Otto Schultz

Otto Schultz
Born	31 May 1920 Dannenberg
Died	28 July 2013 (aged 93)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	?–1945 ?–1976
Rank	Hauptmann (Wehrmacht) Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
Unit	JG 51
Commands held	II./JG 51
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Britain Eastern Front Battle of the Mediterranean Defence of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Otto Schultz (31 May 1920 – 28 July 2013)^[1] 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. For the fighter pilots, it was a quantifiable measure of skill and success. Schultz was credited with 73 aerial victories in about 820 combat missions. [Not to be confused with the similarly named fighter ace Otto Schulz who served with JG 27

Military career

After completing his pilot-training in 1940 Feldwebel Schultz was assigned to 4./JG 51 (4th squadron of the 51st Fighter Wing). Under Staffelkapitän Josef Fözö he learnt his craft as a junior pilot during the Battle of Britain. After a short break early in 1941 his Gruppe, II./JG 51, took up its station in eastern Poland for the invasion of Russia, Operation Barbarossa.

Schultz got immediate success in his first missions of the campaign, shooting down two SB-2 bombers on 22 June for his first victories. But in the hectic opening days it would be a week before he got his next victory. There was no shortage of opportunities though, as the Russians flew desperate missions to support their surrounded frontier armies, and by the end of July he had scored 11 victories. Through the battles for Smolensk, Kiev and Moscow, he continued to pick up victories and when he was awarded the Ehrenpokal on 3 November his tally had risen to 18.

After an extended period away from the Eastern Front over the winter of 1941-42, Ofw Schultz returned to II/JG 51. Although the Central front appeared very static, fierce air battles took place overhead as the Soviets launched major offensives to try and drain German forces away from their disintegrating southern front. After sporadic victories in June and July, he scored a dozen in August over the Rzhev salient to extend his score to 36 victories.

Another period of leave followed from September (perhaps due to injury?) and he was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 24 September. Meanwhile his Gruppe was withdrawn in October 1942 to upgrade to the new Fw 190A fighter, but events overtook them: after the defeat at El Alamein in late October, the Western Allies then staged the Operation Torch landings in Algeria and Morocco. So II./JG 51, with its core of veteran pilots, was immediately dispatched to reinforce the Mediterranean forces with new Bf 109G2's instead, and were ready for operations by mid-November.

Back with 4./JG 51 and based near Tunis, Oberfeldwebel Schultz scored his first western victory on 1 December, downing a Spitfire. In December, the Gruppe was very successful over the new American pilots - claiming 50 victories while losing only two of their own. But as in Russia, in 1943, the superior numbers soon made their impact.^[2] Meanwhile, Schultz scored regularly and on 14 March 1943 he was awarded the Knight's Cross for reaching 51 victories. He was now one of the veteran experts of the Gruppe and they spend 1943 hopping across the Mediterranean. With the fall of Tunis in May, they went onto Sicily, Sardinia, southern and central Italy.

In August, orders transferred II./JG 51 to Munich to retrain as a specialist anti-bomber unit.^[3] With the Fifteenth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) now well established in Italy, Germany was now being targeted from two directions. Also at this time, Schultz undertook officer-training and was commissioned as a Leutnant. Transferred back with II./JG 51 to northern Italy in December as a first line of defense, he shot down his first Viermot (four-engined bomber) on 28 December. The Anzio landings in January 1944 then brought a forward deployment to Rome to be cover for the ground-attack aircraft supporting the counter-attack.

On 4 February 1944 Schultz (now with about 65 victories) was promoted to Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 51 following the death in action of 54-victory ace Herbert Puschmann northeast of Rome. In March he led his unit across the Adriatic into the Balkan theatre. The American bombers were now also targeting the Romanian oil refineries at Ploiești, vital to the German war effort. He claimed 7 more Viermots there, including possibly his last victory on 15 July 1944.

With Romania's surrender to Soviet forces in late August, and its subsequent declaration of war against Germany, II./JG 51 was forced to retreat back to Yugoslavia. Left as final air-cover for the army retreating out of Greece, 6./JG 51 reportedly engaged their former allies in Romanian-flown Bf 109s.^[4] When they finally reached Budapest, the Gruppe only had 3 serviceable aircraft left, out of a nominal complement of around 90, although aircraft-production was no longer the issue - it was fuel and lack of trained pilots. They were re-united with the rest of JG 51 again, albeit scattered the length of the (shortening) Eastern Front. Now fighting against two enemy forces and grossly outnumbered, on 24 December, Oberleutnant Schultz was given command of II./JG 51, with whom he had fought throughout the war. This was after its previous Kommandeur, Major Karl Rammelt was severely injured against American bombers northwest of Budapest.

With its back to the wall there was now little of consequence that his Gruppe could do to impact on the war's outcome. After covering the SS Panzer Army's attack at Lake Balaton, it retreated back to Austria, flying its last mission on 9 April before disbanding three days later. It is possible that he was thereafter sent to Lechfeld to train on flying the Me 262 jet.

Oberleutnant Otto Schultz survived the war, and in 820 missions was credited with 73 victories. He went on to serve in the reformed West German airforce, retiring in 1976 with the rank of Oberstleutnant (Lt Colonel).

Victories

No	Date	Time	Unit & Airfield	Gruppe Kommandeur[5]	Location / Planquad	Claimed Aircraft	Source / Comments[6]
1	22 June 1941	9:32	4./JG 51 – Siedlce	Hptm Josef Fözö	Belorussia ?	SB-2	C.2036/II AnerkNr 51
2	22 June 1941	9:40	4./JG 51 – Siedlce	Hptm Josef Fözö	Belorussia ?	SB-2	C.2036/II AnerkNr 62
3	29 June 1941	17:50	4./JG 51 – Siedlce	Hptm Josef Fözö	Belorussia ?	I-18 (MiG-3)	C.2036/II AnerkNr 74
4	30 June 1941	17:30	4./JG 51 - Siedlce	Hptm Josef Fözö	Belorussia ?	DB-3	C.2036/II AnerkNr 75
5	30 June 1941	17:40	4./JG 51 - Siedlce	Hptm Josef Fözö	Belorussia ?	DB-3	C.2036/II AnerkNr 77
6	8 July 1941	19:20	4./JG 51 - Stara Bychov	Hptm Josef Fözö	S of Walki	SB-2	C.2036/II AnerkNr 81
7	10 July 1941	9:50	4./JG 51 - Stara Bychov	Hptm Josef Fözö	?	I-16	Prien & Bock
8	11 July 1941	16:25	4./JG 51 - Stara Bychov	Hptm Josef Fözö	?	DB-3	C.2036/II AnerkNr 93
9	13 July 1941	16:25	4./JG 51 - Stara Bychov	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	?	DB-3	C.2036/II AnerkNr 183
10	26 July 1941	18:45	4./JG 51 - Smolensk	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	?	Pe-2	C.2036/II AnerkNr 99
11	26 July 1941	18:50	4./JG 51 - Smolensk	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	?	Pe-2	C.2036/II AnerkNr 101
12	9 August 1941	13:50	4./JG 51 - Schatalovka	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	?	Pe-2	C.2036/II AnerkNr 111
13	16 August 1941	15:42	4./JG 51 - Schatalovka	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	?	I-18 (MiG-3)	C.2036/II AnerkNr 111
14	25 August 1941	7:55	4./JG 51 - Schatalovka	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	S of Gomel	DB-3	C.2036/II AnerkNr 115
15	24 September 1941	10:50	4./JG 51 - Schatalovka	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	?	R-3 biplane	C.2036/II AnerkNr 121
16	27 October 1941	15:40	4./JG 51 - Schatalovka	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	?	I-61 (I-16?)	C.2036/II AnerkNr 138
17	29 October 1941	7:20	4./JG 51 - Schatalovka	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	25 km NE of Orel	I-16	C.2036/II AnerkNr 139
18	29 October 1941	12:40	4./JG 51 - Schatalovka	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	?	I-16	C.2036/II AnerkNr 141
?	8 June 1942	3:50	4./JG 51 - Bryansk	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	?	I-180 (Yak-7)	C.2036/II AnerkNr 162
?	23 June 1942	15:20	4./JG 51 - Bryansk	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	?	Pe-2	C.2025/I AnerkNr 170
?	2 July 1942	18:07	4./JG 51 - Bryansk	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	25 km NNW of Dugino	Pe-2	C.2025/I AnerkNr 199
?	9 July 1942	14:55	4./JG 51 - Bryansk	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	?	Yak-1	C.2036/II AnerkNr 186
?	3 August 1942	4:53	4./JG 51 - Dugino	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	Rzhev, 47 524:2500m	LaGG-3	C.2025/I AnerkNr 251
?	4 August 1942	10:48	4./JG 51 - Dugino	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	Rzhev, 47 823:treetop	Il-2	C.2025/I AnerkNr 452
?	6 August 1942	18:57	4./JG 51 - Dugino	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	Vyazma, 56 373:treetop	Il-2	C.2025/I AnerkNr 254
?	9 August 1942	11:05	4./JG 51 - Dugino	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	Rzhev, 47 814:1000m	LaGG-3	C.2032/II AnerkNr 213
29	22 August 1942	14:50	4./JG 51 - Dugino	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	NW of Orel, 54 283:treetop	Il-2	C.2032/II AnerkNr 217
30	22 August 1942	14:53	4./JG 51 - Dugino	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	NW of Orel, 54 253:treetop	Il-2	C.2032/II AnerkNr 218
31	23 August 1942	7:00	4./JG 51 - Dugino	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	NW of Orel, 54 283:treetop	Il-2	C.2032/II AnerkNr 228
32	25 August 1942	8:25	4./JG 51 - Dugino	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	NW of Orel, 54 261:400m	LaGG-3	C.2032/II AnerkNr 231
33	25 August 1942	14:24	4./JG 51 - Dugino	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	NW of Orel, 54 283:2000m	Pe-2	C.2032/II AnerkNr 233
34	27 August 1942	17:45	4./JG 51 - Dugino	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	N of Orel, 64 774:200m	MiG-3	C.2032/II AnerkNr 237
35	27 August 1942	17:48	4./JG 51 - Dugino	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	N of Orel, 64 772:1500m	MiG-3	C.2032/II AnerkNr 239
36	27 August 1942	17:58	4./JG 51 - Dugino	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	Orel, 63 131:treetop	Il-2	C.2032/II AnerkNr 240
37	1 December 1942	10:45	4./JG 51 – El Aouina	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	15 km SW of Mateur:treetop	Spitfire	C.2027/I AnerkNr 26
38	3 December 1942	10:16	4./JG 51 – El Aouina	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	1 km S of Tunis: 1200m	Lightning	C.2027/I AnerkNr 26
39	4 December 1942	15:40	4./JG 51 – El Aouina	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	15 km SW of Mateur: 2500m	Spitfire	C.2027/I AnerkNr 28
40	4 December 1942	15:47	4./JG 51 – El Aouina	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	18 km SW of Mateur: 1500m	Spitfire	C.2027/I AnerkNr 29
41	28 December 1942	15:33	4./JG 51 – La Sebala	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	1 km S of Pont du Fahs: 700m	Lightning	C.2027/I AnerkNr 31
?	2 January 1943	12:27	4./JG 51 – La Sebala	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	5 km W of Pont du Fahs: 7000m	Lightning	C.2031/II AnerkNr 276
?	10 January 1943	7:30	4./JG 51 – Gabes	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	near Feriana: 2500m	Spitfire	C.2031/II AnerkNr 2
?	10 January 1943	11:00	4./JG 51 – Gabes	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	20 km W of Gabes: 5400m	Marauder	C.2031/II AnerkNr 28
?	11 January 1943	16:00	4./JG 51 – Gabes	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	40 km NW of Gabes: 200-300m	Lightning	C.2031/II AnerkNr 281
?	15 January 1943	13:25	4./JG 51 – Gabes	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	30 km SNW of Gabes: treetop	Lightning	C.2031/II AnerkNr 282
?	22 January 1943	12:20	4./JG 51 – Gabes	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	15 km W of Gabes: 600m	Lightning	C.2031/II AnerkNr 284
?	30 January 1943	10:30	4./JG 51 – Gabes	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	18 km NW of Gabes: 3000m	Lightning	C.2031/II AnerkNr 285
?	30 January 1943	10:45	4./JG 51 – Gabes	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	10 km NW of Kebili: 20m	Lightning	C.2031/II AnerkNr 285
?	2 February 1943	14:30	4./JG 51 – Gabes	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	N of Gabes, 03Ost 95311:treetop	Tomahawk	C.2027/I AnerkNr 305
?	8 February 1943	12:52	4./JG 51 – Gabes	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	60 km NW of Gabes: 4000m	Mitchell	C.2027/I AnerkNr 308
?	26 February 1943	?	4./JG 51 – La Smala des Souassis	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	?	?	[7]
?	21 March 1943	14:20	4./JG 51 – La Smala des Souassis	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	35 km ESE of Gabes: 800m	Spitfire	C.2031/II AnerkNr 316
?	31 May 1943	13:05	4./JG 51 – Casa Zeppera, Sardinia	Hptm Hartmann Grasser	70632: 200m	Lightning	C.2031/II
?	24 June 1943	9:15	4./JG 51 – Casa Zeppera, Sardinia	Hptm Karl Rammelt	04Ost? 98214: 500m	Tomahawk	C.2027/I
60?	25 December 1943	11:24	5(?)./JG 51 – Udine	Hptm Karl Rammelt	S of Rovigo: 7000m	Lightning	C.2031/II AnerkNr 361
61?	25 December 1943	11:24	5(?)./JG 51 – Udine	Hptm Karl Rammelt	S of Rovigo: 7000m	Lightning	C.2031/II AnerkNr 360
62?	28 December 1943	11:55	5(?)./JG 51 – Udine	Hptm Karl Rammelt	5 km S of Montegaldella: 3000m	B-17	C.2031/II AnerkNr 362
63?	16 January 1944	12:40	5(?)./JG 51 – Udine	Hptm Karl Rammelt	10 km NE of Civitavecchia: 3000m	A-20	C.2025/II
64?	22 January 1944	15:50	5(?)./JG 51 – Tuscania	Hptm Karl Rammelt	Tivoli: 800m	Thunderbolt	C.2025/II
65?	22 January 1944	16:05	5(?)./JG 51 – Tuscania	Hptm Karl Rammelt	S of Ostia: 3000m	Lightning	C.2025/II
66	5 April 1944	14:18	6./JG 51 – Târgșorul	Hptm Karl Rammelt	80 km SW of Ploiești: 3000m	B-24	C.2032/I AnerkNr 21
67	16 April 1944	11:30	6./JG 51 – Târgşorul	Hptm Karl Rammelt	RK-2:	B-24	C.2027/I AnerkNr 5
68	6 June 1944	10:45	6./JG 51 – Radomir	Maj Karl Rammelt	Zagubitza, UD-2.6: 4000m	B-24	C.2027/II AnerkNr 49
69	11 June 1944	11:45	6./JG 51 – Radomir	Maj Karl Rammelt	Bielovo, 24Ost GF-7.6: 1000m	B-24	C.2027/II AnerkNr 52
70	23 June 1944	?	6./JG 51 – Sofia	Maj Karl Rammelt	?	B-17	[8]
71	24 June 1944	8:55	6./JG 51 – Sofia	Maj Karl Rammelt	Radomir, 24Ost S/GF-9: 5000m	B-24	C.2027/II AnerkNr 117
72	15 July 1944	?	6./JG 51 – Sofia	Maj Karl Rammelt	?	B-24	[9]
73	22 December 1944	14:30	6./JG 51 – Imely	Maj Karl Rammelt	14Ost N/ES-6.3: 1500m	La-5	C.2035/II

Awards

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (3 November 1941)^[10]
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold on 24 September 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the II./Jagdgeschwader 51^[11]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 March 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 4./Jagdgeschwader 51^[12][13]

References

Citations

1. http://www.hanrieder-kondolenzen.de/otto_schultz-wittner
2. Weal 2006, p. 96.
3. Weal 2006, p. 99.
4. Weal 2006, p. 102.
5. Luftwaffe Air Units: Single–Engined Fighters website.
6. Aces of the Luftwaffe website.
7. JG51 Victory Claims pdf.
8. JG51 Victory Claims pdf.
9. JG51 Victory Claims pdf.
10. Obermaier 1989, p. 202.
11. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 428.
12. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 392.
13. Scherzer 2007, p. 689.

Bibliography

• Bergström, Christer; Dikov, Andrey; Antipov, Vlad (2006). Black Cross, Red Star Vol 3 Eagle Editions Ltd ISBN 0-9761034-4-3
• 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.
• Forsyth, Robert (2008). Jagdverband 44 Squadron of Experten. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-294-3.
• 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.
• Spick, Mike (2006). Aces of the Reich. Greenhill Books. ISBN 1-85367-675-6
• Weal, John (2001). Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-084-1.
• Weal, John (2006). Jagdgeschwader 51 'Mölders'. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-045-1.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• "Luftwaffe Officer Career Summaries" (PDF). Schultz, Otto. Retrieved 30 August 2013
• "Luftwaffe Fighter Claims". Schultz, Otto. Retrieved 7 January 2013
• "The Luftwaffe, 1933-45". JG51. Retrieved 30 August 2013
• "Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" Victory Claims 1939-45" (PDF). Schultz, Otto. Retrieved 3 September 2013