Klaus Bretschneider
| Klaus Bretschneider | |
|---|---|
| Born |
4 May 1920 Berlin |
| Died |
24 December 1944 (aged 24) Oberaula-Hausen near Kassel |
| Allegiance |
.svg.png){kind=small} Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch |
 Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | ?–1944 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant |
| Unit | JG 300 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Klaus Bretschneider (4 May 1920 – 24 December 1944) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany.
Bretschneider was posted into the newly raised Jagdgeschwader 300 (JG 300) in July 1943, joining 5 Staffel. Flying "Wilde Sau" single-seat night operations, he claimed his first victory, a Lancaster, on 5–6 September south of Mannheim. By April 1944 he had 14 night victories. In July 1944, Bretschneider was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5./JG 300. By this time JG 300 were employed in a more conventional day fighter role, intercepting United States Army Air Forces four-engined bombers.
On 7 October 1944 he downed two bombers in one attack and then rammed a third. He bailed out safely. On 18 November 1944 he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 31 victories. On 24 December 1944 Bretschneider was killed whilst leading II.(Sturm)/JG 300 in attacking four-engined bombers over Kassel, his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8/R8 "Red 1" probably downed by a P-51 Mustang of the 357th Fighter Group. Klaus Bretschneider shot down 34 enemy aircraft; 14 RAF bombers at night, and 20 day-victories including 17 USAAF four-engined heavy bombers.
Awards
- German Cross in Gold in 1944 as Oberleutnant in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 300[1]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 November 1944 as Leutnant and pilot in the 5.(Sturm)/Jagdgeschwader 300.[2]
References
Citations
Bibliography
- 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 Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.