Ulrich Wöhnert Explained

Ulrich Wöhnert
Birth Date:	24 October 1914
Birth Place:	Wolfshagen, German Empire
Death Place:	Kutaisi, Soviet Union
Serviceyears:	?–1945
Rank:	Leutnant
Unit:	JG 54
Battles:	World War II Eastern Front
Awards:	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Ulrich Wöhnert (24 October 1914 – 14 August 1947) 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 86 aerial victories, all over the Eastern Front.

Career

Wöhnert was born on 24 October 1914 in Wolfshagen in the Province of Brandenburg within the German Empire, present-day part of Uckerland in Brandenburg.

On 7 April 1944 at 21:25 in the evening, Wöhnert was injured during an aerial bombing attack on Wesenberg, present-day Rakvere, keeping him out of combat for some time. Following his convalescence, he was assigned to 1. Staffel.

Squadron leader

In August 1944, Wöhnert was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel of Jgadgeschwader 54, replacing Oberleutnant Wilhelm Schilling in this capacity. The Staffel was subordinated to II. Gruppe of JG 54 under command of Major Erich Rudorffer.

In May 1945, he was taken prisoner of war (POW) by Soviet forces. Imprisoned in a Soviet POW camp at Kutaisi, he died on 14 August 1947. Official reports state that he died of pneumonia while fellow inmates claim that he committed suicide.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Spick, Wöhnert was credited with 86 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of missions, all of which on the Eastern Front. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for at least 83 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 47622". 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
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
1	21 July 1942	19:40	Il-2		3	29 September 1942	09:15	Yak-1	3km (02miles) west of Ostrowskij 3km (02miles) north of Dubrovka
2	15 August 1942	12:35	MiG-3	PQ 47622 15km (09miles) west-southwest of Staritsa
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 4 February – 31 December 1943
4	16 March 1943	16:32?	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 18211 30km (20miles) southeast of Staraya Russa	25	31 August 1943	13:59	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 25464 20km (10miles) west of Yelnya
?	16 April 1943	19:04	La-5	10km (10miles) south of Lomonosov	26	31 August 1943	14:01	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 35371 5km (03miles) southwest of Yelnya
5	8 June 1943	16:14	P-40	PQ 36 Ost 10282 35km (22miles) west-southwest of Volkhov	27	2 September 1943	13:11	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 45413 35km (22miles) northwest of Mosalsk
6	21 June 1943	10:45	LaGG-3	PQ 36 Ost 0188 20km (10miles) northwest of Shlisselburg	28	4 September 1943	16:32	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 35532 20km (10miles) southeast of Yelnya
7	6 July 1943	14:34	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63582 20km (10miles) southwest of Maloarkhangelsk	29	5 September 1943	11:15	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 35371 5km (03miles) southwest of Yelnya
8	17 July 1943	19:01	Yak-4	PQ 35 Ost 63831 40km (30miles) southeast of Maloarkhangelsk	30	7 September 1943	15:16	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 44134 15km (09miles) south-southeast of Kirov
9	20 July 1943	12:37	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 64875 25km (16miles) south of Mtsensk	31	7 September 1943	15:17	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 44122 15km (09miles) south of Kirov
10	20 July 1943	13:08	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 63241 35km (22miles) southeast of Oryol	32	7 September 1943	15:20	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 44114 20km (10miles) southwest of Kirov
11	21 July 1943	04:34	Yak-7	PQ 35 Ost 53127 20km (10miles) east-southeast of Tschaikowka	33	7 September 1943	15:23	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 44144 25km (16miles) southwest of Kirov
12	4 August 1943	09:41	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 53433 30km (20miles) south-southwest of Oryol	34	9 September 1943	12:31	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 45882 25km (16miles) east-southeast of Kirov
13	13 August 1943	17:14	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 51652 Grayvoron-Zolochiv	35	10 September 1943	13:21	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 44144 25km (16miles) southwest of Kirov
14	14 August 1943	07:04	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 51674 15km (09miles) north of Bohodukhiv	36	11 September 1943	14:29	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 34243 25km (16miles) northeast of Seshchinskaya
15	14 August 1943	15:01	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 51731 10km (10miles) northwest of Bogoduchow	37?	14 September 1943	16:12	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 26442
16	19 August 1943	05:46	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 51621 25km (16miles) east-southeast of Shewsk	38	24 September 1943	10:53	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 12361
17	19 August 1943	05:47	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 51623, Graiworon vicinity of Grayvoron	39	9 October 1943	08:45	P-39	PQ 35 Ost 06114 10km (10miles) northeast of Nevel
18	20 August 1943	05:41	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 51723 20km (10miles) southeast of Okhtyrka	40	10 October 1943	08:06	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 06163 northwest of Lake Jzenniza
19	20 August 1943	05:47	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 51724 20km (10miles) northwest of Bohodukhiv	41	11 October 1943	14:40	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 06272
20	20 August 1943	09:47	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 41621	42	12 October 1943	07:52	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 96232, southeast of Nevel 10km (10miles) south of Nevel
21	22 August 1943	10:33	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 41691	43	12 October 1943	07:53	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 96232, southeast of Nevel 10km (10miles) south of Nevel
22	24 August 1943	07:40	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 51553 northeast of Bohodukhiv	44	13 October 1943	08:09	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 15531 northeast of Gorki
23	25 August 1943	05:22	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 51543 northeast of Bohodukhiv	45	15 October 1943	10:04	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 15534, northeast of Gorki
24	26 August 1943	15:19	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 41813
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — 1 January – 7 April 1944
46	3 February 1944	14:16	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 06511	50	21 March 1944	09:18?	Il-2	PQ 26 Ost 70443 Baltic Sea, 30km (20miles) northeast of Hungerburg
47	5 March 1944	16:15	Yak-9	PQ 26 Ost 80713 20km (10miles) south of Narva	51	30 March 1944	14:13	Pe-2	PQ 26 Ost 70653 15km (09miles) southwest of Hungerburg
48	8 March 1944	14:24	La-5	PQ 26 Ost 80552 east of Narva	52	3 April 1944	16:58?	Pe-2	PQ 26 Ost 60433 northeast of Kunda
49	19 March 1944	10:06	LaGG-3	PQ 26 Ost 70354 Baltic Sea, 35km (22miles) northeast of Kunda	53	3 April 1944	17:00	Pe-2	PQ 26 Ost 70343 Baltic Sea, 30km (20miles) northeast of Kunda
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — July – August 1944
54	3 July 1944	11:46	Il-2	PQ OS-6/5 Polotsk	61	28 July 1944	17:18	P-39	PQ KH-9/1
55	21 July 1944	14:41	Yak-9	PQ NM-5/1	62	28 July 1944	17:19	P-39	PQ KH-9/8
56	22 July 1944	16:40	Yak-9	PQ NQ-1/1	63	29 July 1944	16:18	Il-2	PQ MM-8/4 south of Subate
57	23 July 1944	08:35	Pe-2	PQ ON-5/6 south of Zarasai	64	29 July 1944	16:18	Il-2	PQ MM-8/4 south of Subate
58	27 July 1944	15:52	P-39	PQ KH-9/7 Mitau	65	6 August 1944	18:35	Yak-9	PQ MK-2/3
59	27 July 1944	17:48	Pe-2	PQ KH-3/5 Mitau	66	6 August 1944	18:37	Yak-9	PQ MK-2/3
60	27 July 1944	17:49	Pe-2	PQ KH-3/6 Mitau	67	7 August 1944	18:04	Yak-9	PQ LN-3/2
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – Eastern Front — August – 31 December 1944
68	25 August 1944	13:48	Yak-9	PQ 25 Ost 57266 40km (30miles) north of Kreuzburg	77	19 September 1944	15:42	Il-2	PQ 25 Ost 69217 east of Weissenstein
69	26 August 1944	11:19	Yak-9	PQ 25 Ost 69641 west of Dorpat	78	19 September 1944	15:45	Il-2	PQ 25 Ost 69245 20km (10miles) southeast of Fellin
70	26 August 1944	11:35	Yak-9	PQ 25 Ost 69626 north of Dorpat	79	21 September 1944	16:30	Il-2	PQ 25 Ost 58413 25km (16miles) southwest of Walk
71	28 August 1944	17:00	La-5	PQ 25 Ost 69664	80?	26 September 1944	16:28	Il-2	PQ 25 Ost 58575
72	3 September 1944	10:48	Il-2	PQ 26 Ost 60499 northeast of Kunda	81	28 September 1944	14:34?	Il-2	PQ 25 Ost 48822, east of Riga north of Mālpils
73	3 September 1944	10:50	Yak-9	PQ 26 Ost 60634 vicinity of Kotka	82	28 September 1944	14:41	Il-2	PQ 25 Ost 48865, east of Riga 20km (10miles) north-northwest of Mālpils
74	17 September 1944	10:29	Il-2	PQ 25 Ost 57224 50km (30miles) north-northwest of Kreuzburg	83	9 October 1944	14:15	Yak-9	PQ 25 Ost 17845 30km (20miles) northeast of Polangen
75	17 September 1944	17:02	Yak-9	PQ 25 Ost 57166 35km (22miles) southeast of Mālpils	84?	14 October 1944	14:07	Yak-9	PQ 25 Ost 17761
76	19 September 1944	15:05	Pe-2	PQ 25 Ost 59828 north of Weissenstein	85	22 October 1944	14:20	P-39	PQ 25 Ost 17591 35km (22miles) southeast of Pillau

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 8 November 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot
• German Cross in Gold on 14 November 1943 as Oberfeldwebel in the 2./Jagdgeschwader 54
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 December 1944 as Leutnant and pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 54

References

Bibliography

• Web site: Bergström . Christer .

  sv:Christer Bergström

  . Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat . Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website . 11 April 2024 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20181222042030/http://www.bergstrombooks.elknet.pl/bc-rs/planquadrat.htm . 22 December 2018 . dead.
• Book: Dixon , Jeremy . 2023 . Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1943–1945 . Barnsley . . 978-1-39903-073-1.
• Book: Fellgiebel , Walther-Peer .

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  . 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: 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.
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• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2006 . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/III—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/III—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943 . de . Eutin, Germany . Struve-Druck . 978-3-923457-78-6.
• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2012 . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/III—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 . The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/III—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943 . de . Eutin, Germany . Buchverlag Rogge . 978-3-942943-07-9.
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