Английская Википедия:Gerhard Michalski

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Gerhard Michalski (25 June 1917 – 22 February 1946) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 73 aerial victories in 652 missions, of which 59 victories were achieved over the Western Front including 13 four-engine bombers, and 14 over the Eastern Front. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

Early life and career

Michalski was born on 25 June 1917 in Augsdorf in the Province of Saxony of the German Empire. In 1936, he volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe and was promoted to Leutnant in 1938. Michalski received the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Шаблон:Lang) on 28 September 1939.Шаблон:Sfn

World War II

Michalski joined 6. Staffel (6th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) in 1940. He claimed his first victory on 31 March 1940 during the "Phoney War", when he downed a French Morane Saulnier MS 406 fighter over the French border near Püttlingen.Шаблон:Sfn Flying through the Battle of Britain, he gained eight more victories. In October 1940, Michalski was appointed Adjutant in II./JG 53.

JG 53 flew its last mission on the Channel Front on 4 June 1941.Шаблон:Sfn Four days later, II. Gruppe was ordered to Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield.Шаблон:Sfn

Operation Barbarossa

In preparation of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul at Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield.Шаблон:Sfn On 12 June, II. Gruppe relocated to Sobolewo. On 21 June, the commanding officers were ordered to Suwałki where they were briefed by Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring.Шаблон:Sfn

With JG 53 participating in the invasion of Russia from June 1941 onward, Michalski claimed 13 further victories by the end of August 1941 for a total of 22.

On 5 October 1941, II. Gruppe of JG 53 was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and ordered to Insterburg, present-day Chernyakhovsk.Шаблон:Sfn The Gruppe was then sent to Leeuwarden Airfield in the Netherlands where they arrived on 12. October.Шаблон:Sfn Prior to the relocation, Michalski was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 4. Staffel of JG 53,Шаблон:Sfn relacing Oberleutnant Kurt Liedtke in this capacity.Шаблон:Sfn

Mediterranean theater

In November 1941, II. Gruppe of JG 53 were relocated to Sicily for operations against Malta. Michalski was to become the most successful German fighter pilot in the Siege of Malta, claiming 26 victories against the island's defenders.Шаблон:Sfn Michalski was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of JG 53 in August 1942. He succeeded Hauptmann Walter Spies who was transferred. Command of 4. Staffel was then passed to Oberleutnant Wilhelm Hobirk for two months before it was assigned to Leutnant Fritz Dinger in October.Шаблон:Sfn He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Шаблон:Lang) for 41 victories in September. On 1 October, Michalski was promoted to Hauptmann (captain).Шаблон:Sfn

Файл:Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-468-1404-28, Italien, Flugzeuge Me 109 auf Feldflugplatz.jpg

Bf 109s of JG 53 in southern Italy, similar to those flown by Michalski.

On 15 October, Michalski was shot down in his Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 10484—factory number). He bailed out over sea, climbed into his life raft before he was picked by a Dornier Do 24 flying boat of Seenotstaffel 6, the 6th Squadron of the German air-sea rescue service.Шаблон:Sfn His victors were No. 126 Squadron Supermarine Spitfire fighters, flown by F/L. Jones and F/Sgt Varey, who shot him down off Marsaxlokk Bay.Шаблон:Sfn

In November 1942, II./JG 53 were sent to Tunisia. On 27 November, Michalski claimed Spitfire fighter shot down Шаблон:Convert south of Majaz al Bab. That day, the RAF lost two Spitfires in aerial combat, one from No. 72 Squadron and another from No. 152 Squadron, plus one another Spitfire damaged in combat. While Luftwaffe pilots claimed ten Spitfires shot down.Шаблон:Sfn

Following the fall of Tunisia, II./JG 53 relocated to bases in Sicily in May 1943. By June 1943, the Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 53, Oberst Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn, had fallen ill and could no longer lead JG 53 during combat missions. In consequence, Michalski was tasked with leading the air elements of JG 53.Шаблон:Sfn On 13 June, Michalski claimed a Supermarin Spitfire fighter shot down near Syracuse. His opponent may have been Wing Commander John Ellis who bailed out and was taken prisoner of war.Шаблон:Sfn

On 18 June 1943, II. Gruppe engaged in combat with eight Spitfire fighters over southeast Sicily. In this encounter, Michalski was shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 16362) near Donnafugata Castle. Forced to bail out, he was injured and taken to hospital in Ragusa.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn His victor was Flying Officer George Noel Keith Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), flying a Spitfire of No. 72 Squadron.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn He bailed out wounded in the leg and with a broken ankle, landing in the sea, from where he was rescued by the German air-sea rescue service. Hospitalised, he returned to JG 53 in August 1943.

On 1 October, Michalski was promoted to Major (major).Шаблон:Sfn In November 1943, II./JG 53 was relocated to airfields in Austria, operating on Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) duties. Michalski claimed his 60th victory on 2 November.

Wing commander

On 24 April 1944, Michalski was made Geschwaderkommodore of the newly formed Jagdgeschwader z.b.V. (JG z.b.V.—fighter wing for special deployement), a special purpose unit which was tasked with defending the southern German airspace under control of 7. Jagd-Division (7th Fighter Division). Initially, the unit was based at Kassel and equipped with the Bf 109 G-6.Шаблон:Sfn On 29 April, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force headed for Berlin. Michalski led the Stab and II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) on the intercept mission. Near Schandelah, present-day part of Cremlingen, he shot down a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber.Шаблон:Sfn On 1 May, the Eighth Air Force attacked German railroad infrastructure in southern Germany. Defending against this attack, Michalski was shot down by USAAF escorting fighters in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 440232) near Saarbrücken. Due to his injuries, he was taken off duty. The position of Geschwaderkommodore was left vacant until on 21 May Major Walther Dahl was given command of JG z.b.V.Шаблон:Sfn

Following his recovery, Michalski was transferred to the Verbandsführerschule of the General der Jagdflieger on 20 May 1944. On 21 July, he joined the Stabsstaffel, I./Jagdgeschwader 11.

On 15 June, JG z.b.V. had been renamed and became Jagdgeschwader 4 (JG 4—4th Fighter Wing) and Dahl was replaced by Major Gerhard Schöpfel as commander of JG 4. When on 6 August Schöpfel was wounded in combat, Michalski was transferred and became Geschwaderkommodore of JG 4.Шаблон:Sfn Michalski was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Шаблон:Lang) on 25 November for 72 victories. On 1 January 1945, Michalski was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel).Шаблон:Sfn He gained his 73rd and final victory on 8 March 1945, over the Eastern Front.

As Geschwaderkommodore, Michalski was ordered to Berlin on 22 January 1945 and attended the meeting with Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring which was later dubbed the Fighter Pilots' Mutiny. This was an attempt to reinstate Generalleutnant Adolf Galland as General der Jagdflieger who had been dismissed for outspokenness regarding the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (Luftwaffe high command), and had been replaced by Oberst Gordon Gollob. The meeting was held at the Haus der Flieger in Berlin and was attended by a number of high-ranking fighter pilot leaders which included Michalski, Günther Lützow, Hannes Trautloft, Hermann Graf, Erich Leie, Helmut Bennemann, Kurt Bühligen and Herbert Ihlefeld, and their antagonist Göring supported by his staff Bernd von Brauchitsch and Karl Koller. The fighter pilots, with Lützow taking the lead as spokesman, criticized Göring and made him personally responsible for the decisions taken which effectively had led to the lost air war over Europe.Шаблон:Sfn

Michalski was involved in a motor vehicle accident on 22 February 1946 and died in a hospital in Kaltenkirchen.Шаблон:Sfn His brother Werner was killed in action as a Leutnant on 10 April 1942 serving with Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter".Шаблон:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Spick, Michalski was credited with 73 aerial victories in 652 missions, of which 59 victories were achieved over the Western Front including 13 four-engine bombers and 29 Spitfire fighters.Шаблон:Sfn Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 68 aerial victory claims, plus three further unconfirmed claims. This number includes 14 on the Eastern Front and 54 on the Western Front, including 11 four-engined bombers.Шаблон:Sfn

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 03 Ost 9848". The Luftwaffe grid map (Шаблон:Lang) 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 Шаблон:Convert. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area Шаблон:Convert in size.Шаблон:Sfn

Chronicle of aerial victories
Claim!	Claim#	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim!	Claim#	Date	Time	Type	Location
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Шаблон:Sfn "Phoney War" — 1 September 1939 – 9 May 1940
1		31 March 1940	16:00	M.S.406	southwest of SarregueminesШаблон:Sfn
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Шаблон:Sfn At the Channel and over England — 26 June – August 1940
2	1	15 August 1940	18:50	Hurricane	southwest of PortlandШаблон:Sfn
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Шаблон:Sfn At the Channel and over England — August 1940 – 8 June 1941
3	2	10 October 1940	11:40?Шаблон:Refn	Spitfire	FolkestoneШаблон:Sfn Thames Estuary	7		24 November 1940	16:50	Hurricane	GravesendШаблон:Sfn
4	3	11 October 1940	08:55	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn		8	6	30 November 1940	15:26	Hurricane	AshfordШаблон:Sfn
5	4	28 October 1940	17:28	Hurricane	Шаблон:Convert south of LondonШаблон:Sfn	9	7	25 April 1941	15:47	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn
6	5	1 November 1940	15:40	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Шаблон:Sfn Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 8 October 1941
10	8	1 July 1941	13:52	I-153Шаблон:Sfn		17	15	29 August 1941	15:57	I-16Шаблон:Sfn?Шаблон:Refn
11	9	4 July 1941	16:45	SB-2Шаблон:Sfn		18	16	11 September 1941	09:02	I-18 (MiG-1)Шаблон:Sfn
12	10	4 July 1941	16:49	SB-3Шаблон:Sfn		19	17	21 September 1941	16:05	I-18 (MiG-1)Шаблон:Sfn
13	11	5 July 1941	09:26	SB-3	southeast of SmittenШаблон:Sfn	20	18	23 September 1941	17:05	I-18 (MiG-1)Шаблон:Sfn
14	12	14 July 1941	19:24	DB-3Шаблон:Sfn		21	19	28 September 1941	08:03	I-18 (MiG-1)Шаблон:Sfn
15	13	19 July 1941	17:25	R-5Шаблон:Sfn		22	20	4 October 1941	09:43?Шаблон:Refn	I-18 (MiG-1)Шаблон:Sfn
16	14	27 August 1941	17:10	R-5Шаблон:Sfn
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Шаблон:Sfn Mediterranean Theater — 15 December 1941 – August 1942
23?Шаблон:Refn	21	20 December 1941	16:40	HurricaneШаблон:Sfn		35	30	29 June 1942	08:45	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn
24		29 December 1941	10:40	HurricaneШаблон:Sfn		36	31	2 July 1942	08:07	Spitfire	Шаблон:Convert northeast of MaltaШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert north of Ta' Vnezja
25	22	3 January 1942	09:18?Шаблон:Refn	HurricaneШаблон:Sfn		37	32	2 July 1942	13:30	Spitfire	Шаблон:Convert east of La VallettaШаблон:Sfn
26	23	20 January 1942	14:18	HurricaneШаблон:Sfn		38	33	8 July 1942	06:48	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn
27	Шаблон:Center	24 January 1942	14:25	HurricaneШаблон:Sfn		39	34	8 July 1942	11:35	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn
28	24	17 March 1942	08:08	Spitfire	MaltaШаблон:Sfn	40	35	30 July 1942	08:25	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn
29	Шаблон:Center	2 April 1942	10:42	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn		41	36	31 July 1942	14:58	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn
30	25	8 May 1942	09:40	P-40	Ta' VnezjaШаблон:Sfn	42	37	31 July 1942	15:00	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn
	26	14 May 1942	11:43	Spitfire			38	2 August 1942	14:30	Spitfire	Шаблон:Convert west of Venezia
31		15 May 1942	11:31	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn		43	39	2 August 1942	16:23	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn
32	27	3 June 1942	11:13	Spitfire	Шаблон:Convert southeast of PantelleriaШаблон:Sfn	44	40	10 August 1942	12:21	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn
33	28	8 June 1942	11:25	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn		45?		12 August 1942	Шаблон:Center	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn
34	29	15 June 1942	10:40	Beaufighter	Шаблон:Convert southeast of PantelleriaШаблон:Sfn	46	41	14 August 1942	18:48	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Шаблон:Sfn Mediterranean Theater — August – 31 December 1942
47	42	13 October 1942?Шаблон:Refn	14:10?Шаблон:Refn	Spitfire	Шаблон:Convert north of La VallettaШаблон:Sfn	49	44	27 November 1942	14:56	Spitfire	Шаблон:Convert south of Majaz al BabШаблон:Sfn
48	43	14 October 1942	08:20	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn	vicinity of Malta
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Шаблон:Sfn Mediterranean Theater — 1 January – 15 October 1943
50?	Шаблон:Center	1 January 1943	11:56	SpitfireШаблон:Sfn		56	50	19 April 1943	16:08	Spitfire	Шаблон:Convert southeast of Menzel TemimeШаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert southwest of Zembra
51	45	25 February 1943	12:16	P-38	Шаблон:Convert west of TebourbaШаблон:Sfn	57	51	2 May 1943	14:54	P-40	southwest of BéjaШаблон:Sfn
52?Шаблон:Refn		2 March 1943	11:50	Spitfire	Шаблон:Convert southeast of SfaxШаблон:Sfn	58	52	8 June 1943	08:52	Spitfire	Шаблон:Convert south-southwest of PozzalloШаблон:Sfn
	46	2 March 1943	11:50	B-17*	Шаблон:Convert southeast of Béja	59	53	9 June 1943	14:00	P-38	Шаблон:Convert south of PantelleriaШаблон:Sfn
53?	47	22 March 1943	14:10	P-38	PQ 03 Ost 9848Шаблон:Sfn	60	54	13 June 1943	12:12	Spitfire	SyracuseШаблон:Sfn
54	48	18 April 1943	19:05	P-40	Шаблон:Convert southeast of the Gulf of TunisШаблон:Sfn	61?	55	8 September 1943	17:00	P-38Шаблон:Sfn	Шаблон:Convert southwest of Capri
55	49	19 April 1943	15:56	Spitfire	Шаблон:Convert southwest of ZembraШаблон:Sfn
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Шаблон:Sfn Defense of the Reich — 16 October – 31 December 1943
62	56	2 November 1943	12:40?Шаблон:Refn	B-24*	KaindorfШаблон:Sfn
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Шаблон:Sfn Defense of the Reich — 1 January – April 1944
63	57	7 January 1944	11:28	P-38Шаблон:Sfn	Шаблон:Convert south of Kalsdorf	67		8 April 1944	Шаблон:Center	B-24Шаблон:Sfn
64	58	24 February 1944	12:56	B-17Шаблон:Sfn	vicinity of Friedburg	68		11 April 1944	Шаблон:Center	B-24Шаблон:Sfn
65	59	25 February 1944	11:56	B-24Шаблон:Sfn	Radlersberg-Fridau	69	61	13 April 1944	15:54	B-17Шаблон:Sfn	Königsdorf
66	60	23 March 1944	10:28	B-17Шаблон:Sfn	southwest of Braundes	70	62	19 April 1944	10:35	B-17Шаблон:Sfn	south of Hann. Münden, east of Kassel
– Stab of Jagdgruppe z.b.V. –Шаблон:Sfn Defense of the Reich — April 1944
71	63	29 April 1944	11:03	B-17	Schandelah,Шаблон:Sfn east of Braunschweig
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 4 –Шаблон:Sfn Defense of the Reich — September 1944 – 8 May 1945
72	64	21 September 1944	15:25	Lancaster	northwest of NijmegenШаблон:Sfn	75	67	2 November 1944	12:56?Шаблон:Refn	B-17	PQ 15 Ost JD-JEШаблон:Sfn
73	65	27 September 1944	18:15	Typhoon	southwest of GochШаблон:Sfn	76	68	8 March 1945	10:27	Yak-9	Eastern Front
74	66	2 November 1944	12:55	B-17	PQ 15 Ost JE-JDШаблон:Sfn

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (28 September 1939)Шаблон:Sfn
  • 1st Class (3 September 1940)Шаблон:Sfn
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 4 September 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 4./Jagdgeschwader 53Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn
  • 667th Oak Leaves on 25 November 1944 as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 4Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

References

Bibliography

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