Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt
Encyclopedia
Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt (15 September 1920 – missing in action 7 September 1942) was a German
fighter pilot
and ace
. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator
credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft
during aerial combat. He scored all of his 59 victories against the Western Allies
in North Africa
flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109
. Stahlschmidt was a close friend of the prominent ace Hans-Joachim Marseille
(158 Kills).
, Westphalia
as son to the manufacturer Arno Stahlschmidt. He attended the Volksschule
in Kreuztal and received his Abitur
in April 1939 from the Oberschule in Weidenau/Sieg
.
Stahlschmidt completed his Reichsarbeitsdienst
in Eichelsachsen near Gleiwitz. Afterwards he joined the military service in Salzwedel
and became a professional soldier. In Salzwedel he completed his military basic training as a fighter pilot. He continued his training at the pilot training facilities in Breslau and Wien-Schwechat. From here he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 27
.
at the beginning of 1941, Stahlschmidt took time to adapt to the desert conditions. However, before he scored a kill in air combat, he succeeded in sinking two Allied vessels, leading to the capture of 32 men.
His made his first combat kill, a Hawker Hurricane
of 73 Squadron, on 15 June 1941.
On 20 November 1941 Stahlschmidt claimed three 21 Squadron SAAF Maryland bombers shot down.
On 22 January 1942 No. 3 Squadron RAAF
was bounced by Leutnant Stahlschmidt and his wingman. Stahlschmidt shot down Flying Officer James McIntosh, who was killed.
On 27 February 1942 Stahlschmidt was strafing
Allied vehicles when his engine suddenly died. He crash-landed and was taken prisoner by Free Polish
soldiers, who beat Stahlschmidt and stole his medals. He managed to escape on foot later that night and after a 24 hour 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) trek through the desert reached the German lines.
On 21 February, Stahlschmidt was part of a formation led by his Staffelkapitän
, Oberleutnant
Gerhard Homuth
. They observed 11 P-40
Kittyhawk aircraft near Acroma
. In a letter to his mother he described the subsequent events:
Crash landing in "no mans land", Stahlschmidt escaped the burning wreck with just a pair of singed eyebrows. Once again, as he ran on foot toward German lines, Stahlschmidt was fired on by an Allied truck convoy which he had just overflown. A German forward unit rescued him.
Back at Staffel HQ Stahlschmidt learned from Marseille and Homuth that the lead Kittyhawk had pulled up sharply and fired accurately; both were of the opinion that it was a wonderful shot. The Allied pilot was the leading Australia
n ace, Squadron Leader
Clive Caldwell
, CO
of No. 112 Squadron RAF
.A description of this action from the Allied side can be found on the Clive Caldwell
page.
Stahlschmidt was awarded the Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
in Gold for fighter pilots in February 1942. He was the first pilot in Africa to complete 200 combat missions. He was awarded the German Cross
in Gold on 9 April 1942, followed on 20 August by the Knight's Cross
, for his 50th victory.
On 1 July 1942, Stahlschmidt was promoted to Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 27. As the numerical superiority of the Allies began to tell, in the summer of 1942, Stahlschmidt's successes climbed, scoring 25 kills in July 1942 alone.
His last kill came on 5 September 1942 when he dispatched two P-40 fighter-bombers; his final victim and 59th aerial victory was at 18:25 hours, south of Hammam.
F-4 (W.Nr. 8704) "Red 4", was part of a Schwarm that had taken off on a freie Jagd (fighter sweep) south east of El Alamein
. They intercepted a tactical reconnaissance Hurricane covered by a strong escort of Hurricane MK IICs from No. 33 Squadron RAF
and No. 213 Squadron RAF
. However, Stahlschmidt's flight had failed to notice a flight of Spitfire Mk Vcs of No. 601 Squadron RAF
, which had been flying "up in the sun". Diving on the Bf 109s, the Spitfires shot down Oberleutnant Karl von Lieres und Wilkau (24 kills) and Stahlschmidt. The former survived a torrid crash landing, but Stahlschmidt was nowhere to be found. He was posted as missing in action
, and his exact fate remains unknown to this day. Recent research suggests that he may have been shot down by an American ace, Flight Lieutenant
John H. Curry (RCAF
; 7.5 claims), of 601 Sqn.
In over 400 combat missions in North Africa Stahlschmidt scored 59 kills, all but four being single engine fighters. On 3 January 1944 he posthumously became the 365th recipient of the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross
and was promoted to Oberleutnant
on that date.
In the space of three weeks I. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 27 had been rocked by the deaths of its three top aces, Stahlschmidt's death only 24 hours after the death of JG 27 ace Günter Steinhausen
(40 kills) and was followed on 30 September 1942 by the death of Hans-Joachim Marseille
(the "Star of Africa"; 158 kills). I./JG 27 claimed 588 aircraft shot down in April 1941–November 1942. Stahlschmidt, Steinhausen and Marseille accounted for 250 of these; 42% of the unit's total.
Understandably morale fell so low that the Gruppe was withdrawn to Sicily
in October. It returned briefly to North Africa but was withdrawn from the theatre for the final time in December 1942.
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...
fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
and 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...
. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
during aerial combat. He scored all of his 59 victories against the Western Allies
Western Allies
The Western Allies were a political and geographic grouping among the Allied Powers of the Second World War. It generally includes the United Kingdom and British Commonwealth, the United States, France and various other European and Latin American countries, but excludes China, the Soviet Union,...
in North Africa
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
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...
. Stahlschmidt was a close friend of the prominent ace Hans-Joachim Marseille
Hans-Joachim Marseille
Hans-Joachim Marseille was a Luftwaffe fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II. He is noted for his aerial battles during the North African Campaign and his bohemian lifestyle. One of the best fighter pilots of World War II, he was nicknamed the "Star of Africa"...
(158 Kills).
Early life
Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt was born on 15 September 1920 in KreuztalKreuztal
Kreuztal is a town in the Siegen-Wittgenstein district, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.-Location:Kreuztal is a town in the low mountains of the northern Siegerland and lies at the western edge of the Rothaargebirge about 10 km north of Siegen....
, Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
as son to the manufacturer Arno Stahlschmidt. He attended the Volksschule
Volksschule
A Volksschule was an 18th century system of state-supported primary schools established in the Habsburg Austrian Empire and Prussia . Attendance was supposedly compulsory, but a 1781 census reveals that only one fourth of school-age children attended. At the time, this was one of the few examples...
in Kreuztal and received his Abitur
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
in April 1939 from the Oberschule in Weidenau/Sieg
Siegen
Siegen is a city in Germany, in the south Westphalian part of North Rhine-Westphalia.It is located in the district of Siegen-Wittgenstein in the Arnsberg region...
.
Stahlschmidt completed his Reichsarbeitsdienst
Reichsarbeitsdienst
The Reichsarbeitsdienst was an institution established by Nazi Germany as an agency to reduce unemployment, similar to the relief programs in other countries. During the Second World War it was an auxiliary formation which provided support for the Wehrmacht.The RAD was formed during July 1934 as...
in Eichelsachsen near Gleiwitz. Afterwards he joined the military service in Salzwedel
Salzwedel
Salzwedel of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, and has a population of approximately 21,500. Salzwedel is located on the German Framework Road.-Geography:...
and became a professional soldier. In Salzwedel he completed his military basic training as a fighter pilot. He continued his training at the pilot training facilities in Breslau and Wien-Schwechat. From here he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 27
Jagdgeschwader 27
Jagdgeschwader 27 Afrika was a World War II Luftwaffe Geschwader. It was most famous for service in the North African Campaign, supporting the Deutsches Afrikakorps.- Formation:...
.
War Time Service
After joining Jagdgeschwader 27Jagdgeschwader 27
Jagdgeschwader 27 Afrika was a World War II Luftwaffe Geschwader. It was most famous for service in the North African Campaign, supporting the Deutsches Afrikakorps.- Formation:...
at the beginning of 1941, Stahlschmidt took time to adapt to the desert conditions. However, before he scored a kill in air combat, he succeeded in sinking two Allied vessels, leading to the capture of 32 men.
His made his first combat kill, 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...
of 73 Squadron, on 15 June 1941.
On 20 November 1941 Stahlschmidt claimed three 21 Squadron SAAF Maryland bombers shot down.
On 22 January 1942 No. 3 Squadron RAAF
No. 3 Squadron RAAF
No. 3 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force fighter squadron. It was first formed in 1916 and currently operates F/A-18 Hornet aircraft from RAAF Base Williamtown, near Newcastle, New South Wales.-World War I:...
was bounced by Leutnant Stahlschmidt and his wingman. Stahlschmidt shot down Flying Officer James McIntosh, who was killed.
On 27 February 1942 Stahlschmidt was strafing
Strafing
Strafing is the practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. This means, that although ground attack using automatic weapons fire is very often accompanied with bombing or rocket fire, the term "strafing" does not specifically include the...
Allied vehicles when his engine suddenly died. He crash-landed and was taken prisoner by Free Polish
Polish contribution to World War II
The European theater of World War II opened with the German invasion of Poland on September 1, 1939. The Polish Army was defeated after over a month of fighting. After Poland had been overrun, a government-in-exile , armed forces, and an intelligence service were established outside of Poland....
soldiers, who beat Stahlschmidt and stole his medals. He managed to escape on foot later that night and after a 24 hour 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) trek through the desert reached the German lines.
On 21 February, Stahlschmidt was part of a formation led by his Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän is a position in flying units of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a Staffelkapitän is of Oberstleutnant or Major rank....
, Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
Gerhard Homuth
Gerhard Homuth
Major Gerhard Homuth was a German World War II Luftwaffe fighter ace. He scored all but two of his 63 victories against the Western Allies whilst flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109, and was one of the top scoring aces in the North African campaign.- Military career :Homuth initially served in the...
. They observed 11 P-40
Curtiss P-40
The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was an American single-engine, single-seat, all-metal fighter and ground attack aircraft that first flew in 1938. The P-40 design was a modification of the previous Curtiss P-36 Hawk which reduced development time and enabled a rapid entry into production and operational...
Kittyhawk aircraft near Acroma
Acroma
Acroma is an alternative rock band formed in Salt Lake City, Utah. The band consists of Jeremy Stanley , Brian Christensen , Tom Collins , and Joshua Zirbel . The band released a three-song demo and was signed by Universal Records in 2002...
. In a letter to his mother he described the subsequent events:
I saw the Curtiss planes approximately 300 meters below us and falling away below. These aircraft were no threat to us whatsoever! Now I just wanted to level out of my turning bank, since my colleagues were already at a substantially higher altitude. Keppler (his wingman), overshot me. Once again, I saw the Curtiss planes 300 meters directly below me and counted eleven aircraft.
Not suspecting anything untoward, I continued my level climb. All of a sudden there was a loud noise in my cockpit — I'd taken cannon [sic]Stahlschmidt was mistaken; P-40s did not carry cannons. fire.
The crate immediately flipped uncontrollably onto its back. Fuel gushed into the cockpit; it began smoking and then I completely lost control of the Bf 109, spiraling down on my back through the Curtisses.
Over the intercom I heard the angry voice of Homuth: "Which of you idiots just let himself get shot down?"
Trailing a long column from my radiator I fell earthward. The water temperature climbed to 140 degrees. At an altitude of 1,000 meters I again regained control of the crate. With a bit of flair and fortune I managed to fly the 100 km to our own lines, during which I would only switch the engine [on] for short periods, in order to gain altitude for the long glide home.
Crash landing in "no mans land", Stahlschmidt escaped the burning wreck with just a pair of singed eyebrows. Once again, as he ran on foot toward German lines, Stahlschmidt was fired on by an Allied truck convoy which he had just overflown. A German forward unit rescued him.
Back at Staffel HQ Stahlschmidt learned from Marseille and Homuth that the lead Kittyhawk had pulled up sharply and fired accurately; both were of the opinion that it was a wonderful shot. The Allied pilot was the leading Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n ace, Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
Clive Caldwell
Clive Caldwell
Group Captain Clive Robertson Caldwell DSO, DFC & Bar was the leading Australian air ace of World War II. He is officially credited with shooting down 28.5 enemy aircraft in over 300 operational sorties. In addition to his official score, he has been ascribed six probables and 15 damaged...
, CO
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of No. 112 Squadron RAF
No. 112 Squadron RAF
No. 112 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It served in both the First World War and Second World War and was active for three periods during the Cold War. It is nicknamed "The Shark Squadron", an allusion to the fact that it was the first unit from any air force to use the famous...
.A description of this action from the Allied side can be found on the Clive Caldwell
Clive Caldwell
Group Captain Clive Robertson Caldwell DSO, DFC & Bar was the leading Australian air ace of World War II. He is officially credited with shooting down 28.5 enemy aircraft in over 300 operational sorties. In addition to his official score, he has been ascribed six probables and 15 damaged...
page.
Stahlschmidt was awarded the Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
The Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe was awarded in Bronze, Silver, and Gold with upgrade possible to include diamonds. Pennants suspended from the clasp indicated the number of missions obtained in a given type of aircraft...
in Gold for fighter pilots in February 1942. He was the first pilot in Africa to complete 200 combat missions. He was awarded the German Cross
German Cross
The 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 on 9 April 1942, followed on 20 August by the Knight's 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...
, for his 50th victory.
On 1 July 1942, Stahlschmidt was promoted to Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 27. As the numerical superiority of the Allies began to tell, in the summer of 1942, Stahlschmidt's successes climbed, scoring 25 kills in July 1942 alone.
His last kill came on 5 September 1942 when he dispatched two P-40 fighter-bombers; his final victim and 59th aerial victory was at 18:25 hours, south of Hammam.
Death
On 7 September 1942 Stahlschmidt, flying Messerschmitt Bf 109Messerschmitt 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...
F-4 (W.Nr. 8704) "Red 4", was part of a Schwarm that had taken off on a freie Jagd (fighter sweep) south east of 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 :...
. They intercepted a tactical reconnaissance Hurricane covered by a strong escort of Hurricane MK IICs from No. 33 Squadron RAF
No. 33 Squadron RAF
No. 33 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the Puma HC.1 from RAF Benson, Oxfordshire.-Current role:The squadron is part of the RAF Support Helicopter force, which reports into the Joint Helicopter Command....
and No. 213 Squadron RAF
No. 213 Squadron RAF
No. 213 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Air Force. The squadron was formed on 1 April 1918 from No. 13 Squadron of the Royal Naval Air Service...
. However, Stahlschmidt's flight had failed to notice a flight of Spitfire Mk Vcs of No. 601 Squadron RAF
No. 601 Squadron RAF
No. 601 Squadron was a squadron of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force, based in London. The squadron battle honours most notably include the Battle of Britain and the first Americans to fly in World War II were members of this squadron.-History:...
, which had been flying "up in the sun". Diving on the Bf 109s, the Spitfires shot down Oberleutnant Karl von Lieres und Wilkau (24 kills) and Stahlschmidt. The former survived a torrid crash landing, but Stahlschmidt was nowhere to be found. He was posted as missing in action
Missing in action
Missing in action is a casualty Category assigned under the Status of Missing to armed services personnel who are reported missing during active service. They may have been killed, wounded, become a prisoner of war, or deserted. If deceased, neither their remains nor grave can be positively...
, and his exact fate remains unknown to this day. Recent research suggests that he may have been shot down by an American ace, Flight Lieutenant
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
John H. Curry (RCAF
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
; 7.5 claims), of 601 Sqn.
In over 400 combat missions in North Africa Stahlschmidt scored 59 kills, all but four being single engine fighters. On 3 January 1944 he posthumously became the 365th recipient of the Oak Leaves to the Knight's 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...
and was promoted to Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
on that date.
In the space of three weeks I. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 27 had been rocked by the deaths of its three top aces, Stahlschmidt's death only 24 hours after the death of JG 27 ace Günter Steinhausen
Günter Steinhausen
Feldwebel Günter Steinhausen 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...
(40 kills) and was followed on 30 September 1942 by the death of Hans-Joachim Marseille
Hans-Joachim Marseille
Hans-Joachim Marseille was a Luftwaffe fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II. He is noted for his aerial battles during the North African Campaign and his bohemian lifestyle. One of the best fighter pilots of World War II, he was nicknamed the "Star of Africa"...
(the "Star of Africa"; 158 kills). I./JG 27 claimed 588 aircraft shot down in April 1941–November 1942. Stahlschmidt, Steinhausen and Marseille accounted for 250 of these; 42% of the unit's total.
Understandably morale fell so low that the Gruppe was withdrawn to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in October. It returned briefly to North Africa but was withdrawn from the theatre for the final time in December 1942.
Awards
- 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 Class (20 June 1941)
- 1st Class (21 November 1941)
- Front Flying Clasp of the LuftwaffeFront Flying Clasp of the LuftwaffeThe Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe was awarded in Bronze, Silver, and Gold with upgrade possible to include diamonds. Pennants suspended from the clasp indicated the number of missions obtained in a given type of aircraft...
in Gold - 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 on 9 April 1942 as Leutnant in the I./JG 27 - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak LeavesKnight'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...
- Knight's Cross on 20 August 1942 as Leutnant and StaffelführerStaffelkapitänStaffelkapitän is a position in flying units of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a Staffelkapitän is of Oberstleutnant or Major rank....
of the 2./JG 27 - 365th Oak Leaves on 3 January 1944 (posthumously) as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 2./JG 27
- Knight's Cross on 20 August 1942 as Leutnant and Staffelführer