Heinrich Höfemeier
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Heinrich Höfemeier | |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 August 1913 |
| Died | 7 August 1943 (aged 29) |
| Cause of death | Killed in action |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch |  Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1933–1943 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) |
| Unit | Condor Legion, JG 51 |
| Battles / wars | Spanish Civil War
|
| Awards | Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Heinrich Höfemeier (21 August 1913 – 7 August 1943) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. He claimed 96 victories in 490 missions. All his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front. He was shot down and killed in action on 7 August 1943.
Höfemeier was born on 21 August 1913 in Langenholzhausen, present-day part of Kalletal, then in the Principality of Lippe, a Federated State of the German Empire. On 1 May 1933, he joined the military service of the then still secret branch of the Luftwaffe.[1] He was trained as a flight engineer and served with the ground staff of the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. He was awarded the Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords (Spanienkreuz in Silber mit Schwertern), for his service in the Spanish Civil War.[2]
World War II
World War II in Europe had begun on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. That month, Höfemeier began his flight and fighter pilot training.[Note 1] On 22 March 1941, Höfemeier was posted to 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing), a squadron of I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 51.[1] At the time, the Gruppe was commanded by Hauptmann Hermann-Friedrich Joppien and the Staffel was headed by Oberleutnant Fritz Eberle.[4] Based at an airfield near Coquelles, the Gruppe was being equipped with the then new Messerschmitt Bf 109 F series. On 21 May, the Gruppe was withdrawn from operations at the English Channel and relocated to Krefeld Airfield for a short period of maintenance and overhaul.[5]
War against the Soviet Union
In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, I. Gruppe relocated to Starawieś on 10 June.[6] JG 51 area of operation during Operation Barbarossa was over the right flank of Army Group Center in the combat area of the 2nd Panzer Group as well as the 4th Army.[7] On the morning of 22 June, Höfemeier and his wingman Leutnant Heinrich Bär were escorting a damaged Heinkel He 111 over German lines when they made contact with 18 Tupolev SB bombers from the 39 SBAP (Skorostnoy Bombardirovohchnyy Aviatsionny Polk—high speed bomber aviation regiment) and 10 SAD (Smeshannaya Aviatsionnaya Diviziya—composite aviation regiment). The German pilots attacked; Höfemeier claimed four, Bär two—though the former was wounded in the left arm when his Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 5423—factory number) was hit east of Siedlce. Höfemeier noted the vulnerability of the Soviet aircraft which lacked self-sealing fuel tanks and had a propensity to burst into flames. More JG 51 Bf 109s appeared and claimed six more. None of the 18 bombers returned home. Höfemeier had claimed his first four aerial victories.[8][9][10]
On 19 March 1942, Höfemeier received the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold).[2] Less than three weeks later on 5 April, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for 41 aerial victories claimed.[11] On 10 August, I. Gruppe of JG 51 was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and sent to Jesau, near present-day Bagrationovsk, to Heiligenbeil, present-day Mamonovo, to be reequipped with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A. The pilots were sent to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe West based at Cazaux, France for conversion training. Conversion completed, the Gruppe then relocated to Lyuban on 10 September. Here they came under control of Army Group North and fought in the area south of Lake Ladoga.[12]
Instructor, back on the Eastern Front and death
On 20 March 1943, Höfemeier was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost, a specialized training unit for new fighter pilots destined for the Eastern Front, where he served as a fighter pilot instructor. Serving in this capacity until 1 May, he then transferred to 3. Staffel of JG 51.[2] At the time, I. Gruppe was commanded by Major Erich Leie and based at airfields near Bryansk and Oryol while 3. Staffel was led by Hauptmann Heinz Lange.[13]
In July 1943, Höfemeiner fought in the offensive operations leading up to Operation Citadel, which initiated the Battle of Kursk. The battle began on 5 July with I. Gruppe of JG 51 supporting the German 9th Army in its northern attack on the Kursk salient. For the first days of the operation, I. Gruppe primary task was to provide fighter escort for the bombers of Kampfgeschwader 4, Kampfgeschwader 51 and Kampfgeschwader 53, as well as for the Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers of Sturzkampfgeschwader 1. On the first day of the Zitadelle, Höfemeier claimed his 75th aerial victory, a Lavochkin La-5 fighter shot down in the vicinity of Maloarkhangelsk.[14]
On 7 August 1943, Höfemeier was shot down and killed in action when his Fw 190 A-4 "Brown 5" (Werknummer 5667) was hit by Soviet anti-aircraft artillery near Karachev.[15] At the time, he had been the leading fighter pilot of I. Gruppe.[16]
