Herbert Rollwage

Herbert Rollwage (24 September 1916 – 4 January 1980) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. Depending on source, he is credited between 71 and 102 aerial victories achieved in 664 combat missions. This figure includes 11 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, and at least 61 victories over the Western Allies, including up to 44 four-engine heavy bombers.

Herbert Rollwage
Born24 September 1916
Gielde
Died4 January 1980(1980-01-04) (aged 63)
Gielde
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service1936–1945
RankOberleutnant (first lieutenant)
UnitJG 53
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Career

Rollwage was born on 24 September 1916 in Gielde, at the time in the Province of Hanover within the German Empire, present-day part of the Schladen-Werla municipality. He was the son of a shunter who joined the military service of the Luftwaffe as an Unteroffizier (non-commissioned officer) candidate in 1936. Following flight training,[Note 1] Rollwage was posted to 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) in 1941 holding the rank of Feldwebel (platoon sergeant).[2]

Operation Barbarossa

On 8 June 1941, the bulk of JG 53's air elements moved via Jever, in northern Germany, to Mannheim-Sandhofen. There the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul prior to moving east.[3]

On 8 August 1942, Rollwage claimed a Supermarine Spitfire fighter shot down. His opponent may have been the Canadian fighter pilot George Beurling who managed to land his damaged aircraft.[4] On 10 July 1943, Rollwage was shot down and wounded in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 18242—factory number) near San Pietro.[5]

Rollwage was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 May 1944.[2] On 27 May, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) 3rd Bombardment Division sent 102 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers to Strasbourg and further 98 B-17 bombers to the marshalling yard at Karlsruhe. Defending against attack, Rollwage claimed a B-17 bomber and an escorting North American P-51 Mustang fighter shot down.[6] On 15 August, Rollwage was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel of JG 53. He succeeded Oberleutnant Karl Paashaus who was transferred.[7]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Spick, Rollwage was credited with 102 aerial victories claimed in over 500 combat missions.[8] Toliver and Constable also list him with 102 aerial victories, 11 on the Eastern Front, 20 in the Mediterranean theater and 71 on the Western Front, including 44 heavy bombers.[9] Obermaier states that exact number of aerial victories remains unknown, likely to be in the range of 80 to 85, claimed in 664 combat missions.[10] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 66 aerial victory claims, plus six further unconfirmed claims. This number includes ten claims on the Eastern Front and 56 over the Western Allies, including ten four-engined bombers.[11]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 15 Ost S/JA". 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.[12]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Rollwage 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
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[13]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 4 October 1941
1 22 June 1941 05:57 SB-2 north of Raseiniai[14] 6 27 August 1941 13:49 unspecified flying boat northwest of Szaltzo[15]
2 11 July 1941 05:45 SB-3 east of Slavkovichi[15] 7 27 August 1941 17:14 unspecified passenger aircraft?[Note 2] north of Ivanskoye[15]
—
 16 July 1941
—
 SB-2 8?[Note 3] 30 August 1941 05:09 I-16 southwest of Solugubovka[17]
3 21 July 1941 21:03 SB-3 northeast of Dno[15] 9 16 September 1941 10:31 Li-2 northeast of Babino[18]
4 25 August 1941 16:40 I-18 (MiG-1) south of Njetschanje[15] 10 30 September 1941 13:08 I-180 (Yak-7) east of Taksowo[19]
5 27 August 1941 13:48 unspecified flying boat northwest of Szaltzo[15] 11 5 October 1941 06:32 I-16 northwest of Shlisselburg[19]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[16]
Mediterranean Theater — 25 November 1941 – 31 December 1942
12 4 January 1942 10:31 Hurricane northwest of Maltas Point[20] 24 8 July 1942 11:32 Spitfire 1 km (0.62 mi) south of Birżebbuġa[21]
13 14 April 1942 17:05 Beaufort 3 km (1.9 mi) south of Qrendi[22] 25 9 July 1942 19:25 Spitfire 7 km (4.3 mi) southwest of Dingli[21]
14 14 April 1942 17:07 Beaufort 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Qrendi[22] 26 14 July 1942 10:25 Spitfire 12 km (7.5 mi) west of Żonqor Point[21]
15 24 April 1942 07:43 Spitfire west of Ta' Vnezja[22] 27 28 July 1942 08:54 Spitfire 2 km (1.2 mi) northwest of Żonqor Point[21]
16 9 May 1942 11:05 Spitfire 1 km (0.62 mi) southeast of Luqa[22] 28 29 July 1942 10:11 Spitfire 20 km (12 mi) east of Malta[21]
17 10 May 1942 11:05 Spitfire 3 km (1.9 mi) south of La Valletta[22] 29 8 August 1942 10:02 Spitfire 5 km (3.1 mi) north of La Valletta[21]
18 10 May 1942 19:04 Spitfire 2 km (1.2 mi) south of La Valetta[22] 30 22 October 1942 16:28 Spitfire 1 km (0.62 mi) east of Malta[23]
19 13 May 1942 13:02 Spitfire 1 km (0.62 mi) northwest of Luqa[22] 31 26 October 1942 12:14 Spitfire 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of La Valletta[23]
20 1 July 1942 14:04 Spitfire St. Paul's Bay[24] 32 12 December 1942 15:11 P-38 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Limaguess[25]
21 6 July 1942 07:37 Spitfire southeast of Gozo[24] 33 15 December 1942 08:41 P-38 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Skhira[25]
22 6 July 1942 19:41 Spitfire 3 km (1.9 mi) northeast of La Valletta[24] 34 17 December 1942 09:53 P-38 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Gafsa[26]
23 7 July 1942 06:47 Spitfire 4 km (2.5 mi) northeast of Żonqor Point[24] 35 30 December 1942 11:16 P-38 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Gabès[26]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[16]
Mediterranean Theater — 1 January – 10 July 1943
36 23 February 1943 13:05 Beaufort 60 km (37 mi) west of Trapani[27] 42 4 July 1943 11:14 Spitfire 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Catania[28]
37 24 February 1943 12:10 Spitfire 10 km (6.2 mi) west of El Aroussa[29] 43 4 July 1943 14:18 B-26 60 km (37 mi) south of Gela[28]
38 22 May 1943 18:35 Spitfire 20 km (12 mi) south of Gela[29] 44 8 July 1943 12:28 B-17 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Ragusa[28]
39 9 June 1943 12:58 B-24 7 km (4.3 mi) northwest of La Valletta[29] 45 9 July 1943 11:02 P-40 7 km (4.3 mi) northwest of Cap San Vito[28]
40 13 June 1943 12:05 Spitfire north of Mineo[29] 46 10 July 1943 10:37 P-38 1 km (0.62 mi) southwest of Gela[28]
41 20 June 1943 10:47 Spitfire 25 km (16 mi) south of Cap Passero[28] 47 10 July 1943 10:39 YO-51 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Gela[28]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[30]
Defense of the Reich — 1 January – 6 June 1944
48 7 January 1944 12:29 P-38 35 km (22 mi) east-southeast of Graz[31] 56 11 April 1944 11:56 B-17* PQ 15 Ost S/JA, Goslar[31]
49 7 January 1944 12:32 P-38 30 km (19 mi) southwest of Graz[31] 57 13 April 1944 13:58 B-17 southeast of Aschaffenburg[31]
50?[Note 3] 22 February 1944 13:20 B-24* Altötting[31] 58 19 April 1944 10:35 B-17 PQ 05 Ost S/LU-5/6[31]
south of Münden, east of Kassel
51?[Note 3] 24 February 1944 13:05 B-17 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Gmunden[31] 59 12 May 1944 15:29 B-17 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Koblenz[32]
52 23 March 1944 10:31 B-17* PQ 15 Ost S/HA-3, southwest of Braunschweig[31] 60 27 May 1944 12:21 P-51 PQ 04 Ost S/CO/CN, south of Lunéville[32]
270° from Rambervillers
53?[Note 3] 2 April 1944 11:28 B-17 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Zeltweg[31] 61 27 May 1944 12:30 B-17 PQ 04 Ost S/BQ-9, Offenburg[32]
54?[Note 3] 8 April 1944 13:55 B-24 20 km (12 mi) north-northwest of Fallersleben[31] 62 29 May 1944 12:05 B-17 PQ 15 Ost S/JE/JF[32]
Dessau
55 11 April 1944 11:08 B-17 PQ 15 Ost S/GC, Haldensleben[31]
Halberstadt-Quedlinburg
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[33]
Invasion Front in France — 6 June – 31 December 1944
63 8 June 1944 10:43 B-26 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Cherbourg[32]
off Barfleur		 67 28 September 1944 17:28?[Note 4] P-47 40 km (25 mi) west of Haguenau[32]
north of Sarrebourg
64 17 June 1944 16:15 P-47 4 km (2.5 mi) northeast of Carentan[32] 68 28 September 1944 17:38 P-47 PQ 04 Ost N/AP-7, 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Nancy[32]
St Nichlas southwest of Nancy
65 22 August 1944 19:33 P-38 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Saint-Quentin[32]
5 km (3.1 mi) south of Péronne		 69 20 October 1944 10:48 P-47 PQ 04 Ost N/CP-2, Schirmeck[34]
southwest of Strasbourg
66 23 August 1944 09:31 P-47 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Mantes-la-Jolie[32] 70 25 November 1944 12:45 Piper L-4 PQ 04 Ost N/AQ-7, north of Mommenheim[34]
Haguenau
– II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –[33]
Defense of the Reich — March – May 1945
71 5 April 1945 06:30 P-47[35]

Awards

Notes
  1. Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations.[1]
  2. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as an unspecified flying boat.[16]
  3. According to Mathews and Foreman this claim is unconfirmed.[16]
  4. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 17:38.[33]
  5. According to Scherzer on 5 April 1944 as pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 53.[40]

References

Citations
  1. Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, p. 17.
  2. Stockert 2008, p. 19.
  3. Prien 1997, p. 252.
  4. Rogers 2000, p. 199.
  5. Prien et al. 2011, p. 134.
  6. Forsyth 2011, p. 76.
  7. Prien et al. 2019, p. 380.
  8. Spick 1996, p. 233.
  9. Toliver & Constable 1998, p. 405.
  10. Obermaier 1989, p. 72.
  11. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1054–1056.
  12. Planquadrat.
  13. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1054–1055.
  14. Prien et al. 2003, p. 131.
  15. Prien et al. 2003, p. 133.
  16. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1055.
  17. Prien et al. 2003, p. 134.
  18. Prien et al. 2003, p. 135.
  19. Prien et al. 2003, p. 137.
  20. Prien et al. 2004, p. 142.
  21. Prien et al. 2004, p. 148.
  22. Prien et al. 2004, p. 144.
  23. Prien et al. 2004, p. 149.
  24. Prien et al. 2004, p. 146.
  25. Prien et al. 2004, p. 150.
  26. Prien et al. 2004, p. 152.
  27. Prien et al. 2011, p. 122.
  28. Prien et al. 2011, p. 124.
  29. Prien et al. 2011, p. 123.
  30. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1055–1056.
  31. Prien et al. 2019, p. 385.
  32. Prien et al. 2019, p. 386.
  33. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1056.
  34. Prien et al. 2019, p. 387.
  35. Prien 1991, p. 1685.
  36. Thomas 1998, p. 224.
  37. Patzwall 2008, p. 173.
  38. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 384.
  39. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 295.
  40. Scherzer 2007, p. 637.
  41. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 79.

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