Theodor "Theo" Osterkamp (15 April 1892 – 2 January 1975) was a German fighter pilot during

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and

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 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 ...

, he achieved 32 victories in World War I. In World War II, he led ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 up to 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 ...

and claimed a further six victories during World War II, in the process becoming one of only a few men to score victories and become an ace in both world wars.

Early life and World War I

Osterkamp was born in Rölsdorf near

Düren Düren (; Ripuarian language, Ripuarian: Düre) is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, between Aachen and Cologne, on the river Rur (river), Rur. History Roman era The area of Düren was part of Gallia Belgica, more specifically the ter ...

, West Germany, and grew up in

Aschersleben Aschersleben () is a town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approximately 22 km east of Quedlinburg, and 45 km northwest of Halle (Saale). Geography Aschersleben lies near the confluence of the ...

, modern day

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt ( ; ) is a States of Germany, state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.17 million inhabitants, making it the List of German states ...

. He was born in 1892 as the second son of the factory owner Hermann Osterkamp and Anna Wilhelmine née Blank. Osterkamp received his ''

Abitur ''Abitur'' (), often shortened colloquially to ''Abi'', is a qualification granted at the end of secondary education in Germany. It is conferred on students who pass their final exams at the end of ISCED 3, usually after twelve or thirteen year ...

'' from the ''Gymnasium'' in

Dessau Dessau is a district of the independent city of Dessau-Roßlau in Saxony-Anhalt at the confluence of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the ''States of Germany, Bundesland'' (Federal State) of Saxony-Anhalt. Until 1 July 2007, it was an independent ...

. His schoolmates in Dessau included the future pilots

Oswald Boelcke Oswald Boelcke PlM (; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a World War I German professional soldier and pioneering flying ace credited with 40 aerial victories. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air ...

and Gotthard Sachsenberg. When the First World War started he was studying

forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests and woodlands for associated resources for human and Natural environment, environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and ...

but decided to enlist in the German Army. He was rejected for service due to his "slight build" and he instead enlisted in the ''

Marineflieger The ''Marinefliegerkommando'' (Naval Aviation Command) is the Naval aviation, naval air arm of the German Navy. It is aircraft flown by the Navy of Germany, and mostly consists of helicopters and fixed-wing maritime patrol aircraft, as well as ty ...

korps'' in August 1914. He then flew with the ''2. Marine-Fliegerabteilung'' in

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

. During 1915–1916, he served as an air observer, and became the first German pilot to fly a land-based aircraft to

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

on a reconnaissance-mission. Osterkamp claimed his first (but unconfirmed) kill on 6 September 1916 as an observer to pilot ''Leutnant zur See'' Wilhelm Mattheus in a LVG C.II two-seater aircraft. In March 1917, he joined the ''Kampffliegerschule'' (Combat pilot school) in Putzig and then joined ''Marine Feld Jagdstaffel 1'' on the 14th of April 1917 On 21 March 1917, ''

Leutnant () is the lowest junior officer rank in the armed forces of Germany ( Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the military of Switzerland. History The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") from Middle High German «locum ...

'' Osterkamp took command of ''Marine Feld Jagdstaffel 2'' He scored a total of 32 victories during the war, and was awarded the Prussian military order ''

Pour le Mérite The (; , ), also informally known as the ''Blue Max'' () after German WWI flying ace Max Immelmann, is an order of merit established in 1740 by King Frederick II of Prussia. Separated into two classes, each with their own designs, the was ...

'' on 2 September 1918, and was one of the last individuals to receive it.

Interwar years

Osterkamp joined the new ''Luftwaffe'' on 1 August 1933 with the rank of ''Hauptmann''. He also participated in the second, third and fourth FAI International Tourist Plane Contest

Challenge 1930 The International Touring Competition in 1930 () was the second FAI international touring aircraft contest, that took place between July 18 and August 8, 1930 in Berlin, Germany. Four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, were major aviation events in pr ...

(11th place),

Challenge 1932 The Challenge 1932 was the third Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, FAI International Tourist Plane Competition (), that took place between 12 and August 28, 1932, in Berlin, Germany. The four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, were major aviat ...

(12th place) and Challenge 1934 (5th place). On 1 April 1935, Osterkamp 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 4. '' Staffel'' (4th squadron) of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 132 "Richthofen" (JG 132—132nd Fighter Wing), the first commander of this newly created ''Staffel''. On 15 March 1936, Osterkamp transferred command of 4. ''Staffel'' to ''Hauptmann'' Clemens Graf von Schönborn-Wiesentheid. Osterkamp was then appointed '' Gruppenkommandeur'' (group commander) of II. '' Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 134 "Horst Wessel" (JG 134—134th Fighter Wing). He held this position until November 1937 when he was transferred to the ''Jagdfliegerschule Werneuchen'', later (JFS 1).

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 19 September, ''

Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German language, German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Colonel. It is currently used by both the Army, ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, a ...

'' Osterkamp was appointed ''

Geschwaderkommodore ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (short also ''Kommodore'') is a ''Luftwaffe'' position or appointment (not rank), originating during World War II. A ''Geschwaderkommodore'' is usually an OF5-rank of ''Oberst'' (colonel) or Kapitän zur See (naval captain ...

'' of

Jagdgeschwader 51 ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 (JG 51) was a German fighter wing during World War II. JG 51's pilots won more awards than any other fighter wing of the Luftwaffe, and operated in all major theatres of war. Its members included Anton Hafner, Heinz Bär, ...

(JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). During 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 ...

, he claimed four victories. During the ''

Kanalkampf The (Channel Battle) was the German term for air operations by the against the Royal Air Force (RAF) over the English Channel in July 1940, beginning the Battle of Britain during the Second World War. By 25 June, the Allies of World War II, A ...

'' period of the

in July 1940, he claimed a further two victories, (a

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. ...

on 1 June and a Spitfire on 13 July 1940) bringing his total to six. He was replaced as commander of JG 51 by

Werner Mölders Werner Mölders (18 March 1913 – 22 November 1941) was a World War II German Luftwaffe pilot, wing commander, and the leading German fighter ace in the Spanish Civil War. He became the first pilot in aviation history to shoot down 100 ...

on 23 July with the latter formally taking command on the 27 July. Promoted to ''

Generalmajor is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...

'', Osterkamp was awarded his

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 22 August 1940. Following his replacement in JG 51, Osterkamp was appointed '' Jagdfliegerführer 2'', the commander of fighter aircraft in

Luftflotte 2 __NOTOC__ ''Luftflotte'' 2For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet 2) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed 1 February 1939 in Braunsc ...

.For an explanation of ''Luftwaffe'' unit designations see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II. On 1 August 1942, he was transferred to ''Luftgaustab z.b.V. Afrika''. On 5 April 1943, he was appointed '' Jagdfliegerführer Sizilien'' and served until replaced on 15 June by

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 ...

. He then served in a number of staff positions until being appointed ''Inspekteur der Luftwaffen-Bodenorganisation'' (Inspector of Luftwaffe ground organisation) in 1944. His criticism of the ''

Oberkommando der Luftwaffe The (; abbreviated OKL) was the high command of the air force () of Nazi Germany. History The was organized in a large and diverse structure led by Reich minister and supreme commander of the Air force () Hermann Göring. Through the Mini ...

'' (Luftwaffe High Command) led to his dismissal from service in December 1944.

Post-war career

In 1960, he was appointed honorary chairman of the ''Gemeinschaft der Jagdflieger'', the Association of Fighter Pilots.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

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 records for 31 aerial victory claims, plus six further unconfirmed claims during World War I and three further unconfirmed claims during World War II. This number includes 29 claims during the World War I and two on the Western Front of World War II.

Awards and decorations

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 ...

: **

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 ...

2nd Class & 1st Class ** Royal

House Order of Hohenzollern The House Order of Hohenzollern ( or ') was a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Hohenzollern awarded to military commissioned officers and civilians of comparable status. Associated with the various versions of the order were crosses an ...

, Knight's Cross with Swords **

(2 September 1918) *

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 ...

: Imperial Navy Pilot’s Badge *

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...

: Baltic Cross *

Duchy of Anhalt The Duchy of Anhalt () was a historical German duchy. The duchy was located between the Harz Mountains in the west and the River Elbe and beyond to the Fläming Heath in the east. The territory was once ruled by the House of Ascania, and is now ...

: ** House Order of Albert the Bear, Knight's Badge 2nd Class with Swords ** Friedrich Cross * Free and Hanseatic City of

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

Hanseatic Cross The Hanseatic Cross () was a military decoration of the three Hanseatic city-states of Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck, who were members of the German Empire during World War I. Each republic established its own version of the cross, but the design ...

Grand Duchy of Oldenburg The Grand Duchy of Oldenburg (, also known as Holstein-Oldenburg) was a grand duchy within the German Confederation, North German Confederation and German Empire, that consisted of three widely separated territories: Oldenburg, Eutin and Bir ...

: Friedrich August Cross 2nd Class & 1st Class *

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

: Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration *

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

: **

Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 The Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 (), commonly referred to as the Hindenburg Cross or the German WWI Service Cross, was established by Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, President of the German Weimar Republic, by an order dated 13 July ...

for Combatants ** Combined Pilot/Observer Badge **

Wehrmacht Long Service Award The Wehrmacht Long Service Award () was a List of military decorations of the Third Reich, military service decoration of Nazi Germany issued for satisfactory completion of a number of years in military service. History On 16 March 1936, Adolf ...

(Luftwaffe) 4th Class ** 1939

Clasp to the Iron Cross Clasp, clasper or CLASP may refer to: * Book clasp, fastener for a book cover * Folding clasp, a device used to close a watch strap * Lobster clasp, fastener for jewellery * Wrist clasp, a dressing accessory * Medal bar, an element in militar ...

2nd Class & 1st Class **

on 22 August 1940 as ''

'' and '' Jagdfliegerführer'' of

Publications

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Osterkamp, Theo 1892 births 1975 deaths Luftwaffe pilots Luftwaffe World War II generals German World War I flying aces German World War II flying aces Military personnel from the Rhine Province Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (military class) Imperial German Navy personnel of World War I People from Düren 20th-century Freikorps personnel Recipients of the clasp to the Iron Cross, 1st class Lieutenant generals of the Luftwaffe Military personnel from North Rhine-Westphalia