Georg Schentke

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Georg 'Peterle' Schentke (23 November 1919 – 25 December 1942) 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.

Career

Schentke was born on 23 November 1919 in Kriescht in the Province of Brandenburg within the Weimar Republic, present-day Krzeszyce in western Poland. Following flight and fighter pilot training,[Note 1] Schentke was posted to 9. Staffel (9th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) on 1 March 1940.[2] The Staffel was subordinated to the newly created III. Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 3, based at Jena. The Gruppe was commanded by Hauptmann Walter Kienitz and equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1 and E-3. On 28 March 1940, III. Gruppe of JG 3 was considered operationally ready and transferred to Detmold Airfield where it was tasked with defending Germany's western border during the "Phoney War".[3] On 10 April, the Gruppe relocated to Hopsten Airfield. In preparation for the Battle of France, III. Gruppe was subordinated to Luftflotte 2, supporting Army Group Bs attack into the Netherlands.[4] Schentke claimed his first aerial victory on 8 June when he shot down a Bristol Blenheim bomber.[5]

Schentke claimed his first aerial victory during the Battle of Britain on 7 September during Operation Loge, the first deliberate attack on London which mainly targeted the Port of London. That day, III. Gruppe had been tasked with escorting the returning Luftwaffe bombers following their bomb run. On this mission, Schentke claimed a Royal Air Force (RAF) Supermarine Spitfire fighter shot down.[6] He claimed a second Spitfire shot down on 1 December.[7] On 15 February 1941, III. Gruppe was withdrawn from the English Channel and relocated to Gütersloh Airfield for a period of rest and replenishment.[8] Schentke and other pilots of III. Gruppe spent a couple of days of R&R skiing in the Kleinwalsertal before returning for active service on 17 March. On 17 April, the Gruppe received the then new Bf 109 F-2, training on this type until they relocated to Lillers, France on 3 May.[9] On 15 May, Schentke claimed his last aerial victory over the RAF when he shot down a Hawker Hurricane fighter.[10]

Eastern Front

The Gruppe relocated to an airfield at Moderówka on 18 June where the Gruppe concluded their last preparations for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. At the start of the campaign, JG 3 was subordinated to the V. Fliegerkorps (5th Air Corps), under command of General der Flieger Robert Ritter von Greim, which was part of Luftflotte 4 (4th Air Fleet), under command of Generaloberst Alexander Löhr. These air elements supported Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt's Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South), with the objective of capturing Ukraine and its capital Kiev. Then, continuing eastward over the steppes of southern USSR to the Volga with the aim of controlling the oil-rich Caucasus[11] Schentke claimed his first aerial victory on the Eastern Front on 24 June when he shot down a Soviet Polikarpov I-15 biplane fighter aircraft.[12][Note 2] Over the next weeks, Schentke frequently flew as wingman to Hauptmann Walter Oesau, who was the Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of JG 3.[14] On 4 September 1941, Schentke and fellow JG 3 pilot Oberfeldwebel Hans Stechmann, received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes) for 30 aerial victories claimed.[15]

On 6 November, III. Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and sent to Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield for a period of rest and replenishment. The first elements of the Gruppe arrived by train in Mannheim on 8 December, the transfer was completed a week later. There, the personnel was sent on home leave. Following the death of Generaloberst Ernst Udet, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring ordered JG 3 to be given the honorary name "Udet" on 1 December.[16] The Gruppe received a full complement of 41 Bf 109 F-4 aircraft and on 6 January 1942 was ordered to relocated to Sicily. On 13 January, 7. Staffel and elements of 8. and 9. Staffel boarded a train to Bari in southern Italy while the rest of III. Gruppe headed for Sciacca, Sicily. The relocation progressed until 26 January when new orders were received, ordering the Gruppe to return to Germany.[17] At Jesau near Königsberg, present-day Kaliningrad in Russia, III. Gruppe began preparations for redeployment to the Eastern Front.[18]

Supporting German forces fighting in the Demyansk Pocket on 18 February 1942, Schentke claimed a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter shot down, which may have been misidentified Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighters.[19] In late July 1942, after 71 aerial victories claimed, Schentke was transferred to Ergänzungsgruppe Süd (Supplementary Fighter Group South) as an instructor, promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) and awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 24 September.[14]

Stalingrad and missing in action

In November 1942, Schentke returned to the Eastern Front and was assigned to the 2. Staffel of JG 3.[14] At the time the Staffel was under the command of Oberleutnant Detlev Rohwer.[20] In December, Schentke volunteered for the Platzschutzstaffel (airfield defence squadron) of the Pitomnik Airfield. The Staffel, largely made up from volunteers from I. and II. Gruppe of JG 3, was responsible for providing fighter escort to Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft and Heinkel He 111 bombers shuttling supplies for the encircled German forces fighting in the Battle of Stalingrad. On 12 December 1942, the German LVII Panzer Corps of the 4th Panzer Army began its north-eastward drive from Kotelnikovo toward German forces trapped in the Stalingrad pocket. That day, JG 3 supported the attack in the combat area south of Stalingrad. During these missions, Schentke claimed six aerial victories, making him an "ace-in-a-day" for the second time.[21]

On 25 December 1942, Schentke claimed an Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft and was then was shot down in aerial combat with Soviet bombers near the Kotluban train station.[22] Although he was seen to bail out of his Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 13885—factory number) behind enemy lines, Schentke remains missing in action.[23][24][Note 3] He was posthumously promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant).[14]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Spick, Schentke was credited with 87 aerial victories, including four during the Battle of France and Britain and further 83 on the Eastern Front, claimed in an unknown number of combat missions.[26] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 88 aerial victories, four of his aerial victories were claimed on the Western Front, the others on the Eastern Front..[27]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 49147". 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.[28]

Chronicle of aerial victories

Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend Template:Legend

Claim! Claim# Date Time Type Location Claim! Claim# Date Time Type Location
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 –[29]
Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
1 1 8 June 1940 17:53 Blenheim[30] Abbéville[31]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 –[29]
At the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 9 June 1941
2 2 7 September 1940 17:55 Spitfire[32][33] 4 15 May 1941 20:55 Hurricane[34] Cap Gris-Nez[35]
3 3 1 December 1940 14:42 Spitfire[34][35]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 –[29]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 6 November 1941
5 5 24 June 1941 15:15 I-15[34][36] 20♠ 18 12 July 1941 10:32 DB-3[37][38]
6 6 29 June 1941 14:40 V-11 (Il-2)[39][40] 21♠ 19 12 July 1941 13:06 V-11 (Il-2)[37][38]
7 7 29 June 1941 17:40 PZL.37[39][40] 22 20 14 July 1941 07:04 I-16 Kiev[38][41]
8 8 30 June 1941 07:27 I-16[39][40] 23 21 15 July 1941 12:51 DB-3[38][41]
9 9 30 June 1941 07:30 I-16[39][40] 24 22 15 July 1941 12:55 DB-3[38][41]
10 10 30 June 1941 15:05 DB-3[39][40] 23 16 July 1941 12:20 I-153[38]
11 11 30 June 1941 15:06 DB-3[39][40] 24 16 July 1941 12:24 I-153[38]
12 4 July 1941 09:35 V-11 (Il-2) southwest of Hoszezag[42] 25 25 16 July 1941 16:00 I-16[38][43]
13 12 8 July 1941 17:16 SB-2[42][44] 26 16 July 1941 16:00?[Note 4] DB-3 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Koziatyn[43]
14 13 10 July 1941 09:10 V-11 (Il-2)[42][44] 27 26 23 July 1941 17:25 DB-3[43][45]
15 14 10 July 1941 12:39 SB-2[42][44] 28 27 23 July 1941 17:32 DB-3[43][45]
16 15 11 July 1941 18:00 SB-2[37][44] 29 28 5 August 1941 18:00 I-16[45][46]
17♠ 12 July 1941 10:26 DB-3 11 km (6.8 mi) southeast of Motyzhyn[37] 30 29 9 August 1941 08:10 DB-3[45][46]
18♠ 16 12 July 1941 10:27 DB-3[37][38] 31 30 10 August 1941 08:02 I-153[45][46]
19♠ 17 12 July 1941 10:27 DB-3[37][38]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[29]
Eastern Front — 10 February – 14 April 1942
32 31 18 February 1942 16:10 I-61 (MiG-3)[47][48] 39 38 20 March 1942 14:55 Pe-2[49][50]
33 32 19 February 1942 16:40 I-61 (MiG-3)[47][48] 40 39 22 March 1942 13:10 Il-2[49][50]
34 33 28 February 1942 09:12 I-16[48][51] 41 40 4 April 1942 16:04 I-301 (LaGG-3)[52][53]
35 34 28 February 1942 09:13 I-16[48][51] 42 41 4 April 1942 16:11 I-301 (LaGG-3)[52][53]
36 35 12 March 1942 16:52 I-61 (MiG-3)[48][51] 42 5 April 1942 16:15 unknown[53]
37 36 16 March 1942 10:55 I-301 (LaGG-3)[49][50] 43 43 6 April 1942 14:10 MiG-3[52][53]
38 37 17 March 1942 09:50 I-301 (LaGG-3)[49][50] 44 6 April 1942 14:14 MiG-3 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Parfino[52]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[27]
Eastern Front — 19 May – July 1942
45 44 19 May 1942 10:02 I-61 (MiG-3)[53] 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Stary Saltov[54] 58 58 5 July 1942 03:16 Il-2[55] Voronezh[56]
46 45 22 May 1942 09:36?[Note 5] I-61 (MiG-3)[53] 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Stary Saltov[54] 59 59 5 July 1942 03:18 Il-2[55] Voronezh[56]
47 46 22 May 1942 09:42?[Note 6] I-61 (MiG-3)[53] 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Stary Saltov[54] 60 60 7 July 1942 03:00 MiG-1[55][56]
48 22 May 1942 09:46 I-61 (MiG-3) 20 km (12 mi) east of Stary Saltov[54] 61 61 7 July 1942 03:03 MiG-1[55] Nowo-Uschman[56]
49 47 23 May 1942 05:36 Il-2[57] north of Ternowaja[54] 62 62 7 July 1942 03:40 Il-2[55] Maslovka[56]
50 48 23 May 1942 05:40 MiG-1[54][57] 63 63 7 July 1942 03:56 Il-2[55] Voronezh[56]
51 49 26 May 1942 16:07 Pe-2[54][57] 64 64 9 July 1942 11:17 Il-2[55] Voronezh[56]
52 50 26 May 1942 16:10 Pe-2[57][54] 65 65 9 July 1942 11:22 Il-2[55] north of Voronezh[56]
51 26 May 1942 18:55 MiG-1[57] 66 66 9 July 1942 11:24 Il-2[55] north of Voronezh[56]
53 52 27 May 1942 06:20 R-10 (Seversky)[57][54] 67 67 9 July 1942 19:36 LaGG-3[58] north of Voronezh[56]
53 27 May 1942 16:00 unknown[57] 68 68 11 July 1942 09:58 Boston[56][58]
54 54 29 May 1942 10:25 R-10 (Seversky)[57][59] 69 69 16 July 1942 17:20 Pe-2[56][58]
55 55 26 June 1942 04:35 Pe-2[57] 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Shchigry[59] 70 70 16 July 1942 17:21 Pe-2[56][58]
56 56 1 July 1942 10:13 MiG-1[60][55] 71 71 16 July 1942 17:22 Pe-2[56][58]
57 57 5 July 1942 03:15 LaGG-3[55] Voronezh[56]
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[61]
Eastern Front, Stalingrad — December 1942
72 1 December 1942 08:45 unknown[62] 82♠ 81♠ 12 December 1942 13:33 LaGG-3?[Note 7] PQ 35 Ost 49354[64]
20 km (12 mi) south of Bassargino[Note 8]
72 8 December 1942 10:15 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 49147[64]
10 km (6.2 mi) north-east of Pitomnik Airfield 		83♠ 82♠ 12 December 1942 13:41 LaGG-3?[Note 7] PQ 35 Ost 49342[64]
vicinity of Stalingrad
73 8 December 1942 12:45 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 49324[64]
vicinity of Bassargino 		84 83 13 December 1942 13:30 LaGG-3?[Note 7] PQ 35 Ost 44323[64]
vicinity of Bassargino
74 73 9 December 1942 07:20 Il-2[62] 10 km (6.2 mi) east-northeast of Gratschij
5 km (3.1 mi) north of Gorodishche 		85 84 17 December 1942 10:00 LaGG-3?[Note 7] PQ 35 Ost 49213[64]
15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Gorodishche
75 74 10 December 1942 08:30 MiG-1[62] west of Kotluban train station[64]
west of Pitomnik Airfield 		86 17 December 1942 13:18 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 49161[64]
north of Konnaja railroad
76 75 10 December 1942 08:40 Il-2?[Note 9] 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Kotluban train station[64]
5 km (3.1 mi) north of Gorodishche 		87 85 18 December 1942 07:32 Pe-2?[Note 7] PQ 35 Ost 49261[64]
35 km (22 mi) east of Stalingrad
77 76 10 December 1942 08:47 MiG-1[62] 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Gorodischtsche[64]
vicinity of Gorodishche 		86 18 December 1942 07:40 unknown[63]
78♠ 77♠ 12 December 1942 06:57 Il-2?[Note 7] PQ 35 Ost 49349[64]
vicinity of Stalingrad 		87 18 December 1942 09:35 unknown[63]
79♠ 78♠ 12 December 1942 08:39 La-5?[Note 7] PQ 35 Ost 49343[64]
vicinity of Stalingrad 		88 23 December 1942
—
 Il-2[63]
80♠ 79♠ 12 December 1942 11:55 La-5?[Note 7] 5 km (3.1 mi) south-south-east Karpovka[64] 88 89 25 December 1942 13:50 Pe-2?[Note 7] PQ 35 Ost 4078[64]
81♠ 80♠ 12 December 1942 12:10 Il-2?[Note 7] PQ 35 Ost 49331[64]
vicinity of Stalingrad

Awards

Notes


References

Citations


Bibliography

<templatestyles src="Refbegin/styles.css" />

 Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website.
  Christer Bergström.
 
 
  Retrieved 15 November 2023 from link

Template:Knight's Cross recipients of JG 3

  1. ↑ Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, p. 17.
  2. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 194.
  3. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 1, 3.
  4. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 3.
  5. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 25.
  6. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 42, 475.
  7. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 47.
  8. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 49.
  9. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 91.
  10. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 93, 476.
  11. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 105.
  12. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 108, 476.
  13. ↑ Weal 2007, p. 16.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 14.4 Dixon 2023, p. 127.
  15. ↑ Weal 2013, pp. 28–29.
  16. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 122–123.
  17. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 150, 152.
  18. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 152.
  19. ↑ Bergström & Mikhailov 2001, pp. 86, 88.
  20. ↑ Prien et al. 2006, p. 94.
  21. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 200.
  22. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 201.
  23. ↑ Prien et al. 2006, p. 113.
  24. ↑ Page 2020, p. 105.
  25. ↑ Hiestand 2023, p. 71.
  26. ↑ Spick 1996, p. 235.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1115–1116.
  28. ↑ Planquadrat.
  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 29.3 29.4 Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1115.
  30. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 474.
  31. ↑ Prien et al. 2001, p. 175.
  32. ↑ Prien et al. 2002, p. 245.
  33. ↑ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 475.
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 476.
  35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 Prien et al. 2002, p. 247.
  36. ↑ Prien et al. 2003, p. 137.
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 37.2 37.3 37.4 37.5 Prien et al. 2003, p. 141.
  38. ↑ 38.00 38.01 38.02 38.03 38.04 38.05 38.06 38.07 38.08 38.09 Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 479.
  39. ↑ 39.0 39.1 39.2 39.3 39.4 39.5 Prien et al. 2003, p. 138.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 40.3 40.4 40.5 Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 477.
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 41.2 Prien et al. 2003, p. 142.
  42. ↑ 42.0 42.1 42.2 42.3 Prien et al. 2003, p. 140.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 43.3 Prien et al. 2003, p. 144.
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 44.3 Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 478.
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 45.4 Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 480.
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 46.2 Prien et al. 2003, p. 146.
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 Prien et al. 2005, p. 33.
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 48.2 48.3 48.4 Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 482.
  49. ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 49.3 Prien et al. 2005, p. 35.
  50. ↑ 50.0 50.1 50.2 50.3 Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 483.
  51. ↑ 51.0 51.1 51.2 Prien et al. 2005, p. 34.
  52. ↑ 52.0 52.1 52.2 52.3 Prien et al. 2005, p. 36.
  53. ↑ 53.0 53.1 53.2 53.3 53.4 53.5 53.6 53.7 53.8 Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 484.
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 54.2 54.3 54.4 54.5 54.6 54.7 54.8 Prien et al. 2006, p. 214.
  55. ↑ 55.00 55.01 55.02 55.03 55.04 55.05 55.06 55.07 55.08 55.09 55.10 Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 486.
  56. ↑ 56.00 56.01 56.02 56.03 56.04 56.05 56.06 56.07 56.08 56.09 56.10 56.11 56.12 56.13 56.14 Prien et al. 2006, p. 217.
  57. ↑ 57.0 57.1 57.2 57.3 57.4 57.5 57.6 57.7 57.8 Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 485.
  58. ↑ 58.0 58.1 58.2 58.3 58.4 Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 487.
  59. ↑ 59.0 59.1 Prien et al. 2006, p. 215.
  60. ↑ Prien et al. 2006, p. 216.
  61. ↑ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1116.
  62. ↑ 62.0 62.1 62.2 62.3 62.4 Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 442.
  63. ↑ 63.0 63.1 63.2 63.3 Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 443.
  64. ↑ 64.00 64.01 64.02 64.03 64.04 64.05 64.06 64.07 64.08 64.09 64.10 64.11 64.12 64.13 64.14 64.15 Prien et al. 2006, p. 107.
  65. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 376.
  66. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 659.
  67. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 403.


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