Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart

Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart (3 May 1914 – 8 June 1944) a former German fighter ace in the Luftwaffe. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II, awarded by Nazi Germany for extreme battlefield bravery. He was credited with 69 victories.[1]

Eugen-Ludwig Zweigart
Born3 May 1914
Saargemünd, German Empire
(today Sarreguemines, France)
Died8 June 1944(1944-06-08) (aged 30)
Les Champeaux, France
Buried
Saint-Désir-de-Lisieux German war cemetery, Lisieux, Normandy
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service1935–1944
RankOberleutnant (first lieutenant)
UnitJG 54
Commands held8./JG 54
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

On 11 November 1941, Zweigart made a forced landing at Sablin, near Lyuban, following combat damage sustained to his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 12943—factory number).[2]

On 27 July 1943, Zweigart was shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 15678) by Supermarine Spitfire fighters, bailing out near Norden.[3]

On 8 June 1944, Zweigart was shot down flying Focke Wulf Fw-190 A-8 (Werknummer 170736) in aerial combat near Les Champeaux, France.[4][5] He bailed out and was allegedly shot and killed while hanging in his parachute.[6][7]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Zweigart was credited with 69 aerial victories.[8] Spick also lists him with 69 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions. This figure includes 54 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 15 over the Western Allies.[1] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 66 aerial victory claims plus two further unconfirmed claims. This figure includes 52 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 14 on the Western Front, including ten four-engined bombers.[9]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 10131". The Luftwaffe grid map (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 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[10]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Zweigart did not receive credit.
  This along with the * (asterisk) indicates an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[7]
Action at the Channel and over England — October 1940 – 29 March 1941
1 10 November 1940 12:20 Blenheim 25 km (16 mi) northeast of De Kooy[11]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[7]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
2 22 June 1941 14:25?[Note 1] I-153[12] 6 11 September 1941 09:55 I-18 (MiG-1)[13]
3 30 June 1941 12:32 SB-3 Dünaburg[14] 7 30 September 1941 16:30 ground-attack aircraft[15]?[Note 2]
4 6 July 1941 18:50 SB-3[14] 8 5 November 1941 13:05 I-26 (Yak-1) Kolpino[16]
5 14 July 1941 16:20 SB-2[17] 9 1 December 1941 09:27 I-18 (MiG-1)[16]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[18]
Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942
10 9 February 1942 15:57 R-Z[19]?[Note 3] 13 6 April 1942 08:03 P-40[20]
11 9 February 1942 16:12 I-26 (Yak-1)[19] 14 25 April 1942 11:32 MiG-3[20]
12 4 April 1942 15:14 Pe-2[20] 15 25 April 1942 11:40 MiG-3[20]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[21]
Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
16 28 May 1942 09:04 I-16 PQ 10131[22]
east of Shlisselburg		 35 20 September 1942 17:28 LaGG-3 PQ 10214[23]
30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg
—
 23 July 1942
—
 P-40[24] 36 21 September 1942 11:07 P-40 PQ 10161[23]
southeast of Shlisselburg
17 30 July 1942 19:45 I-18 (MiG-3) PQ 18224[24]
25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Staraya Russa		 37 28 September 1942 14:46 LaGG-3 PQ 00321[25]
20 km (12 mi) northwest of Shlisselburg
18 2 August 1942 16:52 MiG-3 PQ 00243[24]
20 km (12 mi) southeast of Leningrad		 38 28 September 1942 15:21 Hurricane PQ 00264[25]
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Shlisselburg
19 2 August 1942 19:12 MiG-3 PQ 00164, Aleksandrowka[24]
10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Leningrad		 39 29 September 1942 06:54?[Note 4] LaGG-3 PQ 00251, Oserki[25]
15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg
20 13 August 1942 17:53 P-40 PQ 18261[26]
30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Staraya Russa		 40 26 October 1942 08:45 Il-2 PQ 28263[27]
20 km (12 mi) southwest of Waldi
21 13 August 1942 17:55 P-40 PQ 18264[26]
30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Staraya Russa		 41 26 October 1942 13:57 LaGG-3 PQ 18334[27]
30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Staraya Russa
22 28 August 1942 11:23 MiG-3 PQ 10181[28]
east of Mga		 42 30 October 1942 08:55 LaGG-3 PQ 28123[27]
40 km (25 mi) northwest of Demyansk
23 29 August 1942 10:28 MiG-3 PQ 10164[28]
vicinity of Putilowo		 43 30 October 1942 09:37 LaGG-3 PQ 29783, Tschasyja[27]
45 km (28 mi) north-northwest of Demyansk
24 29 August 1942 10:31 MiG-3 PQ 10164[28]
vicinity of Putilowo		 44 7 November 1942 08:48 P-40 PQ 38742[27]
vicinity of Ostashkov
25 31 August 1942 17:16 MiG-3 PQ 10191, Kilosi[28] 45 7 November 1942 08:57 P-40 PQ 28843[27]
15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Ostashkov
26 31 August 1942 17:20 MiG-3 PQ 10164[28]
vicinity of Putilowo		 46 14 November 1942 11:35 LaGG-3 PQ 10262[27]
25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg
27 1 September 1942 10:55 LaGG-3 PQ 10254[29]
30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg		 47 22 November 1942 11:45 Pe-2 PQ 90441[27]
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Volosovo
28 2 September 1942 10:12 LaGG-3 PQ 00212[29]
20 km (12 mi) east of Leningrad		 48 17 December 1942 10:40?[Note 5] MiG-3 PQ 46214[30]
20 km (12 mi) south of Zubtsov
29 2 September 1942 18:39 MiG-3 PQ 10113[29]
vicinity of Shlisselburg		 49?[Note 6] 25 December 1942 12:48 Il-2 PQ 07741[30]
30 3 September 1942 11:02 P-40 PQ 10254[29]
30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg		 50 25 December 1942 12:50 Il-2 PQ 07742[30]
20 km (12 mi) southwest of Velikiye Luki
31 3 September 1942 11:07 P-40 PQ 10254[29]
30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg		 51 29 December 1942 08:36 Yak-1 PQ 07692[30]
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Velikiye Luki
32 9 September 1942 11:12 P-40 PQ 10242[31]
25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Shlisselburg		 52 29 December 1942 08:40 La-5 PQ 07733[30]
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Velikiye Luki
33 9 September 1942 17:20 MiG-3 PQ 00264[31]
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Shlisselburg		 53 29 December 1942 08:49 La-5 PQ 07591[30]
15 km (9.3 mi) south of Velikiye Luki
34 15 September 1942 06:04 P-40 PQ 10241[23]
25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Shlisselburg		 54 29 December 1942 11:16 Yak-1 PQ 07594[30]
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Velikiye Luki
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[21]
Defense of the Reich — 27 March – August 1943
55 25 June 1943 09:03 B-17 southwest of Dörpen[32] 58 27 July 1943 20:13 Ventura PQ 05 Ost S/GK[32]
Haarlem
56 18 July 1943 07:15 P-51 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Scheveningen[32] 59 12 August 1943 08:52 B-17 PQ 05 Ost S/LN-3/6[33]
Kerken-Kempen
57 25 July 1943 15:19 Spitfire west of Wijk aan Zee[32]
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[21]
Defense of the Reich — November 1943 – March 1944
60 29 November 1943 14:58 B-17?[Note 7] Cloppenburg[33] 63 6 March 1944 11:58 B-17 PQ 05 Ost EQ[34]
Sögel-Cloppenburg
61 20 February 1944 12:57 B-17 PQ 15 Ost JD[34] 64 6 March 1944 14:49 B-17 Reinsehlen[34]
62 20 February 1944 13:06 B-17* PQ 15 Ost JE[34]
—
 6 March 1944
—
 B-17[34]
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[21]
Defense of the Reich — March 1944
65 18 March 1944 15:20 B-17 PQ 04 Ost CQ-6[34]
Lahr-Biberach
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[35]
Defense of the Reich — May 1944
66 19 May 1944 13:10 B-24* PQ 15 Ost HB-4[34] 67 27 May 1944 12:19 B-17 PQ 04 Ost DO-6/DP-4[36]
Ballons de Voges

Awards

Notes
  1. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:21.[7]
  2. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as an Ilyushin Il-2.[7]
  3. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as an Polikarpov R-5.[7]
  4. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 06:56.[21]
  5. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 10:50.[21]
  6. This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[21]
  7. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.[21]

References

Citations
  1. Spick 1996, p. 238.
  2. Prien et al. 2003, p. 272.
  3. Prien et al. 2009, p. 287.
  4. Weal 2007, p. 71.
  5. Prien et al. 2019, p. 458.
  6. Obermaier 1989, p. 228.
  7. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1470.
  8. Zabecki 2014, p. 1616.
  9. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1470–1472.
  10. Planquadrat.
  11. Prien et al. 2002, p. 340.
  12. Prien et al. 2003, p. 262.
  13. Prien et al. 2003, p. 265.
  14. Prien et al. 2003, p. 263.
  15. Prien et al. 2003, p. 266.
  16. Prien et al. 2003, p. 268.
  17. Prien et al. 2003, p. 264.
  18. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1470–1471.
  19. Prien et al. 2005, p. 250.
  20. Prien et al. 2005, p. 252.
  21. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1471.
  22. Prien et al. 2006, p. 213.
  23. Prien et al. 2006, p. 224.
  24. Prien et al. 2006, p. 218.
  25. Prien et al. 2006, p. 225.
  26. Prien et al. 2006, p. 219.
  27. Prien et al. 2006, p. 226.
  28. Prien et al. 2006, p. 221.
  29. Prien et al. 2006, p. 222.
  30. Prien et al. 2006, p. 228.
  31. Prien et al. 2006, p. 223.
  32. Prien et al. 2009, p. 284.
  33. Prien et al. 2009, p. 285.
  34. Prien et al. 2019, p. 450.
  35. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1472.
  36. Prien et al. 2019, p. 451.
  37. Patzwall 2008, p. 225.
  38. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 534.
  39. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 459.
  40. Scherzer 2007, p. 809.

Bibliography
  • Bergström, Christer. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
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