Waldemar Wubke
Encyclopedia
Waldemar Wübke was a Luftwaffe
fighter pilot during World War II
.
He was one of the few Luftwaffe fighter pilots to survive combat duty over the entire course of the war. Wübke flew various types of German fighters in combat and was credited with a total of 15 victories over Allied aircraft.
In 1940 as a Leutnant, Wübke flew sorties with pilots of the 9. Staffel, III./Jagdgeschwader 54
(JG 54) during the Battle of Britain
. His last combat flights were made in 1945 flying "Platzschutz" or airfield defense missions for General Adolf Galland's Me 262 jet squadron, Jagdverband 44 (JV 44).
Along with a handful of experienced fighter pilots, the now Hauptmann
Wübke flew the outstanding piston-engined Fw190D-9 fighter in an effort to protect the jets of JV 44 from attack by Allied fighters during take-off. Their unit was based close to the jets at München-Riem, Germany.
Since the airfield at München-Reim was heavily protected from Allied aircraft by flak batteries, the Fw 190Ds of the Würger-Staffel had to be made instantly recognizable as ‘friendlies’ to the flak battery crews. To facilitate this, the under surfaces of many of the airfield defense fighters were painted bright red with white stripes.
JV 44's unofficial unit crest was a white circle trimmed with red, with a black and white checker board in the middle, and most of the Fw190Ds used in this unit wore this emblem. Hauptmann Waldemar Wübke regularly flew the Fw190D-9 coded “Rot 3” (Red 3). Wübke painted his personal emblem on the port side of the fuselage under the cockpit of his aircraft; the words “Im Auftrage der Reichsbahn” ("In service of the Reich Railway") in white lettering. This was a sarcastic reference to Wübke's loathing of fighter-bomber missions, many of which he was forced to undertake in his early career as a combat pilot. In his opinion trains were better used to carry bombs, not fighter aircraft.
The ability and success of Wübke and his fellow ‘Würger-Staffel’ pilots is evidenced by the fact that very few Me 262s of JV 44 were destroyed on takeoff, and most that were pounced on by Allied fighters were destroyed on landing at various other landing strips.
Wübke died in a plane crash in South America
in the early 1950s.
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 pilot 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...
.
He was one of the few Luftwaffe fighter pilots to survive combat duty over the entire course of the war. Wübke flew various types of German fighters in combat and was credited with a total of 15 victories over Allied aircraft.
In 1940 as a Leutnant, Wübke flew sorties with pilots of the 9. Staffel, III./Jagdgeschwader 54
Jagdgeschwader 54
Jagdgeschwader 54 Grünherz was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during the Second World War. It was known as the Green Hearts Wing, and it was the second highest scoring wing of all time, JG 52 being the highest...
(JG 54) during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
. His last combat flights were made in 1945 flying "Platzschutz" or airfield defense missions for General Adolf Galland's Me 262 jet squadron, Jagdverband 44 (JV 44).
Along with a handful of experienced fighter pilots, the now Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
Wübke flew the outstanding piston-engined Fw190D-9 fighter in an effort to protect the jets of JV 44 from attack by Allied fighters during take-off. Their unit was based close to the jets at München-Riem, Germany.
Since the airfield at München-Reim was heavily protected from Allied aircraft by flak batteries, the Fw 190Ds of the Würger-Staffel had to be made instantly recognizable as ‘friendlies’ to the flak battery crews. To facilitate this, the under surfaces of many of the airfield defense fighters were painted bright red with white stripes.
JV 44's unofficial unit crest was a white circle trimmed with red, with a black and white checker board in the middle, and most of the Fw190Ds used in this unit wore this emblem. Hauptmann Waldemar Wübke regularly flew the Fw190D-9 coded “Rot 3” (Red 3). Wübke painted his personal emblem on the port side of the fuselage under the cockpit of his aircraft; the words “Im Auftrage der Reichsbahn” ("In service of the Reich Railway") in white lettering. This was a sarcastic reference to Wübke's loathing of fighter-bomber missions, many of which he was forced to undertake in his early career as a combat pilot. In his opinion trains were better used to carry bombs, not fighter aircraft.
The ability and success of Wübke and his fellow ‘Würger-Staffel’ pilots is evidenced by the fact that very few Me 262s of JV 44 were destroyed on takeoff, and most that were pounced on by Allied fighters were destroyed on landing at various other landing strips.
Wübke died in a plane crash in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
in the early 1950s.
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 on 20 October 1942 as OberleutnantOberleutnantOberleutnant 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...
in the III./Jagdgeschwader 54