Gerhard Schöpfel | |
|---|---|
 Schöpfel asHauptmann | |
| Born | (1912-12-19)19 December 1912 |
| Died | 17 May 2003(2003-05-17) (aged 90) Bergisch Gladbach-Refrath |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch |  Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1936–1945 |
| Rank | Major (major) |
| Unit | JG 26,JG 54,JG 4,JG 6 |
| Commands | JG 26,JG 4,JG 6 |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Other work | law |
Gerhard Schöpfel (19 December 1912 – 17 May 2003) was a GermanLuftwaffemilitary aviator andwing commander duringWorld War II. As afighter ace, he is credited with 45 aerial victories claimed in approximately 700 combat missions, all of which on theWestern Front.
Born inErfurt, Schöpfel grew up in theWeimar Republic andNazi Germany and joined the German police force. In 1936, he transferred to the Luftwaffe and following flight training was posted to a fighter wing. In September 1939, Schöpfel became a squadron leader inJagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing). Flying with this wing, Schöpfel claimed his first aerial victory on 19 May 1940 during theBattle of France. In August 1941, he was given command of III.Gruppe of JG 26. During theBattle of Britain, he was awarded theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 11 September for 20 aerial victories claimed. In December 1941, Schöpfel was appointedGeschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 26, a position he held until January 1943.
Schöpfel then held various staff positions withJagdfliegerführer Bretagne,Jagdfliegerführer Sizilien andJagdfliegerführer Norwegen. In May 1944, he was posted toJagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) and in June was given command ofJagdgeschwader 4 (JG 4—4th Fighter Wing). In April 1945, he was appointed commander ofJagdgeschwader 6 (JG 6—6th Fighter Wing). At the end of the war, he became a Sovietprisoner of war and was released in December 1949. Schöpfel died on 15 May 2003 inBergisch Gladbach.
Schöpfel was born on 19 December 1912 atErfurt, at the time inProvince of Saxony of theGerman Empire. Serving with theLandespolizei (state police), he transferred to theLuftwaffe in 1936 and held the rank ofOberfähnrich (officer cadet).[1] Following flight training,[Note 1] Schöpfel was assigned to I.Gruppe (1st group) ofJagdgeschwader 135 (JG 135—135th Fighter Wing).[3] This unit had been formed on 1 April 1937 and was commanded byMajorMax Ibel. On 1 November 1938, theGruppe became the I.Gruppe ofJagdgeschwader 233 (JG 233—233rd Fighter Wing) and was again renamed on 1 May 1939, this time becoming the I.Gruppe ofJagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). Initially flying theHeinkel He 51, the unit was reequipped with theMesserschmitt Bf 109 B in November 1937.[4] In 1938, Schöpfel was transferred to theStab (HQ) flight of I.Gruppe ofJagdgeschwader 334 (JG 334—334th Fighter Wing).[5] This unit was initially commanded byHauptmannWalter Grabmann and later byMajorGotthard Handrick. ThisGruppe also underwent a few name changes. On 1 November 1938, it received the designation I.Gruppe ofJagdgeschwader 132 (JG 132—132nd Fighter Wing) and then again on 1 May 1939 when it was referred to as I.Gruppe ofJagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing).[6]
World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland.Oberleutnant Schöpfel was assigned as commander of 9.Staffel (9th squadron) of JG 26, a squadron of III.Gruppe, on 23 September 1939.[7] He claimed his first aerial victory during theBattle of France on 19 May 1940. In combat with theBritish Expeditionary Force andRoyal Air Force (RAF), 9.Staffel attackedLille-Marck. Schöpfel claimed aHawker Hurricane fighter shot down northeast ofCourtrai, the claim remained unconfirmed.[8] The opponent may have beenFlying Officer Dick Pexton,615 Squadron. Pexton may have been attacked simultaneously by Schöpfel andUnteroffizier Bernard Eberz.[9] The German pilots claimed a Hurricane each—Pexton was wounded in the legs.[9]
He claimed his first confirmed aerial victory on 29 May during theBattle of Dunkirk. At 18:10, he shot down aSupermarine Spitfire west ofDunkirk. The Spitfire belonged to eitherNo. 64,No. 229 orNo. 610 Squadron.[10] Two days later, Schöpfel shot down aNo. 609 Squadron Spitfire over Dunkirk.[11] He claimed his last aerial victory of the Battle of France on 2 June in combat withNo. 66,No. 266 orNo. 611 Squadron Spitfires, claiming his fourth victory in total at 09:25.[12]
On 6 June,HauptmannAdolf Galland was appointedGruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III.Gruppe, replacingMajor Ernst Freiherr von Berg.[13] TheArmistice of 22 June 1940 ended the Battle of France and III.Gruppe was ordered toMönchen-Gladbach for a period of maintenance and replenishment.[14] On 21 July, III.Gruppe was moved to an airfield atCaffiers in northern France, close to theEnglish Channel in preparation for theBattle of Britain.[14] Schöpfel claimed his first two aerial victories during the Battle of Britain on 8 August. In a mission toDover, clearing the airspace ahead ofJunkers Ju 87dive bombers fromLuftflotte 3 (Air Fleet 3) attacking Allied convoyPeewit during theKanalkampf, Schöpfel claimed aNo. 600 SquadronBristol Blenheim bomber and aNo. 65 Squadron Spitfire destroyed.[15] The Blenheim crashed into the sea offRamsgate. Flying Officer D. N. Grice,Sergeant F. J. Keast and A.C.J.B.Q Warren were allkilled in action.[16] Schöpfel had originally misidentified the Blenheim and filed the claim over aHandley Page Hampden bomber.[17] On 12 August, one day beforeAdlertag, he claimed a Spitfire shot down nearFolkestone. The downed aircraft belonged to eitherNo. 151 orNo. 501 Squadron,[18] but neither squadron operated the Spitfire at this time. No. 151 reported the loss of three Hurricanes, and one pilot, while No. 501 lost two fighters and one pilot killed—the surviving pilot beingSquadron leader A. L. Holland.[19] The day afterAdlertag, he claimed a Hurricane from eitherNo. 32 or No. 615 Squadron. This claim was not confirmed.[20] 32 Squadron suffered damage to three Hurricanes in force-landings after aerial combat; all pilots unhurt. British sources attribute the loss of two pilots and two Hurricanes from 615 Squadron toMesserschmitt Bf 110s.[21]
On18 August, Schöpfel fought in the large air battles which characterised the Battle of Britain. Schöpfel led III.Gruppe of JG 26 and Bf 109s fromJagdgeschwader 3, 40 in total, across theStrait of Dover to sweep the skies clear ahead of the main raid. Some 25 miles behind him were the 27 Do 17s of I. and III./KG 76 escorted by 20 Bf 110s that were to strikeRAF Kenley.[22] As the advance led by Schöpfel made their way past the coast it spotted a vic-formation of RAF fighters. They were Hurricanes of 501 Squadron which were conducting wide spirals to gain height. Schöpfel bounced them and claimed four in two minutes killing one pilot and wounding three others. As he departed other members of hisGeschwader dived on the Squadron and an inconclusive dogfight ensued. Schöpfel's victims were Donald McKay andPilot Officers J.W Bland, Pilot OfficerKenneth Lee and F. Kozlowski. Bland was the only one killed.[23][24] This combat took place overCanterbury in the timeframe 13:55 to 13:56.[25] Lee, who was wounded,bailed out nearWhitstable.[26]
On 22 August, Galland was appointedGeschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 26 and Schöpfel, who had led 9.Staffel until then, succeeded him asGruppenkommandeur of III.Gruppe. His successor asStaffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9.Staffel wasOberleutnantHeinz Ebeling.[27] That day, Galland led theGeschwader in an attack onManston Airfield. In combat with No. 65 Squadron, Schöpfel claimed a Spitfire shot down at 20:25CET southeast of Dover.[28] Sergeant M Keymar was killed in a Spitfire over Dover at 19:25GMT.[29] On 28 August, the Luftwaffe attacked the airfields atEastchurch andRochford. In defense of this attack, the RAF dispatched 32 Hurricane fighters and 12Boulton Paul Defiant interceptor aircraft fromNo. 264 Squadron.[30] In this encounter, Schöpfel was credited with the destruction of a Defiant shot down east of Canterbury.[31] 264 Squadron suffered the loss of four Defiants and three damaged. Five men (pilots and gunners) were killed and one wounded, Squadron Leader D. G. Garvin was the injured man whenL7021 was destroyed.[32] Another solitary claim was made on 31 August but III./JG 26 lost four Bf 109s in combat with85 and 54 Squadron. One pilot was missing, one rescued, and two were posted inmissing in action.[33]
The Blitz bombing campaign during the Battle of Britain began on 7 September 1940. That day, on a mission to London, Schöpfel claimed aNo. 603 Squadron shot down at 18:45.[31] During an attack on theLondon Docks on 9 September, Schöpfel claimed threeNo. 92 Squadron Spitfires shot down over theThames Estuary, taking his total to 20 aerial victories claimed.[34] According to British loss lists, 92 Squadron lost only two Spitfires this day; Pilot Officer C. H Saunders was wounded inL1077, and Pilot Officer W. C Watling inP9372.[35] On 11 September, Schöpfel may have shot down aNo. 235 Squadron Blenheim bomber on a mission to bomb Calais harbour. That day, he was awarded theKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for 20 aerial victories claimed, the second pilot of JG 26 to receive this distinction.[36] The Blenheim was in fact escortingFairey Albacore aircraft. Pilot Officers P. C. Wickings-Smith, A. W. V. Green and Sergeant R. D .H Watts were killed.[37]
On 29 October, JG 26 targeted theNorth Weald Airfield. The attack began just as Hurricanes fromNo. 257 Squadron were taking off. In this encounter, Schöpfel claimed a Hurricane shot down at 17:45, it was observed that the pilot bailed out.[38] Two Hurricanes were hit in the attack. Sergeant A. G. Girdwood burned to death when a bomb exploded next to his Hurricane on take-off. Pilot Officer F. Surma parachuted fromP3893 unhurt at an altitude of 3,000 feet.[39] On 1 November, JG 26 escorted Ju 87s in an attack on Alied shipping off theNore. On this escort mission, Schöpfel claimed a No. 92 Squadron Spitfire shot down overHerne Bay, his last in 1940.[40]
Schöpfel claimed his first aerial victory in 1941 on 17 June. That day, the RAF flew"Circus" No. 14 targeting theEtabs Kuhlmann Chemical Works and power station atChocques.[Note 2] In total,No. 2 Group sent 23 Blenheim bombers, escorted by fighters from North Weald andBiggin Hill. JG 26 claimed 15 aerial victories including aNo. 56 orNo. 242 Squadron Hurricane by Schöpfel.[42] Schöpfel claimed two aerial victories on 9 August 1941. Author Thomas assumes that one of the Spitfires was piloted byFlight Lieutenant Lionel Harwood 'Buck' Casson fromNo. 616 Squadron.[43] On 19 October, III.Gruppe moved to a makeshift airfield atCoquelles, close toCalais on the English Channel. There, they began preparations for operating the then newFocke-Wulf Fw 190 A-1. TheGruppe was fully reequipped and operational with the Fw 190 in mid-November 1941.[44]
On 5 December 1941, Galland was appointedGeneral der Jagdflieger (General of Fighters). In consequence of Galland's advance in command responsibility, Schöpfel succeeded him asGeschwaderkommodore of JG 26 on 6 December andHauptmannJosef Priller became the newGruppenkommandeur of III.Gruppe.[45] Three days later, he was awarded theGerman Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 9 December.[3] In December, he was also promoted toMajor (major).[26]
In February 1942 he led III.Gruppe inOperation Donnerkeil. The objective of this operation was to give the GermanbattleshipsScharnhorst andGneisenau and theheavy cruiserPrinz Eugen fighter protection in the breakout fromBrest to Germany. TheChannel Dash operation (11–13 February 1942) by theKriegsmarine was codenamed Operation Cerberus by the Germans. In support of this, the Luftwaffe, formulated anair superiority plan dubbed Operation Donnerkeil for the protection of the three German capital ships.[46] They interceptedLieutenant CommanderEugene Esmonde, acting asSquadron Leader, No. 825 SquadronFleet Air Arm, in aFairey Swordfish. Frail and slow, the Swordfish forced German pilots to lower their undercarriages to prevent overshooting the biplanes. In the event all six Swordfish of this unit were shot down. Several managed to fire off their torpedoes at German ships but none found their mark. Lieutenant Commander Esmonde was shot down and killed by an Fw 190.[47]
Schöpfel claimed an unconfirmed aerial victory over aNo. 411 Squadron Spitfire on 24 March. That day, the RAF targeted theComines power station with "Circus" No. 116.[48] On 14 April 1942, Schöpfel shot down Flight Lieutenant Cyril Wood fromNo. 403 Squadron.[49] During theDieppe Raid on 19 August, Schöpfel claimed two aerial victories in the vicinity ofDieppe. He shot down a No. 501 Squadron Spitfire at 16:31 and aNo. 222 Squadron Spitfire at 18:30, the last claim by JG 26 of the day.[50]
On 8 November 1942,Anglo–American forces launchedOperation Torch (8–16 November 1942), the invasion ofFrench North Africa. In consequence, Schöpfel was ordered to send the 11. (Höhen)Staffel of JG 26, the high altitude squadron equipped with the Bf 109 G, to North Africa. That day, Schöpfel may have claimed twoBoeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers shot down. These claims are attributed to his personal records and cannot be verified by other records.[51] Schöpfel claimed his 45th and last aerial victory on 6 December 1942 over a B-17.[26] That day, theVIII Bomber Command had targeted the steel works at Lille with 66 B-17s. Schöpfel's claim may have been a B-17 from the305th Bombardment Group.[52] According to Matthews and Foreman, Schöpfel claimed a final B-17 shot down on 20 December.[53] That day, VIII Bomber Command had again targeted Lille. On this raid, six B-17s were lost over France and further 31 aircraft sustained combat damage. According to Caldwell, no claim was filed by Schöpfel.[54]
On 8 January 1943, Schöpfel attended a conference hosted byGeneral der Jagdflieger Galland in Berlin. There, Schöpfel was informed by Galland that on 10 January, he would pass on command of JG 26 toMajorJosef Priller and that Schöpfel would be appointed Ia (Operations Officer) withJagdfliegerführer 2, the fighter controller responsible for protecting the German U-boat bases in France.[55][56] In a post World War II interview, Galland commented on Schöpfel:
"I knew Schöpfel was not the right man ... He was a nice guy, but not a strong leader ... Priller was better. He was the aggressive type."[57]
Schöpfel left JG 26 on 10 January 1943, with 45 victories, to take up a number of administrative roles. Following his tenure with Jagdfliegerführer Bretagne, he then went to serve as Fighter Operations Officer for the South Italy Command from July (during the critical Sicily landings) and thenJafü (Fighter Leader) Norway from January 1944.
He returned to a combat command on 1 May 1944, briefly joining the staff of III.Gruppe ofJagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) for a month. This was based in Germany on Reich Defense, and he mentored the newly promotedGruppenkommandeurSiegfried Schnell who had previously commanded 9./JG 2 alongside Schöpfel on the Channel Front. Then, ion 15 June 1944, he was appointedGeschwaderkommodore of the newly formedJagdgeschwader 4 (JG 4—4th Fighter Wing), taking over command fromMajorWalther Dahl who was transferred. JG 4 at the time was based atAnsbach. TheGeschwader had been formed fromJagdgeschwader z.b.V. as a special purpose unit which was fighting inDefense of the Reich.[58] On 6 August, Schöpfel was shot down in aerial combat withNorth American P-51 Mustang fighters near Schwerin flying a Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 440728—factory number).[56] Forced to bail out, his injuries were serious enough that he had to give up his command on 6 August toOberstleutnantGerhard Michalski.[56][59]
In October 1944 Schöpfel was appointed to the newly created role ofJagdfliegerführer Ungarn (Fighter Leader Hungary). In February 1945 he commanded theLuftkriegsschule 2 (training school) atGatow. On 10 April, he was appointed the lastGeschwaderkommodore ofJagdgeschwader 6 (JG 6—6th Fighter Wing) based in northern Czechoslovakia.[60][61]
After serving on the Eastern Front for approximately one month, Schöpfel was captured by Soviet forces, and was interned for four and a half years in the Soviet Union. He returned to Germany upon his release in December 1949.[1][56]
After World War II, Schöpfel worked as a chauffeur and other jobs before obtaining an executive position with Air Lloyd at theCologne Bonn Airport.[62] He died of natural causes on 17 May 2003 at the age of 90 inBergisch Gladbach-Refrath.[60]
According to Obermaier, Schöpfel was credited with 45 aerial victories, claimed in approximately 700 combat missions.[1] Mathews and Foreman, authors ofLuftwaffe Aces: Biographies and Victory Claims, researched theGerman Federal Archives and found records for 40 aerial victory claims, plus nine further unconfirmed claims, all of which were claimed on the Western Front.[63]
| Chronicle of aerial victories | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Schöpfel did not receive credit. This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Caldwell, Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Matthews and Foreman. | |||||||||
| Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
| – 9.Staffel ofJagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –[3] Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940 | |||||||||
— | 19 May 1940 | — | Hurricane | vicinity ofLille[64] | 2 | 31 May 1940 | 15:40 | Spitfire | west ofDunkirk[64] |
| 1 | 29 May 1940 | 18:10 | Spitfire | west of Dunkirk[64] | 3 | 2 June 1940 | 09:25 | Spitfire | Dunkirk[64] |
| – 9.Staffel ofJagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –[3] Action at the Channel and over England — 26 June – 21 August 1940 | |||||||||
| 4 | 8 August 1940 | 12:34 | Spitfire | west ofCanterbury[65] | 7 | 18 August 1940 | 13:55 | Hurricane | Canterbury[66] |
| 5 | 8 August 1940 | 12:35 | Hampden | south ofRamsgate[65] | 8 | 18 August 1940 | 13:55 | Hurricane | Canterbury[66] |
| 6 | 12 August 1940 | 12:30?[Note 3] | Spitfire | Folkestone[65] | 9 | 18 August 1940 | 13:56 | Hurricane | Canterbury[66] |
— | 14 August 1940 | 13:30 | Hurricane | Folkestone-Dover[65] | 10 | 18 August 1940 | 13:56 | Hurricane | Canterbury[66] |
| –Stab III.Gruppe ofJagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –[63] Action at the Channel and over England — 21 August – 21 June 1941 | |||||||||
| 11 | 22 August 1940 | 20:25 | Spitfire | southeast of Dover[66] | 17 | 9 September 1940 | 18:07 | Spitfire | Thames Estuary[67] |
| 12 | 28 August 1940 | 10:10 | Defiant | east of Canterbury[66] | 18 | 9 September 1940 | 18:11 | Spitfire | Thames Estuary[67] |
| 13 | 31 August 1940 | 10:00 | Spitfire | Braintree[67] | — ?[Note 4] | 11 September 1940 | 17:30 | Blenheim[36] | |
| 14 | 1 September 1940 | 15:00 | Spitfire | London[67] | 19?[Note 5] | 28 September 1940 | 10:45 | Spitfire | north ofDungeness[70] |
— ?[Note 4] | 6 September 1940 | 10:30 | Hurricane | Dungeness[71] | 20 | 29 October 1940 | 17:45 | Hurricane[70] | |
| 15 | 7 September 1940 | 18:45 | Spitfire | London[67] | 21 | 1 November 1940 | 15:35 | Spitfire | Herne Bay[70] |
| 16 | 9 September 1940 | 18:05 | Spitfire | Thames Estuary[67] | 22 | 17 June 1941 | 19:40 | Hurricane[72] | |
| –Stab III.Gruppe ofJagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –[53] On the Western Front — 22 June – 5 December 1941 | |||||||||
| 23 | 23 June 1941 | 20:30 | Blenheim[73] | 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Dunkirk | 30 | 9 August 1941 | 11:45 | Spitfire[73] | east ofMarquise[74] |
| 24 | 27 June 1941 | 17:05 | Hurricane[73] | 31 | 9 August 1941 | 17:59 | Spitfire[73] | ||
| 25 | 28 June 1941 | 08:50 | Spitfire | Audruicq[73] | 32 | 21 August 1941 | 10:18 | Spitfire[75] | |
| 26 | 2 July 1941 | 12:50 | Spitfire | south ofLillers[73] | 33 | 21 September 1941 | 16:30 | Spitfire[76] | |
| 27 | 11 July 1941 | 14:55 | Spitfire[73] | 34 | 27 September 1941 | 15:30 | Spitfire[76] | ||
| 28 | 7 August 1941 | 11:40 | Spitfire[73] | 35 | 27 November 1941 | 17:30 | Hurricane | 5 km (3.1 mi) west ofBoulogne[76] | |
| 29 | 7 August 1941 | 18:00 | Spitfire | southwest of Dunkirk[73] | |||||
| –Stab ofJagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" –[53] On the Western Front — 1 January – 31 December 1942 | |||||||||
— | 24 March 1942 | — | Spitfire[68] | northern France[77] | 40 | 19 August 1942 | 18:30 | Spitfire | Dieppe[68] |
— ?[Note 6] | 25 March 1942 | — | Spitfire[68] | — ?[Note 4] | 8 November 1942 | — | B-17[79] | ||
| 36 | 28 March 1942 | 18:30 | Spitfire[68] | — ?[Note 4] | 8 November 1942 | — | B-17[79] | ||
| 37 | 14 April 1942 | 18:33 | Spitfire | 10 km (6.2 mi) north ofSangatte[68] | — ?[Note 4] | 6 December 1942 | — | B-17[80] | |
| 38 | 1 June 1942 | 13:55 | Spitfire[68] | — ?[Note 7] | 20 December 1942 | — | B-17 | ||
| 39 | 19 August 1942 | 16:31 | Spitfire | Dieppe[68] | |||||
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by OberstAdolf Galland | Commander ofJagdgeschwader 26Schlageter 6 December 1941 – 10 January 1943 | Succeeded by MajorJosef Priller |
| Preceded by GeneralmajorCarl-August Schumacher | Commander ofJagdfliegerführer Norwegen 18 January 1944 – May 1944 | Succeeded by OberstleutnantGünther Scholz |
| Preceded by HauptmannWalther Dahl | Commander ofJagdgeschwader z.b.V. 6 June 1944 – 15 June 1944 | Succeeded by Stab/Jagdgeschwader 4 |
| Preceded by none: unit renamed | Commander ofJagdgeschwader 4 15 June 1944 – 6 August 1944 | Succeeded by OberleutnantGerhard Michalski |
| Preceded by none: new command | Commander ofJagdfliegerführer Ungarn August 1944 – 7 January 1945 | Succeeded by none: command disbanded |
| Preceded by MajorGerhard Barkhorn | Commander ofJagdgeschwader 6Horst Wessel 10 April 1945 – 17 April 1945 | Succeeded by MajorRichard Leppla |
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients ofJagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" | ||
|---|---|---|
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