Winfried Schmidt


Winfried Schmidt was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 19 enemy aircraft shot down claimed in approximately 150 combat missions. He was severely injured in aerial combat on 11 July 1941 during Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. In consequence, he served in a Luftwaffe staff position for the rest of the war.

Early life and career

Schmidt was born on 28 February 1915 in Cologne in the Rhine Province within the German Empire. He joined the military service of the Luftwaffe in October 1935 as an officer of the military reserve force. Following flight and fighter pilot training, Schmidt was posted to I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 334 in July 1937. On 1 November 1938, this Gruppe was renamed and became I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 133 which was again redesignated to I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 on 1 May 1939.

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. At the time, Schmidt was a member of 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77, a squadron of II. Gruppe of JG 77. The Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Alfred von Loijewski while the Gruppe was headed by Carl-Alfred Schumacher and equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 D-1. Based at Nordholz, the Gruppe was tasked with patrolling the German Bight. On 12 December, the Gruppe had moved to Jever Airfiled while 5. Staffel was based at Wangerooge Airfield.
Schmidt claimed his first aerial victory on 18 December 1939 during the Battle of the Heligoland Bight. He was credited with shooting down a Vickers Wellington bomber near Langeoog. The Royal Air Force lost fourteen bombers that day. In March 1940, Schmidt was transferred to the III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 where he was assigned to 8. Staffel. On 7 June during the Battle of France, Schmidt was shot down and wounded in aerial combat with RAF Hawker Hurricane fighters. He bailed out of his Bf 109 E-1 in a location northwest of Abbeville. Schmidt claimed his fifth aerial victory in total and only claim of the Battle of Britain on 26 August. That day, III. Gruppe flew a combat air patrol over southeastern England. On this mission, Luftwaffe pilots claimed three aerial victories, including a Supermarine Spitfire fighter shot down near Ashford. On 27 September, Schmidt was again wounded in aerial combat. Damage to his Bf 109 E-4 resulted in a forced landing at Wissant.

War against the Soviet Union

The Gruppe relocated to an airfield at Moderówka on 18 June where the Gruppe concluded their last preparations for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. At the start of the campaign, JG 3 was subordinated to the V. Fliegerkorps, under command of General der Flieger Robert Ritter von Greim, which was part of Luftflotte 4, under command of Generaloberst Alexander Löhr. These air elements supported Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt's Heeresgruppe Süd, with the objective of capturing Ukraine and its capital Kiev.
On 23 June, 7. and 8. Staffel were briefly detached from III. Gruppe and ordered to Dub, [Tomaszów Lubelski County|Dub] where they augmented I. Gruppe. Operation from Dub on 26 June, Schmidt claimed two Tupolev SB bombers shot down. On 27 June, the two detached Staffeln rejoined III. Gruppe which had moved to Hostynne. That day, Schmidt claimed two Ilyushin DB-3 bombers. Another DB-3 claimed on 29 June took his total to ten aerial victories claimed. On 23 June, Schmidt had been appointed Staffelkapitän of 8. Staffel of JG 3. He succeeded Oberleutnant Willy Stange who was killed in action the day before, the first day of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. On 6 July, III. Gruppe moved to Polonne, located approximately west-southwest of Zhytomyr, where they stayed until 21 July.
On 11 July, Schmidt was severely wounded in combat near Fastiv. Schmidt had been hit in the lung by the defensive fire of a Tupolev SB tail gunner. His wingman Leutnant Wilhelm Lemke managed to guide him back to the airfield at Polonne. There, he crashed his Bf 109 F-2. The next day, Schmidt was replaced by Oberleutnant Franz Beyer as commander of 8. Staffel. Schmidt was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 September 1941 for 19 aerial victories claimed. Due to the severe injuries sustained, Schmidt was hospitalized for many months and never returned to combat operations. Following a period of convalescence, he was posted to the staff of 7. Jagd-Division. In January 1944, Schmidt was promoted to Hauptmann.

Later life

Schmidt died on 2 August 1999 at the age of in Frechen, Germany.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Schmidt was credited with 19 aerial victories claimed in approximately 150 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 19 aerial victory claims. This figure includes 14 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and four on the Western Front.

Awards