Karl-Heinz Leesmann

Karl-Heinz Leesmann
Born	3 May 1915 Osnabrück
Died	25 July 1943 (aged 28) over Heligoland in the North Sea
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1936–43
Rank	Major
Unit	JG 52 JG 1
Commands held	I./JG 52 III./JG 1
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Karl-Heinz Leesmann (3 May 1915 – 25 July 1943) 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 was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Karl-Heinz Leesmann was shot down on 25 July 1943, by a B-17 bomber that he was attacking. During his career he was credited with 37 aerial victories, 27 on the Western Front and 10 on the Eastern Front.

Awards

• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (5 October 1940)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 July 1941 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 2./Jagdgeschwader 52^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 27 July 1942 as Hauptmann in the I./Jagdgeschwader 52^[2]

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Wednesday, 2 July 1941	Hauptmann Balthasar errang am 26. Juni seinen 39. und 40., Leutnant Leesmann am 30. Juni seinen 21. und 22. Luftsieg.[3]	Captain Balthasar on 26 June achieved his 39th and 40th, Second Lieutenant Leesmann on 30 June his 21st and 22nd aerial victory.

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 235.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 272.
3. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 602.

Bibliography

• 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.
• 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.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, 1 September 1939 to 31 December 1941] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.

External links

• Luftwaffe 1939–1945 History
• World War 2 Awards.com