Edmund Wagner


Edmund Wagner was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Wagner was killed in action on 13 November 1941 near Pawmutowka, Russia, and was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 17 November 1941. During his career he was credited with 58 Aerial victories, including 57 on the Eastern Front and one on the Western Front.

Early life and career

Wagner was born on 5 December 1914 in Neuhäusel, present-day part of Kirkel, at the time in the Rhine Province within the German Empire. He joined the military of service of the Luftwaffe and following flight and fighter pilot training in the summer of 1940, Wagner was posted to 9. Organization of the [Luftwaffe (1933–1945)#Staffel|Staffel] of Jagdgeschwader 51, a squadron of III. Gruppe of JG 51. In July 1940, 9. Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Arnold Lignitz while III. Gruppe was headed by Hauptmann Hannes Trautloft. The Gruppe had just been formed on 4 July by renaming I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 20 and integrating it into JG 51 and was based at Saint-Omer, France.

World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. The Gruppe received new aircraft during the second half of July, bringing its strength nearly to its allotment and flew missions during the Kanalkampf during the early phase of the Battle of Britain. On 24 August, Trautloft was transferred and replaced by Hauptmann Walter Oesau as commander of III. Gruppe. On 14 September, Wagner claimed his first aerial victory, a Supermarine Spitfire fighter, during a fighter escort mission to London. On 30 September, Wagner's Staffel was placed under command of Oberleutnant Karl-Heinz Schnell. Command of III. Gruppe changed again on 10 November when Oesau was transferred and command of the Gruppe went to Hauptmann Richard Leppla.
On 26 May 1941, III. Gruppe was withdrawn from the English Channel and relocated to Düsseldorf Airfield for a brief period of rest and replenishment. On 15 June, the Gruppe was ordered to Halászi, at the time in the General Government.

Operation Barbarossa

On 22 June, German forces launched Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. JG 51 was subordinated to 2nd [Air Corps (Germany)|II. Fliegerkorps], which as part of Luftflotte 2. JG 51 area of operation during Operation Barbarossa was over the right flank of Army Group Center in the combat area of the 2nd Panzer Group as well as the 4th Army. Two days later, III. Gruppe intercepted a large formation of Soviet bombers, claiming 36 of the two-engine bombers shot down. That day Wagner became an "ace in a day|ace-in-a-day]" achieved in three combat missions, claiming a single Ilyushin DB-3 and four Tupolev SB bombers shot down. For this he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class. On 25 June, Wagner claimed three further Soviet bombers shot down. Two days later, following the German advance into the Soviet Union, III. Gruppe moved to Kobryn where they stayed one day before moving to an airfield at Nowo-Hutkowo near Slutsk.
The Gruppe was moved to an airfield at Schatalowka, present-day Shatalovo air base, southeast of Smolensk, on 28 July during the Battle of [Smolensk (1941)|Battle of Smolensk]. That day, Wagner claimed two DB-3 bombers shot down northeast of Yelnya. Flying from Stabna, Wagner claimed four further aerial victories, one on 4 August, one on 10 August and two on 11 August. On 16 August, III. Gruppe was moved to Stabna, located north of Smolensk. Here Wagner claimed seven aerial victories, including four Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighters on 10 September, before moving to Konotop on 13 September.

Battle of Moscow and death

In early October German forces launched Operation Typhoon, the failed strategic offensive to capture Moscow. On 8 October, III. Gruppe relocated to Yukhnov. During this operation in October and November, Wagner claimed 26 aerial victories, including three on 10 October, two on 17 October, two on 23 October, three on 25 October and two on 6 November.
On 22 October 1941, III. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Maloyaroslavets, located approximately north of Kaluga and southwest of Moscow. Here on 13 November, Wagner was killed in action during aerial combat with Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers and a Polikarpov I-153 fighter. His Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 crashed near Pawmutowka. Posthumously, Wagner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 17 November 1941 for 57 aerial victories claimed. He was the second Luftwaffe pilot credited with more than 50 aerial victories killed.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Aders and Held, Wagner was credited with 58 aerial victories claimed. Weal however lists him with 55 aerial victories claimed. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 57 aerial victory claims on the Eastern Front, plus one further unconfirmed claim on the Western Front.

Awards