Fritz Dinger

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Born20 August 1915

Ottweiler

Died27 July 1943 (aged 27)

Scalea, Italy

Allegiance

Nazi Germany

Branch

Luftwaffe

Fritz Dinger
Born	20 August 1915 Ottweiler
Died	27 July 1943(1943-07-27) (aged 27) Scalea, Italy
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Branch	Luftwaffe
Service years	1939–1943
Rank	Oberleutnant (first lieutenant)
Unit	JG 53
Commands	4./JG 53
Conflicts	World War II Battle of France Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa Siege of Malta Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Fritz Dinger (20 August 1915 – 27 July 1943) was born into an aristocratic German family. Fritz enlisted into the German Luftwaffe in 1939 and would later end up becoming an ace. Fritz was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

Operation Barbarossa

Dinger was born on 20 August 1915 in Ottweiler in the Kingdom of Prussia within the German Empire.^[1] Following flight and fighter pilot training,^{[Note 1]} Dinger was posted to the 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing).^[3] At 14:45 on 16 August 1940 during the Battle of Britain, Dinger was shot down in aerial combat with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and crashed his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1 into the sea in a location 50 kilometers (31 miles) south of Cherbourg.^[4]

The bulk of the Geschwader's air elements were moved via Jever, in northern Germany, to Mannheim-Sandhofen on 8 June 1941. There the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul prior to moving east. The II. Gruppe was transferred to Neusiedel in East Prussia, present-day Malomožaiskojė in Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia, between 12–14 June.^[5]

On 22 June the Geschwader crossed into Soviet airspace in support of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union which opened the Eastern Front.^[6]

Following aerial combat on 5 October 1941, Dinger made a forced landing in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 (Werknummer 7187—factory number) at Sologubovka, located 70 kilometers (43 miles) southeast of Saint Petersburg.^[7] That day, his unit had flown its final missions in the area of Shlisselburg. The Gruppe then relocated to the Western Front where it arrived at Leeuwarden in the Netherlands on 12 October.^[8] While based at Leeuwarden, Dinger claimed his twelfth aerial victory when he shot down a RAF Bristol Blenheim bomber on 27 October.^[9] On 2 December 1941, II. Gruppe moved to the Mediterranean theater and where then based at Comiso airfield during the siege of Malta.^[10]

Squadron leader and death

In October 1942, Dinger was transferred to take command of 4. Staffel of JG 53. He succeeded Oberleutnant Wilhelm Hobirk who had led the Staffel for two months after its former commander, Oberleutnant Gerhard Michalski had been transferred in August.^[11] Dinger was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 23 December 1942 for 49 aerial victories claimed.^[12]

On an early morning mission flown on 27 July 1943, Dinger claimed his 67th aerial victory. Following this mission, the airfield at Scalea came under an Allied bombing attack. Dinger was hit in the back of his head by shrapnel, killing him instantly.^[13] In consequence, Hauptmann Willi Krauss replaced him as commander of 4. Staffel.^[14]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Dinger was credited with 67 aerial victories.^[15] Obermaier also list him with 67 aerial victories, 41 of which on the Eastern Front and 25 over the Western Allies in the Mediterranean theater, claimed in over 600 combat missions.^[1] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 64 aerial victory claims. This number includes 37 claims on the Eastern Front and 27 over the Western Allies, including one four-engined heavy bomber.^[16]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 49442". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) 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 360 square miles (930 km²). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.^[17]

Chronicle of aerial victories
This and the # (hash mark) indicates those aerial victories listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock without an explicit sequence number. 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
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –^[18] Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 4 October 1941
#	4 July 1941	16:46	SB-3^[19]		#	7 July 1941	10:45?^{[Note 2]}	SB-3^[20]
#	4 July 1941	16:48	SB-3^[19]		#	10 July 1941	09:03	SB-3^[20]
According to Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, Dinger claimed two undocumented aerial victories in the timeframe 22 June to 10 October 1941.^[21] These two claims are not listed by Mathews and Foreman.^[18]
6	25 August 1941	13:42	I-18 (MiG-1)^[20]		9	29 August 1941	18:46	I-16^[22]
7	29 August 1941	15:57	I-16?^[22]^{[Note 3]}		11	28 September 1941	16:09	Pe-2^[23]
8	29 August 1941	16:22	V-11 (Il-2)^[22]
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –^[18] Netherlands — 12 October – 15 December 1941
12	27 October 1941	15:08	Blenheim	6 km (3.7 mi) northwest of Texel^[24]
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –^[16] Mediterranean Theater — 25 November 1941 – July 1942
13	22 February 1942	12:05	Hurricane^[25]		16	7 July 1942	06:56	Spitfire^[26]
14	22 April 1942	10:30	Hurricane^[27]		17	10 July 1942	10:41	Spitfire^[28]
15	15 June 1942	18:25	Spitfire	50 km (31 mi) southwest of Gozo^[26]	18	13 July 1942	13:30	Spitfire^[28]	5–10 km (3.1–6.2 mi) south of Kalafrana
?^{[Note 4]}	2 July 1942	07:48	Spitfire	15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of La Valletta^[18]
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –^[30] Eastern Front — August – 27 September 1942
19	18 August 1942	17:23	Il-2	west of Schintow^[31]
According to Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, Dinger claimed two undocumented aerial victories in the timeframe August to September 1942.^[32] These two claims are not listed by Mathews and Foreman.^[18]
#	19 August 1942	11:30	Pe-2	east of Kusserow^[31]	#	10 September 1942	14:03	LaGG-3	PQ 49442^[33] 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Stalingrad
#	19 August 1942	11:31	LaGG-3?^{[Note 5]}	east of Kusserow^[31]	#	11 September 1942	14:43	Yak-1	5 km (3.1 mi) northeast Kotluban train station^[34]
#	19 August 1942	17:47	Il-2	PQ 40774^[31] 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Gumrak	#	13 September 1942	06:40	I-180 (Yak-7)	PQ 49432^[34] 35 km (22 mi) east of Stalingrad
#	21 August 1942	17:30	LaGG-3	PQ 4074^[35] 35 km (22 mi) north-northwest of Gumrak	#	13 September 1942	06:58	I-180 (Yak-7)	PQ 49273^[34] 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Stalingrad
#	25 August 1942	11:06	MiG-1	PQ 49252^[36] 25 km (16 mi) east of Stalingrad	#	15 September 1942	09:36	Il-2	PQ 49243^[37] 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Stalingrad
#	30 August 1942	08:11	I-180 (Yak-7)	PQ 49533^[36] 30 km (19 mi) south of Stalingrad	#	15 September 1942	09:37	Il-2	PQ 49212^[37] 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Stalingrad
#	30 August 1942	08:58	Il-2	PQ 49164^[36] vicinity of Grebenka	#	16 September 1942	09:45	La-5	PQ 4945^[37] 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Stalingrad
#	30 August 1942	09:00	Il-2	PQ 49162^[36] vicinity of Grebenka	#	23 September 1942	06:40	La-5	PQ 4072^[32] 35 km (22 mi) north of Grebenka
#	31 August 1942	09:00	Il-2	PQ 49473^[38] 30 km (19 mi) south-southeast of Stalingrad	#	23 September 1942	16:40	Yak-1	PQ 4064^[32] 55 km (34 mi) north-northeast of Grebenka
#	3 September 1942	09:43	Il-2	PQ 49422^[38] 25 km (16 mi) east of Stalingrad	#	24 September 1942	07:06	MiG-1	PQ 4075^[32] 30 km (19 mi) north of Gumrak
#	3 September 1942	15:10	Yak-1	PQ 40701^[38] 40 km (25 mi) north of Gumrak	46	25 September 1942	10:48?^{[Note 6]}	MiG-1	PQ 4924^[32] 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Stalingrad
#	6 September 1942	10:15?^{[Note 7]}	LaGG-3	PQ 5933^[38] 55 km (34 mi) east of Stalingrad	47	25 September 1942	10:52	Il-2	PQ 4087^[32]
#	7 September 1942	11:24	Il-2	PQ 40751^[38] 30 km (19 mi) north of Gumrak	48	25 September 1942	16:32	Yak-1	PQ 4052^[32] 65 km (40 mi) north of Gumrak
#	7 September 1942	15:54	Il-2	PQ 40782^[33] 20 km (12 mi) north of Gumrak
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –^[30] Mediterranean Theater — October 1941 – 31 December 1942
49	16 October 1942	08:25	Spitfire^[39]	3–5 km (1.9–3.1 mi) east of Żonqor Tower	52	4 December 1942	15:52	Boston	30 km (19 mi) southwest of Mateur^[40]
50	4 December 1942	11:31	P-38	2 km (1.2 mi) south Ferryville^[40]	53	5 December 1942	12:31?^{[Note 8]}	B-25	10 km (6.2 mi) west of Cap Blanc^[40]
51	4 December 1942	15:50	Boston	30 km (19 mi) southeast of Mateur^[40]
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –^[30] Mediterranean Theater — 1 January – 27 July 1943
54	22 March 1943	13:55	Boston	PQ 13 Ost 0873^[29] Cape San Vito	61	7 July 1943	17:18	P-40	35 km (22 mi) west of Marsala^[41]
55	5 April 1943	09:13	P-38	40 km (25 mi) north of Zembra^[29] 40 km (25 mi) north of Feccabra	62	8 July 1943	12:25	B-17	20 km (12 mi) south of Agrigento^[41]
56	18 April 1943	19:02	P-40	10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Ras el Almas^[29]	63	8 July 1943	16:18	P-40	west of Sciacca^[41]
57	19 April 1943	15:57	Spitfire	10 km (6.2 mi) west of Zembra^[29]	64	9 July 1943	07:43	P-40	3 km (1.9 mi) north-northeast of Sciacca^[41]
58	25 April 1943	13:59	Spitfire	30 km (19 mi) south of Hammamet^[29]	65?^{[Note 9]}	18 July 1943	07:45	Spitfire	Catania^[41]
?^{[Note 4]}	22 May 1943	18:44	Spitfire^[30]		66	24 July 1943	12:55	B-26	30 km (19 mi) northeast of Stromboli^[41]
59	4 June 1943	07:56	Spitfire	20 km (12 mi) north of La Valetta^[29]	67	27 July 1943	09:25	P-40	2 km (1.2 mi) east of Cesarò^[41]
60	6 July 1943	15:22	Spitfire	1 km (0.62 mi) west Pozallo^[41]

Awards

Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class^[42]
Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 26 October 1942 as Leutnant and pilot^[43]
German Cross in Gold on 5 November 1942 as Leutnant in the I./Jagdgeschwader 53 "Pik As"^[44]
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 December 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelführer of the 4./Jagdgeschwader 53^[45]^[46]

Notes

References

Citations

1 2 Obermaier 1989, p. 101.
↑ Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, p. 17.
↑ Dixon 2023, p. 297.
↑ Prien et al. 2002, p. 234.
↑ Prien 1997, p. 252.
↑ Prien 1997, p. 260.
↑ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 139.
↑ Prien 1997, p. 300.
↑ Prien 1997, p. 320.
↑ Prien 1997, p. 333.
↑ Prien et al. 2004, p. 134.
↑ Weal 2007, p. 122.
↑ Prien 1998, p. 646.
↑ Prien et al. 2011, p. 118.
↑ Zabecki 2014, p. 1616.
1 2 Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 222–223.
↑ Planquadrat.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 222.
1 2 Prien et al. 2003b, p. 131.
1 2 3 Prien et al. 2003b, p. 133.
↑ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 137.
1 2 3 Prien et al. 2003b, p. 134.
↑ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 135.
↑ Prien et al. 2003a, p. 108.
↑ Prien et al. 2004, p. 143.
1 2 3 Prien et al. 2004, p. 146.
↑ Prien et al. 2004, p. 144.
1 2 Prien et al. 2004, p. 148.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Prien et al. 2011, p. 123.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 223.
1 2 3 4 Prien et al. 2006, p. 29.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Prien et al. 2006, p. 38.
1 2 Prien et al. 2006, p. 33.
1 2 3 Prien et al. 2006, p. 35.
↑ Prien et al. 2006, p. 30.
1 2 3 4 Prien et al. 2006, p. 31.
1 2 3 Prien et al. 2006, p. 36.
1 2 3 4 5 Prien et al. 2006, p. 32.
↑ Prien et al. 2004, p. 149.
1 2 3 4 Prien et al. 2004, p. 150.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Prien et al. 2011, p. 124.
↑ Dixon 2023, p. 298.
↑ Patzwall 2008, p. 66.
↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 86.
↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 161.
↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 273.

Bibliography

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Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 29 February 2024.
Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1939–1942. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-52677-864-2.
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Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2014). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 1 A–F. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-18-9.
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Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
Prien, Jochen (1997). Jagdgeschwader 53 A History of the "Pik As" Geschwader March 1937 – May 1942. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7643-0175-9.
Prien, Jochen (1998). Jagdgeschwader 53 A History of the "Pik As" Geschwader May 1942 – January 1944. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7643-0292-3.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/II—Einsatz am Kanal und über England—26.6.1940 bis 21.6.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 4/II—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-64-9.
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Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003b). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/II—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/II—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-70-0.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2004). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 8/II—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—November 1941 bis Dezember 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 8/II—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—November 1941 to December 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-74-8.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/III—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1.5.1942 bis 3.2.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/III—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-78-6.
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v t e Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients of Jagdgeschwader 53
Franz Barten Helmut Belser Heinz Bretnütz Wilhelm Crinius (Oak Leaves) Fritz Dinger Rudolf Ehrenberger Alfred Franke Franz Götz Heinz Golinski Jürgen Harder¹ (Oak Leaves) Eduard Isken Helmut Lipfert² (Oak Leaves) Stefan Litjens Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn (Oak Leaves) Hans-Karl Mayer Julius Meimberg Gerhard Michalski³ (Oak Leaves) Werner Mölders⁴ (Oak Leaves, Swords & Diamonds) Friedrich-Karl Müller (Oak Leaves) Hermann Neuhoff Hans Roehrig Herbert Rollwage (Oak Leaves) Franz Schieß Erich Schmidt Herbert Schramm⁵ (Oak Leaves) Günther Seeger Werner Stumpf Wolfgang Tonne (Oak Leaves) Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke⁶ (Oak Leaves & Swords) Walter Zellot
¹Oak Leaves with JG 11. ²Knight's Cross with JG 52. ³Oak Leaves with JG 4. ⁴Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds with JG 51. ⁵Oak Leaves with JG 27. ⁶Oak Leaves and Swords with JG 3.

Squadron leader and death

Aerial victory claims

Awards

Citations

Bibliography

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