Mülheim Mülheim, officially Mülheim an der Ruhr (, ; ; ) and also described as ''"City on the River"'', is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. It is located in the Ruhr Area between Duisburg, Essen, Oberhausen and Ratingen. It is ho ...

, near Duisburg.

Military career

''Leutnant'' Woitke served with the fighter unit 1./J 88 of the

Condor Legion The Condor Legion () was a unit of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War. The legion developed methods of strategic bombing that were ...

during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

. He recorded his first victory on 27 September 1937, claiming a Republican I-16 "Rata". He claimed 3 more victories, all "Ratas" before returning to Germany. From the early stages of his career until his death, Woitke was considered outspoken, and anti-authoritarian, and his attitude to authority would lead him into conflict with his superiors on numerous occasions. He is reputed to have received the

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 from

Hermann Göring Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician, aviator, military leader, and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which gov ...

in person, only to hurl the award on the floor while making disparaging remarks.

World War II

In February 1940, ''Oberleutnant'' Woitke was made ''

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 ...

'', 6./

JG 3 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 3 (JG 3) "Udet" was a ''Luftwaffe'' fighter wing of World War II. The ''Geschwader'' operated on all the German fronts in the European Theatre of World War II. It was named after Ernst Udet, an important figure in the devel ...

, leading the unit through the

Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...

. On 31 May 1940, he shot down a

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

(RAF)

Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company, which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until the end of the war. ...

and then claimed a French Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 near Compigne on 3 June. Operating 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 ...

, Woitke claimed 7 victories. On 1 October 1940, Woitke was appointed '' Gruppenkommandeur'' of II./JG 3. He was then appointed ''Gruppenkommandeur'' II./ JG 52 in late November. He recorded his next victory (his 14th in total) on 14 February 1941, a Spitfire over Maidstone. Woitke led II./JG 52 east in May 1941 for the invasion of Russia. He claimed two victories on 22 June 1941, the opening day of

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 severity of the Russian winter of 1941–42 was such that Luftwaffe operations were virtually halted. By January the pilots and ground personnel of II./JG 52 were pressed into service as infantry to protect their airfields from the sudden Soviet counter offensive in the

Rzhev Rzhev ( rus, Ржев, p=ˈrʐɛf) is a town in Tver Oblast, Russia, located southwest of Staritsa and from Tver, on the highway and railway connecting Moscow and Riga. It is the uppermost town situated on the Volga River. Population: Hist ...

sector. As commander, Woitke was warned of a Soviet incursion on the night of 20 January and was advised by local army commanders to alert the airfield's defensive positions. He apparently ignored the advice and consequently several pilots and ground crew were killed and wounded, including the gruppe adjutant, Oberleutnant Carl Hartmann. Woitke was therefore court-martialled, removed from command and demoted. In October 1942, Woitke was back in front line service, with II./ JG 27 in Africa. He claimed a USAAF

P-39 The Bell P-39 Airacobra is a fighter produced by Bell Aircraft for the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. It was one of the principal American fighters in service when the United States entered combat. The P-39 was used by th ...

Airacobra on 9 October over El Daba as victory number 23. By January 1943, he was serving with Stab. JG 77 in Tunisia, claiming a

Curtiss P-40 The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is an American single-engined, single-seat, all-metal fighter-bomber that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry ...

on 14 January. By October 1943, Woitke was part of 2./ JG 11 on ''Reichsverteidigung'' (

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 ...

) duties. He claimed his 25th kill, a B-17, on 9 October. He was then transferred to II./ JG 300 in early 1944, and shot down a B-24 bomber on 21 February. In May 1944, Woitke was appointed as Gruppenkommandeur III./ JG 1. After the D-Day landings, III./JG 1 was sent to

Beauvais Beauvais ( , ; ) is a town and Communes of France, commune in northern France, and prefecture of the Oise Departments of France, département, in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, north of Paris. The Communes of France, commune o ...

as part of the counter to the Allied aerial operations over the beaches in Normandy. On 18 June, Woitke was shot down in aerial combat with a P-38 near Pont Laverne, and although he bailed out of his Bf 109 G-6, he dislocated both shoulders. His injuries hospitalised him until October 1944. On his recovery, Woitke returned to III./JG 1 which now based at

Anklam Anklam (), formerly known as Tanglim and Wendenburg, is a town in the Western Pomerania region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in north-eastern Germany. It is situated on the banks of the Peene river, just 8 km from its mouth in the , the western ...

. On 24 December 1944, Woitke was shot down and killed in aerial combat near Aachen in a dogfight with

Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. It was the only British fighter produced continuously throughout the ...

s. He was credited with 30 victories, eight on the Russian front, two in Africa, and the rest on the Western Front, including three heavy bombers. His victory total includes four victories claimed in the Spanish Civil War.

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) 1st and 2nd Class * Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe *

Eastern Front Medal The Eastern Medal (), officially the Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal (), was a military award of the ''Wehrmacht'' which was created by ordinance of Adolf Hitler on 26 May 1942. The Eastern Medal was awarded to any member of the ''W ...

in Gold * West Wall Medal * Commemorative Medal for the Italo-German Campaign in Africa * Legion Condor Medal

References

Aces of Luftwaffe
{{DEFAULTSORT:Woitke, Erich 1912 births 1944 deaths Condor Legion personnel German World War II flying aces Recipients of the Gold German Cross Military personnel from Mülheim Military personnel from the Rhine Province Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II Aviators killed by being shot down