Fritz Tegtmeier Explained

Fritz Tegtmeier
Birth Date:30 July 1917
Birth Place:Sundern, Westphalia
Death Place:Greven
Rank:Oberleutnant (first lieutenant)
Unit:JG 54, EJGr Ost, JG 7
Awards:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Fritz Tegtmeier (30 July 1917 – 8 April 1999) was a World War II Luftwaffe 146 aerial victories Flying ace and recipient of the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.

Military career

Fritz Tegtmeier was posted to the 2. Staffel (2nd Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in October 1940. He was severely injured on 17 November 1940 when his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1 (Werknummer 6043—factory number) suffered engined failure, resulting in crash landing at Jever Airfield. He returned to his Staffel in the spring of 1941 and claimed his first aerial victory on 22 June 1941, the first day of Operation Barbarossa on the Eastern Front.

On 8 September, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Siversky located southwest of Leningrad. There, on 11 September he was again severely injured in a collision in his Bf 109 F-2 resulting in a crash landing at Siversky. He returned to active duty in April 1942 and was assigned to the 1. Staffel of JG 54. By the end of 1942 he had claimed 24 aerial victories.

On 14 January 1943, Tegtmeier became an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time. That day, pilots of I. Gruppe had claimed 30 aerial victories (Luftsiege). He claimed aerial victories number 36 and 37 on 23 January. On 3 May 1943 he claimed numbers 51–53 and was posted to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost as fighter pilot instructor. He returned to front line duty, this time with the 3. Staffel of JG 54, in September 1943. In November 1943 he achieved his 75th aerial victory. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 28 March 1944 following his 99th aerial victory. Tegtmeier was promoted to Leutnant on 20 April 1944. He claimed his 100th and 101st aerial victory on 3 May 1944. He was the 71st Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. On 1 September 1944, he was made Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 3. Staffel of JG 54. He succeeded Leutnant Otto Kittel who was transferred. By the end of 1944 his score of aerial victories stood at 139 claims. When he was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing) for flight training on the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter in March 1945 his score stood at 146 aerial victories. Fritz Tegtmeier had been nominated for the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub).

Later life

Tegtmeier died on 8 April 1999 at the age of in Greven, Germany.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Tegtmeier was credited with 146 aerial victories. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 146 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 01852". The Luftwaffe grid map (German: 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 360sqmi. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3x in size.

Chronicle of aerial victories
ClaimDateTimeTypeLocationClaimDateTimeTypeLocation
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –
Operation Barbrossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
123 June 1941?10:24SB-2513 August 194115:42I-18 (MiG-1)
224 June 194105:44SB-2614 August 194105:07I-18 (MiG-1)
324 June 194105:48SB-273 September 194115:50I-161km (01miles) north of Krasnogvardeysk
418 July 194113:54I-18 (MiG-1)815 November 194111:20I-18 (MiG-1)
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –
Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
910 June 194210:20Pe-22430 December 194212:13?Pe-2PQ 01852
25km (16miles) northwest of Shlisselburg
1022 June 194218:45MiG-3257 January 194311:30LaGG-3PQ 01762
20km (10miles) north-northeast of Leningrad
1122 July 194210:26Yak-12612 January 194309:35P-40PQ 00251
15km (09miles) west-southwest of Shlisselburg
1223 July 194209:30MiG-32712 January 194314:22Il-2PQ 10184
east of Mga
131 August 194216:40LaGG-3PQ 00172
10km (10miles) north of Selo
28♠14 January 194309:02La-5PQ 10181
east of Mga
145 August 194215:10MiG-3PQ 20542
45km (28miles) east of Lyuban
29♠14 January 194309:05La-5PQ 10193
east of Mga
155 August 194215:13MiG-3PQ 20593
45km (28miles) northeast of Chudovo
30♠14 January 194309:10Il-2PQ 00292
10km (10miles) west of Mga
167 August 194213:30P-40PQ 20731
45km (28miles) east-northeast of Chudovo
31♠14 January 194314:30Il-2PQ 00294
10km (10miles) west of Mga
1711 August 194214:23?Il-2PQ 28311
20km (10miles) east-northeast of Demyansk
32♠14 January 194314:33?Il-2PQ 00274
10km (10miles) west of Mga
1820 August 194206:20Yak-1PQ 47662
15km (09miles) south of Staritsa
3316 January 194309:35Il-2PQ 10142
south of Shlisselburg
1925 August 194214:20Yak-1PQ 36573
25km (16miles) south-southeast of Gagarin
3416 January 194309:43Yak-1PQ 10311
10km (10miles) south of Mga
2026 August 194213:30R-5PQ 47864
20km (10miles) east-southeast of Zubtsov
3522 January 194308:46Yak-1PQ 10212
45km (28miles) west of Volkhov
215 September 194212:40Yak-1PQ 10841
southeast of Shlisselburg
3623 January 194313:05Yak-1PQ 10191
east of Mga
225 September 194212:45Yak-1PQ 10954
southeast of Shlisselburg
3723 January 194313:38Il-2PQ 00411
10km (10miles) east of Pushkin
2311 September 194216:35I-16PQ 00223
20km (10miles) west of Shlisselburg
3824 January 194313:35La-5PQ 10143
south of Shlisselburg
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –
Eastern Front — 4 February – March 1943
3910 February 194311:15Il-2PQ 36 Ost 10142
south of Shlisselburg
4221 February 194313:00La-5PQ 36 Ost 00412
10km (10miles) east of Pushkin
4017 February 194312:05Yak-1PQ 36 Ost 00281
20km (10miles) west of Mga
4323 February 194307:05Il-2PQ 36 Ost 00412
10km (10miles) east of Pushkin
4121 February 194310:50LaGG-3PQ 36 Ost 00442
10km (10miles) southeast of Slutsk
4423 February 194307:10Il-2PQ 36 Ost 00283
20km (10miles) west of Mga
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –
Eastern Front — April – 31 December 1943
?3 March 194311:10I-1620km (10miles) east of Leningrad615 October 194313:21LaGG-3PQ 35 Ost 02682
453 April 194312:45Yak-1?PQ 36 Ost 00421
Pushkin-Mga
629 October 194307:20P-39PQ 35 Ost 07772
10km (10miles) east of Nevel
?10 April 194311:50Yak-110km (10miles) south of Lomonosov6314 October 194308:15LaGG-3PQ 35 Ost 15512, southeast of Bajewo
20km (10miles) north-northeast of Krassnyj
46?11 April 194318:25Il-23km (02miles) south of Leningrad6420 October 194311:35Il-2PQ 35 Ost 06312
4713 April 194317:57?Pe-2PQ 36 Ost 00163
10km (10miles) southeast of Leningrad
6521 October 194310:45LaGG-3PQ 35 Ost 02232
482 May 194319:05Il-2PQ 36 Ost 00463
10km (10miles) north of Tosno
6621 October 194310:50LaGG-3PQ 35 Ost 02233, east of Lojew
492 May 194319:07Il-2PQ 36 Ost 00273
10km (10miles) west of Mga
6722 October 194308:20La-5PQ 35 Ost 15332
15km (09miles) north of Krassnyj
503 May 194317:45La-5PQ 26 Ost 90252
15km (09miles) west-southwest of Shlisselburg
6822 October 194310:40La-5PQ 35 Ost 05282
east of Kshischtschew
5114 September 194311:52?Yak-9PQ 35 Ost 26231
25km (16miles) northeast of Moschna
6927 October 194309:15La-5PQ 35 Ost 15342
20km (10miles) west of Krassnyj
5214 September 194316:30La-5PQ 35 Ost 25663
25km (16miles) east of Schatalowka
7028 October 194312:45BostonPQ 35 Ost 03823
5315 September 194308:50Yak-9PQ 35 Ost 26732
10km (10miles) northeast of Moschna
7128 October 194312:47BostonPQ 35 Ost 03824
5415 September 194314:00?Yak-9PQ 35 Ost 35492
15km (09miles) west of Yelnya
7228 October 194312:50BostonPQ 35 Ost 03864
5515 September 194314:15Il-2PQ 35 Ost 35531
20km (10miles) southeast of Yelnya
7328 October 194312:53Pe-2PQ 35 Ost 03893
5617 September 194311:00La-5PQ 35 Ost 35321
20km (10miles) west of Yelnya
746 November 194309:50Yak-9PQ 35 Ost 06154
5722 September 194317:38Yak-9PQ 35 Ost 12742756 November 194309:55LaGG-3PQ 35 Ost 06163, Lake Ssennitza
5822 September 194317:40Yak-9PQ 35 Ost 1272176?17 November 194307:50LaGG-3
5926 September 194312:20Yak-9PQ 35 Ost 25532
10km (10miles) north of Schatalowka
778 December 194314:00LaGG-3PQ 35 Ost 06384
605 October 194313:20LaGG-3PQ 35 Ost 02682
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –
Eastern Front — 1 January – September 1944
783 February 194414:15Il-210126 May 194418:50La-5Baltic Sea, 25km (16miles) north-northwest of Hungerburg
793 February 194414:17Il-210215 June 194407:37Il-2
807 February 194407:37La-510316 June 194419:00Yak-9
817 February 194410:36La-510416 June 194419:00Yak-9
827 February 194410:37La-510514 July 194417:58Yak-9
837 February 194411:05La-510616 July 194408:35Yak-9
847 February 194411:07La-510716 July 194408:40P-39
8512 February 194414:30La-510821 July 194409:20Yak-9
8616 February 194414:10Yak-940km (30miles) southwest of Narva10921 July 194409:25Yak-9
8724 February 194411:00Yak-925km (16miles) southwest of Narva11022 July 194415:55La-5
8825 February 194411:10Il-230km (20miles) southwest of Narva11122 July 194419:15LaGG-3
896 March 194407:55La-525km (16miles) south of Narva11227 July 194415:55Pe-2
906 March 194408:05Yak-9southwest of Narva11328 July 194415:15Yak-9
917 March 194412:36La-530km (20miles) west-southwest of Narva1141 August 194412:17La-5
928 March 194415:46Il-2Baltic Sea, 30km (20miles) northeast of Kunda1156 August 194418:39Yak-9
938 March 194416:10Il-2Baltic Sea, 45km (28miles) northeast of Kunda1167 August 194413:43P-39
948 March 194416:23Yak-9Baltic Sea, 45km (28miles) northeast of Kunda1177 August 194418:20La-5
959 March 194409:08La-5southwest of Narva1187 August 194418:24La-5
9623 March 194415:35Il-211916 August 194410:45La-5
971 April 194410:12LaGG-325km (16miles) southeast of Pskov12025 August 194409:23Pe-2
982 April 194415:25La-5northeast of Kunda12127 August 194415:05Yak-9
994 April 194408:19La-5northeast of Kunda12227 August 194415:10Pe-2
10020 May 194412:31Yak-1Baltic Sea, 20km (10miles) north-northwest of Hungerburg12329 August 194418:30La-5
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –
Eastern Front — September – October 1944
124♠14 September 194410:00Yak-935km (22miles) northwest of Kreuzburg13217 September 194413:22Yak-925km (16miles) northwest of Pasewalk
125♠14 September 194412:00P-3945km (28miles) northeast of Pasewalk13320 September 194411:13Yak-945km (28miles) south of Riga
126♠14 September 194412:03P-3945km (28miles) northeast of Pasewalk13410 October 194409:07La-510km (10miles) east of Riga
127♠14 September 194412:04Yak-945km (28miles) northeast of Pasewalk13512 October 194412:25Il-210km (10miles) southeast of Riga
128♠14 September 194412:10Il-245km (28miles) northeast of Pasewalk13612 October 194416:05Pe-210km (10miles) north of Riga
129♠14 September 194416:40Pe-210km (10miles) south of Riga13712 October 194416:07Pe-210km (10miles) northeast of Riga
13015 September 194409:33Il-250km (30miles) north-northwest of Kreuzburg13829 October 194419:56Il-260km (40miles) northeast of Telsche
13117 September 194412:40Yak-940km (30miles) south-southeast of Riga13930 October 194411:35Pe-240km (30miles) east of Libau
According to Mathews and Foreman, aerial victories 140 to 146 were not documented.

Awards

References

Bibliography

External links