Wilhelm Mink (pilot)
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Mink was a German
Luftwaffe
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.
(JG 51) in early 1940, and participated in the French campaign of May and June 1940.
During the Battle of Britain
Mink claimed no victories but was shot down by Royal Air Force
(RAF) fighters over the English Channel
, and was rescued by German air sea rescue. His first victory, a Blenheim, was confirmed on 29 April 1941, followed by a Hurricane on 21 May 1941.
In June 1941, JG 51 was transferred to the east for the invasion of the USSR. Mink significantly increased his tally, totalling 31 confirmed victories by the end of 1941.
On 19 March 1942, with 40 victories, Oberfeldwebel Mink was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He reached his 50th claim in July 1942. In September 1942 Mink was transferred to the Ergänzungsgruppe Ost
as an instructor.
Injured in a bombing raid, Mink returned to action in November 1943, with Ergänzungsgruppe Staffel Süd fighting in Italy. After a few victories on this front, he was wounded in combat with a B-26 Marauder near Rome on 3 February 1944, baling out of his Bf 109 G-6.
Mink remained with Erg.Gr. Süd during early 1944, and transferred to Erg.Gr. Nord in September 1944. This unit was later redesignated I./EJG 1 (Ergänzungsjagdgeschwader 1).
On 12 March 1945, Mink was killed in action when his Bf 109 G-14 was shot down by Allied fighters near Hadersleben
, Denmark
.
During his career he was credited with 72 aerial victories, 8 on the Western Front and 64 on the Eastern Front.
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....
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.
Career
Born in Köln, Wilhelm Mink joined 5 Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 51Jagdgeschwader 51
Jagdgeschwader 51 Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders in 1942. JG 51's pilots won more Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes than any other Jagdgeschwader, and flew combat from 1939 in all major theatres of war. Flying Bf 109s and then...
(JG 51) in early 1940, and participated in the French campaign of May and June 1940.
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...
Mink claimed no victories but was shot down by 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) fighters over the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
, and was rescued by German air sea rescue. His first victory, a Blenheim, was confirmed on 29 April 1941, followed by a Hurricane on 21 May 1941.
In June 1941, JG 51 was transferred to the east for the invasion of the USSR. Mink significantly increased his tally, totalling 31 confirmed victories by the end of 1941.
On 19 March 1942, with 40 victories, Oberfeldwebel Mink was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He reached his 50th claim in July 1942. In September 1942 Mink was transferred to the Ergänzungsgruppe Ost
Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost
Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost was a figher pilot training unit of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on 27 January 1942 in Krakau and renamed Jagdgruppe Ost on 25 November 1942.-Gruppenkommandeure:...
as an instructor.
Injured in a bombing raid, Mink returned to action in November 1943, with Ergänzungsgruppe Staffel Süd fighting in Italy. After a few victories on this front, he was wounded in combat with a B-26 Marauder near Rome on 3 February 1944, baling out of his Bf 109 G-6.
Mink remained with Erg.Gr. Süd during early 1944, and transferred to Erg.Gr. Nord in September 1944. This unit was later redesignated I./EJG 1 (Ergänzungsjagdgeschwader 1).
On 12 March 1945, Mink was killed in action when his Bf 109 G-14 was shot down by Allied fighters near Hadersleben
Haderslev
Haderslev is a town and municipality on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula in south Denmark. Also included is the island of Årø as well as several other smaller islands in the Little Belt. The municipality covers and has a population of 56,414 . Its mayor is Jens Christian Gjesing,...
, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
During his career he was credited with 72 aerial victories, 8 on the Western Front and 64 on the Eastern Front.
Awards
- FlugzeugführerabzeichenAviator BadgeAn Aviator Badge is an insignia used in most of the world’s militaries to designate those who have received training and qualification in military aviation...
- 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...
- 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...
(30 September 1941) - 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...
(1939)- in Black or Silver
- 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
- 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 (9 February 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...
- Knight's Cross on 19 March 1942 as OberfeldwebelFeldwebelFeldwebel 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 Flugzeugführer in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"
- Knight's Cross on 19 March 1942 as Oberfeldwebel