Edwin Thiel


Edwin Ludwig Thiel 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. Edwin Thiel was killed on 14 July 1944 after bailing out of his plane after it was hit by Soviet flak. During his career he was credited with 76 victories in 300 missions.

Career

Thiel was born on 19 June 1913 in Oberbexbach in the Saarland, which at the time was politically part of the Kingdom of Bavaria of the German Empire. Prior to World War II, he qualified as a civil pilot and flew with Deutsche Luft Hansa and served a flight instructor. In late 1941, Thiel was posted to I. Organization of the [Luftwaffe (1933–1945)#Gruppe|Gruppe] of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders".
On 29 May 1942, Thiel was appointed Staffelkapitän of 2. Staffel of JG 51. He succeeded Leutnant Erwin Fleig who had been shot down behind enemy lines and became a prisoner of war. On 16 April 1943, Thiel was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 51 aerial victories claimed.
In July 1943, Thiel was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost, specialized training unit for new fighter pilots destined for the Eastern Front, as an instructor. There, he commanded the 1. Staffel. Thiel was replaced by Oberleutnant Horst Haase as commander of 2. Staffel of JG 51.
In May 1944, Thiel transferred back to JG 51. There, he was given command of the Stabsstaffel which had temporarily been led by Leutnant Herbert Friebel after Oberleutnant Diethelm von Eichel-Streiber was transferred in April 1944. Thiel was killed in action on 14 July 1944 when his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 was shot down by Soviet anti-aircraft artillery east of Vawkavysk. Command of the Stabsstaffel was then given to Oberleutnant Heinz Busse.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Thiel was credited with 76 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 76 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 71 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front in over 300 combat missions.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference, for example "PQ 37651". The Luftwaffe grid map 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. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.

Awards