Wilhelm Steinmann
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Steinmann was a German
Luftwaffe
fighter ace
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
during World War II
.
in the 1939-1941 campaigns before transferring to the Jagdwaffe
and becoming a fighter pilot.
In October 1942 Steinmann was posted to the Gruppenstab of I./Jagdgeschwader 27
(JG 27) based on the Channel Front. He recorded his first victory on 18 May 1943, an RAF Hawker Typhoon
.
On 1 June Steinmann shot down a Bf 109 G-6 in error, flown by the Gruppenkommandeur
of I./JG 27, Hauptmann
Erich Hohagen
.
Steinmann was exiled to Romania to the staff of Jagdfliegerführer Rumänien as punishment, although soon afterwards was transferred to I./Jagdgeschwader 4
(JG 4), in Romania
. On 1 August 1943 he claimed three B-24 bombers of the USAAF 15th Air Force Force raiding Ploesti at low-level.
On 14 September 1943 Steinmann was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 4 serving in Italy
then was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 4 on 23 January 1944. He claimed some 15 victories in this theatre, mainly Alied fighters. He briefly left this unit on 14 February 1944 only to return as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 4 during the Defense of the Reich
campaign on 26 August 1944. On 18 December Steinmann claimed an RAF Mosquito bomber for his 29th victory.
In March 1945 Steinmann was transferred to III./Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 2 (EJG 2) and began training to fly the Messerschmitt Me 262
jet fighter. He recorded four victories in the jet.
The now Major Steinmann was awarded the Knight's Cross on 28 March 1945 after achieving 44 kills and ended the war with JV 44 under the command of General
Adolf Galland
.
Wilhelm Steinmann was credited with 44 kills in 234 missions, all but four were scored against the Western Allies
. Included in his tally were 7 P-47 Thunderbolt
s and 11 P-51 Mustang
fighters, making him one of the highest scoring Luftwaffe pilots against those Allied types.
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...
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...
.
World War II
Wilhelm Steinmann joined the Luftwaffe as a bomber pilot and flew a Heinkel He 111Heinkel He 111
The Heinkel He 111 was a German aircraft designed by Siegfried and Walter Günter in the early 1930s in violation of the Treaty of Versailles. Often described as a "Wolf in sheep's clothing", it masqueraded as a transport aircraft, but its purpose was to provide the Luftwaffe with a fast medium...
in the 1939-1941 campaigns before transferring to the Jagdwaffe
Jagdwaffe
Jagdwaffe , was the German Luftwaffes fighter force during World War II.-Aircraft:The Jagdwaffe used many aircraft, including the Messerschmitt Bf 109, Bf 110 , Me 163, Me 262 and Focke Wulf Fw 190....
and becoming a fighter pilot.
In October 1942 Steinmann was posted to the Gruppenstab of I./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:...
(JG 27) based on the Channel Front. He recorded his first victory on 18 May 1943, an RAF Hawker Typhoon
Hawker Typhoon
The Hawker Typhoon was a British single-seat fighter-bomber, produced by Hawker Aircraft. While the Typhoon was designed to be a medium-high altitude interceptor, and a direct replacement for the Hawker Hurricane, several design problems were encountered, and the Typhoon never completely satisfied...
.
On 1 June Steinmann shot down a Bf 109 G-6 in error, flown by the 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 I./JG 27, 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...
Erich Hohagen
Erich Hohagen
Erich Hohagen was a German Luftwaffe flying ace during World War II and a General in the post war Bundeswehr...
.
Steinmann was exiled to Romania to the staff of Jagdfliegerführer Rumänien as punishment, although soon afterwards was transferred to I./Jagdgeschwader 4
Jagdgeschwader 4
Jagdgeschwader 4 was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. JG 4 was formed as a full Geschwader on June 15, 1944 in Ansbach from Stab/Jagdgeschwader z.b.V. and its first Geschwaderkommodore was Major Gerhard Schöpfel....
(JG 4), in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
. On 1 August 1943 he claimed three B-24 bombers of the USAAF 15th Air Force Force raiding Ploesti at low-level.
On 14 September 1943 Steinmann was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 4 serving in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
then was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 4 on 23 January 1944. He claimed some 15 victories in this theatre, mainly Alied fighters. He briefly left this unit on 14 February 1944 only to return as Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 4 during the Defense of the Reich
Defense of the Reich
The Defence of the Reich is the name given to the strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe over German occupied Europe and Germany itself during World War II. Its aim was to prevent the destruction of German military and civil industries by the Western Allies...
campaign on 26 August 1944. On 18 December Steinmann claimed an RAF Mosquito bomber for his 29th victory.
In March 1945 Steinmann was transferred to III./Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 2 (EJG 2) and began training to fly the Messerschmitt Me 262
Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
jet fighter. He recorded four victories in the jet.
The now Major Steinmann was awarded the Knight's Cross on 28 March 1945 after achieving 44 kills and ended the war with JV 44 under the command of General
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Adolf Galland
Adolf Galland
Adolf "Dolfo" Joseph Ferdinand Galland was a German Luftwaffe General and flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions, and fought on the Western and the Defence of the Reich fronts...
.
Wilhelm Steinmann was credited with 44 kills in 234 missions, all but four were scored 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,...
. Included in his tally were 7 P-47 Thunderbolt
P-47 Thunderbolt
Republic Aviation's P-47 Thunderbolt, also known as the "Jug", was the largest, heaviest, and most expensive fighter aircraft in history to be powered by a single reciprocating engine. It was heavily armed with eight .50-caliber machine guns, four per wing. When fully loaded, the P-47 weighed up to...
s and 11 P-51 Mustang
P-51 Mustang
The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts...
fighters, making him one of the highest scoring Luftwaffe pilots against those Allied types.
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...
(1 May 1944) - 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 - 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 (1 January 1945) - 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 28 March 1945 as MajorMajor (Germany)Major is a rank of the German military which dates back to the Middle Ages.It equates to Major in the British and US Armies, and is rated OF-3 in NATO.During World War II, the SS equivalent was Sturmbannführer....
of the reservesMilitary reserve forceA military reserve force is a military organization composed of citizens of a country who combine a military role or career with a civilian career. They are not normally kept under arms and their main role is to be available to fight when a nation mobilizes for total war or to defend against invasion...
and GruppenkommandeurGruppenkommandeurGruppenkommandeur 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 the I./JG 4