Fritz Losigkeit (17 November 1913 – 14 January 1994) was a German

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 ...

military aviator during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, lin ...

and

wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historical ...

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 ...

. As a

fighter ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

, he is credited with 68 aerial victories in approximately 750 combat missions. This figure includes 13 aerial victories over the

Western Allies The Allies, formally referred to as the United Nations from 1942, were an international military coalition formed during the Second World War (1939–1945) to oppose the Axis powers, led by Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy ...

, the remaining victories were claimed over the Eastern Front. In June 1943, he was given command of III. '' Gruppe'', ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) which was fighting on the Eastern Front. In April 1944, Losigkeit was appointed ''

Geschwaderkommodore {{unreferenced, date=May 2019 ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (short also ''Kommodore'') is a ''Luftwaffe'' position or appointment (not rank), originating during World War II. A ''Geschwaderkommodore'' is usually an OF5-rank of ''Oberst'' (colonel) or K ...

'' (wing commander) of JG 51. A year later, he was appointed the last ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing} and received the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight' ...

, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

Early life and career

Losigkeit was born on 17 November 1913 in

Berlin-Tegel Berlin Tegel "Otto Lilienthal" Airport (german: link=no, Flughafen Berlin-Tegel „Otto Lilienthal“) was the primary international airport of Berlin, the federal capital of Germany. The airport was named after aviation pioneer Otto Lilienth ...

and joined the Prussian State Police () in 1934. A year later, he transferred to the ''

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...

'' as a ''

Fahnenjunker ''Fahnenjunker'' (short Fhj or FJ, en, officer cadet; ) is a military rank of the Bundeswehr and of some former German armed forces. In earlier German armed forces it was also the collective name for many officer aspirant ranks. It was establis ...

'' (officer candidate) and was eventually selected for flight training. After graduation, he was assigned to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 132 "Richthofen" (JG 132—132nd Fighter Wing) on 1 October 1936. In late January 1938, Losigkeit was invited to an international winter sports event in

Garmisch-Partenkirchen Garmisch-Partenkirchen (; Bavarian: ''Garmasch-Partakurch''), nicknamed Ga-Pa, is an Alpine ski town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the seat of government of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated ''GAP''), in the O ...

. The event was hosted by the ''Reichssportführer''

Hans von Tschammer und Osten Hans von Tschammer und Osten (25 October 1887 – 25 March 1943) was a German sport official, SA leader and a member of the Reichstag for the Nazi Party of Nazi Germany. He was married to Sophie Margarethe von Carlowitz. Hans von Tschammer un ...

and

bobsled Bobsleigh or bobsled is a team winter sport that involves making timed runs down narrow, twisting, banked, iced tracks in a gravity-powered sleigh. International bobsleigh competitions are governed by the International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Feder ...

der Werner Zahn who was also a pilot. Other Luftwaffe officers attending this event included

Günther Lützow Günther Lützow (4 September 1912 – 24 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe aviator and fighter ace credited with 110 enemy aircraft shot down in over 300 combat missions. Apart from five victories during the Spanish Civil War, most of his cl ...

Walter Oesau Walter "Gulle" Oesau (28 June 1913 – 11 May 1944) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. A fighter ace, he served in the Luftwaffe from 1934 until his death in 1944. He rose to command ''Jagdgeschwader'' 1, which was named in his hon ...

Karl-Heinz Greisert Karl-Heinz Greisert (2 February 1908 – 22 July 1942) was an officer in the Luftwaffe. He served in the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War. During the Second World War he participated in the air battles over France and England. He was ma ...

, Günter Schultze-Blank and Urban Schlaffer. During the

, Losigkeit volunteered for service in the

Condor Legion The Condor Legion (german: Legion Condor) was a unit composed of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany, which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War of July 1936 to March 1939. The Condor Legio ...

. On 25 March 1938, he was assigned to 3. '' Staffel'' (3rd squadron) of ''Jagdgruppe'' 88, at the time headed by ''Oberleutnant'' Horst Lehrmann and based at Zaragoza Airfield. On 31 May 1938, during the second mission of the day, ''Oberleutnant''

Werner Mölders Werner Mölders (18 March 1913 – 22 November 1941) was a World War II German Luftwaffe pilot, wing commander, and the leading German fighter ace in the Spanish Civil War. He became the first pilot in aviation history to shoot down 100 ...

led a '' Schwarm'' on a

ground attack In military tactics, close air support (CAS) is defined as air action such as air strikes by fixed or rotary-winged aircraft against hostile targets near friendly forces and require detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement ...

mission. Attacking a truck, Losigkeit was shot down by 20 mm

anti-aircraft guns Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

and taken

prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of wa ...

. He spent eight months in captivity in

Valencia Valencia ( va, València) is the capital of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Valencian Community, Valencia and the Municipalities of Spain, third-most populated municipality in Spain, with 791,413 inhabitants. It is ...

and

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

before returning to Germany in February 1939. For his actions in Spain, he was awarded the

Spanish Cross The Spanish Cross (german: Spanien-Kreuz) was an award of Nazi Germany given to German troops who participated in the Spanish Civil War, fighting for nationalist general, later Spanish caudillo, Francisco Franco. History With the outbreak o ...

in Silver with Swords () on 14 April 1939. Lossigkeit was assigned to 2. ''Staffel'', a squadron of I. '' Gruppe'' (1st Group), of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 26 (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) on 1 April. At the time, 2. ''Staffel'' was commanded by ''Hauptmann'' Walter Kienitz while I. ''Gruppe'' was headed by ''Major''

Gotthard Handrick Gotthard Handrick (25 October 1908 – 30 May 1978) was a German Olympic athlete and German fighter pilot during the Spanish Civil War and World War II. Career Handrick was born on 25 October 1908 in Zittau, at the time in the Kingdom of Saxony ...

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 23 September 1939, Losigkeit was appointed ''

Staffelkapitän ''Staffelkapitän'' is a position (not a rank) in flying units ( ''Staffel'') of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a ''Staffelkapitän'' is of ''Oberstleutnant'' or ''Major'' rank. In the '' ...

'' (squadron leader) of 2. ''Staffel'' of JG 26, replacing Kienitz who was transferred. He claimed his first victory on 28 May 1940 during the

Battle of Dunkirk The Battle of Dunkirk (french: Bataille de Dunkerque, link=no) was fought around the French port of Dunkirk (Dunkerque) during the Second World War, between the Allies and Nazi Germany. As the Allies were losing the Battle of France on ...

, as part of the

Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of French Third Rep ...

, over a

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...

(RAF)

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...

between

Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidstone ...

and

Ostend Ostend ( nl, Oostende, ; french: link=no, Ostende ; german: link=no, Ostende ; vls, Ostende) is a coastal city and municipality, located in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerk ...

. On 1 June, the fighting over the beachhead at

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.No. 19 Squadron, No. 222 Squadron and No. 616 Squadron, Losigkeit shot down a Spitfire near Dunkirk, his last during the Battle of France. The

Armistice of 22 June 1940 The Armistice of 22 June 1940 was signed at 18:36 near Compiègne, France, by officials of Nazi Germany and the Third French Republic. It did not come into effect until after midnight on 25 June. Signatories for Germany included Wilhelm Keitel ...

ended the Battle of France and JG 26 began its relocation back to Germany for a period of rest and replenishment. Two days later, Handrick was appointed ''

'' (wing commander) of JG 26 while command of I. ''Gruppe'' was handed to ''Hauptmann'' Kurt Fischer. On 26 June, the ''Gruppe'' arrived at Bönninghardt. As the air war turned to England, I. ''Gruppe'' was moved to France again on 15 July and subordinated to ''Luftflotte'' 2 (Air Fleet 2). Losigkeit claimed his first aerial victory during the

Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defende ...

on 28 August. On a bomber escort mission, he shot down a

Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...

from No. 79 Squadron north of

Folkestone Folkestone ( ) is a port town on the English Channel, in Kent, south-east England. The town lies on the southern edge of the North Downs at a valley between two cliffs. It was an important harbour and shipping port for most of the 19th and 20t ...

. Two days later, on a mission attacking 11 Group airfields, he claimed a Spitfire shot down southeast of

Littlestone Littlestone-on-Sea is a small coastal village close to New Romney in Kent, England. It was established in the 1880s by Sir Robert Perks as a resort for the gentry, at the point of the local lifeboat station. At low tide, a World War II Mulber ...

. On 15 September, on a mission to

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, Losigkeit claimed his fifth aerial victory of the war and last during the Battle of Britain. Southeast of London, he claimed a No. 92 Squadron Spitfire destroyed. Japanese-109-front

On 17 June 1941, Losigkeit was replaced by ''Oberleutnant'' Martin Rysavy as ''Staffelkapitän'' of 2. ''Staffel'' of JG 26. Losigkeit had been transferred to take a position with the staff of the

military attaché A military attaché is a military expert who is attached to a diplomatic mission, often an embassy. This type of attaché post is normally filled by a high-ranking military officer, who retains a commission while serving with an embassy. Opport ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Until January 1942 he advised on German air combat tactics with

Imperial Japanese Army Air Service The Imperial Japanese Army Air Service (IJAAS) or Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF; ja, 大日本帝國陸軍航空部隊, Dainippon Teikoku Rikugun Kōkūbutai, lit=Greater Japan Empire Army Air Corps) was the aviation force of the Im ...

pilots flying the

Nakajima Ki-44 The Nakajima Ki-44 ''Shoki'' (鍾馗, " Devil Queller") was a single-seat fighter-interceptor which was developed by the Nakajima Aircraft Company and operated by the Imperial Japanese Army from 1942 to 1945 during World War II. Its official de ...

against several examples of the

Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War an ...

fighter shipped to Japan for evaluation. Wanting to rejoin the European war, he made the voyage back to Germany via the German

blockade runner A blockade runner is a merchant vessel used for evading a naval blockade of a port or strait. It is usually light and fast, using stealth and speed rather than confronting the blockaders in order to break the blockade. Blockade runners usuall ...

''MSS Elsa Essberger''. In January 1942, ''Elsa Essberger'' and the escorting came under attack by British aircraft flying from

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

, forcing ''Elsa Essberger'' to make for repairs at Ferrol in Spain.

''Jagdgruppe Losigkeit''

Following his return from Japan, Losigkeit joined the staff with the ''

General der Jagdflieger Inspector of Fighters (German language: ''Inspekteur der Jagdflieger'' redesignated to ''General der Jagdflieger'' (General of Fighters)) was not a rank but a leading position within the High Command of the German Luftwaffe in Nazi Germany ...

'' (Inspector of Fighters), an office held by ''Oberst''

Adolf Galland Adolf Josef Ferdinand Galland (19 March 1912 – 9 February 1996) was a German Luftwaffe general and flying ace who served throughout the Second World War in Europe. He flew 705 combat missions, and fought on the Western Front and in the Defen ...

. Fearing a British invasion of Norway,

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

had ordered the ''

Oberkommando der Marine The (; abbreviated OKM) was the high command and the highest administrative and command authority of the ''Kriegsmarine''. It was officially formed from the ''Marineleitung'' ("Naval Command") of the ''Reichswehr'' on 11 January 1936. In 1937 ...

'' (OKM—German Navy high command) to return the German

battleship A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of large caliber guns. It dominated naval warfare in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The term ''battleship'' came into use in the late 1880s to describe a type of ...

s and and the

heavy cruiser The heavy cruiser was a type of cruiser, a naval warship designed for long range and high speed, armed generally with naval guns of roughly 203 mm (8 inches) in caliber, whose design parameters were dictated by the Washington Naval Tr ...

from

Brest Brest may refer to: Places *Brest, Belarus **Brest Region **Brest Airport **Brest Fortress * Brest, Kyustendil Province, Bulgaria * Břest, Czech Republic *Brest, France ** Arrondissement of Brest **Brest Bretagne Airport ** Château de Brest *Br ...

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo language, Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, Historical region, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known ...

to German bases. The ''

Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...

'' transferred the ships on 11–13 February 1942 in

Operation Cerberus The Channel Dash (german: Unternehmen Zerberus, Operation Cerberus) was a German naval operation during the Second World War. (Cerberus), a three-headed dog of Greek mythology who guards the gate to Hades. A (German Navy) squadron compris ...

, also known as the Channel Dash. Further ''Kriegsmarine'' vessels were ordered to Norway to combat the

convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...

s heading to the Soviet Union. To protect these naval units from aerial attacks, Galland instructed Losigkeit with the creation of a fighter unit on 14 February. This unit, dubbed ''Jagdgruppe Losigkeit'' (Fighter Group Losigkeit), was made up of three ''Staffeln''. 1. ''Staffel'' was created from 8. ''Staffel'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 1 (JG 1–1st Fighter Wing) and commanded by ''Hauptmann'' Rolf Strössner. 2. ''Staffel'' was based on 2. ''Staffel'' of JG 1 and led by ''Hauptmann'' Werner Dolenga. The ''Einsatzstaffel'' of ''Jagdfliegerschule'' 1 under ''Oberleutnant'' Friedrich Eberle formed 3. ''Staffel'' of ''Jagdgruppe Losigkeit''. Losigkeit chose ''Leutnant''

Heinz Knoke Heinz Knoke (24 March 1921 – 18 May 1993) was a World War II ''Luftwaffe'' flying ace. He is credited with 33 confirmed aerial victories, all claimed over the Western theatre of operations, and claimed a further 19 unconfirmed kills in over 2,0 ...

from 2. ''Staffel'' of JG 1 as his adjutant. On 15 February, the unit began relocating north, at first to

Esbjerg Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport town and seat of Esbjerg Municipality on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. By road, it is west of Kolding and southwest of Aarhus. With an urban population of 71,698 (1 January 2022)

in Denmark. The following day, 3. ''Staffel'' reached

Aalborg Aalborg (, , ) is Denmark's fourth largest town (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalb ...

. Weather conditions initially affected the transfer. ''Jagdgruppe Losigkeit'' reached the Gardemoen Airfield, approximately north of

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

, on 20 February and further to

Trondheim Trondheim ( , , ; sma, Tråante), historically Kaupangen, Nidaros and Trondhjem (), is a city and municipality in Trøndelag county, Norway. As of 2020, it had a population of 205,332, was the third most populous municipality in Norway, and ...

on 24 February, one day after the ''Kriegsmarine'' vessels. At Trondheim, the unit was subordinated to the ''

Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen Jagdfliegerführer Norwegen was a formation of the German Luftwaffe based in Occupied Norway during World War II. It was named for the "Fighter Leader (''Jafu''),A Jagdfliegerführer, or Jafü, was the commander of the Fighter forces of a ''Luf ...

'', an office held by ''Oberst'' Carl-Alfred Schumacher. On 25 February, ''Jagdgruppe Losigkeit'' provided fighter protection for ''Prinz Eugen'', which had been damaged in the Channel Dash. In March, the unit was ordered back to Germany, arriving in

Jever Jever () is the capital of the district of Friesland in Lower Saxony, Germany. The name Jever is usually associated with a major brand of beer, Jever Pilsener, which is produced there. The city is also a popular holiday resort. Jever was granted c ...

on 20 March where it was disbanded. During its existence, ''Jagdgruppe Losigkeit'' claimed one aerial victory, a Spitfire flown by

Flight Lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...

Sandy Gunn Alastair Donald Mackintosh "Sandy" Gunn (27 September 1919 – 6 April 1944), was a Scottish Supermarine Spitfire photo reconnaissance pilot who was taken prisoner during the Second World War. Gunn took part in the "Great Escape" from Stalag Lu ...

shot down by ''Leutnant'' Dieter Gerhard on 5 March.

With ''Jagdgeschwader'' 1

In March 1942, IV. ''Gruppe'' of JG 1 was re-named III. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing). In consequence, Losigkeit was charged with the creation of a new IV. ''Gruppe'' which was initially based at

Werneuchen Werneuchen () is a town in Brandenburg, Germany, in the district of Barnim northeast of Berlin within the metropolitan area. Most of the population of Werneuchen commutes to Berlin. Demography File:Bevölkerungsentwicklung Werneuchen.pdf, Dev ...

near

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

. ''Oberleutnant'' Friedrich Eberle headed 10. ''Staffel'' which had already served as 3. ''Staffel'' of ''Jagdgruppe Losigkeit''. The ''Einsatzstaffel'' of ''Jagdfliegerschule'' 4 under ''Oberleutnant'' Wilhelm Moritz formed 11. ''Staffel''. ''Oberleutnant'' Franz Eisenach initially led 12. ''Staffel'' created from some pilots of the former IV. ''Gruppe''. Command of 12. ''Staffel'' then passed on to ''Oberleutnant'' Heinz Stöcker. In late April, Losigkeit reported the combat readiness of IV. ''Gruppe'' which then moved to airfields at

Leeuwarden Leeuwarden (; fy, Ljouwert, longname=yes /; Town Frisian: ''Liwwadden''; Leeuwarder dialect: ''Leewarden'') is a city and municipality in Friesland, Netherlands, with a population of 123,107 (2019). It is the provincial capital and seat of the ...

and

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

on 27 April. IV. ''Gruppe'' was withdrawn from combat operations in July 1942 and re-equipped with the

Focke Wulf Fw 190 The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' ("Shrike") is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, th ...

fighter aircraft. On 1 April 1943, I. ''Gruppe'' of JG 1 became the II. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing). In consequence, IV. ''Gruppe'' of JG 1 became the new I. ''Gruppe'' of JG 1. On 17 April, the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

(USAAF)

VIII Bomber Command 8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. In mathematics 8 is: * a composite number, its proper divisors being , , and . It is twice 4 or four times 2. * a power of two, being 2 (two cubed), and is the first number of t ...

attacked the

Focke-Wulf Focke-Wulf Flugzeugbau AG () was a German manufacturer of civil and military aircraft before and during World War II. Many of the company's successful fighter aircraft designs were slight modifications of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. It is one of the ...

factories at Bremen, causing significant damage. During the attack, Losigkeit shot down a

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...

bomber. On 2 May, 25 RAF Spitfires escorted 18

Lockheed Ventura The Lockheed Ventura is a twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber of World War II. The Ventura first entered combat in Europe as a bomber with the RAF in late 1942. Designated PV-1 by the United States Navy (US Navy), it entered combat in 1 ...

bombers which were intercepted by fighters from I. and II. ''Gruppe'' of JG 1 east of

Vlissingen Vlissingen (; zea, label=Zeelandic, Vlissienge), historically known in English as Flushing, is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic l ...

. For the loss of two Fw 190s, pilots of JG 1 claimed nine aerial victories, including a Ventura claimed by Losigkeit.

Eastern Front

On 20 May, Losigkeit was transferred upon his own request. He was given command of I. ''Gruppe'' of JG 26 on the Eastern Front. The former commander of I. ''Gruppe'' of JG 26, ''Major'' Johannes Seifert, had been taken off combat duty after his brother was killed in action. Losigkeit had made his request for transfer because of substantial differences with the ''Jafü'' (''Jagdfliegerführer''—the commander of the fighter forces) of the 3. ''Jagd-Division''. Apparently the commanding officer of the 3. ''Jagd-Division'', ''Generalleutnant''

Werner Junck Werner Junck (28 December 1895 – 6 August 1976) was a German general in the Luftwaffe during World War II and commander of Fliegerführer Irak. He claimed five aerial victories during World War I. Origin Werner Junck was born in Magdeburg, th ...

, had accused the fighter pilots of

cowardice Cowardice is a trait wherein excessive fear prevents an individual from taking a risk or facing danger. It is the opposite of courage. As a label, "cowardice" indicates a failure of character in the face of a challenge. One who succumbs to cowa ...

in combating the B-17 bombers. On 4 June, he flew his first mission on the Eastern Front, flying a fighter sweep into Soviet airspace from Shatalovka. On 6 June, I. ''Gruppe'' began its return to Germany while Losigkeit remained on the Eastern Front. On 26 June, he took over command of III. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 "Mölders" (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) from ''Hauptmann'' Herbert Wehnelt who had briefly led the ''Gruppe'' after ''Hauptmann''

Karl-Heinz Schnell Karl-Heinz Schnell (10 January 1915 – 13 March 2013) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. For the fighter pilots, it was a quantifiable measure of skill and success. Schnell was ...

was transferred. III. ''Gruppe'' was also based Shatalovka, flying combat missions in the vicinity of

Mtsensk Mtsensk (russian: Мценск) is a town in Oryol Oblast, Russia, located on the Zusha River (a tributary of the Oka) northeast of Oryol, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: 28,000 (1970). History It was first mentioned in ...

and

Oryol Oryol ( rus, Орёл, p=ɐˈrʲɵl, lit. ''eagle''), also transliterated as Orel or Oriol, is a city and the administrative center of Oryol Oblast situated on the Oka River, approximately south-southwest of Moscow. It is part of the Central Fed ...

. On 5 July, III. ''Gruppe'' began flying missions in support of

Operation Citadel Operation Citadel (german: Unternehmen Zitadelle) was a German offensive operation in July 1943 against Soviet forces in the Kursk salient, proposed by Generalfeldmarschall Fritz Erich Georg Eduard von Manstein during the Second World War on ...

, as part of the

Battle of Kursk The Battle of Kursk was a major World War II Eastern Front engagement between the forces of Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union near Kursk in the southwestern USSR during late summer 1943; it ultimately became the largest tank battle in history. ...

. The ''Gruppe'' supported the 9th Army, attacking the salient from the north. That day, Losigkeit claimed two

Lavochkin La-5 The Lavochkin La-5 (Лавочкин Ла-5) was a Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a development and refinement of the LaGG-3, replacing the earlier model's inline engine with the much more powerful Shvetsov ASh-82 radial engine. ...

fighters shot down. The following day, in aerial combat near Maloarkhangelsk, he claimed another La-5 destroyed. Later that day, he was credited with shooting down a

Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 The Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 (Лавочкин-Горбунов-Гудков ЛаГГ-3) was a Soviet Union, Soviet fighter aircraft of World War II. It was a refinement of the earlier Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-1, LaGG-1 and was one o ...

fighter. On 7 July, III. ''Gruppe'' again fought in the vicinity of Maloarkhangelsk where they claimed 17 aerial victories, including a

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 (russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-3) was a Soviet Union, Soviet interceptor aircraft, fighter-interceptor used during World War II. It was a development of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1, MiG-1 by the OKO (op ...

by Losigkeit, for the loss of one severely shot up Fw 190 from 8. ''Staffel''. Losigkeit was awarded the

German Cross The War Order of the German Cross (german: Der Kriegsorden Deutsches Kreuz), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repe ...

in Gold () on 17 October 1943.

Wing commander

On 1 April 1944, Losigkeit was appointed ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of JG 51. He succeeded ''Oberstleutnant''

Karl-Gottfried Nordmann Karl-Gottfried "Karlfried" Nordmann (22 November 1915 – 22 July 1982) was a German Luftwaffe pilot during World War II and, after the war, a president of Mercedes-Benz in North America. As a fighter ace he was credited with 78 enemy aircraft ...

who was transferred. Command of III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 51 was handed to ''Hauptmann''

Diethelm von Eichel-Streiber Diethelm von Eichel-Streiber (10 August 1914 – 13 May 1996) was a German Luftwaffe officer in the Spanish Civil War and World War II. During the Spanish Civil War, he flew with ''Kampfgruppe'' 88 of the Condor Legion as an air observer. During ...

. The Stab of JG 51 was based at

Terespol Terespol (; be, Тэрэ́спаль, Teréspaĺ) is a town in eastern Poland on the border with Belarus. It lies on the border river Bug, directly opposite the city of Brest, Belarus, making it a border town. It has 5,794 inhabitants as of 2 ...

in the combat area of

Army Group Centre Army Group Centre (german: Heeresgruppe Mitte) was the name of two distinct strategic German Army Groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army fo ...

. On 21 June, bombers of the Eighth Air Force, formerly VIII Bomber Command, on a

shuttle bombing Shuttle bombing is a tactic where bombers fly from their home base to bomb a first target and continue to a different location where they are refuelled and rearmed. The aircraft may then bomb a second target on the return leg to their home base. So ...

mission of

Operation Frantic Operation Frantic was a series of seven shuttle bombing List of air operations during the Battle of Europe, operations during World War II conducted by American aircraft based in Great Britain and southern Italy which then landed at three Soviet ...

, attacked oil refineries south of Berlin before heading for the

Poltava Air Base Poltava Air Base ( uk, Авіабаза «Полтава», russian: Авиабаза «Полтава») is a military airfield located approximately northwest of Poltava, Ukraine. It is one of two airfields near Poltava, the other being Poltav ...

. The bombers were intercepted by elements of JG 51 led by Losigkeit. In this encounter, two of the escorting

North American P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang is an American long-range, single-seat fighter aircraft, fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II and the Korean War, among other conflicts. The Mustang was designed in April 1940 by a team ...

fighters were shot down. One of the P-51 fighters crashed near the Luftwaffe airfield at

Babruysk Babruysk, Babrujsk or Bobruisk ( be, Бабруйск , Łacinka: , rus, Бобруйск, Bobrujsk, bɐˈbruɪ̯s̪k, yi, באָברויסק ) is a city in the Mogilev Region of eastern Belarus on the Berezina River. , its population was 209 ...

where III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 51 was based. In its cockpit, a map of the Poltava Air Base was found. The commander of III. ''Gruppe'', Eichel-Streiber, sent the map to the headquarters of ''Luftflotte'' 6 (6th Air Fleet). This intelligence led to an attack by Luftwaffe bombers which destroyed 44 parked B-17 bombers and damaged further 26. Losigkeit flew to

Danzig-Langfuhr Wrzeszcz (pronounced , german: Langfuhr; csb, Wrzészcz) is one of the boroughs of the Northern Polish city of Gdańsk. With a population of more than 65,000 in an area of (population density 6,622), Wrzeszcz is the most populous part of Gdań ...

, present-day Wrzeszcz, in a

Messerschmitt Bf 108 Taifun The Messerschmitt Bf 108 ''Taifun'' (English: "Typhoon") was a German single-engine sport and touring aircraft, developed by Bayerische Flugzeugwerke in the 1930s. The Bf 108 was of all-metal construction. Design and development Originally desi ...

in late March 1945 to assist the retreat west. There, he was handed a

teleprinter A teleprinter (teletypewriter, teletype or TTY) is an electromechanical device that can be used to send and receive typed messages through various communications channels, in both point-to-point and point-to-multipoint configurations. Initia ...

message by ''Oberst''

Herbert Ihlefeld Herbert Ihlefeld (1 June 1914 – 8 August 1995) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, a fighter ace listed with 130 enemy aircraft shot down in over 1,000 combat missions. He claimed seven ...

that he was ordered to Ostrau, present-day Ostrava, to take command of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing} on 1 April 1945. He succeeded ''Major''

Siegfried Freytag Siegfried Freytag (10 November 1919 – 2 June 2003) was a World War II German Luftwaffe pilot and wing commander. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 102 aerial victories of which 49 victories were claimed over the Eastern Front. Among his ...

in this capacity who had temporarily assumed this office after ''Oberstleutnant''

Erich Leie Erich Leie (10 September 1916 – 7 March 1945) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 121 aerial victories claimed in more than 500 combat missions. He claimed 44 o ...

was killed in action on 7 March. That day, he took command of JG 77 at Beneschau, present-day Benešov, in the Czech Republic. With the arrival of Losigkeit, Freytag resumed command of II. ''Gruppe'' of JG 77. Command of JG 51 was passed on to ''Major''

Heinz Lange Heinz Lange (October 2, 1917 – February 26, 2006) was an officer and pilot in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II who briefly commanded fighter wing Jagdgeschwader 51. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Ca ...

. Losigkeit was awarded the

() on 28 April 1945. The ''Geschwaderstab'' and II. ''Gruppe'' were based at Skutsch (Skuteč) on 8 May. Losigkeit ordered the destruction of all remaining aircraft before boarding a

Junkers Ju 52 The Junkers Ju 52/3m (nicknamed ''Tante Ju'' ("Aunt Ju") and ''Iron Annie'') is a transport aircraft that was designed and manufactured by German aviation company Junkers. Development of the Ju 52 commenced during 1930, headed by German Aeros ...

transport aircraft, filled up with fuel from salvaged aircraft, heading west to avoid capture by the Red Army.

Later life

After the war, Losigkeit was a member of the Gehlen Organization codename "Lohmann". In 1953, Günter Hofé, an old friend of Losigkeit and member of the ) (French Secret Service), contacted Losigkeit which led to Hofé being recruited by the Gehlen Organization. Hofé was involved in a

counterespionage Counterintelligence is an activity aimed at protecting an agency's intelligence program from an opposition's intelligence service. It includes gathering information and conducting activities to prevent espionage, sabotage, assassinations or ot ...

activity involving

Heinz Felfe Heinz Paul Johann Felfe (March 18, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was a German spy. At various times he worked for the intelligence services of Nazi Germany, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and West Germany. It is still not clear when he started ...

. Losigkeit died on 14 January 1994 in

Hünxe Hünxe () is a municipality in the Wesel (district), district of Wesel, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is part of the List of Euroregions, Rhine-Waal euroregion Geography Hünxe is located approximately 10 Metre#SI prefixed forms of metr ...

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Losigkeit was credited with 68 aerial victories. Obermaier and Spick also list him with 68 aerial victories, including 13 on the Western Front, claimed in approximately 750 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of ''Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims'', researched the

German Federal Archives The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv (BArch) (german: Bundesarchiv) are the National Archives of Germany. They were established at the current location in Koblenz in 1952. They are subordinated to the Federal Commissioner for Culture and t ...

and found records for 51 aerial victory claims. This figure includes 44 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and seven over the

, including one four-engined bomber. Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = ''Planquadrat''), for example "PQ 05 Ost S/83/1/5". The Luftwaffe grid map () covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15

minutes Minutes, also known as minutes of meeting (abbreviation MoM), protocols or, informally, notes, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting and may include a list of attendees, a state ...

latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north pol ...

by 30 minutes of

longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east–west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek letter l ...

, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.

Awards

* Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords (14 April 1939) *

Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe The ''Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe'' (Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe) was a Luftwaffe award established on 27 February 1940 by Hermann Göring, ''Reichsmarschall'' Hermann Göring, the ''Reich'' Minister of Aviation and Commander-in-Chief of the Luft ...

on 11 October 1943 as ''

Major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

'' and ''

Gruppenkommandeur ''Gruppenkommandeur'' is a Luftwaffe position (not rank), that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air forces. A ''Gruppenkommandeur'' usually has the rank of Major or ''Oberstleutnant'' (Lieutenant Colonel), and commands ...

'' *

in Gold on 17 October 1943 as ''Major'' in III./''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 *

on 28 April 1945 as ''Major'' and ''

'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 "Mölders"

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Losigkeit, Fritz 1913 births 1994 deaths Politicians from Berlin Condor Legion personnel German World War II flying aces German military personnel of the Spanish Civil War Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Free Democratic Party (Germany) politicians Shot-down aviators People from the Province of Brandenburg Military personnel from Berlin People from Reinickendorf