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Oberstleutnant Wolfgang Schellmann (2 March 1911 – 22 June 1941) was German World War II Luftwaffe Ace, commander of JG 2 and JG 27 and a winner 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 - for the fighter pilots, it was a quantifiable measure of skill and combat success. Wolfgang Schellmann was credited with 25 victories in over 150 combat missions. He recorded 12 victories during the Spanish Civil War.〔See also list of Spanish Civil War air aces.〕 Of his 13 victories recorded during World War II, 12 were claimed over the Western Front and one over the Eastern Front. ==Career== Wolfgang Schellmann started his combat training as one of the select few German pilots at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school in the Soviet Union. After his return and upon the official announcement of the new Luftwaffe, he was given command of the new 2./JG 135 squadron, in March 1935. Two years later, on 19 December 1937, ''Oberleutnant'' Schellmann took over command of the 1st ''Staffel'' of ''Jagdgruppe'' 88, in the "Condor Legion", fighting in the Spanish Civil War. Over the next year he became one of the leading aces in the theatre with 12 victories, second only to Werner Mölders. Upon his return to Germany he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds () and promoted to ''Hauptmann'' (Captain). He then served on the Stab (Headquarters) flight of the newly formed IV ''Gruppe'' of the Jagdgeschwader 132, gaining command experience. Over the next year, it was renamed I./JG 331, then finally I./JG 77. At the outbreak of war in September 1939, he led this unit in the invasion of Poland, then afterward took up an administrative post for a short term, in the headquarters of ''Luftflotte'' 2. On 15 December 1939, the now ''Hauptmann'' Schellmann, was made ''Gruppenkommandeur'' of the newly formed II./Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing), but he only scored his first victory in World War II after the invasion of France, on 15 May 1940. By the end of the campaign he had amassed six further victories. Scoring another victory on 18 July in the Battle of Britain, on 3 September he was promoted to ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of JG 2 "Richthofen" as part of Göring's policy to replace the 'Old Guard' fighter commanders with young lions like Werner Mölders (JG 51), Adolf Galland (JG 26), Günther Lützow (JG 3) and Hannes Trautloft (JG 54). On 18 September, he was awarded the 'Ritterkreuz' for his 23 victories (including the 12 in Spain). The presentation was made by Göring at the headquarters of the ''Befehlshaber der Wehrmachts in den Niederlanden'' (Supreme Commander of the Wehrmacht in the Netherlands), ''General der Flieger'' (General of the Flyers) Friedrich Christiansen, at Wassenaar near The Hague on 19 September. That day, both Schellmann and Günther Lützow, ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing), were so honored.〔Braatz 2005, p. 226.〕 A month later he made way for the charismatic Helmut Wick (at the time in a 3-way battle with Galland and Mölders, as top-scoring pilot) and moved to take command of JG 27. Promoted to Major, he led this ''Geschwader'' into the Balkan campaign in Spring 1941, scoring a 24th victory in Greece (20 April 1941), before the unit was pulled out, to central Poland in June, to prepare for the invasion of the Soviet Union. On 22 June 1941, Major Schellmann was probably the highest profile German casualty of the opening day of Operation Barbarossa. Schellmann's Messerschmitt Bf 109-E (''Werknummer'' 4189—factory number) was rammed by an I-153 ''Chaykahe'' piloted by a Lt Kuzmin just after he had shot down his 25th victim, an I-16, near Grodno. Kuzmin was killed in the collision but Schellmann managed to bail out over Soviet territory but was never seen again. It was believed that while attempting to make his way back to German lines he was captured and later killed by NKVD troops.〔Bergström 2007, p. 18.〕〔Weal, p. 21〕 Wolfgang Schellmann scored 25 victories in 150 missions (including 12 over Spain), and was posthumously promoted to ''Oberstleutnant'' (Lieutenant Colonel). 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「Wolfgang Schellmann」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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