Karl-Heinz Langer Explained

Karl-Heinz Langer
Birth Date:	19 April 1914
Birth Place:	Görlitz, German Empire
Death Place:	Remscheid, West Germany
Serviceyears:	?–1944
Rank:	Major
Unit:	JG 3
Commands:	III./JG 3
Battles:	World War II Eastern Front Defense of the Reich Operation Bodenplatte
Awards:	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Karl-Heinz Langer (19 April 1914 – 6 May 1955) 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. During his career he was credited with 30 aerial victories in 486 missions, 10 on the Western Front and 20 on the Eastern Front.

Career

In December 1942, III. Gruppes primary task was 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 17 December, Langer and the Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 3, Major Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, escorted 16 Ju 52 transport aircraft to the Pitomnik Airfield which was located within the Stalingrad pocket. While taking off at Pitomnik Airfield, his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 13739—factory number) ran over unexploded ordnance which then exploded, destroying his aircraft and significantly injuring Langer. He was later flown out of the pocket on a Ju 52.

Squadron leader

Langer was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) on 1 June 1943. He succeeded Oberleutnant Eberhard von Boremski who was wounded in combat the day before. On 14 October, during the Second Raid on Schweinfurt, Langer claimed the destruction of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber shot down 8abbr=offNaNabbr=off east of Hammelburg. In this engagement, his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 26924) was shot down by defensive fire. Langer was forced to bail out near Hammelburg. Due to the injuries sustained, he was replaced by Leutnant Erwin Stahlberg as leader of 7. Staffel.

On 14 July 1943, Langer was temporarily given command of III. Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 3 after its former commander Hauptmann Wolfgang Ewald was shot down behind enemy lines and taken prisoner of war. In consequence, command of 7. Staffel was briefly given to Leutnant Hans Schleef. When on 20 July, Hauptmann Walther Dahl took command of the Gruppe, Langer returned to his 7. Staffel. On 21 May 1944, Langer was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of JG 3. He thus succeeded Dahl who was transferred.

Later life

Langer died on 6 May 1955 at the age of in Fischbach, West Germany.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Langer was credited with 30 aerial victories claimed in 486 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 29 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This number includes ten on the Western Front, including four four-engined bombers, and 19 on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 4056". 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
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 – Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 6 November 1941
1	14 July 1941	07:10	I-153		2	5 October 1941	14:55	DB-3
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Eastern Front – 10 February 1942 – 14 April 1942
3	9 March 1942	11:08	I-61 (MiG-3)	12km (07miles) southwest of Salustsche	4	18 March 1942	10:15	Pe-2
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Eastern Front – 19 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
5	24 August 1942	13:50	R-5	Zarjew	9	17 October 1942	06:23	Il-2	PQ 4056, west of Rulew
6	24 August 1942	13:56	MiG-1	east of Leninsk	10	26 October 1942	14:15	Il-2	PQ 49357, Bassargino railway station
7	3 September 1942	15:53	LaGG-3	Akelin	11	28 December 1942		Yak-1	Stalingrad
8	1 October 1942	06:57	LaGG-3	PQ 40793, northeast Gratschi vicinity of Spartak
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Eastern Front – 1 June – 1 August 1943
12	5 July 1943	11:16	La-5	southeast of Kobenaja southeast of Rakitnoye	14	21 July 1943	09:45	Il-2	14km (09miles) northeast of Dworeznaja 9km (06miles) northwest of Bogoroditskoye
13	7 July 1943	04:07	Il-5	northwest of Vovchansk	15	31 July 1943	11:15	Il-2	Kuybyshevo
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Defense of the Reich — 8 August – 14 October 1943
16	14 October 1943	14:40	B-17	8km (05miles) east of Hammelburg
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Defense of the Reich — 1 January – 5 June 1944
17	27 May 1944	12:17	B-17*	PQ 04 Ost S/DO, southwest of Strasbourg	19	30 May 1944	11:17	B-17	Dessau
18	30 May 1944	11:12	B-17	Dessau
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Normandy Invasion — 6 June – 22 September 1944
20	21 June 1944	19:10	P-47	PQ 04 Ost N/AD-7 vicinity of Houdan	22	26 July 1944	14:50	P-38	PQ 14 West BU-2/3 east of Briouze
21	21 June 1944	19:25	P-51	PQ 04 Ost N/AC-2 vicinity of Dreux	23	19 August 1944	09:10	P-47	PQ 05 Ost UB-6/1 vicinity of Bernay
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Defense of the Reich — 24 November – 31 December 1944
24?	23 December 1944		B-26		25	27 December 1944		P-47
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Eastern Front — 1 January – May 1945
26	19 February 1945	08:55	Boston		29	19 April 1945		Il-2
27	6 March 1945	15:24	Il-2		30	23 April 1945		Yak-3
28	18 March 1945		Il-2

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (12 August 1944)
• German Cross in Gold on 26 July 1944 as Hauptmann in the III./Jagdgeschwader 3
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 20 April 1945 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"

References

Bibliography

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