Wilhelm Freuwörth

Wilhelm "Willi" Freuwörth (4 November 1917 – 5 December 1970) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career Wilhelm Freuwörth was credited with 58 aerial victories.

Wilhelm Freuwörth
Nickname(s)"Willi"
Born4 November 1917
Börßum
Died5 December 1970(1970-12-05) (aged 53)
Wetzlar
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
RankOberleutnant (first lieutenant)
UnitJG 52
JG 26
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

War against the Soviet Union
I./JG 52 insignia

On 22 June, German forces had launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. Pror to its deployment on the Eastern Front, I. Gruppe was fully equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2. The Gruppe reached Orsha on 27 September before heading to Ponyatovka on 2 October. There, the Gruppe was initially subordinated to the Stab (headquarters unit) of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) and supported German forces fighting in the Battle of Vyazma as part of Operation Typhoon, the code name of the German offensive on Moscow.[1][2] On 20 October, the Gruppe moved to an airfield named Kalinin-Southwest, present-day Tver, and located on the Volga, and to Staritsa on 31 October and then to Ruza located approximately 80 kilometers (50 miles) west of Moscow on 3 November.[3] While transferring to Ruza, Freuwörth belly landed his Bf 109 F-2 at Smolensk on 4 October.[4]

On 29 May 1942, Freuwörth was shot down in his Bf 109 F-4 during aerial combat with I-61 fighters, an early German designation of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter.[5] Freuwörth was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 5 January 1943.[6]

On 24 March 1943, Freuwörth and his wingman Unteroffizier Peter Crump intercepted two Supermarine Spitfire from No. 91 Squadron. Both Spitfires were claimed shot down. Freuwörth hit the Spitfire piloted by Flying Officer Jim Anstie, resulting in a forced landing near RAF Lympne.[7] The following day, Freuwörth claimed another Spitfire fighter shot down 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) southeast of Dover.[8] According to Mathews and Foreman, the aircraft he shot down was a misidentified Hawker Typhoon fighter from the No. 609 Squadron piloted by John Robert Baldwin who was shot down over the English Channel that day.[9] On 1 January 1945, Freuwörth was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant).[10]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Freuwörth was credited with 58 aerial victories.[11] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 48 aerial victory claims. This figure includes 45 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and three over the Western Allies.[12]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 40412". 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 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[13]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Freuwörth an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –[9]
On the Western Front — April – 23 September 1941
1 26 August 1941 14:20?[Note 1] Blenheim north of Juist[14]
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –[9]
Operation Barbarossa — 2 October – 5 December 1941
2 26 November 1941 14:06 Il-2[15] 3 28 November 1941 14:45 I-61 (MiG-3) west of Mytishchi[15]
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –[12]
19 May 1942 – 1 February 1943
4 24 May 1942 18:22 Il-2[16] 31 25 September 1942 10:40 LaGG-3 PQ 40412[17]
5 26 May 1942 15:43 Pe-2[18] 32?[Note 2] 25 September 1942
—
 LaGG-3[17]
6 28 May 1942 09:53 I-26 (Yak-1)[18] 33 4 October 1942 14:58 Il-2 PQ 59321[17]
7 11 June 1942 05:24 I-16[19] 34 11 October 1942 12:03 LaGG-3 PQ 49432[17]
Srednyaya Akhtuba
8 13 June 1942 06:36 LaGG-3 PQ 70213[19] 35 14 October 1942 08:05 U-2 PQ 40563[20]
55 km (34 mi) north of Hrebinka
9 2 July 1942 09:32 LaGG-3[21] 36 25 October 1942 14:40 Yak-1 PQ 49214[20]
northeast of Hrebinka
10 31 July 1942 04:52 LaGG-3 PQ 97471[22] 37 27 October 1942 09:08 R-5 PQ 59534[20]
vicinity of Jarsew
11 2 August 1942 18:30 I-153 PQ 66664[22]
east of Zaporizhzhia		 38 28 October 1942 11:52 Yak-1 PQ 49431[20]
Srednyaya Akhtuba
12 6 August 1942 09:15 R-5 PQ 75161[22]
east of Anapa		 39 29 October 1942 08:23 Yak-1 PQ 59321[20]
13 6 August 1942 17:20 Pe-2 PQ 75161[22]
east of Anapa		 40 29 October 1942 14:50 LaGG-3 PQ 50593[20]
14 10 August 1942 11:30 I-16 PQ 75413[22]
vicinity of Vasilyevka		 41 31 October 1942 12:52 LaGG-3 PQ 59333[20]
15 22 August 1942 08:05 R-5 PQ 55764[23]
Black Sea		 42 1 November 1942 12:56 LaGG-3 PQ 49431[20]
vicinity of Srednyaya Akhtuba
16 22 August 1942 08:08 LaGG-3 PQ 55884[23]
Black Sea		 43 1 November 1942 12:59?[Note 3] LaGG-3 PQ 49431[20]
vicinity of Srednyaya Akhtuba
17 26 August 1942 06:22 I-180 (Yak-7) PQ 47852[23]
east-southeast of Zubtsov		 44 1 November 1942 13:03 LaGG-3 PQ 59143[20]
18 31 August 1942 11:08 Yak-1 PQ 47881[23] 45 1 November 1942 13:06 LaGG-3 PQ 59123[20]
19 31 August 1942 11:10 Yak-1 PQ 47841[23] 46 2 November 1942 10:35 R-5 PQ 59193[25]
20 2 September 1942 13:20 R-5 PQ 56452[23]
Black Sea		 47 3 November 1942 14:03?[Note 4] Il-2 PQ 50751[25]
21 2 September 1942 16:39 LaGG-3 PQ 56414, Garetewo[23] 48?[Note 2] 29 November 1942
—
 R-5[25]
22 3 September 1942 14:35 Il-2 PQ 46253[23] 49♠[Note 2] 16 December 1942
—
 Il-2[25]
23 3 September 1942 14:36 Il-2 PQ 46262[23] 50♠[Note 2] 16 December 1942
—
 Il-2[25]
24 4 September 1942 17:30 Pe-2 PQ 46293[23] 51♠[Note 2] 16 December 1942
—
 Il-2[25]
25 5 September 1942 12:05 LaGG-3 PQ 57894[23] 52♠[Note 2] 16 December 1942
—
 Il-2[25]
26 5 September 1942 12:07 LaGG-3 PQ 57893[23]
Sea of Azov		 53♠[Note 2] 16 December 1942
—
 Il-2[25]
27 6 September 1942 10:01 R-5 PQ 49814[26] 54♠[Note 2] 16 December 1942
—
 Il-2[25]
28 11 September 1942 16:17 P-39 PQ 47852[26] 55?[Note 2] 17 December 1942
—
 Il-2[25]
29 14 September 1942 07:50 U-2 (Seversky) PQ 49824[26] 56?[Note 2] 17 December 1942
—
 Il-2[25]
30 16 September 1942 09:53 R-5 PQ 47361[26]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –[24]
On the Western Front — 1 February – 21 December 1943
57 24 March 1943 10:17 Spitfire 8 km (5.0 mi) east of Dungeness[8] 58 25 March 1943 18:14 Spitfire 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Dover[8]

Awards

Notes
  1. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:27.[9]
  2. This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[12]
  3. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 12:58.[24]
  4. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:30.[24]
  5. According to Obermaier on 6 July 1942.[10]

References

Citations
  1. Prien et al. 2003b, p. 12.
  2. Schreier 1990, p. 59.
  3. Schreier 1990, p. 63.
  4. Prien et al. 2003b, p. 23.
  5. Prien et al. 2006, p. 439.
  6. Schreier 1990, p. 174.
  7. Goss, Cornwell & Rauchbach 2010, p. 216.
  8. Prien et al. 2010, p. 554.
  9. Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 338.
  10. Obermaier 1989, p. 113.
  11. Zabecki 2014, p. 1618.
  12. Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 338–339.
  13. Planquadrat.
  14. Prien et al. 2003a, p. 69.
  15. Prien et al. 2003b, p. 21.
  16. Prien et al. 2006, p. 427.
  17. Prien et al. 2006, p. 436.
  18. Prien et al. 2006, p. 428.
  19. Prien et al. 2006, p. 429.
  20. Prien et al. 2006, p. 437.
  21. Prien et al. 2006, p. 430.
  22. Prien et al. 2006, p. 433.
  23. Prien et al. 2006, p. 434.
  24. Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 339.
  25. Prien et al. 2006, p. 438.
  26. Prien et al. 2006, p. 435.
  27. Patzwall 2008, p. 79.
  28. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 122.
  29. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 186.
  30. Scherzer 2007, p. 318.

Bibliography
  • Bergström, Christer. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Goss, Chris; Cornwell, Peter; Rauchbach, Bernd (2010). Luftwaffe Fighter-Bombers Over Britain: The Tip and Run Campaign, 1942–43. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-0691-9.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2014). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 1 A–F. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-18-9.
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 5—Heimatverteidigung—10. Mai 1940 bis 31 Dezember 1941—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—Oktober 1940 bis November 1941—Einsatz im Westen—22. Juni bis 31. Dezember 1941—Die Ergänzungsjagdgruppen—Einsatz 1941 bis zur Auflösung Anfang 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 5—Defense of the Reich—10 May 1940 to 31 December 1941—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—October 1940 to November 1941—Action in the West—22 June to 31 December 1941—The Supplementary Fighter Groups—Action from 1941 until their Breakup in Early 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-68-7.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003b). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/II—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/II—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-70-0.
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