Willi Nemitz

Willi Nemitz
Born	1 November 1910 Greifenhagen, Germany
Died	11 April 1943 (aged 32) Anapa, Russia
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–43
Rank	Leutnant
Unit	JG 52
Battles/wars	World War II Eastern Front
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Willi Nemitz (1 November 1910 – 11 April 1943) was a former German Luftwaffe fighter 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. Willi Nemitz was one of the oldest operational fighter pilots.His first known Soviet victory, was a LaGG-3 on 22 June 1942.He was killed on April 11, 1943 after aerial combat with Russian fighters over Anapa/Krasnodar.Willi Nemitz was credited with 81 victories in about 500 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern Front and includes at least 11 Il-2 Sturmoviks.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 7 September 1942 as Feldwebel and pilot^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 27 October 1942 as Feldwebel in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 52^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 March 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 4./Jagdgeschwader 52.^{[3][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 52.^[4]

References

Citations

1. Patzwall 2008, p. 152.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 327.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 322.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 564.

Bibliography

• Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
• 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.
• 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.
• Patzwall K.D., Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg, Studien zur Geschichte der Auszeichnungen, Band 6, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2008, ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3
• 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.