Emil Clade
Encyclopedia
Emil Josef Clade was a Luftwaffe
fighter ace
in World War II
, and figured in German civilian aviation after the war. He was born in Hambach, now part of Neustadt an der Weinstraße
in Rheinland-Pfalz
.
Originally trained to become a merchant, he became interested in aviation in 1934, and became a glider pilot, participating in the German national civilian aviator’s competition before joining the Luftwaffe
in April 1937. Initially certified to fly the Junkers Ju 52
, he quickly moved to become a fighter pilot.
, flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109
, when he scored his first kill on 11 May 1940 near Maastricht
, Netherlands
against a Belgian Air Force
Gloster Gladiator
biplane of 1/I/2. On the evening of the same day, he claimed a French LeO 451
twin-engine bomber of GB I/12 or GB II/12, also in the Maastricht area. Victories over an RAF Spitfire and Morane MS.406 followed in May–June 1940.
In March 1941, Clade was made an instructor attached to Jagdgeschwader 27 into which JG 1./1 had meanwhile been merged, and stayed with this fighter unit for essentially all his remaining wartime career.
OberfeldwebelClade was assigned to the Mediterranean theatre with 5./JG 27, operating from bases in North Africa when on 7 August 1942 he indirectly made a potentially decisive impact on the future course of the African campaign, although he was most likely unaware of the fact at the time. Airborne over the desert south of Alexandria
in Egypt
, he chanced upon a Bristol Bombay
transport of No. 216 Squadron RAF
, flown by 19 year-old Sergeant Pilot H.E. 'Jimmy' James, taking Lt. Gen. W.H.E. Gott
, the newly appointed Commander of the British 8th Army
, to a staff meeting in Cairo
. The plane was also carrying a number of wounded British soldiers. Clade’s attack forced the transport to crash-land and the subsequent strafing run by fellow JG 27 pilot Bernd Schneider killed Gott and most other British troops inside the wreckage on the ground. (In March 2005, the 89-year old Clade and the 81-year old Sqn Ldr James would have an emotional meeting in Bonn
, compare their accounts of the incident, and then take to the skies together.http://www.secondworldwarforum.com/2006/07/24/the-truth-behind-the-death-of-general-gott/) Gott’s replacement commander for the 8th Army was Bernard Law Montgomery.
While still flying in Egypt
, Leutnant Clade recorded his 10th air claim on 5 July 1942 when he shot down an RAF Spitfire fighter near El-Daba. With 17 air victories to his credit, Clade was appointed Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 27 on 23 May 1943. From 1944 onward he piloted a Messerschmitt Bf 109
G/R-9 ("White 9"). In February 1945, Oberleutnant Clade was appointed acting Gruppenkommandeur
of III./JG 27.
Hauptmann Clade and his squadron comrade Major Peter Werfft
disbanded the remainder of their unit near Saalbach between 3 May and 8 May 1945 and became U.S. prisoners of war.
Emil Clade was credited with 27 victories, including two four-engine bombers. Nine claims were made over the Western Front, the remainder in North Africa.
Clade was himself shot down six times, including in aerial combat on 5 October 1943 (during a mission resulting in his 18th victory), on 26 November 1944 and on 25 February 1945 (immediately after his 27th and last air kill). He also sustained severe injuries in a Resistance
attack on 16 February 1944 when he was serving in France
near Avignon
. In his memoirs he emphasized how lucky he had actually been to survive all these tumultuous events.
in 1956 but was turned down because he exceeded the age limit by two years. However, he continued as a private aviator, was successful in various German competitions, and helped setting up local aviation associations. http://www.alteadler.de/aktuell/jubilaeen/clade.html
Clade celebrated his 90th birthday in 2006.
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
fighter ace
Fighter Ace
Fighter Ace was a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and figured in German civilian aviation after the war. He was born in Hambach, now part of Neustadt an der Weinstraße
Neustadt an der Weinstraße
Neustadt an der Weinstraße is a town located in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. With 53,892 inhabitants as of 2002, it is the largest town called Neustadt.-Etymology:...
in Rheinland-Pfalz
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
.
Originally trained to become a merchant, he became interested in aviation in 1934, and became a glider pilot, participating in the German national civilian aviator’s competition before joining the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
in April 1937. Initially certified to fly the Junkers Ju 52
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
, he quickly moved to become a fighter pilot.
Luftwaffe Ace in World War II
Uzz. Clade serving with 1./JG 1Jagdgeschwader 1 (World War 2)
Jagdgeschwader 1 was a German World War II fighter unit or "wing" which used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft, between 1940–1944. The name of the unit derives from Jagd, meaning "hunt" and Geschwader, meaning "wing"...
, flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
, when he scored his first kill on 11 May 1940 near Maastricht
Maastricht
Maastricht is situated on both sides of the Meuse river in the south-eastern part of the Netherlands, on the Belgian border and near the German border...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
against a Belgian Air Force
Belgian Air Force
The Air Component, formerly the Belgian Air Force, is the air arm of the Belgian Armed Forces. Originally founded in 1909, it is one of the world's first air forces, and was a pioneer in aerial combat during the First World War...
Gloster Gladiator
Gloster Gladiator
The Gloster Gladiator was a British-built biplane fighter. It was used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy and was exported to a number of other air forces during the late 1930s. It was the RAF's last biplane fighter aircraft and was rendered obsolete by newer monoplane designs even as it...
biplane of 1/I/2. On the evening of the same day, he claimed a French LeO 451
Lioré et Olivier LeO 451
Lioré-et-Olivier LeO 45 was a French medium bomber used during World War II. It was a low-wing monoplane, all metal in construction, equipped with a retractable undercarriage and powered by two 1,100 hp Hispano-Suiza engines. It was a very effective bomber, but it appeared too late to give any...
twin-engine bomber of GB I/12 or GB II/12, also in the Maastricht area. Victories over an RAF Spitfire and Morane MS.406 followed in May–June 1940.
In March 1941, Clade was made an instructor attached to Jagdgeschwader 27 into which JG 1./1 had meanwhile been merged, and stayed with this fighter unit for essentially all his remaining wartime career.
OberfeldwebelClade was assigned to the Mediterranean theatre with 5./JG 27, operating from bases in North Africa when on 7 August 1942 he indirectly made a potentially decisive impact on the future course of the African campaign, although he was most likely unaware of the fact at the time. Airborne over the desert south of Alexandria
Alexandria
Alexandria is the second-largest city of Egypt, with a population of 4.1 million, extending about along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea in the north central part of the country; it is also the largest city lying directly on the Mediterranean coast. It is Egypt's largest seaport, serving...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, he chanced upon a Bristol Bombay
Bristol Bombay
|-See also:...
transport of No. 216 Squadron RAF
No. 216 Squadron RAF
No. 216 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Lockheed Tristar K1, KC1 and C2 from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire.- History :216 Squadron was formed at RAF Manston by re-numbering No. 16 Squadron RNAS when the RAF was established in 1918, hence it is always spoken of as 'two-sixteen Squadron'...
, flown by 19 year-old Sergeant Pilot H.E. 'Jimmy' James, taking Lt. Gen. W.H.E. Gott
William Gott
Lieutenant-General William Henry Ewart Gott CB, CBE, DSO and bar, MC , nicknamed "Strafer", was a British Army officer during both the First and Second World Wars, reaching the rank of lieutenant-general when serving in the British Eighth Army.-Military career:Educated at Harrow School he was...
, the newly appointed Commander of the British 8th Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
, to a staff meeting in Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
. The plane was also carrying a number of wounded British soldiers. Clade’s attack forced the transport to crash-land and the subsequent strafing run by fellow JG 27 pilot Bernd Schneider killed Gott and most other British troops inside the wreckage on the ground. (In March 2005, the 89-year old Clade and the 81-year old Sqn Ldr James would have an emotional meeting in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, compare their accounts of the incident, and then take to the skies together.http://www.secondworldwarforum.com/2006/07/24/the-truth-behind-the-death-of-general-gott/) Gott’s replacement commander for the 8th Army was Bernard Law Montgomery.
While still flying in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, Leutnant Clade recorded his 10th air claim on 5 July 1942 when he shot down an RAF Spitfire fighter near El-Daba. With 17 air victories to his credit, Clade was appointed Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 27 on 23 May 1943. From 1944 onward he piloted a Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
G/R-9 ("White 9"). In February 1945, Oberleutnant Clade was appointed acting Gruppenkommandeur
Gruppenkommandeur
Gruppenkommandeur is a Luftwaffe position , that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air forces. Gruppenkommandeur usually has the rank of Hauptmann or Major, and commands a Gruppe, which is a sub-division of a Geschwader. A Gruppe usually consists of three or four...
of III./JG 27.
Hauptmann Clade and his squadron comrade Major Peter Werfft
Peter Werfft
Dr. Peter Werfft-Wessely , an Austrian chemist, was a Luftwaffe fighter ace in World War II, and a chemical industry entrepreneur after the war. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross...
disbanded the remainder of their unit near Saalbach between 3 May and 8 May 1945 and became U.S. prisoners of war.
Emil Clade was credited with 27 victories, including two four-engine bombers. Nine claims were made over the Western Front, the remainder in North Africa.
Clade was himself shot down six times, including in aerial combat on 5 October 1943 (during a mission resulting in his 18th victory), on 26 November 1944 and on 25 February 1945 (immediately after his 27th and last air kill). He also sustained severe injuries in a Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
attack on 16 February 1944 when he was serving in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
near Avignon
Avignon
Avignon is a French commune in southeastern France in the départment of the Vaucluse bordered by the left bank of the Rhône river. Of the 94,787 inhabitants of the city on 1 January 2010, 12 000 live in the ancient town centre surrounded by its medieval ramparts.Often referred to as the...
. In his memoirs he emphasized how lucky he had actually been to survive all these tumultuous events.
Life after the war
According to his autobiography, Clade survived in various minor jobs after his release. He applied to become a civilian pilot with the newly formed LufthansaLufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the flag carrier of Germany and the largest airline in Europe in terms of overall passengers carried. The name of the company is derived from Luft , and Hansa .The airline is the world's fourth-largest airline in terms of overall passengers carried, operating...
in 1956 but was turned down because he exceeded the age limit by two years. However, he continued as a private aviator, was successful in various German competitions, and helped setting up local aviation associations. http://www.alteadler.de/aktuell/jubilaeen/clade.html
Clade celebrated his 90th birthday in 2006.