Alfred Schreiber (11 November 1923 – 26 November 1944) was a fighter pilot in the

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He is noted for claiming the first aerial victory by a jet fighter in aviation history.

Biography

Schreiber was born on 11 November 1923 in Neplachowitz. On 26 July 1944, Schreiber, a former

Zerstörergeschwader 26 ''Zerstörergeschwader'' 26 (ZG 26) "Horst Wessel" was a Luftwaffe heavy fighter wing of World War II. Formed on 1 May 1939, ZG 26 was initially armed with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 single-engine interceptor due to production shortfalls with th ...

pilot, intercepted and attacked a Mosquito PR XVI, a photo-reconnaissance aircraft from No. 540 Squadron RAF, while flying Messerschmitt Me 262 A-1a ''W.Nr. 130 017''. Upon returning to base, he claimed the first aerial victory by a jet fighter in aviation history. The front hatch had come off the Mosquito, hitting its wing and tail. It managed to return to an

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

held airfield in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

where it was lost in the crash landing. Schreiber was credited with a further four aerial victories before being killed on 26 November 1944, making him the first jet ace in history. Schreiber was killed in a crash landing at

Lechfeld The Battle of Lechfeld was a series of military engagements over the course of three days from 10–12 August 955 in which the Kingdom of Germany, led by King Otto I the Great, annihilated the Hungarian army led by ''Horka (title), Harka ''Bulcs ...

. His aircraft wheels caught the lip of a

slit trench A defensive fighting position (DFP) is a type of earthwork constructed in a military context, generally large enough to accommodate anything from one soldier to a fire team (or similar sized unit). Terminology Tobruk type positions are name ...

, causing his Me 262 to cartwheel.

Claims

Schreiber submitted the following claims:Morgan & Weal 1998, p. 16, 18, 26.

References

Notes

General references

* . * . 1923 births 1944 deaths Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents German World War II flying aces Luftwaffe pilots Messerschmitt Me 262 People from Opava District {{germany-airforce-bio-stub