August Lambert

August Lambert

August Lambert
Born (1916-02-18)18 February 1916
Kleestadt
Died 17 April 1945(1945-04-17) (aged 29)
Kamenz
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service 1937–45
Rank Oberleutnant
Unit SchlG 1, SG 2, SG 77
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

August Lambert (18 February 1916 – 17 April 1945) was a former dive-bomber and ground attack pilot who became a Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career

August Lambert was born on 18 February 1916 in Kleestadt in the Grand Duchy of Hesse. Lambert joined the Luftwaffe in 1937 and as a qualified pilot since 1938 spent the five years as a flight instructor in various training units. In 1943 Oberfeldwebel Lambert joined II./Schlachtgeschwader 1 (II./SG 1). Lambert flew his first combat mission on 23 April 1943 claiming an air victory which was not confirmed. Lambert flew almost 200 ground support missions in which he and the fellow pilots of II./SG 2 accounted for the destruction of hundreds of ground support vehicles and artillery batteries.

II./SG 1 was renamed Schlachtgeschwader 2 (SG 2), "Immelmann" on 18 October 1943.

II./Schlachtgeschwader 2 was heavily involved in the Crimean campaign during early-mid 1944, and in addition to its usual ground-attack work flew interception sorties, claiming some 247 Soviet aircraft shot down. On 10 April 1944 he claimed 4 victories (1 Yak-9, 1 P-39 Airacobra and 2 Il-2 Sturmoviks), on 17 April 1944 12 victories (including 5 Il-2 Sturmovik) and on 17 May 1944 some 14 Victories. Leutnant Lambert claimed some 70 kills during one three-week period.[1] Lambert received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 14 May 1944. By May 1944, the depleted II./SG 2 retired to bases in Romania.

Following the Battle of Sevastopol Lambert was assigned in June 1944 as an instructor but in March 1945 returned to operational assignments as an Oberleutnant with SG 151 and then as Staffelkapitän of 8./SG 77. In April 1945, Lambert was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 101st Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[2]

On the morning of 17 April 1945 Leutnant Gerhard Bauer, Oberleutnant August Lambert, and another pilot were taking off from Kamenz for a mission to the front when American P-51Ds of the 55th Fighter Group appeared. Bauer's Fw 190 F-9 "Black 1 +" was quickly shot down north of Kuckau, about eight kilometres east-south-east of Kamenz. August Lambert and another 8./Schlachtgeschwader 77 pilot tried desperately to get away, but could not lose their pursuers. Lambert was shot down and killed in action in his Fw 190 F-8 "Black 9 +" just north of Hoyerswerda, a town some 20 kilometres (12 mi) north-north-east of Kamenz.

Lambert was officially credited with shooting down 116 enemy aircraft, all claimed on the Eastern Front. He also claimed over 100 vehicles destroyed in ground attacks. After his death, Lambert had been nominated for the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross, but this request was not approved.[3]

Awards

References in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
18 April 1944 Über der südlichen Krim schossen deutsche Jagdflieger am 17. April in heftigen Luftkämpfen 29 sowjetische Flugzeuge, in der Masse Schlachtflieger, Flak elf weitere Flugzeuge ab. Leutnant Lambert vernichtete allein zwölf feindliche Flugzeuge.[7] On the southern Crimea, German fighter planes shot down 29 Soviet aircraft, the bulk of which were ground-attack aircraft, in fierce dogfights on 17 April, anti-aircraft a further eleven aircraft. Lieutenant Lambert destroyed twelve enemy aircraft alone.
5 May 1944 Bei Sewastopol griffen deutsche Schlachtflieger feindliche Artilleriestellungen an und vernichteten 26 Werfer. In Luftkämpfen wurden durch Jäger 14, durch Schlachtflieger 15 feindliche Flugzeuge abgeschossen. Dabei zeichnete sich Leutnant Lambert erneut besonders aus.[8] At Sevastopol German ground attack aircraft attacked enemy artillery positions, destroying 26 launchers. In air combat, fighters shot down were 14 and 15 enemy aircraft by ground attack aircraft. Here, Lieutenant Lambert distinguished himself again.
8 May 1944 Bei der Abwehr starker Angriffe feindlicher Schlacht- und Kampfflieger vernichteten unsere Jagd- und Schlachtfliegerverbände sowie Flakartillerie der Luftwaffe 130 sowjetische Flugzeuge. Leutnant Lambert erzielte in Luftkämpfen allein 14 Abschüsse.[9] In defense of strong attacks made by enemy ground attack and bomber aircraft, our fighter and ground attack units along with anti-aircraft artillery units of the Air Force destroyed 130 Soviet aircraft. Lieutenant Lambert scored 14 aerial combat victories alone.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Weal 1998, p. 44.
  2. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 243.
  3. ↑ MacLean 2007, p. 201.
  4. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 153.
  5. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 266.
  6. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 282.
  7. ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 83.
  8. ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 95.
  9. ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 97.

Bibliography

  • Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 [These were the German Stuka Aces 1939 – 1945] (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6. 
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • MacLean, French L (2007). Luftwaffe Efficiency & Promotion Reports: For the Knight's Cross Winners. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0-7643-2657-8. 
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3. 
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
  • Weal, John (1998). Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-518-7.
  • Weal, John (2003). Luftwaffe Schlachtgruppen. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-608-9.
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. 
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