Julius Meimberg
Encyclopedia
Julius Meimberg was a former German
Luftwaffe
fighter ace
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
during World War II
.The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.Julius Meimberg achieved 53 victories in 250 combat missions, all of them over the Western Front
.
, when on 19.05.1940 shot down Hurricane
fighter and other on 03.06.1940, when the victim became P-36 Hawk
fighter.Meimberg during the Battle of France
flew as wingman
to Hans "Assi" Hahn (108 wins).During the Battle of Britain
Meimberg become the Flying ace
, when he shot down other four enemy planes, including three Spitfire fighters.He flew with Helmut Wick
(56 wins) on the day that he was fatally shot down over the Isle of Wight
.
Memories from Julius Meimberg of the day that Helmut Wick was shot down :
On 30.7.41 was Meimberg awarded for 15 victories the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe
and on 29.10.1942 the German Cross
in Gold.In February 1943 was Meimberg transferred to JG 53.In 1944 Meimberg was appointed Gruppenkommandeur
II./ JG 53.Finaly, on October 24, 1944 was Julius Meimberg awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
.On 26 December 1944 he claimed victories 48, 49 & 50, all P-47 fighters in the Ardennes sector, just before being shot down himself.Meimberg was shot down again 26 December 1944 in Bf-109 G-14 Werk # 166297 "Yellow 1", and bailed out over Schaichhof, after engaging American fighters over Stuttgart
.He missed the Operation Bodenplatte
since he was hospitalized after the Operation of 26 December.He scored his last victory over Spitfire fighter on 13.04.1945.
During his successful career he achieved 54 victories in 250 combat missions
, all of them over the Western Front
.He claimed twenty Spitfires, twelve P-47 Thunderbold fighters and four four-engined bombers.
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...
.The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.Julius Meimberg achieved 53 victories in 250 combat missions, all of them over the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
.
Career
Julius Meimberg joined JG 2 "Richthofen" in December 1939.He claimed his first two victories during 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...
, when on 19.05.1940 shot down Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
fighter and other on 03.06.1940, when the victim became P-36 Hawk
P-36 Hawk
The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, was an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of both the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation of combat aircraft—a sleek monoplane design...
fighter.Meimberg during the Battle of France
Battle 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...
flew as wingman
Wingman
A wingman is a pilot who supports another in a potentially dangerous flying environment. Wingman was originally a term referring to the plane flying beside and slightly behind the lead plane in an aircraft formation....
to Hans "Assi" Hahn (108 wins).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...
Meimberg become the Flying ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
, when he shot down other four enemy planes, including three Spitfire fighters.He flew with Helmut Wick
Helmut Wick
Major Helmut Paul Emil Wick was a German Luftwaffe ace and fourth recipient 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 by the Third Reich to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military...
(56 wins) on the day that he was fatally shot down over the Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
.
Memories from Julius Meimberg of the day that Helmut Wick was shot down :
"Late in the afternoon of 28th November 1940, we took off for southern England from Beaumont le Roger for our second mission of the day. Climbing towards the Isle of Wight in bright sunshine, I was leading the 4th Staffel and directly ahead of us was the Staff Schwarm of JG2 Richthofen led by Kommodore Major Helmut Wick, at that time the leading fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe. With him were his wingman Oberleutnant Rudolf PflanzRudolf PflanzRudolf "Rudi" Pflanz was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Pflanz claimed 52 aerial victories, all of them over the Western Front...
, Oberleutnant Erich LeieErich LeieErich Leie was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe until his death on 7 March 1945...
and Oberfeldwebel Erich RudorfferErich RudorfferMajor Erich Rudorffer is a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace, one of a handful who served with the Luftwaffe through the whole of World War II. He is 7th most successful fighter pilot in the history of air warfare, and currently both the oldest jet fighter ace, and the most successful ace still...
. At about 23,000 ft, we were almost above the Isle of Wight when we spotted vapour trails caused by Spitfires above us at a much greater height.
Major Wick led his Staff Schwarm towards them at full throttle, with the result that the Schwarm aircraft pulled apart from each other. Climbing with my Staffel to one side, we were soon drawn into the main battle and the Staffel separated. A single Spitfire turned in front of me and disappeared behing my engine cowling as I fired off my weapons. Apparently undamaged, the aircraft went into a spin and I followed it down, expecting the aircraft to pull out at any time, but it never did. The red glow in the cockpit indicated a possible oxygen tank hit.
When we landed, Rudi Pflanz reported that Major Wick had shot down a Spitfire, was then in turn shot down by a second Spitfire, which in turn had been shot down by Pflanz. We were all told that no-one had seen what had happened to Wicks aircraft, which left us hoping for the safety of our Kommodore. We returned later next day, and again the following day, but there was no sign of him. What we had not been told was that Rudorffer had witnessed him go down, a large bullet hole passing through the starboard wing trailing edge, straight through the cockpit and engine block. He felt that Wick was already dead as his aircraft corkscrewed downwards, finally plunging into the sea. After the war, I learned that his conqueror had been Flight Lieutenant John Dundas DFC, himself only seconds later shot down by Pflanz and killed."
On 30.7.41 was Meimberg awarded for 15 victories the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe
Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe
The 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...
and on 29.10.1942 the German Cross
German Cross
The 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.In February 1943 was Meimberg transferred to JG 53.In 1944 Meimberg was appointed Gruppenkommandeur
Gruppenkommandeur
Gruppenkommandeur is a Luftwaffe position , that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air forces. Gruppenkommandeur usually has the rank of Hauptmann or Major, and commands a Gruppe, which is a sub-division of a Geschwader. A Gruppe usually consists of three or four...
II./ JG 53.Finaly, on October 24, 1944 was Julius Meimberg awarded 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...
.On 26 December 1944 he claimed victories 48, 49 & 50, all P-47 fighters in the Ardennes sector, just before being shot down himself.Meimberg was shot down again 26 December 1944 in Bf-109 G-14 Werk # 166297 "Yellow 1", and bailed out over Schaichhof, after engaging American fighters over Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
.He missed the 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...
since he was hospitalized after the Operation of 26 December.He scored his last victory over Spitfire fighter on 13.04.1945.
During his successful career he achieved 54 victories in 250 combat missions
, all of them over the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
.He claimed twenty Spitfires, twelve P-47 Thunderbold fighters and four four-engined bombers.
Awards
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1939)- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- Wound BadgeWound BadgeWound Badge was a German military award for wounded or frost-bitten soldiers of Imperial German Army in World War I, the Reichswehr between the wars, and the Wehrmacht, SS and the auxiliary service organizations during the Second World War. After March 1943, due to the increasing number of Allied...
in Silver - Front Flying Clasp of the LuftwaffeFront Flying Clasp of the LuftwaffeThe Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe was awarded in Bronze, Silver, and Gold with upgrade possible to include diamonds. Pennants suspended from the clasp indicated the number of missions obtained in a given type of aircraft...
in Gold - 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...
(July 30, 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 (October 29, 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...
(October 24, 1944)