Wolfgang Tonne Explained

Wolfgang Tonne
Birth Date:28 February 1918
Birth Place:Moosbach in Schleiz, Thuringia
Death Place:Protville in Tunisia
Placeofburial:German Military Cemetery at Bordj-Cedria
Serviceyears:1937–1943
Rank:Major (major)
Commands:3./JG 53
Unit:JG 53
Awards:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Wolfgang Tonne (28 February 1918 – 20 April 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 122 aerial victories—that is, 122 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—achieved in 641 combat missions. This figure includes 96 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, and further 26 victories over the Western Allies, including one four-engined bomber.

Born in Moßbach, Tonne grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. He joined the military service in the Luftwaffe in 1937. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) in 1939. Flying with this wing, Tonne claimed his first aerial victory on 14 May 1940 on the Western Front during the Battle of France. He then fought in the Battle of Britain and Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. In late 1941, his unit was sent to Mediterranean theater. There, he was made Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of JG 53 in January 1942. In May 1942, his unit was posted to the Eastern Front were following his 101st aerial victory he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 24 September 1942. His unit was then ordered to North Africa in October 1942. Tonne was killed in a flying accident on 20 April 1943 at Protville, Tunisia.

Early life and career

Tonne was born on 28 February 1918 in Moßbach, near Schleiz, in Thuringia of the German Empire. His father was a one-room school teacher (Dorfschullehrer). Tonne had a brother who got him interested in flying glider aircraft. In November 1937, Tonne joined the Luftwaffe as an office cadet at the Luftkriegsschule 4 (LKS 4—4th Air War School) near Fürstenfeldbruck. He completed his A/B pilot license, and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 September 1939.

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 6 December 1939, Tonne was posted to 3. Staffel (3rd Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing). At the time, the Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Wolfgang Lippert and was subordinated to I. Gruppe (1st Group) of JG 53 headed by Hauptmann Lothar von Janson which was based at Darmstadt-Griesheim Airfield. Tonne received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 18 April 1940. Tonne claimed his first aerial victory over a Royal Air Force (RAF) Bristol Blenheim twin-engined bomber over Sedan from either No. 21, No. 107 or No. 110 Squadron on 14 May 1940 during the Battle of France. On that mission, he was also shot down near Bouillon in combat with Hawker Hurricane fighters. He bailed out of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-3 landing in enemy territory but was able to return to his unit uninjured.

Over England and the Channel he was to gain a further three victories by the spring of 1941. I. Gruppe left the English Channel front on 6 June 1941, relocating to Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield. Following a maintenance overhaul of the aircraft, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield named Krzewicza located near Międzyrzec Podlaski, approximately 65abbr=offNaNabbr=off west of Brest, from 12 to 14 June.

Operation Barbarossa and Malta

On 22 June, the Geschwader crossed into Soviet airspace in support of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, which opened the Eastern Front. I. Gruppe took off on its first mission at 3:40 am, escorting Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers. On 24 June 1941, Tonne who had been appointed adjutant in I. Gruppe of JG 53, claimed his first aerial victory when he shot down a Tupolev SB bomber. On 5 July, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Dubno. On 11 July, Tonne was wounded in aerial combat when a shell casing entered the cockpit of his Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 6728—factory number), hitting him in the face. Following the injury, he crash landed his aircraft near Berdychiv. On 1 October 1941, Tonne was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant). Flying combat air patrol the next day, Tonne claimed two aerial victories.

In August 1941, I. Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and were equipped with the Bf 109 F-4 at Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield. On 20 September, the Gruppe relocated to the Netherlands where they were based at airfields at Katwijk and Haamstede where they were tasked with patrolling the Dutch airspace. In December 1941, I. Gruppe was moved to Mediterranean air bases at Gela in Sicily where they fought in the aerial battles of the Siege of Malta. On 24 January 1942, Tonne was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 53. He succeeded Oberleutnant Ulrich Wollschläger. Tonne flew 116 combat missions over Malta, without claiming aerial victories. On 29 April, I. Gruppe flew its last mission over Malta before returning to Germany. In early May, the Gruppe transferred to Schwäbisch Hall for preparations to redeploy on the Eastern Front.

Eastern Front

In early May 1942, I. Gruppe was transferred back to the Eastern Front. Prior to the relocation, the Gruppe received a full complement of 41 factory new Bf 109 F-4 aircraft at Schwäbisch Hall before heading for Prague Ruzyne Airfield on 28 May. The following day, I. Gruppe flew to Kursk. There, the Gruppe supported the German 4th Panzer Army in its advance towards Voronezh during Case Blue, the 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia between 28 June and 24 November 1942.

From 31 May 1942 to 29 September 1942, Tonne flew 155 combat missions and shot down 88 aircraft on the Eastern Front. He received the German Cross in Gold on 21 August. Tonne was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 6 September 1942 following his 54th aerial victory. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) were awarded on 24 September for 101 victories. The presentation was made by Adolf Hitler in October at the Führerhauptquartier Werwolf, Hitler's headquarters located in a pine forest about 12km (07miles) north of Vinnytsia, in Ukraine. Three other Luftwaffe officers were presented with the Oak Leaves that day by Hitler, Oberleutnant Friedrich-Karl Müller, Leutant Hans Beißwenger and Feldwebel Wilhelm Crinius. Following the presentation, Tonne, Müller and Crinius were ordered to Berlin where they made a propaganda appearance at the "House of the Press". At the same time, I. Gruppe of JG 53 relocated from the Eastern Front to Comiso Airfiled in Sicily where they arrived on 10 October.

North Africa and death

When British forces launched the Second Battle of El Alamein on 23 October, elements of I. Gruppe of JG 53 were ordered to North Africa. He claimed his first victory in this theater on 26 December 1942 shooting down a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) P-38 Lightning twin-engine fighter. On 28 December leading a flight of six Bf 109 to the Souk-el-Arba Airfield, Tonne shot down a Supermarine Spitfire fighter near the airfield. On 1 January 1943, I. Gruppe flew many missions to Bône harbor, escorting Ju 87 dive bombers. That day, Tonne claimed two Spitfire fighters shot down. The next day, I. Gruppe again escorted Ju 87 dive bombers from II. Gruppe Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 (StG 3—3rd Dive Bomber Wing) and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 ground attack aircraft from III. Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 2 (ZG 2—2nd Destroyer Wing) to Bône. During this mission, Tonne claimed a Spitfire fighter shot down.

Tonne flew 82 combat missions and claimed 21 victories over Tunisia. On 6 March, Tonne was credited with shooting down the RAF No. 93 Squadron Spitfire fighter piloted by Sergeant W.F. Hockey. On 2 April, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Protville located approximately 12abbr=offNaNabbr=off northwest of Raoued and 5abbr=offNaNabbr=off southwest of Kalâat el-Andalous.

On 20 April 1943, Tonne claimed his 122nd aerial victory. Returning from that mission, he was killed in a flying accident over the airfield at Protville in his Bf 109 G-6 /R1 (Werknummer 16523). Tonne had waggled his wings to signal an aerial victory claimed. He then pulled his Bf 109 into a steep climb, while turning the aircraft, extending the undercarriage, and sideslipping the excess altitude before touching down. He had executed this risky maneuver many times before but apparently had misjudged his height and crashed at the edge of the airfield. Tonne was posthumously promoted to Major (major). He was temporarily succeeded by Leutnant Rupert Weninger before Oberleutnant Walter Seiz took command of 3. Staffel.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Tonne was credited with 122 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 122 aerial victories claimed in 641 combat missions, of which 5 victories were claimed during the Battle of France and Britain, 96 on the Eastern Front and 21 over North Africa. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 120 aerial victory claims, plus six further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 95 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 25 on the Western Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 49293". 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
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –
Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
114 May 194019:40Blenheimnorthwest of Sedan29 June 194014:40Hawk 36Saint-Dizier
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –
Action at the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 7 June 1941
315 September 194015:55Hurricane526 April 194110:30Spitfiresouth of Boulogne-sur-Mer
417 October 194016:37Spitfiresoutheast of London
Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 7 August 1941
624 June 194109:40SB-2107 July 194109:08DB-3south of Ploskirov
724 June 194109:45SB-2north of Pruzhany1111 July 194113:40?DB-3
86 July 194117:30DB-3Tarnopol1212 July 194110:40I-153?
96 July 194117:36DB-3Tarnopol1318 July 194112:08SB-3
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –
Eastern Front — 28 May – 27 September 1942
1431 May 194203:45I-61 (MiG-3)northeast of Kursk5818 August 194208:55MiG-3PQ 49293
35km (22miles) east of Stalingrad
1531 May 194203:48I-61 (MiG-3)5919 August 194204:21R-5PQ 4084
30km (20miles) north-northeast of Stalingrad
1631 May 194203:55I-61 (MiG-3)6019 August 194210:55LaGG-3PQ 4923
35km (22miles) east-northeast of Stalingrad
175 June 194212:28I-61 (MiG-3)6121 August 194217:35I-180 (Yak-7)PQ 4945
30km (20miles) southeast of Stalingrad
185 June 194212:34I-61 (MiG-3)6222 August 194210:15LaGG-3PQ 4913
10km (10miles) north of Grebenka
199 June 194217:09I-61 (MiG-3)6323 August 194216:05MiG-3PQ 49124
15km (09miles) north of Gumrak
2023 June 194215:00R-56424 August 194206:12MiG-3PQ 5914
45km (28miles) east-northeast of Stalingrad
2123 June 194215:05R-5653 September 194205:01?MiG-3PQ 49244
10km (10miles) northeast of Stalingrad
2228 June 194218:30?R-10 (Seversky)663 September 194215:52Yak-1PQ 5089
2328 June 194218:32R-10 (Seversky)east of Schatowa674 September 194207:50?LaGG-3PQ 4019
45km (28miles) north of Grebenka
242 July 194212:45Pe-2685 September 194210:05Yak-1PQ 49360
15km (09miles) south of Stalingrad
255 July 194213:20Boston30km (20miles) east-northeast of Voronezh695 September 194215:45LaGG-3PQ 4933
Stalingrad
265 July 194218:50Pe-210km (10miles) northeast of Voronezh70?6 September 194213:55Il-2PQ 4913
276 July 194207:40LaGG-310km (10miles) east of Gnilowody717 September 194216:57Yak-1PQ 4929
40km (30miles) east of Stalingrad
286 July 194217:23?LaGG-3728 September 194210:16?Yak-1PQ 49142
296 July 194217:32LaGG-3738 September 194210:25Yak-1PQ 4087
20km (10miles) north-northeast of Stalingrad
307 July 194218:15LaGG-3748 September 194210:30Yak-1PQ 5054
75km (47miles) northeast of Grebenka
318 July 194207:15MiG-3758 September 194210:45Yak-1PQ 4085
35km (22miles) north-northeast of Stalingrad
3211 July 194209:57Boston769 September 194210:43?Yak-1PQ 4076
25km (16miles) north of Grebenka
3311 July 194209:59Boston779 September 194210:49Yak-1PQ 4059
45km (28miles) north of Grebenka
3426 July 194204:25LaGG-37811 September 194211:30La-5PQ 4922
25km (16miles) east-northeast of Stalingrad
3526 July 194212:35?Pe-27912 September 194216:53Pe-2PQ 4941
15km (09miles) southeast of Stalingrad
3631 July 194211:40Il-2PQ 3915
25km (16miles) northwest of Kalach
8013 September 194207:12?La-5PQ 49282
25km (16miles) east of Stalingrad
3731 July 194213:55Il-2PQ 39163
15km (09miles) north-northwest of Kalach
8113 September 194207:28?LaGG-3PQ 49122
15km (09miles) north of Gumrak
3831 July 194214:15MiG-3PQ 3919
vicinity of Kalach
8213 September 194215:45LaGG-3PQ 4933
vicinity of Stalingrad
3931 July 194217:00HurricanePQ 3927
vicinity of Kalach
8314 September 194204:45Il-2PQ 49413
10km (10miles) east of Stalingrad
401 August 194214:19LaGG-3PQ 3926
10km (10miles) north of Pitomnik
8414 September 194216:40Il-2PQ 49452
10km (10miles) east of Stalingrad
412 August 194212:25Il-2PQ 3919
vicinity of Kalach
8516 September 194216:48Yak-1PQ 5055
422 August 194212:35Il-2PQ 3948
35km (22miles) southeast of Kalach
8617 September 194206:29Pe-2PQ 49111
20km (10miles) north-northeast of Pitomnik
435 August 194207:10MiG-3?PQ 49742
15km (09miles) east-northeast of Aksal
8717 September 194209:47Yak-1PQ 4076
25km (16miles) north of Grebenka
445 August 194207:17MiG-3PQ 49751
25km (16miles) east-northeast of Aksal
8818 September 194210:07Yak-1PQ 4059
45km (28miles) north of Grebenka
455 August 194211:29MiG-3PQ 49783
vicinity of Shutow
8918 September 194216:53Yak-1PQ 40750
30km (20miles) north of Gumrak
465 August 194217:10MiG-3PQ 49582
35km (22miles) east-northeast of Aksal
9018 September 194217:02?Yak-1PQ 4073
35km (22miles) north of Grebenka
476 August 194206:23MiG-3PQ 39891
vicinity of Aksal
9119 September 194209:28Yak-1PQ 49124
15km (09miles) north of Gumrak
486 August 194206:30MiG-3PQ 39891
vicinity of Aksal
9219 September 194209:40Yak-1PQ 4039
15km (09miles) north of Grebenka
496 August 194216:00R-5PQ 49321
5km (03miles) south of Bassargino
9320 September 194206:53Yak-1PQ 49133
10km (10miles) north of Grebenka
508 August 194205:35MiG-3PQ 49512
35km (22miles) south-southwest of Bassargino
9420 September 194207:13Yak-1PQ 49422
25km (16miles) east of Stalingrad
518 August 194206:02Il-2PQ 4956
45km (28miles) south of Stalingrad
9520 September 194210:07Yak-1PQ 49294
35km (22miles) east of Stalingrad
528 August 194217:04LaGG-3PQ 49611
35km (22miles) south-southeast of Stalingrad
9621 September 194214:57Yak-1PQ 49431
35km (22miles) east of Stalingrad
539 August 194207:04MiG-3PQ 4952
35km (22miles) south-southwest of Stalingrad
9721 September 194215:12Yak-1PQ 49433
35km (22miles) east of Stalingrad
5410 August 194217:20LaGG-3PQ 39670
20km (10miles) northwest of Shutow
9821 September 194217:20Yak-1PQ 4079
15km (09miles) north of Grebenka
5512 August 194204:23Il-2PQ 38114
15km (09miles) west of Shutow
9922 September 194206:46?Yak-1PQ 49132
10km (10miles) north of Grebenka
5612 August 194204:33MiG-3PQ 39461
25km (16miles) southwest of Bassargino
10022 September 194216:29Yak-1PQ 49422
25km (16miles) east of Stalingrad
5715 August 194211:40LaGG-3PQ 4943
40km (30miles) east-southeast of Stalingrad
10122 September 194216:38Yak-1PQ 49262
35km (22miles) east of Stalingrad
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –
Mediterranean Theater — 1 October – 20 April 1943
26 December 1942P-381121 March 194317:45Spitfirewest of Béja
10228 December 194214:05Spitfire5km (03miles) south of Souk El Arbaa1133 March 194316:05P-386km (04miles) south of Majaz al Bab
1031 January 194311:08Spitfire5km (03miles) south of Bône1146 March 194317:44Spitfire3abbr=onNaNabbr=on south of Pont du Fahs
1041 January 194315:51Spitfire2km (01miles) southwest of Bône11522 March 194313:41P-3820abbr=onNaNabbr=on north of Bizerte
1052 January 194309:14Spitfire15km (09miles) northwest of La Calle11631 March 194315:51Spitfire10abbr=onNaNabbr=on southwest of Abiod
10615 January 194307:57M.S.4068km (05miles) northeast of Tébessa11710 April 194316:50Spitfire5abbr=onNaNabbr=on north of Oued Zarga
10715 January 194308:16P-4011km (07miles) northeast of Tébessa11810 April 194317:00Spitfiresouth Béja
10815 January 194311:08P-40airfield Thélepte11913 April 194307:00Spitfire15abbr=onNaNabbr=on northeast of Oued Zarga
10918 January 194316:32Spitfiresouthwest of Bou Arada12020 April 194310:04Spitfireairfield Tunis E-21
110?29 January 194311:05B-176abbr=onNaNabbr=on west of Béja12120 April 194310:11Spitfire8abbr=onNaNabbr=on north of Tebourba
11125 February 194316:40Spitfire4km (02miles) northwest of Cap Rosa12220 April 194316:58Spitfire25abbr=onNaNabbr=on southwest of airfield 76

Awards

References

Bibliography