Wolfgang Schellmann

Wolfgang Schellmann (2 March 1911 – 22 June 1941) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during the Spanish Civil War and World War II.

As a fighter ace, he is credited with 25 enemy aircraft shot down, including 12 in Spain, 12 on the Western Front and one on the Eastern Front of World War II.

Born in Kassel, he volunteered for service with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War where he commanded the 1.

Schellmann was born on 2 March 1911 in Kassel, at the time in the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau in the German Empire.

Gruppe was ordered to Peer in Belgium where the Gruppe was placed under the command of the Stab of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing).

There, II.

Gruppe fought against the Royal Air Force (RAF) Advanced Air Striking Force (AASF) and Schellmann was credited with the destruction of a Hawker Hurricane fighter on 15 May.

On 17 May, the Gruppe moved to Attenrode and Schellmann claimed a Westland Lysander aircraft shot down southeast of Brussels.

Initially subordinated to the IV. Fliegerkorps (4th Air Corps), the Gruppe flew fighter escort missions on the first three days of the campaign for Lehrgeschwader 1 (LG 1—1st Demonstration Wing), Kampfgeschwader 27 (KG 27—27th Bomber Wing) and Sturzkampfgeschwader 3 (StG 3—3rd Dive Bomber Wing) attacking targets in the Netherlands.

On 14 May, II.

He joined the military service in the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic in 1930.

As one of the few German pilots, he was selected for combat training at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school in the Soviet Union.

In October 1932, Schellmann attended the Military School Dresden.

Among his classmates were Werner Mölders, Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn, Joachim Pötter, Hans-Henning Freiherr von Beust, Arved Crüger, Gerhard Kollewe and Hubertus von Bonin.

On 15 March 1937, Schellmann was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the newly created 2.(leichte) Staffel (2nd light squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 135 (JG 135—135th Fighter Wing).

Staffel (1st squadron) of Jagdgruppe 88 (J/88—88th Fighter Group) and claimed his first aerial victory on 18 January 1938.

He claimed his first aerial victory on 18 January 1938 when he shot down a Polikarpov I-16 fighter over Teruel.

Over the next year, he became one of the leading aces in the theatre with 12 victories, second only to Mölders.

Upon his return to Germany he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds (Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten) and promoted to Hauptmann (Captain).

He then served on the Stab (Headquarters) flight of the newly formed IV.

Over the next year, this Gruppe, which was commanded by Hauptmann Johannes Janke, was renamed to I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 331 (JG 331—331st Fighter Wing) on 3 November 1938, before becoming the I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) on 1 May 1939.

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

In October 1939, Schellmann was summoned by Generalleutnant Hubert Weise, at the time commanding general of Luftgau III in Berlin, to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM—Ministry of Aviation).

There, Weise tasked him with the creation of II.

Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing) at Zerbst.

During World War II, he commanded Jagdgeschwader 2 and Jagdgeschwader 27, and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 September 1940 during the Battle of Britain.

At this meeting, he met Annelise Gaedicke, a secretary in the RLM, whom he married in 1940.

Based on the order issued on 11 October, Schellmann was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II.

Gruppe of JG 2 on 15 December.

The unit was formed from elements of both I. Gruppe of JG 2 and I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing).

The Gruppe was officially declared operational on 15 January 1940.

At the start of the Battle of France, II.

Gruppe of JG 2 was deployed on the northern sector of Army Group B and had been ordered to an airfield at Hamminkeln on 11 May.

On 22 June 1941, the first day of Operation Barbarossa, Schellmann was posted as missing in action, presumed killed.

During the invasion, Schellmann served with the Stab of JG 77 and was then posted to the Stab of Luftflotte 2 (2nd Air Fleet).

This squadron was subordinated to I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 135 under the command of Major Max Ibel and was based at Bad Aibling.

On 30 November, Schellmann was transferred to the 1.

Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88, in the "Condor Legion", fighting in the Spanish Civil War.

On 19 December, he succeeded Oberleutnant Harro Harder as the unit's commander.

Gruppe of the Jagdgeschwader 132 (JG 132—132nd Fighter Wing).