Under the command of Oblt. Joachim Müncheberg the 7 Staffeln JG 26 was engaging the enemy while based in Sicily and later in North Africa. During this period the Staffeln would file claims for no less than 56 RAF aircraft losing not a single machine in air combat, neither did the staffeln have any casualties.

In fact the losses in aircraft was negligee and only one machine was destroyed by the enemy, and that machine was hit on the ground. The most successful pilot during the deployment was the Staffelkapitän himself who increased his score from 23 to 48 abschüsse, more than half of the claims filed by the Stafflen.

Lt. Theo Lindeman flying in this machine was definitely not a high scorer and only manage to file one claim during this period. This occurred close to the end of the Stafflens Mediterranean deployment, when on 21 August Oblt. Klaus Meitusch together with Lindemann claimed each a Martin 167 Maryland bomber. However it was only Lindemanns claim that was later accepted by the RLM.

After returning to the Channel front, Theo Lindemann was able to score his second, a Spitfire, downed West of Decamp on 18 September. However he was severely injured in a a crash in his Fw 190 after air combat with Spitfires on 8 November 1941.

After being posted to I./JG 77 in February 1944 as the their new Kommandore he was able to claim his fifth over Italy, a USAAF P-38. Thereafter he was posted as a Hauptmann to training units and held a position in I./JG 103 up to March 1945. In total Hptm. Theodor Lindeman is accredited with a total of 8 confirmed victories during the war.

A personal Note, I had the opportunity to meet Theo Lindemann at Aviation Museum Hannover-Laatzen weeks before he passed away on 18 August 1998. One of all those pilot that I have learn to know during years of research that have left us.

To my best knowledge there is only one pilot of all the around 50-60 Luftwaffe veterans I have the privilege to met in person that is still alive, Hugo Broch, who on 6 January 2022 reached a hundred, congratulation on your birthday Hugo! A tribute will follow next Sunday!