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Willi Nemitz, "Alt Vater" was one of the oldest fighter pilots on duty at the front. He had flown with 6./JG52 since 1940 on the Channel Front during the Battle of Britain. Nemitz was one of those experienced pilots in JG 52, whose experience, reliability and calmness allowed the younger pilots to mature. He was not one of those carefree sky-strikers, but carefully weighed the opportunities and risks. The result of these qualities was the development of his successes as a fighter pilot. He achieved his first Abschuss in the East at the beginning of the Soviet campaign. By the end of 1941 he had a dozen confirmed victories under his belt. He claimed his 50th on 22 December 1942 and his 60th aerial victory on 5 February 1943. From 1 March 1943 he took over as Staffelkapitän of the 6th Staffeln even though he was then a non-commissioned officer, making him the only Oberfeldwebel in the Luftwaffe to take up this position. On 24 March 1943 Willi Nemiz was awarded the Knight's Cross after 74 aerial victories. A little more than two weeks later, on 11 April, he was to fly his last mission, when after a dogfight with a Soviet fighters he was suddenly seen falling out of the clouds and his Bf 109 G-4 "Gelb 3" went deep into the ground north of Nizhne-Bakanskaya. After his death he was posthumously promoted to Officers rank and Leutnant. In total, Oberfeldwebel Willi Nemiz is credited with 81 confirmed victories in over 500 combat missions. Note that this Bf 109
G-2 was flown during the autumn and winter months by Nemitz,
then belonging to Stab II./JG 52 and flying as wingman to his
Kommandeur Hptm. Johannes Steinhoff. However, the plane was lost
during an attack by Soviet aircraft on the Morosowskaja base
on 8 December 1942. |
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