Alfred Lindenberger

Leutnant (later Major) Alfred Lindenberger was a World War I flying ace credited with twelve aerial victories. He also scored four victories during World War II while serving as commander of a fighter group.[1][2]

Alfred Lindenberger
Born(1897-04-22)22 April 1897
Stuttgart
DiedJune 30, 1973(1973-06-30) (aged 76)
Nürtingen
AllegianceGermany
Service/branchImperial German Air Service, Luftwaffe
RankLeutnant (later Major)
UnitFA 234, Jagdstaffel 2
Other workCommanded JG 300 of the Luftwaffe during World War II

World War I military service

While Lindenberger was a gunner in FA 234, he shot down a Spad with pilot Vizfeldwebel Breitenstein on 29 May 1917. Then he was teamed with ace pilot Vizfeldwebel Karl Jentsch, and they scored two more SPADs in October. After pilot training, in May 1918 Lindenberger was posted to Jagdstaffel 2. Between 30 May and 1 November 1918, he downed nine more enemy planes, seven flying the Fokker D.VII.[1][2] He also flew Fokker D.VI serial number 4453/18 upon occasion. It was marked with black and yellow stripes around the fuselage.[3]

Aerial victories
See also: Aerial victory standards of World War I
No. Date Foe Location Notes
1 29 May 1917 SPAD Cerny Lindenberger's pilot was Vizfeldwebel Breitenstein
2 2 October 1917 SPAD North of Soupir Lindenberger's pilot was Karl Jentsch
3 21 October 1917 SPAD Braucourt-Fresnes Lindenberger's pilot was Karl Jentsch
4 30 May 1918 Breguet 14 Villers-Cotterêts
5 1 June 1918 Breguet 14 Priez
6 18 June 1918 Breguet 14 Moulin-sous-Touvent
7 20 August 1918 AR2 West of Champs
8 31 August 1918 Royal Aircraft Factory RE.8 Haynecourt
9 3 September 1918 Bristol F.2b Combles Victim from No. 20 Squadron RAF
10 6 September 1918 Sopwith Camel Lagnicourt Victim from No. 208 Squadron RAF
11 30 October 1918 Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a Harchies Victim from No. 32 Squadron RAF
12 1 November 1918 Royal Aircraft Factory SE.5a Southwest of Harchies Victim from No. 32 Squadron RAF[1][2]

Between the Wars

Alfred Lindenberger joined the Luftwaffe and rose to the rank of major.[4]

World War II military service

In June 1944, Major Lindenberger served with JG 3 and then flew air defense sorties with JG 300 over Germany until February 1945. He was made II./ JG 300 Gruppenkommandeur in October 1944. Owing to his age and inexperience with modern fighters he flew most sorties as a wingman. On 28 September 1944 he claimed a B-17 over Hildesheim and a P-51 Mustang near Quedlinburg before he was shot down by P-51s and wounded, bailing out over Halberstadt.[5] Lindenberger then claimed two US B-24 four-engined bombers on 17 December 1944 during a 15th Air Force raid over Poland, (JG 300 claimed 22 B-24s downed).[6]

He thus scored four World War II victories in total, making his lifetime tally sixteen aerial victories.[1]

Sources of information
  1. Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918. pp. 155–156.
  2. The Aerodrome website 98http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/germany/lindenberger.php Retrieved on 15 April 2010.
  3. Aces of Jagdgeschwader, unpaginated text.
  4. Oswald Boelcke: Germany's First Fighter Ace and Father of Air Combat, p. 167.
  5. 479th Fighter Group: ‘Riddle’s Raiders’ (Aviation Elite Units), p. 74.
  6. Luftwaffe Sturmgruppen (Aviation Elite Units), pp. 75, 106—107.

References
  • Mückler, Jörg (November–December 2019). "Au combat dans deux guerres mondiales: l'as Alfred Lindenberger" [In Combat in Two World Wars: The Ace Alfred Lindenberger]. Avions (in French) (232): 4–19. ISSN 1243-8650.
  • 479th Fighter Group: ‘Riddle’s Raiders’ (Aviation Elite Units). John Stanaway. Osprey Publishing, 2009. ISBN 1846034205, ISBN 978-1846034206
  • Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps 1914 - 1918. Norman L. R. Franks, et al. Grub Street, 1993. ISBN 0-948817-73-9, ISBN 978-0-948817-73-1.
  • Aces of Jagdgeschwader Nr. III. Greg vanWyngarden. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016. ISBN 1472808452, ISBN 9781472808455
  • Luftwaffe Sturmgruppen (Aviation Elite Units). John Weal. Osprey Publishing, 2005. ISBN 1841769088, ISBN 978-1841769080
  • Oswald Boelcke: Germany's First Fighter Ace and Father of Air Combat. R. G. Head. Grub Street, 2016. ISBN 1910690236, ISBN 978-1910690239.
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