|
Lieutenant Karl "Quax" Schnörrer (22 March 1919 – 25 September 1979) was a famous "ace" of the German Luftwaffe during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ((ドイツ語:Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes)). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Schnörrer flew a total of 536 missions and claimed 46 aerial victories — that is, 46 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft. Of his 11 aerial victories claimed in Defense of the Reich, all were made flying the Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter and included nine four-engine bombers.〔For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see ''List of German World War II jet aces''〕 ==Career== He "earned" his nickname "Quax" by crashing the difficult-to-control Messerschmitt 109 fighter plane three times during his flight-training.〔Aces of the Luftwaffe website.〕〔Musciano 1989, pg. 119.〕 The name of a popular accident-prone cartoon character of the time, it was taken from the movie ''Quax, der Bruchpilot'' released in 1941 with the famous German actor Heinz Rühmann as Quax. Arriving on the Eastern Front as an ''Unteroffizier'' soon after the start of the offensive in the summer of 1941, he was assigned initially to the training squadron of Jagdgeschwader 54 (Erg./JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) (where he met Walter Nowotny), then in July to frontline duties with 1./ JG54. He scored his first victory on 13 December 1941. In late 1942, Walter Nowotny chose Karl to be his wingman. The two were close friends and Schnörrer had but three victories at the time. Later, in March 1943, Anton "Toni" Döbele and Rudolf Rademacher joined with the two and created one of the most fearsome combat formations ever: the ''Nowotny Schwarm''. The group amassed a combined total of over 500 victories. Karl was the perfect wingman - not looking to score strongly himself, but instead protecting and covering his flight leader, thus allowing Nowotny to become one of the greatest of the Luftwaffe pilots - a fact that Walter was always quick to point out, and their stories are inextricably intertwined. As a ''Kaczmarek'' (wingman) he scored slowly: By 20 March 1943, he only had 5 victories after 146 missions; on 18 September near the end of the Kursk offensive, he scored his 23rd victory. In the same time, "Novi" had gone from 75 to 218 victories! This action had taken their ''Gruppe'', I./JG 54 across the length of the Eastern Front. At the start of 1943, in very heavy fighting, the Soviet Army had established a tenuous 5-mile wide corridor between the besieged Leningrad and the main front. Large air battles raged overhead as the Germans tried to break the vital supply line. In early March, the ''Nowotny schwarm'' scored victories south of Lake Ilmen, covering the German withdrawal from the Demyansk salient. Then it was back to Leningrad again interrupted by a spell of leave in May. After more heavy activity over the Leningrad front in June, Nowotny was on leave when the ''Gruppe'' was transferred to the Orel salient for the upcoming Kursk offensive in July. The Soviets held the line then in August launched their own counter-offensives on the weakened German lines. As a 'fire-brigade', I./JG 54 was transferred to Poltava in the Ukraine in desperate defence, then in September the ''Gruppe'', now led by Nowotny, was transferred back to Orel on the northern side, to defend against that offensive.〔Luftwaffe Air Units: Single–Engined Fighters website.〕 All along the front the Soviets were advancing and in October, they were in Vitebsk as the Germans unsuccessfully tried to hold the crucial railhead at Smolensk. Throughout all of this, the ''Nowotny schwarm'' was scoring freely. On 14 October, to the southwest of Smolensk, Walter Nowotny became the first pilot to ever reach 250 air victories. On the same day, Karl Schnörrer scored his 33rd victory. But at this point, with Walter's relentless pursuit of greatness finally achieved and their mission turn-round relaxing, their luck ran out. Anton Döbele was killed in a mid-air collision over Smolensk on 11 November. He had reached 94 victories. Nowotny was immediately given a no-fly order, being too valuable to lose. But the next day, Luftflotte 6 had to dispatch all its aircraft to cover a new offensive north of Vitebsk. Nowotny scored his 255th, and last, victory on the Eastern Front. A few minutes later Schnörrer, ever the good wingman, shot down an Il-2 bomber attacking Nowotny for his own 35th victory, before he himself was shot down by another bomber. Baling out at only about 50m his parachute couldn't deploy in time, and he crashed to the ground; alive, but breaking both legs and fracturing his skull. Seven months later in June 1944, having recovered from his injuries and commissioned as an officer, Ltn Schnörrer was transferred to ''Erprobungskommando 262'', a small unit doing flight-testing of the revolutionary new Messerschmitt Me 262 jet. In September, the fighter was ready to proceed to advanced combat-testing and his friend Walter Nowotny was brought in to lead the project. On 26 September, the unit was re-designated ''Kommando Nowotny''. But progress was slow and with the war-situation getting worse, an impatient General Galland arrived in early-November to get a personal report. On 8 November, in very poor weather conditions, Nowotny led a ''schwarm'' of Me 262s into one of its first group combat missions. Tragically, although he shot down a bomber and a Mustang fighter he was himself killed, probably picked off after yet another engine flame-out left him defenceless.〔Morgan/Weal 1998, pp. 27-28.〕 The unit was disbanded and absorbed, as the III ''Gruppe'', into the world's first jet combat unit- ''Jagdgeschwader 7''. Schnörrer was assigned to 11./JG 7 〔some publications mistakenly call it 9./JG 7, using the former 3-squadron unit-numbering system. By this time of the war, all fighter units had 4 squadrons to a group. Although JG 7 apparently only ever formed 3 squadrons in their ''Gruppen'' they used the new numbering system, missing out the 4, 8 and 12 ''Staffeln'' respectively〕 and while with this unit for the next four months scored 11 further victories, including 9 four-engine bombers, thus making him one of the top jet-aces of the war. On 19 March 1945 he was made ''Staffelkäpitan'' of 11./JG 7 and three days later, on 22 March, was awarded the ''Ritterkreuz'' for 43 victories. However, on 30 March, engaging yet another bomber stream (in which he claimed two B-17s shot down over Hamburg) he was hit by crossfire from a third bomber. Pursued by Mustang fighters, he baled out but unluckily hit the tailplane on his exit. Although he landed safely his leg wounds were so serious that he had to have his leg amputated, thus ending his combat career.〔Forsythe 2008, pg. 83.〕〔Musciano 1989, pg. 119.〕 Karl "Quax" Schnörrer flew 536 combat missions for the relatively modest total of 46 victories. His ''Ritterkreuz'' was due recognition, not necessarily of a high personal tally, but his outstanding skill as a formation-pilot and supporting wingman. He died on 25 September 1979, at Nürnberg, aged 60. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Karl Schnörrer」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|