Erich Schmidt (1914 - 1941)

Born 17 Nov 1914 in Neuhaus am Rennweg in the Sonneberg region of Thüringen

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Biography

https://www.luftwaffe.cz/schmidt.html Erich "Schmidtchen" Schmidt Oberleutnant Erich “Schmidtchen” Schmidt was born on 17 November 1914 at Neuhaus am Rennweg in the Sonneberg region of Thüringen.Schmidt was posted to JG 53 at the beginning of 1940. Leutnant Schmidt was assigned to 9./JG 53. He recorded his first victory on 12 August 1940 when he claimed a RAF Spitfire fighter shot down over the Isle of Wight. By the end of the aerial offensive against England, Schmidt had accumulated 17 victories, including three Spitfires shot down on 15 September to record his fifth through seventh victories.Operating over the Eastern front, Schmidt was to be particularly successful. On the opening day of Operation Barbarossa, 22 June 1941, Schmidt shot down four Russian aircraft (18-21). He recorded his 30th victory on 4 July when he shot a Russian I-16 fighter. Leutnant Schmidt was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 23 July by Oberst Werner Mölders (115 victories, RK-Br, killed in action 22 November 1941) for 30 victories. On 26 July, Schmidt shot down five Russian DB-3 twin-engined bombers (32-36). He claimed his 40th victory, an I-16 fighter, on 7 August. On 31 August 1941, Schmidt’s Bf 109 F-2 (W.Nr. 12 633) “Yellow 6” was hit by flak. He was seen to bale out of his stricken machine but has remained missing ever since. “Schmidtchen” Schmidt was credited with 47 victories. He recorded 19 victories over the Western front.

No Date Time A/c Type Unit Location 1 12.8.1940 12:37 Spitfire 9./JG 53 Isle of Wight 2 31.8.1940 20:42 Spitfire 9./JG 53 Dover area 3 5.9.1940 16:35 Spitfire 9./JG 53 4 9.9.1940 18:55 Spitfire 9./JG 53 London area 5 15.9.1940 12:44 Spitfire 9./JG 53 S London 6 15.9.1940 - Spitfire 9./JG 53 S London 7 15.9.1940 15:36 Spitfire 9./JG 53 8 17.9.1940 16:41 Spitfire 9./JG 53 9 27.9.1940 13:33 Spitfire 9./JG 53 London area 10 30.9.1940 14:33 Spitfire 9./JG 53 Dungeness-Hastings-London 11 2.10.1940 11:06 Spitfire 9./JG 53 London 12 2.10.1940 11:10 Spitfire 9./JG 53 London 13 5.10.1940 12:33 Hurricane 9./JG 53 SE London 14 7.10.1940 14:20 Spitfire 9./JG 53 15 10.10.1940 - Spitfire 9./JG 53 16 1.11.1940 - Hurricane 9./JG 53 17 30.11.1940 - Spitfire 9./JG 53 18 22.6.1941 7:16 I-16 9./JG 53 Grodno area 19 22.6.1941 11:35 DJ-6 9./JG 53 20 22.6.1941 18:25 I-17 9./JG 53 21 22.6.1941 20:45 DJ-6 9./JG 53 22 25.6.1941 8:33 SB-3 9./JG 53 23 25.6.1941 11:30 SB-3 9./JG 53 24 26.6.1941 7:28 DB-3 9./JG 53 25 26.6.1941 7:41 DB-3 9./JG 53 26 27.6.1941 5:08 DB-3 9./JG 53 27 27.6.1941 14:57 DB-3 9./JG 53 28 27.6.1941 18:34 DB-3 9./JG 53 29 2.7.1941 20:09 I-153 9./JG 53 30 4.7.1941 12:21 I-16 9./JG 53 31 14.7.1941 18:05 I-17 9./JG 53 32 26.7.1941 9:35 DB-3 9./JG 53 33 26.7.1941 10:10 DB-3 9./JG 53 34 26.7.1941 10:12 DB-3 9./JG 53 35 26.7.1941 18:28 DB-3 9./JG 53 36 26.7.1941 18:32 DB-3 9./JG 53 37 2.8.1941 13:45 I-18 9./JG 53 38 5.8.1941 10:41 I-18 9./JG 53 39 5.8.1941 10:46 I-18 9./JG 53 40 7.8.1941 10:22 I-16 9./JG 53 41 19.8.1941 13:05 I-16 9./JG 53 Velikiye Luki area 42 23.8.1941 17:00 I-18 9./JG 53 Velikiye Luki area 43 25.8.1941 14:55 Il-2 9./JG 53 Velikiye Luki-Toropets area 44 27.8.1941 16:25 I-153 9./JG 53 45 29.8.1941 15:35 I-16 9./JG 53 46 29.8.1941 15:44 I-18 9./JG 53 47 29.8.1941 15:46 I-18 9./JG 53 Victories : 47 Awards : Ritterkreuz (23 July 1941) Units : JG 53

Sources

• https://www.luftwaffe.cz/schmidt.html