|
Heinz Schmidt, the son of a metal worker, got his nickname "Jonny" from his childhood friends. At 18 he started his Luftwaffe career when he arrived at the Flieger-Ersatzabteilung 14 in Detmold in October of 1938. During this intensive military training he would secure the gunnery skills which would later serve Schmidt so well on the Russian Front. "Jonny" would first see action over England when posted to 4./JG 52 on 12 August 1940. Yet although participating in 62 operational flights over the Channel Heinz Schmidt was not able to score until the attack on the Soviet Union. Here on the fourth day of the invasion, 26 June 1941, he shot down a DB-3 bomber south of Varena. After claiming another three victories, Fw. Schmidt was forced to belly-land his Friedrich 70 km behind enemy lines on 12 August. He managed to evade capture and return to the German lines after a six day ordeal. This experience must have shaken him up as he was not able to claim another victory until 29 August, his fifth. When the year ended he had reached a total of 15 Abschüsse thereby surpassing his tutor Oblt. Gerhard Barkhorn who by this time had reached 10. Then there followed a meteoric rise for Schmidt, in ranks and as well as in accomplishments. On 23 August 1942, following his 72nd aerial victory and only three days after receiving the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold, Oblt. Schmidt was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuz. Schmidt thus became only the third member of the second Gruppe to date to earn the award, receiving his decoration on the same day as Gerhard Barkhorn. More successes followed and on 16 September 1942 after his 100th aerial victory, "Jonny" Schmidt was awarded the Eichenlaub, the second member of II./JG 52 to receive it. Schmidt would fly his last combat mission on 5 September 1943. On this day he engaged and downed two Il-2 Sturmoviks over Kotelwa-Senkow, about 100 km west of Kharkov, his 172nd and 173rd Abschüsse. There appears to be some confusion as to what led to Schmidt's death this day. Hungarian fighters have been blamed for his accidental death as well as one of the pilots from his own flight. Regardless of the circumstances Schmidt was posted MIA along with his Bf 109 G-6 "Gelbe 7" (W.Nr. 15903). At the time of Schmidt's death he had flown more than 700 combat missions and his victory tally made him the ninth most successful pilot in the ranks of JG 52, a number that would have him tied with Emil Lang as the 26th most successful fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe. This colorful machine is typical for the period when the Luftwaffe held complete air superiority over the Russians. However, things were soon to change with greater emphasis placed of the effective use of paints for the ground concealment of aircraft. Note the 4. Staffel "cat" badge under the cockpit. Please note that
during the last week I have not been able to make any new profiles
as I´m occupied with finish off the layout of my upcoming
Profile Book No 15. |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |