Wilhelm Lemke

Wilhelm Lemke (27 September 1920 – 4 December 1943) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II.

Lemke was credited with 131 aerial victories—that is, 131 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft.

All but six of his victories were claimed over the Soviet Air Forces in 617 combat missions.

Lemke, the son of a civil servant, was born on 27 September 1920 in Gundelsdorf near Arnswalde, in what was then the Free State of Prussia of the Weimar Republic (today Choszczno in Poland).

Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 3 "Udet"; he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 25 November.

Born in Arnswalde, Lemke joined the military service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1939.

Following flight training, he was posted to 8.

Staffel (squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing).

He joined the military service of the Luftwaffe as a Fahnenjunker (cadet) on 15 November 1939.

He flew his first combat missions in Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, and claimed his first aerial victory on 26 June 1941.

Following fighter pilot training, he was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 April 1941.

Lemke was posted to a front-line unit in 1941, almost two years after the start of World War II.

His unit was 8.

Staffel (squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing).

In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, JG 3 under the command of Major (major) Günther Lützow was relocated east.

Lemke claimed two Soviet Tupolev SB-2 bombers shot down on 26 June 1941—his first aerial victories.

He was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse) on 4 July 1941 and Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse) on 20 July.

On 11 July, his wingman and Staffelkapitän (squadron leader), Oberleutnant Winfried Schmidt was severely wounded in combat near Fastiv.

Schmidt was hit in the lung by the defensive fire of a Tupolev SB tail gunner.

By talking to Schmidt over the radio, Lemke managed to guide him back to the airfield at Polonne.

The next day, Schmidt was replaced by Oberleutnant Franz Beyer as commander of 8.

Staffel.

By 26 August 1941, Lemke had accumulated 15 aerial victories.

On this day, flying Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummner 8245—factory number), he was hit and wounded in the abdomen during combat with Soviet bombers but managed to make an emergency landing.

On 3 November 1941, while convalescing, he was awarded the Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe).

There, after 59 aerial victories, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 12 September 1942.

He was given command as Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9.

Staffel in November 1942.

He returned to active service on 17 February 1942 and was posted to 8.

Staffel of JG 3 "Udet".

On 31 March 1942, Lemke claimed his 20th aerial victory.

He claimed three Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighters shot down in combat with 6 UAG (6th Soviet strike aviation group—Udarnaya Aviatsionnaya Gruppa) on 4 April.

He was credited with his 30th victory on 24 June 1942, and aerial victories 39 to 42 on 29 July.

Subsequently, he was nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) by his 8.

Staffel.

On 16 March 1943, he was credited with his 100th aerial victory.

Four months later, on 28 July 1943, he claimed his 125th and last victory on the Eastern Front.

Lemke was subsequently relocated to the Western Front, where he flew in the Defense of the Reich and claimed six further victories.

In mid-November 1943, he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of the II.

Lemke was killed in action on 4 December 1943 northwest of Nijmegen in combat with United States Army Air Forces fighters.