Siegfried Engfer

Siegfried Engfer
Born27 April 1915
Neuhof, Pomerania, Imperial Germany
DiedApril 1946 (age 30–31) (disappeared)
Germany
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service / branchArmy (1935–37)
Luftwaffe (1937–45)
Years of service1935–45
RankOberleutnant (first lieutenant)
UnitJG 3
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Siegfried Engfer (27 April 1915 – missing April 1946) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. He was credited with 58 victories, in over 348 missions.

Career

Engfer was born on 27 April 1915 in Neuhof, present-day Będlino, in the Province of Pomerania within the German Empire.[1] On 4 June 1941, Engfer was injured during a takeoff accident in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 8247—factory number) at the airfield in Norrent-Fontes.[2]

Eastern Front

The Wehrmacht launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, on 22 June 1941. III. Gruppe supported Army Group South in its strategic goal towards the heavily populated and agricultural heartland of Ukraine, taking Kiev before continuing eastward over the steppes of southern USSR to the Volga with the aim of controlling the oil-rich Caucasus.[3]

Both Engfer and Feldwebel Heinz Kemethmüller from 8. Staffel of JG 3 claimed their 50th aerial victories on 18 September 1942.[4] Consequently both pilots were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 2 October 1942.[5] On 6 November, III. Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and sent to Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield for a period of rest and replenishment. The first elements of the Gruppe arrived by train in Mannheim on 8 December, the transfer was completed a week later. There, the personnel was sent on home leave. Following the death of Generaloberst Ernst Udet, Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring ordered JG 3 to be given the honorary name "Udet" on 1 December.[6] The Gruppe received a full complement of 41 Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 aircraft and on 6 January 1942 was ordered to relocated to Sicily. On 13 January, 7. Staffel and elements of 8. and 9. Staffel boarded a train to Bari in southern Italy while the rest of III. Gruppe headed for Sciacca, Sicily. The relocation progressed until 26 January when new orders were received, ordering the Gruppe to return to Germany.[7] At Jesau near Königsberg, present-day Kaliningrad in Russia, III. Gruppe began preparations for redeployment to the Eastern Front.[8] On 28 May 1943, Engfer was posted to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost (Supplementary Fighter Group, East), a specialized training unit for new fighter pilots destined for the Eastern Front, as an instructor. Shortly after, he fell seriously ill and was infected with Tuberculosis.[9]

Engfer went missing on a train journey from Vienna to Munich in April 1946.[10] Alternatively, according to Mathews and Foreman, he may have been killed in a car accident.[11]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Engfer was credited with 58 aerial victories.[12] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 58 aerial victory claims, all of which confirmed and claimed on the Eastern Front.[13]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ! (exclamation mark) indicates those aerial victories listed by Mathews and Foreman and by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock.
  This and the # (hash mark) indicates those aerial victories listed in the 1996 book by Prien and Stemmer.
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim! Claim# Date Time Type Location Claim! Claim# Date Time Type Location
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 –[11]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
1 1 6 July 1941 19:40 V-11 (Il-2)[14][15]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[11]
Eastern Front – 10 February 1942 – 14 April 1942
2 2 12 March 1942 17:50 R-5[16][17]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[13]
Eastern Front – 19 May 1942 – March 1943
3 3 20 May 1942 04:50 Il-2[18] west of Wesseloje[19] 33 7 September 1942 16:55 La-5 1 km (0.62 mi) southwest of Vladimirovka[20]
4 27 May 1942 16:02 unknown[21] 34 7 September 1942 16:57 Il-2 1 km (0.62 mi) west of Orchisodschi[20]
4 5 29 May 1942 18:41 R-10 (Seversky)[22][21] 35 30 8 September 1942 06:33 La-5?[Note 1] Kotluban railway station[20]
5 30 June 1942 10:06 MiG-1 southeast of Kshen[24] 31 8 September 1942 10:20 unknown[25]
6 6 10 July 1942 04:05 MiG-1[26] Voronezh[27] 32 8 September 1942 10:30 unknown[25]
7 7 16 July 1942 13:10 R-5[26][27] 36 8 September 1942 16:48 P-40 2 km (1.2 mi) northeast of Kotluban train station[20]
8 8 17 July 1942 05:50 MiG-1[26][28] 33 8 September 1942 16:55 unknown[25]
9 9 22 July 1942 14:58 Il-2[26][28] 34 9 September 1942 16:45 unknown[25]
10 10 24 July 1942 08:50 Il-2[26][28] 37 35 9 September 1942 16:56 Il-2?[Note 1] 15 km (9.3 mi) north-northeast of Stalingrad[29]
11 11 26 July 1942 12:27 Il-2[30] Kalach[31] 38 9 September 1942 16:58 Il-2 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Stalingrad[29]
12 12 26 July 1942 12:34 Il-2[30] Kalach[31] 36 10 September 1942 06:18 unknown[32]
13 13 26 July 1942 18:13 MiG-1[30] Kalach[31] 37 10 September 1942 06:21 unknown[32]
14 14 28 July 1942 09:55 Il-2[30] northwest of Kalach[31] 39 10 September 1942 11:18 MiG-1 Stalingrad[29]
15 9 August 1942 06:01 Su-2 (Seversky) southeast of Kalach[33] 40 38 10 September 1942 17:10 MiG-1?[Note 1] 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Stalingrad[29]
16 9 August 1942 06:03 LaGG-3 northwest of Stalingrad[33] 41 39 11 September 1942 05:55 Pe-2?[Note 1] 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Katschalino[29]
17 9 August 1942 18:05 LaGG-3 southeast of Kalach[33] 42 11 September 1942 13:56 Il-2 western edge of Stalingrad[29]
18 11 August 1942 17:05 LaGG-3 southwest of Stalingrad[33] 43 12 September 1942 09:22 Il-2 20 km (12 mi) north of Stalingrad[29]
19 17 August 1942 09:35 LaGG-3 north of Pasow[33] 40 12 September 1942 14:10 unknown[32]
20 18 August 1942 17:20 LaGG-3 east of Akatow[33] 44 12 September 1942 15:56 Il-2 east of Stalingrad[29]
21 19 August 1942 11:35 LaGG-3?[Note 2] south of Prudkij[33] 45 13 September 1942 13:11 Il-2 Olchowatka train station[29]
22 19 August 1942 11:44 LaGG-3?[Note 2] north of Kaschinka[33] 46 41 13 September 1942 16:07 Il-2?[Note 1] 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Stalingrad[29]
15 19 August 1942 17:55 unknown[34] 47 42 13 September 1942 16:14 Il-2?[Note 1] Stalingrad[29]
16 19 August 1942 17:56 unknown[34] 43 14 September 1942 16:25 unknown[32]
23 17 21 August 1942 05:48 Pe-2?[Note 1] northeast of Ssoldatskaja[35] 48 14 September 1942 16:27 Il-2 2 km (1.2 mi) southeast of Stalingrad[29]
24 23 August 1942 12:55 I-180 (Yak-7) Akhtuba[35] 44 14 September 1942 16:28 unknown[32]
25 18 24 August 1942 11:55 LaGG-3?[Note 1] Stalingrad[35] 49 14 September 1942 16:29 Il-2 central Stalingrad[29]
19 24 August 1942 11:56 unknown[34] 45 15 September 1942 07:10 unknown[32]
20 27 August 1942 05:25 unknown[34] 46 16 September 1942 08:10 Il-2[32]
26 27 August 1942 07:40 LaGG-3 northwest of Leninsk[35] 47 16 September 1942 08:11 Il-2[32]
27 28 August 1942 11:00 LaGG-3 north-northwest of Stalingrad[36] 48 16 September 1942 16:20 Il-2[32]
21 29 August 1942 06:05 unknown[25] 50 15 September 1942 16:12?[Note 3] Il-2 3 km (1.9 mi) west of Stalingrad[29]
28 31 August 1942 08:58 Yak-1 Finzuta[36] 51 49 18 September 1942 05:45 Il-2[32] 5 km (3.1 mi) northeast of Opotschka[38]
29 31 August 1942 09:05 Yak-1 southeast of Sarepta[36] 50 18 September 1942 05:55 Il-2[32]
22 31 August 1942 10:45 unknown[25] 51 18 September 1942 06:03 Il-2[32]
23 2 September 1942 06:38 unknown[25] 52 18 September 1942 17:00 Il-2 western edge of Stalingrad[38]
30 2 September 1942 09:45 Pe-2 3 km (1.9 mi) north of Karpatsch[36] 52 18 September 1942 05:55 MiG-1[39]
24 2 September 1942 17:10 unknown[25] 53 20 September 1942 09:15 unknown[39]
31 3 September 1942 05:25 Il-2 east of Stalingrad[20] 54 23 September 1942 10:40 unknown[39]
25 3 September 1942 05:26 unknown[25] 53 24 September 1942 12:49 Il-2 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Chalshuta[38]
26 5 September 1942 06:07 unknown[25] 55 27 September 1942 16:05 unknown[39]
32 27 6 September 1942 17:03 LaGG-3?[Note 1] 30 km (19 mi) north-northwest of Stalingrad[20] 56 12 February 1943
—
 unknown[40]
28 7 September 1942 16:41 unknown[25] 57 28 February 1943 11:30 unknown[40]
29 7 September 1942 16:42 unknown[25] 58 2 March 1943 10:37 unknown[40]

Awards

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i According to the 1996 book by Prien and Stemmer claimed as an unknown aircraft type.[23]
  2. ^ a b According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Lavochkin La-5.[11]
  3. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 16:13.[37]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 108.
  2. ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 253.
  3. ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 105.
  4. ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 491–492.
  5. ^ Weal 2013.
  6. ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 122–123.
  7. ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 150, 152.
  8. ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 152.
  9. ^ a b Dixon 2023, p. 266.
  10. ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 296.
  11. ^ a b c d Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 284.
  12. ^ Zabecki 2014, p. 1618.
  13. ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 284–285.
  14. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 140.
  15. ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 478.
  16. ^ Prien et al. 2005, p. 34.
  17. ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 482.
  18. ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 484.
  19. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 214.
  20. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2006, p. 223.
  21. ^ a b Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 485.
  22. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 215.
  23. ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 489–491.
  24. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 216.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 490.
  26. ^ a b c d e Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 487.
  27. ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 217.
  28. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2006, p. 218.
  29. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Prien et al. 2006, p. 224.
  30. ^ a b c d Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 488.
  31. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2006, p. 219.
  32. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 491.
  33. ^ a b c d e f g h Prien et al. 2006, p. 220.
  34. ^ a b c d Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 489.
  35. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2006, p. 221.
  36. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2006, p. 222.
  37. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 285.
  38. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2006, p. 225.
  39. ^ a b c d Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 492.
  40. ^ a b c Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 495.
  41. ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 73.
  42. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 173.

Bibliography

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  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2014). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 1 A–F. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-18-9.
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