Günther Scheel
Encyclopedia
Günther Scheel was a former German
Luftwaffe
fighter ace
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
(posthumously) during World War II
. Günther Scheel holds the unique record in World War 2 of shooting down more aircraft than he flew missions. He was credited with 71 victories in just 70 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern front.
. After that he rarely flew a day without claiming a victory. On 30 May, he shot down four fighters (18-21v.) and did so again on 21 June (26-29v.). By the time of his 50th mission on 22 June his score was 30 victories.
However it was in July, when his unit was transferred to Orel to support the Kursk offensive that he hit a phenominal purple patch, shooting down 41 planes in just 16 days. On the opening day (5 July) he shot down 8 aircraft (31-38v.), then 7 aircraft on 7 July (40-46v.). He shot down five fighters on the 10th (53-57v.) and seven more on 13 July (62-67v.), including three Yak-9 fighters in just two minutes.
But with such intense air activity, his luck finally ran out on 16 July 1943. Having completed his Ju-87 escort mission he then shot down two Yak-9 fighters near Orel. However, his left wing collided with the second and broke off. Basiling out of his Fw 190 A-5 (Yellow-8, W.Nr 710 002) he supposedly landed behind enemy lines. Leutnant Günther Scheel was reported as Missing In Action. He was posthumously awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, the Ehrenpokal, and finally the Ritterkreuz on 5 December 1943.
In a tour of only six months he flew 70 missions and scored 71 victories. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern front and included 20 Il-2 Sturmoviks.
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...
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....
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...
and 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...
(posthumously) during 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...
. Günther Scheel holds the unique record in World War 2 of shooting down more aircraft than he flew missions. He was credited with 71 victories in just 70 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern front.
Military career
Upon completing flight training, Lt Scheel was posted to 2 Staffel of JG 54 which was based on the northern end of the Eastern front in January 1943. At that time, most fighter activity was still involved in covering the blockade of Leningrad. He flew many ground attack missions destroying a number of locomotives and other vehicles. Scheel recorded his first aerial victories on 9 February 1943 by shooting down a pair of LaGG-5Lavochkin La-5
|- See also :- References :NotesBibliography* Abanshin, Michael E. and Nina Gut. Fighting Lavochkin, Eagles of the East No.1. Lynnwood, WA: Aviation International, 1993. ISBN unknown....
. After that he rarely flew a day without claiming a victory. On 30 May, he shot down four fighters (18-21v.) and did so again on 21 June (26-29v.). By the time of his 50th mission on 22 June his score was 30 victories.
However it was in July, when his unit was transferred to Orel to support the Kursk offensive that he hit a phenominal purple patch, shooting down 41 planes in just 16 days. On the opening day (5 July) he shot down 8 aircraft (31-38v.), then 7 aircraft on 7 July (40-46v.). He shot down five fighters on the 10th (53-57v.) and seven more on 13 July (62-67v.), including three Yak-9 fighters in just two minutes.
But with such intense air activity, his luck finally ran out on 16 July 1943. Having completed his Ju-87 escort mission he then shot down two Yak-9 fighters near Orel. However, his left wing collided with the second and broke off. Basiling out of his Fw 190 A-5 (Yellow-8, W.Nr 710 002) he supposedly landed behind enemy lines. Leutnant Günther Scheel was reported as Missing In Action. He was posthumously awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, the Ehrenpokal, and finally the Ritterkreuz on 5 December 1943.
In a tour of only six months he flew 70 missions and scored 71 victories. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern front and included 20 Il-2 Sturmoviks.
Missing in Action
After crash landing behind the enemy line, Scheel was reportedly seen in a camp at Jelabuga in 1946 and received medical treatment in a camp at Solny in 1948. However, he officially remains missing in action.Awards
- 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 (31 August 1943) - 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...
(13 September 1943) - 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...
(5 December 1943)
External links
- Luftwaffe: Leutnant at www.geocities.com