Fritz Lüddecke

Fritz Paul Lüddecke (23 February 1920 – 10 August 1944) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace from Brakel, Germany. He was the recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Fritz Lüddecke was credited with 50 kills all in the Eastern Front (World War II). In 1944 he was killed in action over Wilkowischken, Lithuania.

Fritz Lüddecke
Fritz Lüddecke
Birth nameFritz Paul Lüddecke
Born(1920-02-23)23 February 1920
Brakel, Germany
Died10 August 1944(1944-08-10) (aged 24)
Wilkowischken, Lithuania
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service1941–1944
RankOberfeldwebel (staff sergeant)
UnitJG 51
Battles/wars
Awards

Career

Lüddecke began his military career on 19 November 1941. He was transferred to 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) on the Eastern Front on 24 August 1942.[1]

With the Stabsstaffel

In early October 1942, II. Gruppe of JG 51 was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and sent to Jesau, near present-day Bagrationovsk, to Heiligenbeil, present-day Mamonovo, to be reequipped with the Focke Wulf Fw 190 A. While undergoing training on this aircraft, the Gruppe received orders on 4 November to transfer to the Mediterranean theatre flying the Bf 109 again. 6. Staffel was exempt from this order, was detached from II. Gruppe, and continued its training on the Fw 190. In late November, 6. Staffel was renamed to Stabsstaffel (headquarters squadron) of JG 51 and placed under the command of Diethelm von Eichel-Streiber on 30 November.[2]

The Stabsstaffel transferred to the Eastern Front again on 5 February 1943 where it was based at an airfield at Smolensk. There, the fought in support of the 9th Army during the Battles of Rzhev.[3] On 9 March, the Stabsstaffel was scrambled multiple times in defense of the airfield. At noon, a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber was shot down southwest of Dugino, located approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Vyazma, which was credited to Lüddecke.[4] The Stabsstaffel was tasked with providing fighter protection of the Smolensk airfield on 15 March. In the morning, the Stabsstaffel was scrambled to intercept a flight of Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft north of Smolensk and claimed four aerial victories including an Il-2 aircraft by Lüddecke.[5]

On the first day of the Battle of Kursk, 5 July 1943, the Stabsstaffel relocated from Smolensk to Oryol where it fought over the northern face of the salient.[6] On 13 July, the Stabsstaffel was deployed over the combat area near Novosil where they engaged in combat with Soviet fighters. During this engagement, the Staffel claimed five aerial victories, including a Lavochkin La-5 fighter by Lüddecke, for the loss of one of their own.[7]

On 10 August 1944, Lüddecke was killed in action in his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 (Werknummer 172958—factory number) 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) south-southwest of Wilkowischken, present-day Vilkaviškis. Following hits by anti-aircraft artillery, he attempted an emergency landing when his aircraft exploded in mid-air.[8][9] He was posthumously awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 1 October 1944, and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 18 November 1944.[10][11]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Jacobs and Obermaier, Lüddecke was credited with 50 aerial victories all of which claimed on the Eastern Front. He flew more than 600 combat missions, including 150 fighter-bomber missions.[12][13] Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 51 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.[14]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 54284". 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.[15]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Lüddecke did not receive credit.
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Matthews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[10]
1 24 August 1942 13:40?[Note 1] MiG-3 PQ 54284[16]
25 km (16 mi) south of Kozelsk
– Stabsstaffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[10]
Eastern Front — 1 January – 31 December 1943
2 9 March 1943 12:00 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 36643, 50 km (31 mi) west-northwest of Mjabau[17] 11 20 August 1943 13:35 Il-2 m.H.[Note 2] southwest of Spas-Demensk[18]
3 15 March 1943 10:19 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 26554[17]
20 km (12 mi) north of Moschna		 12 20 August 1943 13:36?[Note 3] Il-2 m.H.[Note 2] PQ 35 Ost 35837, Spas-Demensk[18]
4 13 July 1943 15:20 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63263, 11 km (6.8 mi) southwest of Novosil[19]
25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Zalegoshch		 13 29 August 1943 13:09 Il-2 m.H.[Note 2] PQ 35 Ost 42139, 45 km (28 mi) northeast of Glukhov[18]
25 km (16 mi) south of Sevsk
5 16 July 1943 09:45 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 54319[19]
20 km (12 mi) east of Zhizdra		 14 7 September 1943 08:36 Yak-9 northeast of Dukhovshchina[20]
6 12 August 1943 08:43?[Note 4] LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 35453, 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Yelnya[18]
30 km (19 mi) northwest of Spas-Demensk		 15 12 November 1943 09:11 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 06817, 21 km (13 mi) east of Vitebsk[20]
7 16 August 1943 13:50?[Note 5] LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 35696[18]
15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Utrikowo		 16 5 December 1943 11:00 Il-2 m.H.[Note 2] PQ 25 Ost 93247[21]
15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Parichi
8 18 August 1943 18:43 Il-2 m.H.[Note 2] PQ 35 Ost 35664, Spas-Demensk[18]
10 km (6.2 mi) west of Spas-Demensk		 17 12 December 1943 12:08 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 93286[21]
20 km (12 mi) east of Parichi
9 20 August 1943 13:28 Il-2 m.H.[Note 2] PQ 35 Ost 358, southwest of Spas-Demensk[18] 18 23 December 1943 13:08 Il-2 m.H.[Note 2] PQ 25 Ost 93411[21]
15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Parichi
10 20 August 1943 13:32?[Note 6] Il-2 m.H.[Note 2] southwest of Spas-Demensk[18]
20 km (12 mi) southwest of Utrikowo
– Stabsstaffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[14]
Eastern Front — 1 January – 10 August 1944
19 10 January 1944 13:23 Pe-2 PQ 25 Ost 93648[22]
40 km (25 mi) north-northeast of Mazyr		 34 2 July 1944 08:41 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 85774[23]
vicinity of Lowica
20 5 February 1944 07:20 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 93152[22]
15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Parichi		 35 11 July 1944 11:45 P-39 PQ 25 Ost 54713[23]
15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Karachev
21 22 February 1944 13:00 Yak-7 PQ 25 Ost 94895[22]
10 km (6.2 mi) west-southwest of Rahachow		 36 18 July 1944 16:21 P-39 PQ 25 Ost 42581[23]
15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Liuboml
22 22 February 1944 13:01 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 94894[22]
10 km (6.2 mi) west-southwest of Rahachow		 37 19 July 1944 17:29 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 32762[23]
vicinity of Chełm
23 18 June 1944 14:28?[Note 7] La-5 PQ 35 Ost 04866[22] 38 20 July 1944 07:30 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 32866[23]
25 km (16 mi) east of Chełm
24 22 June 1944 18:20?[Note 8] LaGG-3 PQ 25 Ost 96536[22]
20 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Ulla		 39 20 July 1944 11:35 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 32399[23]
30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Chełm
—
[Note 9]		 23 June 1944 09:40 LaGG-3 PQ 25 Ost 968, north-northeast of Orsha[22] 40 20 July 1944 11:36 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 31233[23]
25 km (16 mi) north of Hostynne
25 23 June 1944 13:19 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 96689[22]
vicinity of Ulla		 41 2 August 1944 11:11 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 35374, 12 km (7.5 mi) south of Vilkaviškis[23]
20 km (12 mi) west of Marijampolė
26 23 June 1944 14:15?[Note 10] Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 96726[22]
vicinity of Ulla		 42 2 August 1944 11:29 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 25469, 8 km (5.0 mi) south-southwest of Vilkaviškis[23]
25 km (16 mi) west-northwest of Marijampolė
27 23 June 1944 14:29?[Note 11] Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 96562[22]
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Ulla		 43 4 August 1944 08:04 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 35371, 7 km (4.3 mi) south of Vilkaviškis[23]
20 km (12 mi) west of Marijampolė
 ?[Note 12] 24 June 1944 12:15 La-5 30 km (19 mi) north-northeast of Orsha 44 4 August 1944 08:30 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 25498, 18 km (11 mi) south-southwest of Vilkaviškis[23]
25 km (16 mi) east of Trakehnen
28 24 June 1944 16:26 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 05329[22]
25 km (16 mi) northwest of Orsha		 45 5 August 1944 12:16?[Note 13] La-5 PQ 25 Ost 35344[25]
20 km (12 mi) west-northwest of Marijampolė
29 25 June 1944 12:05 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 05351[23]
20 km (12 mi) northwest of Orsha		 46 7 August 1944 07:42 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 25431, 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Eydtkau[25]
25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Blumenfeld
30 26 June 1944 14:53?[Note 14] Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 95647[23]
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Talachyn		 47 7 August 1944 07:46 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 25433, 18 km (11 mi) northeast of Eydtkau[25]
25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Blumenfeld
31 26 June 1944 14:59 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 95535[23]
20 km (12 mi) west-northwest of Talachyn		 48 8 August 1944 17:42 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 35312[25]
20 km (12 mi) northwest of Marijampolė
32 28 June 1944 16:47 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 95586[23]
30 km (19 mi) southwest of Talachyn		 49 9 August 1944 16:10 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 35348[25]
20 km (12 mi) west-northwest of Marijampolė
33 29 June 1944 17:13 P-39 PQ 25 Ost 94157[23]
15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Byerazino		 50 9 August 1944 19:19 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 35329[25]
20 km (12 mi) north-northwest of Marijampolė

Awards

See also

Notes
  1. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:45.[10]
  2. The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
  3. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:50.[10]
  4. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 08:49.[10]
  5. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:40.[10]
  6. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:30.[10]
  7. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:18.[10]
  8. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 18:21.[10]
  9. This unconfirmed claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[10]
  10. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:24.[10]
  11. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:25.[10]
  12. This claim is not listed by Prien, Stemmer, Balke and Bock.[22] However Mathews and Foreman list this claim as his 28th aerial victory.[10]
  13. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 16:16.[24]
  14. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:58.[10]

References

Citations
  1. deZeng IV & Stankey 2017.
  2. Prien et al. 2006, pp. 247, 249.
  3. Prien et al. 2012, p. 403.
  4. Prien et al. 2012, pp. 404, 424.
  5. Prien et al. 2012, pp. 405, 424.
  6. Prien et al. 2012, p. 412.
  7. Prien et al. 2012, pp. 412, 425.
  8. Prien et al. 2022, p. 264.
  9. Eriksson 2019.
  10. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 780.
  11. Weal 2006, pp. 114, 115.
  12. Obermaier 1989, p. 162.
  13. Jacobs 2014, Appendix 1 The Highest-Scoring Experten.
  14. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 780–781.
  15. Planquadrat.
  16. Prien et al. 2006, p. 304.
  17. Prien et al. 2012, p. 424.
  18. Prien et al. 2012, p. 426.
  19. Prien et al. 2012, p. 425.
  20. Prien et al. 2012, p. 427.
  21. Prien et al. 2012, p. 428.
  22. Prien et al. 2022, p. 260.
  23. Prien et al. 2022, p. 261.
  24. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 781.
  25. Prien et al. 2022, p. 262.
  26. Patzwall 2008, p. 138.
  27. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 287.
  28. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 297.
  29. Scherzer 2007, p. 517.

Bibliography
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  • Bergström, Christer. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
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