Herbert Ihlefeld

Herbert Ihlefeld (1 June 1914 – 8 August 1995) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, a fighter ace listed with 130 enemy aircraft shot down in over 1,000 combat missions.

Depending on source, he claimed seven to nine aerial victories in the Spanish Civil War, and during World War II, 67 on the Eastern Front and 56 on the Western Front, including 15 four-engined bombers and 26 Supermarine Spitfires.

He survived being shot down eight times during his 1,000 combat missions.

Ihlefeld was born on 1 June 1914 in Pinnow, at the time in the Province of Pomerania, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia, the son of a farm laborer.

This unit failed to achieve its objective and Ihlefeld was assigned to the Stab (headquarters unit) of the 30th Fighter Division.

Born in Pinnow, Ihlefeld volunteered for military service in the Reichswehr of Nazi Germany in 1933.

Following a machinist vocational education, he volunteered for military service in the Reichsheer on 1 April 1933.

As a Grenadier, he was first posted to Infanterie-Regiment 5 (5th Infantry Regiment) based in Stettin and in 1934 was posted to the aviation technical school at Jüterbog.

Initially serving in the Heer (Army), he transferred to the Luftwaffe (Air Force) in 1935.

With the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936, Germany supported the Nationalists and asked for volunteers which organized in the Condor Legion (Legion Condor).

Unteroffizier (Staff Sergeant) Ihlefeld joined 2.

In March 1937, he was assigned to the I. Gruppe (1st group) of Jagdgeschwader 132 "Richthofen" (JG 32—132nd Fighter Wing).

Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgruppe 88 (J/88—88th Fighter Group) in late 1937.

From February–July 1938, he claimed nine aerial victories, two remained unconfirmed.

For his service in Spain he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords.

Flying with this unit until July 1938, he claimed nine and was credited with seven aerial victories over Spain and was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords (Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern).

There, he was issued one of the first Messerschmitt Bf 109 B-1's sent to the Condor Legion.

A Polikarpov I-16 fighter aircraft shot down on 21 February 1938 was his first aerial victory of the war.

On 13 March 1938, Ihlefeld was credited with his second victory, a Polikarpov I-15 biplane fighter aircraft followed by his third, an I-16, on 11 May 1938.

A week later, on 18 May, he claimed another I-16, the victory was unconfirmed.

A Tupolev SB-2 bomber from a force attacking La Sénia, shot down on 2 June 1938, became his fifth victim.

He claimed another unconfirmed victory on 25 June 1938 over an I-16.

On 12 July 1938, he was credited with a victory over an I-15.

Two I-15s shot down on 15 July 1938 were his last victories in Spain.

On 1 August 1938, he was assigned to I. (Jäger) Gruppe (I.(J)—1st fighter group) of Lehrgeschwader 2 (LG 2—2nd Demonstration Wing), an operational training unit tasked with the evaluation of new types of aircraft and tactics.

On 20 August 1938, he was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant).

World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland.

Ihlefeld flew his first combat missions over Poland and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse) on 26 September 1939.

Following service in Spain, Ihlefeld was posted to Lehrgeschwader 2 (LG 2—2nd Demonstration Wing. With this unit, he participated in the Invasion of Poland and Battle of France. During the height of the Battle of Britain on 13 September 1940, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after 21 aerial victories in World War II. Ihlefeld, who had been appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) in September 1940, fought in the aerial battles of the Balkan Campaign. During Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 27 June 1941. Ten months later, following his 101st aerial victory of the war, Ihlefeld was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 24 April 1942.

On 10 May 1940, the Battle of France, the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, began and Ihlefeld claimed his first victory of the war on 29 May.

The combat took place at an altitude of 2500 m near Saint-Quentin during the Battle of Dunkirk (26 May – 4 June 1940), the defense and evacuation of British and allied forces from France to England, on a combat air patrol.

On this mission, 11 Messerschmitt Bf 109s encountered two Armée de l'air (French Air Force) Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 fighter aircraft.

Ihlefeld was credited with shooting one of them down at 20:15, the other Morane was credited to Hauptmann (Captain) Hanns Trübenbach.

On 22 June 1942, Ihlefeld was appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing).

He was injured in combat on 22 July 1942 and after convalescence, he was given command of Jagdfliegerschule 3 (3rd Fighter Pilot School).

On 21 July 1943, he was tasked with leadership of a high flying de Havilland Mosquito intercept unit called Jagdgeschwader 25 (JG 25—25th Fighter Wing) in Defense of the Reich.

On 20 May 1944, he took command of Jagdgeschwader 1 "Oesau" (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing) and participated in Operation Bodenplatte.

The unit was later redesignated to I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing).

Following flight training, he volunteered for service with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War where he was assigned to Jagdgruppe 88 (J/88—88th Fighter Group).

Ihlefeld died on 8 August 1995 in Wennigsen, Lower Saxony.