Horst Tietzen Explained

Horst Tietzen
Birth Date:	19 July 1912
Birth Place:	Arnswalde (today Poland)
Death Place:	over the Thames Estuary, England
Placeofburial:	Bourdon German war cemetery
Serviceyears:	?–1940
Rank:	Hauptmann (Posthumously)
Unit:	Condor Legion JG 51
Awards:	Spanish Cross In Gold with Swords Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Horst Tietzen (19 July 1912 – 18 August 1940) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.

Career

Tietzen was born 19 July 1912 at Arnswalde (today Choszczno in Poland). As a Leutnant, Tietzen served with 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 of the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. He claimed his first air victory on 19 July 1938, downing a Republican I-16. He claimed a further six victories and was awarded the Spanienkreuz in Gold. On 1 November 1939, Tietzen was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the newly created 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). The Staffel had been created in August 1939 as the Reservestaffel (reserve squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 71 (JG 71—71st Fighter Wing).

He shot down a French Bloch MB.174 bomber for his first victory of World War II on 20 April 1940. He recorded his 17th victory on 25 July 1940, a Spitfire near Dover. On 15 August Tietzen shot down three Hurricanes. He became the fourth German fighter pilot to record 20 victories on 18 August. However, on the same day, he was shot down in aerial combat with Royal Air Force Hurricane fighters over the Thames Estuary. His victors were Flying Officer Stefan Witorzenc and Pilot Officer Pawel Zenker from No. 501 Squadron who reported two Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters shot down between Canterbury and Westgate-on-Sea which crashed near the North Goodwin Lightship. His body later washed ashore at Calais in France. Tietzen now rests at the Bourdon German war cemetery. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 20 August 1940.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Tietzen was credited with 27 aerial victories, seven in the Spanish Civil War and 20 on the Western Front of World War II. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 24 aerial victory claims, plus further three unconfirmed claims. This number of confirmed claims includes seven claims during the Spanish Civil War and 17 over the Western Allies.

Chronicle of aerial victories

Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 – Spanish Civil War
1	19 July 1938		I-16
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 – Spanish Civil War
2	20 September 1938		I-16		5	27 September 1938		I-16
3	20 September 1938		I-16		6	21 December 1938		I-16
4	27 September 1938		I-16		7	29 December 1938		I-16
World War II
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 – "Phoney War" — 1 November 1939 – 9 May 1940
1	20 April 1940	11:50	Potez 63	north of Saarburg
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 – Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
2	14 June 1940	20:15	Battle	Évreux
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 – At the Channel and over England — 26 June – 18 August 1940
3	27 June 1940	20:10	Blenheim	south of Dover	12	31 July 1940	16:55	Spitfire	Dover
4	4 July 1940	14:45	Hurricane	northeast of Dover	13	11 August 1940	14:48	Hurricane	east of Colchester
5	9 July 1940	17:00	Spitfire	northeast of Margate	14	11 August 1940	14:50	Hurricane	Thames Estuary
6	13 July 1940	19:30	Hurricane	southeast of Dover	15	15 August 1940	12:40	Hurricane	Folkestone
7	14 July 1940	16:10	Hurricane	southeast of Dover	16	15 August 1940	12:41	Hurricane	Folkestone
8	18 July 1940	10:55	Spitfire	15km (09miles) north of Calais	17?	15 August 1940		Hurricane	south of Harwich
9	20 July 1940	19:15	Hurricane	southeast of Dover	18	16 August 1940	13:25	Hurricane	east of Canterbury
10	25 July 1940	17:10	Spitfire	Dover	19?	16 August 1940		Spitfire	southwest of Ramsgate
11	29 July 1940	08:35	Spitfire	5km (03miles) north of Dover	20?	18 August 1940		Hurricane

Awards

Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (14 April 1939)
Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 20 August 1940 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of 5./Jagdgeschwader 51

References

Bibliography

Book: Dixon , Jeremy . 2023 . Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1939–1942 . . 978-1-52677-864-2.
Book: Fellgiebel , Walther-Peer .

. . 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 . de . Friedberg, Germany . Podzun-Pallas . 978-3-7909-0284-6.

Book: Forsyth , Robert . 2011 . Aces of the Legion Condor . Aircraft of the Aces . 99 . Oxford, UK . . 978-1-84908-347-8.
Book: Goss , Chris . 2018 . Knights of the Battle of Britain — Luftwaffe Aircrew Awarded the Knight's Cross in 1940 . Yorkshire, UK . . 978-1-52672-651-3.
Book: Mathews . Andrew Johannes . Foreman . John . 2015 . Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 4 S–Z . Walton on Thames . Red Kite . 978-1-906592-21-9.
Book: Obermaier , Ernst . 1989 . Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 . The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945 . de . Mainz, Germany . Verlag Dieter Hoffmann . 978-3-87341-065-7.
Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2001a . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 2—Der "Sitzkrieg"—1.9.1939 bis 9.5.1941 . The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 2—The "Phoney War"—1 September 1939 to 9 May 1940 . de . Eutin, Germany . Struve-Druck . 978-3-923457-59-5.
Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2001b . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 3—Einsatz in Dänemark und Norwegen 9.4. bis 30.11.1940—Der Feldzug im Westen 10.5. bis 25.6.1940 . Fighter Pilot Association of the German Luftwaffe 1934 to 1945 Part 3—Assignments in Denmark and Norway 9 April to 30 November 1940—The campaign in the West 10 May to 25 June 1940 . de . Struve-Druck . 978-3-923457-61-8.
Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2002 . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/II—Einsatz am Kanal und über England—26.6.1940 bis 21.6.1941 . The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 4/II—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941 . de . Eutin, Germany . Struve-Druck . 978-3-923457-64-9.
Book: 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 . de . Jena, Germany . Scherzers Militaer-Verlag . 978-3-938845-17-2.
Book: Spick , Mike . 1996 . Luftwaffe Fighter Aces . New York . . 978-0-8041-1696-1 . registration .
Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. .