Günther Seeger
Encyclopedia
Günther "Hupatz" Seeger was a former German
Luftwaffe
fighter ace
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
during World War II
. Seeger scored 56 victories in 504 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Western front and include eight four-engine bombers.
and recorded his first victory on 8 June by shot down a French Morane fighter near Soissons. During the Battle of Britain
he was assigned with 3./JG 2 which based at Beaumont-le-Roger. Seeger claimed a further three victories, including two RAF Spitfire fighters. From 27 March to 19 June 1941, Seeger remained an instructor. He returned to front line duty where he flew with several famous aces such as Wilhelm Balthasar
, Walter Oesau
, Rudolf Pflanz and Erich Leie
. By the end of 1941, Seeger added 19 victories to his credit.
During Allied landings at Dieppe Oberfeldwebel Seeger shot down three Spitfires. However, he was also shot down in the engagement and bailed out of his Fw 190 A-3 but fortunately Seeger escaped injury. He then transferred to the Mediterranean theatre to operate from bases in Tunisia. Seeger had 24 victories to his credit at this time and had been promoted to the rank of Leutnant. Seeger recorded nine victories over Tunisia before the unit retired to Sicily. In February, 11./JG 2 was disbanded and absorbed into II./JG 53. Seeger was assigned to 7./JG 53. Operating over Sicily and southern Italy, Seeger added 14 further victories. Seeger was sent back to Germany to recuperate from a bout of malaria.
Leutnant Seeger was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 26 March 1944 and promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant.
Following the Allied landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944, his unit- II./JG 53 was rushed to France. Seeger claimed four victories before II./JG 53 was withdrawn back to Germany on July. There, Seeger was appointed Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 53 but Seeger did not participate in Operation Bodenplatte
, the attack on Allied airfields in Holland, Belgium and France on 1 January 1945. Rather, he had been granted leave to marry. He managed to avoid capture by allied forces and made his way on foot to his home town of Offenbach on foot.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
fighter ace
Fighter Ace
Fighter Ace was a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Seeger scored 56 victories in 504 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Western front and include eight four-engine bombers.
Military career
He joined the Luftwaffe in 1937. He was undergoing his fighter pilot training at Werneuchen. Seeger was posted to JG 2 in February, 1940. He participated in Battle of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
and recorded his first victory on 8 June by shot down a French Morane fighter near Soissons. During the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
he was assigned with 3./JG 2 which based at Beaumont-le-Roger. Seeger claimed a further three victories, including two RAF Spitfire fighters. From 27 March to 19 June 1941, Seeger remained an instructor. He returned to front line duty where he flew with several famous aces such as Wilhelm Balthasar
Wilhelm Balthasar
Major Wilhelm Balthasar was a German World War II Luftwaffe flying ace, commander of Jagdgeschwader 2 and a winner of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery...
, Walter Oesau
Walter Oesau
Walter "Gulle" Oesau was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1934 until his death in 1944...
, Rudolf Pflanz and Erich Leie
Erich Leie
Erich Leie was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe until his death on 7 March 1945...
. By the end of 1941, Seeger added 19 victories to his credit.
During Allied landings at Dieppe Oberfeldwebel Seeger shot down three Spitfires. However, he was also shot down in the engagement and bailed out of his Fw 190 A-3 but fortunately Seeger escaped injury. He then transferred to the Mediterranean theatre to operate from bases in Tunisia. Seeger had 24 victories to his credit at this time and had been promoted to the rank of Leutnant. Seeger recorded nine victories over Tunisia before the unit retired to Sicily. In February, 11./JG 2 was disbanded and absorbed into II./JG 53. Seeger was assigned to 7./JG 53. Operating over Sicily and southern Italy, Seeger added 14 further victories. Seeger was sent back to Germany to recuperate from a bout of malaria.
Leutnant Seeger was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 26 March 1944 and promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant.
Following the Allied landings in Normandy on 6 June 1944, his unit- II./JG 53 was rushed to France. Seeger claimed four victories before II./JG 53 was withdrawn back to Germany on July. There, Seeger was appointed Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 53 but Seeger did not participate in Operation Bodenplatte
Operation Bodenplatte
Operation Bodenplatte launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the Second World War. The goal of Bodenplatte was to gain air superiority during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge, to allow the German Army and...
, the attack on Allied airfields in Holland, Belgium and France on 1 January 1945. Rather, he had been granted leave to marry. He managed to avoid capture by allied forces and made his way on foot to his home town of Offenbach on foot.
After the war
In 1956, Seeger joined the new Bundesluftwaffe. He reached the rank of Oberstleutnant before retirement in 1974.Awards
- Ehrenpokal der LuftwaffeEhrenpokal der LuftwaffeThe Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe was a Luftwaffe award established on February 27, 1940 by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, the Reich Minister of Aviation and Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe. It was officially known as the Ehrenpokal "für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg", or Honor Goblet "For...
(9 August 1941) - German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold (29 October 1942) - Knight's Cross of the Iron CrossKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
(26 March 1944)
External links
- www.axisfactbook.com
- http://www.military-art.com/mall/profiles.php?SigID=1022
- http://home.pacbell.net/horrido1/photos.htm