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Fritz Lüddecke
Fritz Lüddecke
Birth name	Fritz Paul Lüddecke
Born	(1920-02-23)23 February 1920 Brakel, Germany
Died	10 August 1944(1944-08-10) (aged 24) Wilkowischken, Lithuania
Cause of death	Killed in action
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1941–1944
Rank	Oberfeldwebel (staff sergeant)
Unit	JG 51
Battles / wars	World War II Eastern Front
Awards	German Cross Iron Cross Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Fritz Paul Lüddecke (23 February 1920 – 10 August 1944) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace from Brakel, Germany. He was the recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Fritz Lüddecke was credited with 50 kills all in the Eastern Front (World War II). In 1944 he was killed in action over Wilkowischken, Lithuania.

Career

Lüddecke began his military career on 19 November 1941. He was transferred to 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) on the Eastern Front on 24 August 1942.

With the Stabsstaffel

In early October 1942, II. Gruppe of JG 51 was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and sent to Jesau, near present-day Bagrationovsk, to Heiligenbeil, present-day Mamonovo, to be reequipped with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A. While undergoing training on this aircraft, the Gruppe received orders on 4 November to transfer to the Mediterranean theatre flying the Bf 109 again. 6. Staffel was exempt from this order, was detached from II. Gruppe, and continued its training on the Fw 190. In late November, 6. Staffel was renamed to Stabsstaffel (headquarters squadron) of JG 51 and placed under the command of Diethelm von Eichel-Streiber on 30 November.

The Stabsstaffel transferred to the Eastern Front again on 5 February 1943 where it was based at an airfield at Smolensk. There, the fought in support of the 9th Army during the Battles of Rzhev. On 9 March, the Stabsstaffel was scrambled multiple times in defense of the airfield. At noon, a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber was shot down southwest of Dugino, located approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) north of Vyazma, which was credited to Lüddecke. The Stabsstaffel was tasked with providing fighter protection of the Smolensk airfield on 15 March. In the morning, the Stabsstaffel was scrambled to intercept a flight of Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft north of Smolensk and claimed four aerial victories including an Il-2 aircraft by Lüddecke.

On the first day of the Battle of Kursk, 5 July 1943, the Stabsstaffel relocated from Smolensk to Oryol where it fought over the northern face of the salient. On 13 July, the Stabsstaffel was deployed over the combat area near Novosil where they engaged in combat with Soviet fighters. During this engagement, the Staffel claimed five aerial victories, including a Lavochkin La-5 fighter by Lüddecke, for the loss of one of their own.

On 10 August 1944, Lüddecke was killed in action in his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 (Werknummer 172958—factory number) 16 kilometers (9.9 miles) south-southwest of Wilkowischken, present-day Vilkaviškis. Following hits by anti-aircraft artillery, he attempted an emergency landing when his aircraft exploded in mid-air. He was posthumously awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 1 October 1944, and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 18 November 1944.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Jacobs and Obermaier, Lüddecke was credited with 50 aerial victories all of which claimed on the Eastern Front. He flew more than 600 combat missions, including 150 fighter-bomber missions. Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 51 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 54284". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 13 December 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot
• German Cross in Gold on 1 October 1944 as Feldwebel in the Stabsstaffel/Jagdgeschwader 51
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 November 1944 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the Stabsstaffel/Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"

See also

• List of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross recipients (L)
• List of World War II aces from Germany
• List of World War II flying aces

Notes

1. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:45.
2. ^ The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
3. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:50.
4. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 08:49.
5. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:40.
6. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:30.
7. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:18.
8. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 18:21.
9. This unconfirmed claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.
10. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:24.
11. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:25.
12. This claim is not listed by Prien, Stemmer, Balke and Bock. However Mathews and Foreman list this claim as his 28th aerial victory.
13. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 16:16.
14. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:58.

References

Citations

1. deZeng IV & Stankey 2017.
2. Prien et al. 2006, pp. 247, 249.
3. Prien et al. 2012, p. 403.
4. Prien et al. 2012, pp. 404, 424.
5. Prien et al. 2012, pp. 405, 424.
6. Prien et al. 2012, p. 412.
7. Prien et al. 2012, pp. 412, 425.
8. Prien et al. 2022, p. 264.
9. Eriksson 2019.
10. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 780.
11. Weal 2006, pp. 114, 115.
12. Obermaier 1989, p. 162.
13. Jacobs 2014, Appendix 1 The Highest-Scoring Experten.
14. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 780–781.
15. Planquadrat.
16. Prien et al. 2006, p. 304.
17. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 424.
18. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 426.
19. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 425.
20. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 427.
21. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 428.
22. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 260.
23. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 261.
24. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 781.
25. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 262.
26. Dixon 2023, p. 180.
27. Patzwall 2008, p. 138.
28. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 287.
29. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 297.
30. Scherzer 2007, p. 517.

Bibliography

• Aders, Gebhard; Held, Werner (1993). Jagdgeschwader 51 'Mölders' Eine Chronik – Berichte – Erlebnisse – Dokumente [Fighter Wing 51 'Mölders' A Chronicle - Reports - Experiences - Documents] (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-613-01045-1.
• Bergström, Christer . "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
• deZeng IV, Henry L.; Stankey, Douglas G. (1 April 2017). "Career Summaries - Luftwaffe Officers 1935 - 1945" (PDF). ww2.dk. Michael Holm. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
• Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1943–1945. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-39903-073-1.
• Eriksson, Patrick G. (1 February 2019). Alarmstart East: The German Fighter Pilot's Experience on the Eastern Front 1941-1945 (1st ed.). Stroud, Gloucestershir: Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4456-7566-4. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) . 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.
• Jacobs, Peter (2014). Aces of the Luftwaffe: The Jagdflieger in the Second World War. United Kingdom: Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1-84832-689-7. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
• Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 2 G–L. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-19-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/II—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1.5.1942 bis 3.2.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/II—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-77-9.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2012). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/I—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/I—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-02-4.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Balke, Ulf; Bock, Winfried (2022). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 15/I—Einsatz im Osten—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 15/I—Action in the East—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-26-0.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
• Weal, John (2006). Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders". Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 22. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-045-1. Retrieved 23 October 2021.

External links

• Traces of war
• World War Photos photo of Lüddecke with a Messerschmitt
• TracesOfWar.com
• Aces of the Luftwaffe

• Aviation
• Biography

• 1920 births
• 1944 deaths
• Luftwaffe pilots
• German World War II flying aces
• Recipients of the Gold German Cross
• Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
• Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II
• Aviators killed by being shot down
• People from Reutlingen
• People from the Free People's State of Württemberg
• Military personnel from Baden-Württemberg