Siegfried_Engfer

Siegfried Engfer

Siegfried Engfer

German Luftwaffe fighter pilot

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.

Quick Facts Born, Died ...

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 Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and sent to Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield for a period of rest and replenishment.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]

More information Chronicle of aerial victories, Claim! ...

Awards

See also

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    According to the 1996 book by Prien and Stemmer claimed as an unknown aircraft type.[23]
  2. [N 2]
    According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Lavochkin La-5.[11]
  3. [N 3]
    According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 16:13.[37]

References

Citations

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

Bibliography

  • Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1939–1942. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-52677-864-2.
  • 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.
  • 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. (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 (1996). Messerschmitt Bf 109 im Einsatz bei der III./Jagdgeschwader 3 in 1940 – 1945 [Messerschmitt Bf 109 in Action with the III./Jagdgeschwader 3 in 1940 – 1945] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-33-5.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/I—Einsatz am Kanal und über England—26.6.1940 bis 21.6.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 4/I—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-63-2.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/I—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/I—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-69-4.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2005). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/I—Winterkampf im Osten—6.12.1941 bis 30.4.1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/I—Winter War in the East—6 December 1941 to 30 April 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-76-2.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Weal, John (2007). More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 76. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-177-9.
  • Weal, John (2013). Aces of Jagdgeschwader 3 'Udet'. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 116. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78096-300-6.
  • Zabecki, David T., ed. (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.
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