Günter Steinhausen
Encyclopedia
Feldwebel
Günter Steinhausen (born 15 September 1917 in Lobkevitz on the isle of Rügen
– killed in action
, 6 September 1942 near El Alamein
, Egypt
) was a German
World War II
Luftwaffe
Flying ace
with 40 combat victories to his name. He was also a posthumous recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
soon after. He recorded his first victory on 9 June, shooting down a Hawker Hurricane
north of Tobruk
. By 26 August Steinhausen had claimed his fifth victory, His kill on this day was probably a Tomahawk IIb of No. 250 Sqn
flown by British ace Sgt. Maurice Hards (7 victories) who force-landed wounded near Mersa Matruh. On 28 March, Steinhausen claimed his 10th victory, when he shot down a Kittyhawk fighter near Timimi
. He shot down four fighters in the El Adem area on 16 June and claimed a further four Hurricanes of No. 238 Sqn (RAF) on 28 June over Sidi Haneish.
12th June 1942 Steinhausen claimed his nineteenth victory, shooting down Sgt. Jimmy Wrigley in a Kittyhawk returning from escort mission west of El Adem.
Steinhausen claimed a United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF) B-24 Liberator
four-engine bomber as his 34th victory on 9 July 1942. On 6 September 1942 Steinhausen shot down a Hurricane of No. 7 Sqn (SAAF) or No. 274 Sqn (RAF)
near El Alamein, although he was then shot down and killed in his Bf 109 F-4. He remains missing to date. Steinhausen was posthumously awarded the Ritterkreuz and promoted to the rank of Leutnant on 3 November.
Steinhausen was credited with 40 victories, all recorded over the Western Desert.
He was both posthumously promoted to Leutnant and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
on 3 November 1942.
Feldwebel
Feldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. The word Feldwebel is usually translated as sergeant being rated OR-6 in the NATO rank comparison scale, equivalent to the British Army Sergeant and the US Army...
Günter Steinhausen (born 15 September 1917 in Lobkevitz on the isle of Rügen
Rügen
Rügen is Germany's largest island. Located in the Baltic Sea, it is part of the Vorpommern-Rügen district of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern.- Geography :Rügen is located off the north-eastern coast of Germany in the Baltic Sea...
– killed in action
Killed in action
Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...
, 6 September 1942 near El Alamein
El Alamein
El Alamein is a town in the northern Matrouh Governorate of Egypt. Located on the Mediterranean Sea, it lies west of Alexandria and northwest of Cairo. As of 2007, it has a local population of 7,397 inhabitants.- Climate :...
, 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...
) was a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
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...
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....
Flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
with 40 combat victories to his name. He was also a posthumous recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Biography
Günther Steinhausen was born 15 September 1917 at Lobkevitz on the Island of Rügen. After flight training, Unteroffizier Steinhausen was posted to 1 staffel, JG 27 in the spring of 1941, transferring with the unit to North AfricaNorth Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
soon after. He recorded his first victory on 9 June, shooting down a Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
north of Tobruk
Tobruk
Tobruk or Tubruq is a city, seaport, and peninsula on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near the border with Egypt. It is the capital of the Butnan District and has a population of 120,000 ....
. By 26 August Steinhausen had claimed his fifth victory, His kill on this day was probably a Tomahawk IIb of No. 250 Sqn
No. 250 Squadron RAF
No. 250 squadron RAF was an aircraft squadron of the Royal Air Force during World War II.It operated Kittyhawk IIIs out of southern Italy in 1943-44....
flown by British ace Sgt. Maurice Hards (7 victories) who force-landed wounded near Mersa Matruh. On 28 March, Steinhausen claimed his 10th victory, when he shot down a Kittyhawk fighter near Timimi
Timimi
Timimi, At Timimi or Tmimi, is a small village in Libya about 75 km east of Derna and 100 km west of Tobruk. It is on the eastern shores of the Libyan coastline of the Mediterranean Sea.-Geography:...
. He shot down four fighters in the El Adem area on 16 June and claimed a further four Hurricanes of No. 238 Sqn (RAF) on 28 June over Sidi Haneish.
12th June 1942 Steinhausen claimed his nineteenth victory, shooting down Sgt. Jimmy Wrigley in a Kittyhawk returning from escort mission west of El Adem.
Steinhausen claimed a United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF) B-24 Liberator
B-24 Liberator
The Consolidated B-24 Liberator was an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and a small number of early models were sold under the name LB-30, for Land Bomber...
four-engine bomber as his 34th victory on 9 July 1942. On 6 September 1942 Steinhausen shot down a Hurricane of No. 7 Sqn (SAAF) or No. 274 Sqn (RAF)
No. 274 Squadron RAF
No. 274 Squadron RAF began to form as a patrol squadron, intended to fly Vickers Vimys, at Seaton Carew in November 1918 a few days before the end of World War I. The squadron formation was then cancelled. It was reformed on 15 June 1919 as a bomber squadron, flying Handley Page V/1500s, but...
near El Alamein, although he was then shot down and killed in his Bf 109 F-4. He remains missing to date. Steinhausen was posthumously awarded the Ritterkreuz and promoted to the rank of Leutnant on 3 November.
Steinhausen was credited with 40 victories, all recorded over the Western Desert.
He was both posthumously promoted to Leutnant and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
on 3 November 1942.
Awards
- Ehrenpokal der LuftwaffeEhrenpokal der LuftwaffeThe Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe was a Luftwaffe award established on February 27, 1940 by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, the Reich Minister of Aviation and Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe. It was officially known as the Ehrenpokal "für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg", or Honor Goblet "For...
(5 August 1942) - German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold (21 August 1942) - Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1939) 2nd and 1st class - Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
on 3 November 1942 as FeldwebelFeldwebelFeldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. The word Feldwebel is usually translated as sergeant being rated OR-6 in the NATO rank comparison scale, equivalent to the British Army Sergeant and the US Army...
and pilot in the 1./JG 27