Wilhelm Crinius
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Crinius was a German
Luftwaffe
fighter ace
during World War II
. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator
credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft
during aerial combat. Crinius is credited with 114 aerial victories claimed in approximately 400 combat missions. He recorded 100 victories over the Eastern front
. Of his 14 victories claimed over the Western front
, one was a four-engined bomber. On 23 September 1942, Crinius became the only German fighter pilot to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
(Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) simultaneously.
on 2 December 1920. His father, also named Wilhelm, was a master craftsman
and house painter and decorator, his mother née Tölle. Crinius attended the Volksschule
, a primary school, in Hohenhausen from 1927 until 1935. In 1935 he started his merchant
apprenticeship
at the savings and loans bank in Hohenhausen. Parallel to his apprenticeship, he attended the vocational school
. He worked at the saving and loans bank in Hohenhausen as an employee from Easter 1938 until November 1938.
(lance corporal) Crinius was posted to 3 Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 53
(JG 53) based in Sicily
.For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
In March and April 1942, he flew 60 missions over Malta
. On 1 April, he was promoted to Unteroffizier
(non-commissioned officer). In May 1942, I./JG 53 was transferred to the Eastern front
near Kursk
. Crinius achieved his first victories on 9 June when he shot down two Il-2 Sturmovik
s. On 8 July, Crinius shot down two Douglas Boston bombers west of Voronezh
, although his aircraft was hit by Russian anti-aircraft fire and he was forced to belly-landed his Bf 109 F-4 between the enemy lines, where he was rescued by a German patrol and safely returned to his unit.
In July 1942, I./JG 53 was sent to the southern sector of the Eastern front, where Crinius claimed his 15th kill on 1 August. He claimed his 24th victory on 11 August 1942. The next day I./JG 53 relocated from Bereska
to Tusov, closer to the front and Crinius shot down three MiG-3s, bringing his total to 27 victories. Crinius recorded his 49th victory on 27 August which was also the 1,000th victory for I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 53. After his 55th victory on 1 September he was promoted to Feldwebel
(Sergeant). Hereafter Crinius was particularly successful, claiming some 40 victories in August and 46 victories in the timeframe 1–22 September, including his 100th on 22 September. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
(Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 23 September and promoted to Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant). In November 1942, Crinius relocated with I./JG 53 to Tunisia.
In Africa, Crinius claimed another 14 victories, including a B-17 Flying Fortress on 26 December 1942 over Bizerte
. On 13 January 1943, he engaged in aerial combat with Royal Air Force
(RAF) Supermarine Spitfire
fighters near El Kala, Crinius' aircraft was hit and he was wounded in the thigh. Breaking off combat, he headed for his base but his engine then caught fire. He ditched his damaged Bf 109 G-2
(Werknummer 10805—factory number) in the sea. He spent 24 hours in the water before being rescued by French sailors and Arabs. After hospitalisation for his wounds, Crinius became a prisoner of war
.
GmbH. He was appointed chairman of the board of directors
of the Ernst Düllmann GmbH in 1971. On 18 June 1989, as a pensioner
, Crinius ran for the European Parliament
in Hesse
as candidate for the right-wing German People's Union
(Deutsche Volksunion). He died on 26 April 1997 in Stuhr-Fahrenhorst, Lower Saxony
.
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...
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...
. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
during aerial combat. Crinius is credited with 114 aerial victories claimed in approximately 400 combat missions. He recorded 100 victories over the Eastern front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
. Of his 14 victories claimed 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...
, one was a four-engined bomber. On 23 September 1942, Crinius became the only German fighter pilot to be 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...
(Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) simultaneously.
Early life
Wilhelm Crinius was born in Hohenhausen, KalletalKalletal
Kalletal is a municipality in the Lippe district of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, with c. 15,300 inhabitants.-Comprising villages :* Asendorf* Bavenhausen* Bentorf* Brosen* Erder* Heidelbeck* Henstorf* Hohenhausen* Kalldorf...
on 2 December 1920. His father, also named Wilhelm, was a master craftsman
Master craftsman
A master craftsman or master tradesman was a member of a guild. In the European guild system, only masters were allowed to be members of the guild....
and house painter and decorator, his mother née Tölle. Crinius attended the Volksschule
Volksschule
A Volksschule was an 18th century system of state-supported primary schools established in the Habsburg Austrian Empire and Prussia . Attendance was supposedly compulsory, but a 1781 census reveals that only one fourth of school-age children attended. At the time, this was one of the few examples...
, a primary school, in Hohenhausen from 1927 until 1935. In 1935 he started his merchant
Merchant
A merchant is a businessperson who trades in commodities that were produced by others, in order to earn a profit.Merchants can be one of two types:# A wholesale merchant operates in the chain between producer and retail merchant...
apprenticeship
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
at the savings and loans bank in Hohenhausen. Parallel to his apprenticeship, he attended the vocational school
Vocational school
A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job...
. He worked at the saving and loans bank in Hohenhausen as an employee from Easter 1938 until November 1938.
Military service
Crinius joined the Luftwaffe in January 1940 to undergo pilot training. In February 1942, GefreiterGefreiter
Gefreiter is the German, Swiss and Austrian equivalent for the military rank Private . Gefreiter was the lowest rank to which an ordinary soldier could be promoted. As a military rank it has existed since at least the 16th century...
(lance corporal) Crinius was posted to 3 Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 53
Jagdgeschwader 53
Jagdgeschwader 53 Pik-As was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. It operated in Western Europe and in the Mediterranean.Jagdgeschwader 53 - or as it was better known, the "Pik As" Geschwader - was one of the oldest German fighter units of World War II with its origins going back to 1937...
(JG 53) based in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
.For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
Luftwaffe Organization
Between 1933 and 1945, the organization of the Luftwaffe underwent several changes. Originally, the German military high command decided to use an organizational structure similar to the army and navy, treating the branch as a strategic weapon of war...
In March and April 1942, he flew 60 missions over Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
. On 1 April, he was promoted to Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier is both a specific military rank as well as a collective term for non-commissioned officers of the German military that has existed since the 19th century. The rank existed as a title as early as the 17th century with the first widespread usage occurring in the Bavarian Army of the...
(non-commissioned officer). In May 1942, I./JG 53 was transferred to the Eastern front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
near Kursk
Kursk
Kursk is a city and the administrative center of Kursk Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Kur, Tuskar, and Seym Rivers. The area around Kursk was site of a turning point in the Russian-German struggle during World War II and the site of the largest tank battle in history...
. Crinius achieved his first victories on 9 June when he shot down two Il-2 Sturmovik
Ilyushin Il-2
The Ilyushin Il-2 was a ground-attack aircraft in the Second World War, produced by the Soviet Union in very large numbers...
s. On 8 July, Crinius shot down two Douglas Boston bombers west of Voronezh
Voronezh
Voronezh is a city in southwestern Russia, the administrative center of Voronezh Oblast. It is located on both sides of the Voronezh River, away from where it flows into the Don. It is an operating center of the Southeastern Railway , as well as the center of the Don Highway...
, although his aircraft was hit by Russian anti-aircraft fire and he was forced to belly-landed his Bf 109 F-4 between the enemy lines, where he was rescued by a German patrol and safely returned to his unit.
In July 1942, I./JG 53 was sent to the southern sector of the Eastern front, where Crinius claimed his 15th kill on 1 August. He claimed his 24th victory on 11 August 1942. The next day I./JG 53 relocated from Bereska
Brzuska
Brzuska is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Bircza, within Przemyśl County, Subcarpathian Voivodeship, in south-eastern Poland...
to Tusov, closer to the front and Crinius shot down three MiG-3s, bringing his total to 27 victories. Crinius recorded his 49th victory on 27 August which was also the 1,000th victory for I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 53. After his 55th victory on 1 September he was promoted to Feldwebel
Feldwebel
Feldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. The word Feldwebel is usually translated as sergeant being rated OR-6 in the NATO rank comparison scale, equivalent to the British Army Sergeant and the US Army...
(Sergeant). Hereafter Crinius was particularly successful, claiming some 40 victories in August and 46 victories in the timeframe 1–22 September, including his 100th on 22 September. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
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...
(Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 23 September and promoted to Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant). In November 1942, Crinius relocated with I./JG 53 to Tunisia.
In Africa, Crinius claimed another 14 victories, including a B-17 Flying Fortress on 26 December 1942 over Bizerte
Bizerte
Bizerte or Benzert , is the capital city of Bizerte Governorate in Tunisia and the northernmost city in Africa. It has a population of 230,879 .-History:...
. On 13 January 1943, he engaged in aerial combat with Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) Supermarine Spitfire
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
fighters near El Kala, Crinius' aircraft was hit and he was wounded in the thigh. Breaking off combat, he headed for his base but his engine then caught fire. He ditched his damaged Bf 109 G-2
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
(Werknummer 10805—factory number) in the sea. He spent 24 hours in the water before being rescued by French sailors and Arabs. After hospitalisation for his wounds, Crinius became a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
.
Later life
After World War II, Wilhelm Crinius worked in private industry, serving as a director in the German branch of the Dutch PhilipsPhilips
Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company....
GmbH. He was appointed chairman of the board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
of the Ernst Düllmann GmbH in 1971. On 18 June 1989, as a pensioner
Pensioner
In common parlance, a pensioner is a person who has retired, and now collects a pension. This is a term typically used in the United Kingdom and Australia where someone of pensionable age may also be referred to as an 'old age pensioner', or OAP. In the United States, the term retiree is more...
, Crinius ran for the European Parliament
European Parliament
The European Parliament is the directly elected parliamentary institution of the European Union . Together with the Council of the European Union and the Commission, it exercises the legislative function of the EU and it has been described as one of the most powerful legislatures in the world...
in Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
as candidate for the right-wing German People's Union
German People's Union
The German People's Union is a nationalist political party in Germany. It was founded by publisher Gerhard Frey as an informal association in 1971 and established as a party in 1987. Financially, it is largely dependent on Frey....
(Deutsche Volksunion). He died on 26 April 1997 in Stuhr-Fahrenhorst, Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
.
Awards
- 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...
for Fighter Pilots in Gold- Bronze (30 March 1942)
- Silver (29 April 1942)
- Gold (18 August 1942)
- 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 (30 April 1942)
- 1st class (25 June 1942)
- 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 September 1942) - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak LeavesKnight'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...
- Knight's Cross on 23 September 1942 and FeldwebelFeldwebelFeldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. The word Feldwebel is usually translated as sergeant being rated OR-6 in the NATO rank comparison scale, equivalent to the British Army Sergeant and the US Army...
and pilot in the 3./JG 53 - 127th Oak Leaves on 23 September 1942 and Feldwebel and pilot in the 3./JG 53
- Knight's Cross on 23 September 1942 and Feldwebel