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Karl-Heinz Weber
Karl-Heinz Weber during World War 2
Nickname(s)	Benjamin
Born	(1922-01-30)30 January 1922 Heringsdorf, Germany
Died	7 June 1944(1944-06-07) (aged 22) south of Rouen, France
Cause of death	Killed in action
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–1944
Rank	Hauptmann (captain)
Unit	JG 51, JG 1
Commands	III./JG 1
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Karl-Heinz Weber (30 January 1922 – 7 June 1944) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Weber was credited with 136 aerial victories—that is, 136 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft. All his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front in over 500 combat missions.

Career

Weber, the son of a Reichsbahn-Sekretär, was born on 30 January 1922 in Heringsdorf in the province of Pomerania, a Free State of Prussia. A pre-war glider pilot, he volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe in late 1939. Leutnant Weber was posted to 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) on 1 October 1940.

On the Eastern Front

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. There, Weber claimed his first aerial victory on 24 June 1941 over a Tupolev SB-2 bomber. On 6 July, for his achievements to date he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse).

During the Battle of Rzhev on 3 September 1942, Weber claimed a Petlyakov Pe-2 twin-engined dive bomber shot down in combat southwest of Sychyovka. Later that day, the airfield at Dugino came under Soviet bomber attack, during its defense, he was shot down and wounded in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 8240—factory number) northwest of Dugino. While Weber was recovering from his injuries, III. Gruppe (3rd group) was relocated to Jesau, near Königsberg in East Prussia for conversion to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-2 and A-3. On 19 November 1942, Soviet forces launched the Velikiye Luki offensive operation. During this operation, Weber claimed a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter east-southeast of Zubtsov on 15 January 1943. Operating from the airfield at Oryol-West, equipped with heated hangars and buildings, III. Gruppe was tasked with operating in the airspace south and east of Oryol. On 23 February, in the area north of Oryol and east of Zhizdra, Weber claimed a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter and an Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft shot down. The following day, in combat northeast of Zhizdra, Weber claimed two Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers shot down. On 16 March, he was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold).

Squadron leader

On 5 June 1943, Weber temporarily was given command of 7. Staffel, replacing Hauptmann Herbert Wehnelt who had fallen ill. On 5 July, III. Gruppe began flying missions in support of Operation Citadel, as part of the Battle of Kursk. The Gruppe supported the 9th Army, attacking the salient from the north. That day, Weber became an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time. On an early morning mission east of Maloarkhangelsk he claimed a MiG-3 fighter shot down. In the early afternoon, on mission to the combat area near Ponyri, his flight intercepted a formation of Douglas A-20 Havoc, also known as Boston, escorted by Lavochkin La-5 fighters. In this encounter, Weber claimed a Boston and a La-5 shot down. On an early evening mission to Maloarkhangelsk, the Gruppe encountered Il-2 ground-attack aircraft escorted by fighter aircraft. In this engagement, Weber claimed a Yakovlev Yak-1 fighter and a La-5 fighter shot down. On 12 July, Weber and his wingman Unteroffizier Heinrich Dittlmann shot down Mladshiy Leytenant Nikolay Zhukov and Leytenant Nikolay Safonov from 32 GvIAP (Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment—Gvardeyskiy Istrebitelny Aviatsionny Polk).

On 13 August, Weber was then officially appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the Staffel. The day before, he had been credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 49th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.

On 1 April 1944, 7. Staffel relocated to an airfield at Terespol. On the first mission from this airfield, the Staffel escorted Heinkel He 111 bombers on a mission to Kovel. Northwest of Kovel, the Staffel intercepted 15 Il-2 ground-attack aircraft. In the aerial encounter, 7. Staffel pilots without loss of their own claimed eight Il-2s shot down, including two by Weber. In April 1944, III. Gruppe began re-equipping with the Bf 109 G-6 with 7. Staffel making the transition in early May at an airfield at Dęblin–Irena. On 28 May, III. Gruppe of JG 51 received orders to transfer one Staffel to the west in Defence of the Reich. The Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) Hauptmann Diethelm von Eichel-Streiber selected Weber's 7. Staffel which was then subordinated to the II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing).

Group commander and missing in action

Following the transfer west, Weber was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III. Gruppe of JG 1 on 3 June, succeeding Major Hartmann Grasser in this capacity. Only four days later, on 7 June, Weber led III. Gruppe of JG 1 from Beauvais–Tillé against Allied fighters south of Rouen on his first mission over the Invasion Front. He was reported as missing in action. It is assumed that he was shot down and killed in his Bf 109 G-6/AS (Werknummer 410 399) by P-51 Mustang fighters from No. 315 Polish Fighter Squadron.

Following Weber's death, command of III. Gruppe was temporarily given to Haupmann Alfred Grislawski who had led 8. Staffel of JG 1. Weber's body was never recovered. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). He was the 529th member of the German armed forces to be so honored. On 14 November 1952, Weber was declared dead as of 31 December 1945 by the Amtsgericht, an official court, in Stade.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Weber was credited with 136 aerial victories. Prien, Rodeike, Obermaier and Spick also list Weber with 136 aerial victories claimed in over 500 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 132 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. All of his aerial victories were claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 57744". 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 km). 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.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (6 July 1941)
  • 1st Class (17 August 1941)
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 21 September 1942 as Leutnant and pilot
• German Cross in Gold on 16 March 1943 as Leutnant in the 7./Jagdgeschwader 51
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 12 November 1943 as Oberleutnant and Staffelführer of the 7./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"
  • 529th Oak Leaves on 20 July 1944 on (posthumously) and Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 7./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"

Notes

1. For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
2. According to Mathews and Foreman this claim is unconfirmed.
3. ^ This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.
4. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 05:08.
5. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 12:26.
6. ^ The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
7. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 17:56.
8. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Lavochkin La-5.
9. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 12:35.
10. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3.
11. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 15:04.
12. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 19:00.
13. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 05:06.
14. ^ According to Prien, Stemmer, Balke and Bock this claim was considered a Staffelabschuss, a shared aerial victory attributed to the entire squadron and not exclusively to Weber.
15. According to Obermaier and Thomas on 30 September 1942.

References

Citations

1. ^ Stockert 2012, p. 107.
2. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 68.
3. Aders & Held 1993, p. 85.
4. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 302.
5. Prien et al. 2006, pp. 319, 332.
6. Prien et al. 2006, pp. 319, 337.
7. Bergström et al. 2006, p. 199.
8. Prien et al. 2006, pp. 321, 334.
9. Prien et al. 2012, p. 1.
10. Prien et al. 2012, pp. 4–5, 60.
11. Prien et al. 2012, pp. 5, 60.
12. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 56.
13. Prien et al. 2012, pp. 22–23, 63.
14. Bergström 2007, p. 85.
15. Weal 1998, p. 64.
16. Obermaier 1989, p. 244.
17. Prien et al. 2022, pp. 361, 407.
18. Prien et al. 2022, p. 364.
19. Prien et al. 2022, p. 366.
20. ^ Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 997.
21. Prien & Rodeike 1996, pp. 1008–1009, 1186.
22. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1378.
23. Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 1009.
24. Page 2020, p. 70.
25. Stockert 2012, p. 108.
26. Zabecki 2019, p. 329.
27. Spick 1996, p. 230.
28. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1378–1381.
29. Planquadrat.
30. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 307.
31. Prien et al. 2003, p. 303.
32. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 304.
33. Prien et al. 2003, p. 308.
34. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 305.
35. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 309.
36. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1378, 1381.
37. Prien et al. 2005, p. 107.
38. Prien et al. 2005, p. 108.
39. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1378–1379.
40. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 330.
41. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 332.
42. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 334.
43. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 331.
44. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1379–1380.
45. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1379.
46. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 60.
47. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 66.
48. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 67.
49. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 61.
50. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 62.
51. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 63.
52. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 68.
53. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 64.
54. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 71.
55. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 65.
56. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 72.
57. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 73.
58. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1380–1381.
59. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 406.
60. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 407.
61. Prien et al. 2022, p. 408.
62. ^ Thomas 1998, p. 419.
63. Patzwall 2008, p. 213.
64. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 498.
65. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 770.
66. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 437.
67. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 85.

Bibliography

• Aders, Gebhard; Held, Werner (1993). Jagdgeschwader 51 'Mölders' Eine Chronik – Berichte – Erlebnisse – Dokumente [Fighter Wing 51 'Mölders' A Chronicle - Reports - Experiences - Documents] (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-613-01045-1.
• Bergström, Christer . "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
• Bergström, Christer ; Dikov, Andrey; Antipov, Vlad; Sundin, Claes (2006). Black Cross / Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front, Volume 3, Everything for Stalingrad. Hamilton MT: Eagle Editions. ISBN 978-0-9761034-4-8.
• Bergström, Christer (2007). Kursk—The Air Battle: July 1943. Hersham, Surrey: Classic Publications. ISBN 978-1-903223-88-8.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) . 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.
• Page, Neil (2020). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1943–45. Philadelphia, PA: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61200-879-0.
• 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; Rodeike, Peter (1996). Jagdgeschwader 1 und 11—Einsatz in der Reichsverteidigung von 1939 bis 1945—Teil 2—1944 [Jagdgeschwader 1 and 11—Operations in the Defense of the Reich from 1939 to 1945—Volume 2—1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-24-3.
• 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 (2005). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/I—Winterkampf im Osten—6 December 1941 bis 30 April 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.
• 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 (2012). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/II—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/II—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-05-5.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Balke, Ulf; Bock, Winfried (2022). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 15/I—Einsatz im Osten—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 15/I—Action in the East—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-26-0.
• 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.
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• Weal, John (1998) . Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 6. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-518-0.
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v t e German World War II flying aces with 100+ aerial victories
300+	Erich Hartmann (352) Gerhard Barkhorn (301)
250–299	Günther Rall (275) Otto Kittel (267) Walter Nowotny (258)
200–249	Wilhelm Batz (237) Erich Rudorffer (222) Heinrich Bär (220) Hermann Graf (212) Heinrich Ehrler (208) Theodor Weissenberger (208) Hans Philipp (206) Walter Schuck (206) Anton Hafner (204) Helmut Lipfert (203)
150–199	Walter Krupinski (197) Anton Hackl (192) Joachim Brendel (189) Max Stotz (189) Joachim Kirschner (188) Kurt Brändle (180) Günther Josten (178) Johannes Steinhoff (176) Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert (174) Günther Schack (174) Emil Lang (173) Heinz Schmidt (173) Horst Ademeit (166) Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke (162) Hans-Joachim Marseille (158) Heinrich Sturm (158) Gerhard Thyben (157) Hans Beißwenger (152) Peter Düttmann (152) Gordon Gollob (150)
100–149	Fritz Tegtmeier (146) Albin Wolf (144) Kurt Tanzer (143) Friedrich-Karl Müller (140) Friedrich Wachowiak (140)? Karl Gratz (138) Heinrich Setz (138) Rudolf Trenkel (138) Franz Schall (137) Walter Wolfrum (137) Horst-Günther von Fassong (136)? Otto Fönnekold (136) Karl-Heinz Weber (136) Joachim Müncheberg (135) Hans Waldmann (134) Alfred Grislawski (133) Johannes Wiese (133) Adolf Borchers (132) Erwin Clausen (132) Adolf Dickfeld (132) Wilhelm Lemke (131) Gerhard Hoffmann (130) Heinrich Sterr (130) Walther Dahl (129) Franz Eisenach (129) Franz Dörr (128) Rudolf Rademacher (126)? Josef Zwernemann (126) Dietrich Hrabak (125) Wolf-Udo Ettel (124) Herbert Ihlefeld (123) Wolfgang Tonne (122) Heinz Marquardt (121) Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (121) Robert Weiß (121) Friedrich Obleser (120) Erich Leie (118) Franz-Josef Beerenbrock (117) Hans-Joachim Birkner (117) Jakob Norz (117) Walter Oesau (117) Heinz Wernicke (117) August Lambert (116) Wilhelm Crinius (114) Werner Schröer (114) Hans Dammers (113) Berthold Korts (113) Helmut Lent (113) Kurt Bühligen (112) Kurt Ubben (111) Franz Woidich (110) Emil Bitsch (108) Hans Hahn (108) Bernhard Vechtel (108) Viktor Bauer (106) Werner Lucas (106) Günther Lützow (105) Eberhard von Boremski (104) Adolf Galland (104) Heinz Sachsenberg (104) Hartmann Grasser (103) Siegfried Freytag (102) Friedrich Geißhardt (102) Egon Mayer (102) Max-Hellmuth Ostermann (102) Herbert Rollwage (102)? Josef Wurmheller (102) Rudolf Miethig (101) Werner Mölders (101) Josef Priller (101) Ulrich Wernitz (101) Paul-Heinrich Dähne (100) Reinhard Seiler (100)
List of German World War II aces List of top World War II aces   This along with the ? (question mark) indicates doubt regarding the veracity and formal correctness of the listing.

• Aviation
• Biography

• 1922 births
• 1944 deaths
• Luftwaffe pilots
• German World War II flying aces
• Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II
• Recipients of the Gold German Cross
• Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
• People from Vorpommern-Greifswald
• Military personnel from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania
• Missing in action of World War II
• Aerial disappearances of military personnel in action