Otto Schultz

Otto Schultz (31 May 1920 – 28 July 2013) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Schultz was credited with 73 aerial victories claimed in approximately 820 combat missions.

Early life and career

Schultz was born on 31 May 1920 in Dannenberg, at the time in the Province of Hanover within the Weimar Republic.^[1] Following flight training,^{["Note" 1]} Schultz was posted to II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) on 1 April 1940 where he initially served with 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of JG 51.^[2] At the time, 4. Staffel was headed by Oberleutnant Josef Fözö and the Gruppe was under command of Hauptmann Günther Matthes which was based at Böblingen Airfield.^[3]

World War II

In June 1941, JG 51 and the majority of the Luftwaffe were transferred to the Eastern Front in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union.^[4]

II. Gruppe had been withdrawn from the Eastern Front in early October 1942 and sent to Jesau in East Prussia, present day Yushny, Bagrationovsky District, for conversion to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. Conversion training began on 7 October and on 4 November, the unit received the order to convert back to the Bf 109 and to transfer to the Mediterranean theatre. Via various stopovers, II. Gruppe moved to Sidi Ahmed airfield, arriving on 14 November. There, the unit was subordinated to Fliegerführer Tunis (Flying Leader Tunis).^[5] There, Schultz claimed his first western aerial victory on 1 December, downing a Supermarine Spitfire. In December, the Gruppe was very successful over the new American pilots - claiming 50 victories while losing only two of their own. But as in Russia, in 1943, the superior numbers soon made their impact.^[6]

On 14 March 1943, Schultz was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for 51 aerial victories claimed.^[7] On 18 April, II. Gruppe received orders to exchange their newer Bf 109 G-4 and G-6 aircraft with older Bf 109 G-2 trop aircraft of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) and retreat from Africa to Bari, Italy.^[8] In August, orders transferred II./JG 51 to Munich to retrain as a specialist anti-bomber unit.^[9]

On 4 February 1944, Schultz was transferred and appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 6. Staffel of JG 51. He succeeded Hauptmann Herbert Puschmann who was killed in action the day before.^[10]

With Romania's surrender to Soviet forces in late August, and its subsequent declaration of war against Germany, II./JG 51 retreated to Yugoslavia. Left as final air-cover for the army retreating out of Greece, 6./JG 51 reportedly engaged their former allies in Romanian-flown Bf 109s.^[11]

On 23 December 1944, Schultz was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of JG 51. He succeeded Hauptmann Karl Rammelt who had been wounded in combat that day. Consequently, command of 6. Staffel was passed on to Leutnant Elias Kühlein.^[12]

Later life

Following World War II, Schultz rejoined military service with the German Air Force, at the time referred to as the Bundesluftwaffe, retiring as an Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) on 30 September 1976. From 1 October 1966 to 30 September 1971, Schultz served as deputy commander of Helicopter Transport Wing 64 based at Landsberg-Lech Air Base, formerly known as Penzing Air Base, which was under command of Oberst Johannes Naumann.^[13] Schultz died on 28 July 2013 at the age of 93 in Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany.^[14]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Schultz was credited with 73 aerial victories.^[15] Spick also list him with 73 aerial victories claimed in over 800 combat missions.^[16] Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 72 aerial victory claims, 39 were claimed on the Eastern Front and 33 on the Western Front, including seven heavy bombers.^[17]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 47814". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km²). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 by 4 km (1.9 by 2.5 mi) in size.^[18]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class^[2]
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (3 November 1941)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 24 September 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the II./Jagdgeschwader 51^[44]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 March 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 4./Jagdgeschwader 51^[45][46]

Notes

1. ^ Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations.^[47]
2. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3.^[28]
3. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Ilyushin Il-2.^[28]
4. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:53.^[28]
5. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 15:35.^[28]
6. ^ This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.^[40]
7. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman, this claim was confirmed.^[40]

References

Citations

1. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 202.
2. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 19.
3. ^ Prien et al. 2001, pp. 287, 290.
4. ^ Aders & Held 1993, p. 85.
5. ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 1.
6. ^ Weal 2006, p. 96.
7. ^ Weal 2006, p. 122.
8. ^ Prien et al. 2010, p. 338.
9. ^ Weal 2006, p. 99.
10. ^ Prien et al. 2021, p. 145.
11. ^ Weal 2006, p. 102.
12. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 344.
13. ^ Ahrens 2019, p. 242.
14. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 20.
15. ^ Zabecki 2014, p. 1615.
16. ^ Spick 1996, p. 237.
17. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1184–1186.
18. ^ Planquadrat.
19. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1184–1185.
20. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 279.
21. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 282.
22. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 280.
23. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 284.
24. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 281.
25. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 285.
26. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 286.
27. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 287.
28. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1185.
29. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 296.
30. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 303.
31. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 299.
32. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 304.
33. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 300.
34. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 302.
35. ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 11.
36. ^ Prien et al. 2010, p. 363.
37. ^ Prien et al. 2010, p. 364.
38. ^ Prien et al. 2010, p. 365.
39. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1185–1186.
40. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1186.
41. ^ Prien et al. 2021, p. 147.
42. ^ Prien et al. 2021, p. 148.
43. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 347.
44. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 428.
45. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 392.
46. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 689.
47. ^ Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, p. 17.

Bibliography

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1. ^ MiG-3
2. ^ not listed