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Helmut Schönfelder

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Helmut Schönfelder
Born30 April 1914
Nienburg an der Weser
Died23 September 2003(2003-09-23) (aged 89)
Bad Schwalbach
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service / branchLuftwaffe
Years of service?-1945
RankOberfeldwebel
UnitJG 51
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Helmut Schönfelder (30 April 1914 – 23 September 2003) 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. Schönfelder was credited with 56 aerial victories.

Career

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Schönfelder was born on 30 April 1914 in Nienburg an der Weser in the Province of Hanover within the German Empire.[1]

Summary of career

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Aerial victory claims

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According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Schönfelder was credited with 56 aerial victories.[2] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that he claimed 56 aerial victories, all of which on the Eastern Front.[3]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Balke, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[4]
Operation Barbarossa — October – 5 December 1941
1 27 October 1941 14:15 DB-3 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Mtsensk[5] 2 28 November 1941 11:10 I-16 3 km (1.9 mi) southeast of Kashira[6]
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[4]
Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942
3 13 January 1942 14:49 I-16 southwest of Yukhnov[7] 6 7 March 1942 08:07 I-61?[Note 1] 30 km (19 mi) northeast of Krassilina[9]
4 13 January 1942 14:52 I-16 45 km (28 mi) southwest of Yukhnov[7] 7 8 March 1942 09:50 Pe-2 1 km (0.62 mi) north of Meshchovsk[9]
5 7 March 1942 08:05 I-61?[Note 1] 30 km (19 mi) northeast of Krassilina[9]
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[4]
Eastern Front — 1 May – 7 October 1942
8 1 May 1942 06:35 MiG-3 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Mtsensk[10] 10 26 September 1942 15:12 LaGG-3 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Rzhev[11]
9 25 August 1942 10:28 LaGG-3 12 km (7.5 mi) west of Belyov[12]

Awards

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Polikarpov I-16 fighter.[8]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 200.
  2. ^ Zabecki 2014, p. 1618.
  3. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1166–1167.
  4. ^ a b c Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1166.
  5. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 286.
  6. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 287.
  7. ^ a b Prien et al. 2005, p. 93.
  8. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 606.
  9. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2005, p. 95.
  10. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 295.
  11. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 305.
  12. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 304.
  13. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 214.
  14. ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 186.
  15. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 422.
  16. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 387.
  17. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 680.

Bibliography

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  • Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1943–1945. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-39903-073-1.
  • 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.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 4 S–Z. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-21-9.
  • 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 (2003). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/I—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/I—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-69-4.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/II—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1.5.1942 bis 3.2.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/II—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-77-9.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2005). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/I—Winterkampf im Osten—6.12.1941 bis 30.4.1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/I—Winter War in the East—6 December 1941 to 30 April 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-76-2.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Zabecki, David T., ed. (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.
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