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Detlev Rohwer

Detlev Rohwer was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. During his career he was credited with 38 aerial victories, 12 on the Western Front and 26 on the Eastern Front.

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Detlev Rohwer
Born14 November 1917
Kiel, German Empire
Died30 March 1944(1944-03-30) (aged 26)
Ibbenbüren, Germany
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Branch
 Luftwaffe
Service years
1939–1944
Rank
Hauptmann (captain)
UnitJG 1, JG 3
CommandsII./JG 1, II./JG 3
Conflicts
World War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Detlev Rohwer (14 November 1917 – 30 March 1944) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. During his career he was credited with 38 aerial victories, 12 on the Western Front and 26 on the Eastern Front.

Career

Rohwer was born on 14 November 1917 in Kiel, at the time in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia.1

Following aerial combat with Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Hurricane fighters on 2 September 1940, Rohwer made a forced landing in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E in the English Channel off of Maidstone.2 He was later rescued unhurt by the Seenotdienst (air-sea rescue).3 Rohwer was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 5 October 1941 for 28 aerial victories claimed.4

On 12 May 1942, Rohwer was appointed Staffelkapitän of 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing). He succeeded Oberleutnant Eberhard Bock who had been transferred.5 On 20 June, Rohwer was temporarily appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of JG 1.6 He replaced Hauptmann Hans von Hahn who had been relieved of his command on 15 June following the shooting of a sentry.7 On 4 October, Rohwer was transferred and appointed Staffelkapitän of 2. Staffel of JG 3. He succeeded Oberleutnant Erwin Straznicky who was killed in action.8 In consequence, command of II. Gruppe of JG 1 was passed to Major Herbert Kijewski.5 On 29 November, Rohwer was shot down and wounded when his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2/R1 (Werknummer 13910—factory number) was hit by ground fire 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) south of the Chir. During his convalescence, he was replaced by Leutnant Franz Daspelgruber as head of 3. Staffel.9

Defense of the Reich and death

In March 1943, I. Gruppe had assembled at Döberitz, located approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) west of Staaken, for a period of rest, replenishment and preparation for defense of the Reich missions. In early April, the Gruppe was ordered to Mönchengladbach after it had received 37 factory new Bf 109 G-4 fighter aircraft equipped with a pair of 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons installed in conformal gun pods under the wings. There, the pilots trained formation flying, operating in Staffel and Gruppen strength, required to combat the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) heavy bomber formations. A few of the more experienced fighter pilots were sent to Brandenburg-Briest for additional training on Y-Control for fighters, a system to control groups of fighters intercepting USAAF bomber formations. In early May, the Gruppe had completed its training period and was subordinated to Stab of JG 3 which was under control of 3. Jagd-Division (3rd Fighter Division).10

In February 1944, Rohwer was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II. Gruppe of JG 3. He replaced Hauptmann Heinrich Sannemann who had temporarily led the Gruppe. In consequence, command of 2. Staffel was given to Leutnant Harro Schlüter.11 Rohwer was wounded on 29 March 1944 following a forced landing west of Osnabrück when he was strafed by marauding Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighters. Sustaining wounds to his leg, he was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his wounds the following day.12 Command of II. Gruppe was again given to Sannemann.13

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Rohwer was credited with 38 aerial victories, 26 of which on the Eastern Front, 12 over the Western Front, and further destroying six aircraft on the ground.1 Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 36 aerial victories, 26 of which on the Eastern Front and ten over the Western Allies.14

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 30541". 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 km2). 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.15

Chronicle of aerial victories
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 –3
Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
1 6 June 1940
—
 Blenheim Saint-Valery-Abbeville16
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 –3
Battle of Britain and on the English Channel — 26 June 1940 – 9 June 1941
2 15 September 1940
—
 Hurricane vicinity of London17 4 9 October 1940
—
 Hurricane southeast of London17
3 15 September 1940
—
 Hurricane north of London17
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 –14
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 16 September 1941
5 25 June 1941 15:05 I-153 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Dubno18 17 16 July 1941 15:25 SB-3 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Berdychiv19
6 26 June 1941 06:15 DB-3 northeast of Brody18 18 16 July 1941 15:28 SB-3 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Berdychiv19
7 26 June 1941 14:20 SB-2 Szczurowcze18 19 16 July 1941 15:30 SB-3 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Berdychiv19
8 26 June 1941 14:20 SB-2 Szczurowcze18 20 31 July 1941 17:05 I-16 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Cherkasy19
9 29 June 1941 18:05 Pe-2 30 km (19 mi) south of Ostriv20 21 11 August 1941 06:46 SB-2 6 km (3.7 mi) west of Boryspil19
10 29 June 1941 18:10 Pe-2 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Ostriv20 22 12 August 1941
—
 I-16 over Kiev19
11 2 July 1941 09:50 V-11 (Il-2) 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Zwiatel20 23 14 August 1941 13:00 I-16 southeast of Kaniv21
12 6 July 1941 15:40 SB-2 southeast of Shepetivka22 24 15 August 1941 17:50 I-153 north of Kaniv21
13 6 July 1941 15:45 DB-3 southeast of Shepetivka22 25 16 August 1941 10:02 DB-3 east of Kaniv21
14 13 July 1941 16:15 SB-2 20 km (12 mi) east of Berdychiv19 26 16 August 1941 10:05 DB-3 east of Kaniv21
15 13 July 1941 16:16 SB-2 Oschadowka19 27 16 August 1941 10:08 DB-3 east of Kaniv21
16 13 July 1941 16:19 SB-2 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Oschadowka19 28 7 September 1941 13:10 R-10 (Seversky) southeast of Kremenchuk21
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –23
Eastern Front — 4 October – 29 November 1942
29 13 November 1942 11:35 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 3054124
15 km (9.3 mi) west of Kletskaya 		30 21 November 1942 11:42 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 4937224
southwest of Werchnedjeprow
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –23
Defense of the Reich — 1 May – 22 October 1943
31 20 May 1943 12:58 P-47 PQ 05 Ost 221125 33 14 October 1943 14:08 P-47 PQ 05 Ost S/KJ-4, 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Weert25
Rosendaal
32 8 October 1943 15:00 P-47 PQ 05 Ost S/EN-8, northwest of Meppel25
Havelte east of Steenwijk
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –23
Western Front — 21 October – 31 December 1943
34 24 October 1943 12:20 Spitfire PQ 05 Ost S/QE-126
Auxi-le-Château
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –23
Defense of the Reich — February – 29 March 1944
35 6 March 1944 14:20 P-38 PQ 15 Ost S/ED-1527
10 km (6.2 mi) west of Wittenberge 		36 8 March 1944 15:12 P-38 PQ 15 Ost S/GU27
Hannover

Awards

Notes

Notes

  1. According to Scherzer as pilot in the Stab I./Jagdgeschwader 3.30
References

References

Citations

  1. Obermaier 1989, p. 188.
  2. Prien et al. 2002, p. 191.
  3. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1051.
  4. Weal 2013, p. 85.
  5. Prien et al. 2004, p. 68.
  6. Prien & Rodeike 1994, p. 583.
  7. Weal 1996, p. 27.
  8. Prien et al. 2006, p. 94.
  9. Prien et al. 2006, pp. 94, 113.
  10. Prien & Stemmer 2002, pp. 239–240.
  11. Prien, Stemmer & Bock 2018, pp. 273, 302.
  12. Weal 2013, p. 64.
  13. Prien, Stemmer & Bock 2018, p. 302.
  14. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1051–1052.
  15. Planquadrat.
  16. Prien et al. 2000, p. 156.
  17. Prien et al. 2002, p. 188.
  18. Prien et al. 2003, p. 74.
  19. Prien et al. 2003, p. 79.
  20. Prien et al. 2003, p. 75.
  21. Prien et al. 2003, p. 80.
  22. Prien et al. 2003, p. 77.
  23. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1052.
  24. Prien et al. 2006, p. 106.
  25. Prien et al. 2008, p. 249.
  26. Prien et al. 2010, p. 522.
  27. Prien, Stemmer & Bock 2018, p. 306.
  28. Dixon 2023, p. 141.
  29. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 363.
  30. Scherzer 2007, p. 637.

Bibliography

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