Karl Schnörrer

Karl "Quax" Schnörrer (22 March 1919 – 25 September 1979) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he claimed 46 enemy aircraft shot down in 536 combat missions, eleven of which while flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter in Defense of the Reich.

Born in Nuremberg, Schnörrer served in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany. Following flight training, he was posted to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in 1941, operating on the Eastern Front. He claimed his first aerial victory on 13 December 1941. In October 1942, Schnörrer became the wingman of his friend Walter Nowotny. In November 1943, he was severely wounded after he was shot down. After his convalescence, he was posted to ''Erprobungskommando'' 262, an experimental unit testing the Me 262 jet fighter. He then served with ''Kommando Nowotny'', an operational test unit led by Nowotny, experimenting with the Me 262 under combat conditions. Following the death of his friend Nowotny on 8 November 1944, Schnörrer was posted to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 7 "Nowotny" (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing), the first jet fighter wing. Flying with this unit, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 March 1945. On 30 March, Schnörrer was forced to bail out from his damaged aircraft, sustaining severe injuries to his leg which then had to be amputated. Schnörrer died on 25 September 1979 in Nuremberg.

Early life and career

Schnörrer was born on 22 March 1919 in Nuremberg, at the time in Free State of Bavaria. Prior to joining the military service, Schnörrer worked as a photo reporter. Starting in May 1940, Schnörrer was trained as a fighter pilot at the ''Jagdfliegerschule 5'' in Wien-Schwechat where he befriended Walter Nowotny. He "earned" his nickname "Quax" by crashing the difficult-to-control Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter plane three times during his flight-training. The name of a popular accident-prone cartoon character of the time, it was taken from the movie ''Quax the Crash Pilot'' released in 1941 with the famous German actor Heinz Rühmann as "Quax".

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. Schnörrer arrived on the Eastern Front as an ''Unteroffizier'', soon after German forces had launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. There, he was assigned initially to the ''Ergänzungsgruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing). The ''Ergänzungsgruppe'' was a supplementary training group attached to JG 54 under the command of ''Hauptmann'' Leo Eggers. There, he was again reunited with Nowotny. In July, he was posted to 1. '' Staffel'' (1st squadron) of JG 54. He claimed his first victory on 13 December 1941, which was not confirmed. On this mission, Schnörrer, against orders, had broken formation to attack the enemy aircraft. The ''Schwarm'', flight of four aircraft, had been led by Horst Ademeit who later criticized Schnörrer for his behavior.

Eastern Front

Schnörrer claimed his first confirmed aerial victory on 12 May 1942 over a Yakovlev Yak-1. On 13 August, he shot down a Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber, his only other claim in 1942. At the time, 1. ''Staffel'' was commanded by ''Oberleutnant'' Heinz Lange and subordinated to I. '' Gruppe'' (1st group) headed by ''Hauptmann'' Hans Philipp. On 25 October, Nowotny was transferred from 3. ''Staffel'' to take command of 1. ''Staffel'' from Lange. Nowotny then chose his friend Schnörrer to be his wingman. In mid-December, I. ''Gruppe'' began converting to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4 fighter aircraft. On 16 January 1943, 1. ''Staffel'' was ordered to Heiligenbeil, present-day Mamonovo, where most of the pilots received the Fw 190 aircraft.

As of 1 February, Nowotny, Schnörrer, Anton Döbele and Rudolf Rademacher, formed a team known as the "chain of devils" () or the ''Nowotny Schwarm'', which during the course of the war was credited with 524 combined aerial victories, making them the most successful team in the Luftwaffe. In February, I. ''Gruppe'' of JG 54 was fighting in the Siege of Leningrad. The combat area was predominantly in the east and southeast of Leningrad where Soviet forces had created a corridor to the city in Operation Iskra. On 23 February, Soviet forces launched an attack south of Leningrad as part of Operation Polyarnaya Zvezda. The attack was repelled by forces under the command of ''Generalleutnant'' Carl Hilpert. That day, all available aircraft of I. ''Gruppe'' flew missions in defense of this attack, predominantly attacking Soviet ground attack aircraft. By nightfall, the ''Gruppe'' reported 32 Soviet aircraft destroyed, including an Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft claimed by Schnörrer in the vicinity of Mga, southeast of Leningrad. On 15 March, Soviet forces attacked the German positions of the X. ''Armeekorps'' (10th Army Corps) south of Lake Ilmen, breaching the German lines south of Staraya Russa. Operating from an airfield at Gorodets, I. ''Gruppe'' claimed 21 aerial victories that day, including Schnörrer's fifth aerial victory. This victory was claimed over an Il-2 ground attack aircraft shot down southeast Staraya Russa.

On 1 April, the ''Gruppenkommandeur'' (group commander), Philipp was transferred and temporarily replaced by ''Hauptmann'' Gerhard Koall until ''Major'' Reinhard Seiler took command on 1 May. On 5 June, I. ''Gruppe'' flew combat air patrols in the area of Volkhov as well as escorting bombers from ''Kampfgeschwader'' 53 (KG 53—53rd Bomber Wing) attacking the locks in the harbor of Novaya Ladoga. There, the ''Gruppe'' fought against many Soviet fighter aircraft during the course of which Schnörrer claimed a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter shot down. Three days later, I. ''Gruppe'' escorted bombers to the railroad bridges near Volkhovstroy. On this mission, Schnörrer claimed the destruction of a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter aircraft. On 15 June, the ''Nowotny Schwarm'' was sent on a mission to the coastal area near Kronstadt. On this mission, Schnörrer claimed another LaGG-3 fighter shot down, his eighth aerial victory in total, while Nowotny claimed his 99th to 101st aerial victory.

Operation Citadel

In early July, I. ''Gruppe'' of JG 54 was ordered to move to Oryol, in the southern sector of Army Group Centre, where it fought in Operation Citadel which initiated the Battle of Kursk. Subordinated to ''Luftflotte'' 6 (Air Fleet 6), the ''Gruppe'' began relocating on 2 July and arrived at the airfield name Panikowo, a makeshift airfield created for the attack on the Kursk salient, on 4 July. The next day, the Wehrmacht launched Operation Citadel and I. ''Gruppe'' supported the attack of the 9th Army on the northern sector of the salient, escorting bombers of ''Kampfgeschwader'' 4, 51 and KG 53 (KG 4, KG 51—4th, 51st Bomber Wing), as well as Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers of ''Sturzkampfgeschwader'' 1 (StG 1—1st Dive Bomber Wing) to their target areas. That day, I. ''Gruppe'' claimed 59 aerial victories, including a LaGG-3 fighter by Schnörrer in the vicinity of Maloarkhangelsk. The next day, I. ''Gruppe'' targeted the airspace near Ponyri and during multiple combat missions claimed 29 aerial victories which included a LaGG-3 shot down by Schnörrer at 14:33.

On 7 July, the ''Gruppe'' again operated over Ponyri where they claimed 35 aerial victories for no loss of their own, including a Douglas A-20 Havoc bomber, also known as "Boston", and a Lend-Lease Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter claimed by Schnörrer. By 14 July, Operation Citadel had failed after Soviet forces had launched Operation Kutuzov in the northern sector. Although in the southern sector, the offensive continued until 17 July in Operation Roland. That day, Schnörrer claimed an Il-2 ground attack aircraft and a LaGG-3 fighter destroyed. One of his opponents may have been a pilot from the Free French ''Régiment de Chasse Normandie-Niémen'' (Fighter Squadron 2/30 Normandie-Niemen). That day, ''Mayor'' Jean Tulasne led his unit on an Il-2 ground attack aircraft escort mission to Znamenskaya, northwest of Oryol, losing three aircraft to I. and IV. ''Gruppe'' of JG 54. With German forces in retreat, Oryol was cleared on 5 August. Over the following days, I. ''Gruppe'' operated from an airfield at Karachev, located approximately halfway between Oryol and Bryansk, predominately flying over the combat area of Oryol. On 7 August, Schnörrer shot down two Il-2 ground attack aircraft in this area.

Battle at Kharkiv and Smolensk

On 9 August, I. ''Gruppe'' was ordered south to Poltava Airfield where they were placed under the control of ''Luftflotte'' 4 (Air Fleet 4). The reason for this was a response to the successful Soviet Belgorod–Kharkiv offensive operation following the Battle of Kursk. On 11 August, Nowotny was temporarily appointed commander of I. ''Gruppe'', a position he held until 15 September when he was officially assigned as ''Gruppenkommandeur''. The next day, the ''Gruppe'' flew multiple combat air patrols and fighter escort for Ju 87 dive bombers in the area west of Kharkiv and Okhtyrka. On 16 August, Schnörrer shot down another La-5 fighter. Two days later, the ''Gruppe'' returned to Kharkiv and Okhtyrka where Schnörrer claimed a MiG-3 fighter shot down in the afternoon, his 20th claim. On 20 August, I. ''Gruppe'' again escorted Ju 87 dive bombers and Heinkel He 111 bombers to Okhtyrka. Without loss, I. ''Gruppe'' claimed 15 aerial victories, including a Pe-2 bomber and an Il-2 ground attack aircraft by Schnörrer. The next day, Schnörrer claimed another Il-2 ground attack aircraft shot down on a mission to Kharkiv.

On 27 August, I. ''Gruppe'' was withdrawn from the combat area of Kharkiv and ordered to the airfield Iwanowka which was located at Ordschonikidsegrad, present-day part of Bryansk, which again placed them under the control of ''Luftflotte'' 6. The reason for this relocation was Soviet success in the Battle of Smolensk and the pressure exerted on the 9th Army. Nowotny claimed his 200th aerial victory on 8 September. On 17 September, the ''Gruppe'' moved to Vitebsk. Schnörrer claimed his next aerial victory on 28 September, a LaGG-3 fighter. That day, I. ''Gruppe'' operated over Velizh, located approximately northeast of Vitebsk. On 7 October, I. ''Gruppe'' again flew missions to combat area of Velizh where Schnörrer claimed a Bell P-39 Airacobra and P-40 fighter aircraft. Two days later, in combat near Nevel, he was credited with shooting down another P-39 fighter and an Il-2 ground attack aircraft.

On 14 October, to the southwest of Smolensk near Markovo, Nowotny became the first pilot to claim 250 aerial victories. That day, Schnörrer claimed his 33rd aerial victory, a P-40 shot down near Lyady. Schnörrer was awarded the German Cross in Gold () on 21 October. On 11 November, the ''Nowotny Schwarm'' lost Döbele, who was killed in a mid-air collision with an Il-2 ground attack aircraft east of Vitebsk. The next day, Nowotny claimed his last aerial victory on the Eastern Front. A few minutes later Schnörrer shot down a Yakovlev Yak-9 attacking Nowotny for his own 35th victory claim. Schnörrer was then shot down in his Fw 190 A-5 (''Werknummer'' 410021—factory number) south of Nevel by German anti-aircraft artillery. Bailing out at approximately , his parachute failed to deploy in time, and he crashed to the ground, breaking both legs and suffering a severe concussion. Schnörrer was then rescued by the German infantry and flown in a Junkers Ju 52 to a Luftwaffe hospital in Dölau, today part of Halle.

Flying the Messerschmitt Me 262

Seven months later in June 1944, having recovered from his injuries, and commissioned as an officer, ''Leutnant'' Schnörrer was transferred to ''Erprobungskommando'' 262, a small unit doing flight-testing of the revolutionary new Messerschmitt Me 262 jet aircraft. In September, the fighter was ready to proceed to advanced combat-testing and his friend Nowotny was brought in to lead the project. On 26 September, the unit was re-designated ''Kommando'' Nowotny. But progress was slow and with the war-situation getting worse, an impatient General Adolf Galland arrived in early-November to get a personal report. On 8 November, in very poor weather conditions, Nowotny led a ''Schwarm'' of Me 262s into one of its first group combat missions and was killed in action, probably shot down after an engine flame-out left him defenceless. On 15 November, Schnörrer and ''Major'' Rudolf Schoenert, ''Oberst'' Gordon Gollob, ''Major'' Georg Christl, ''Hauptmann'' Heinz Strüning, ''Major'' Josef Fözö formed the guard of honor at Nowotny funeral at the ''Zentralfriedhof'' in Vienna. The eulogy was delivered by ''Generaloberst'' Otto Deßloch.

Following these events, ''Jagdgeschwader'' 7 "Nowotny" (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing) "Nowotny" was formed and placed under the command of ''Oberst'' Johannes Steinhoff. On 19 November, remnants of ''Kommando'' Nowotny was redesignated at Lechfeld Airfield to III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 7 and ordered to Brandenburg-Briest where they joined the '' Stab'' (headquarters unit). In consequence, the 1., 2. and 3. ''Staffel'' of ''Kommando'' Nowotny became the 9., 10, and 11. ''Staffel'' of III. ''Gruppe'' which Steinhoff had placed under the command of ''Major'' Erich Hohagen. Schnörrer was assigned to III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 7 flying in Defense of the Reich. From February to March 1945, he claimed eleven aerial victories flying the Me 262 jet-fighter, making him one of the top jet-aces of the war.

On 3 February 1945, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force attacked Brabag's synthetic fuel factory at Magdeburg. III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 7 was one of the Luftwaffe units scrambled to intercept the bombers. The USAAF lost 23 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers and seven North American P-51 Mustang fighters in the attack. Schnörrer was one of the Luftwaffe pilots to have claimed a B-17 shot down that day. On 9 February, over 1,200 heavy bombers of the Eighth Air Force attacked synthetic fuel factories, railroad and other targets. Close to Berlin, III. ''Gruppe'' intercepted a formation of B-17 bombers and their fighter escort. In this encounter, Schnörrer claimed the destruction of a P-51 fighter aircraft. On 3 March 29 Me 262s from ''Stab'' and III. ''Gruppe'' intercepted USAAF heavy bombers heading for Magdeburg, Hannover, Hildesheim and Braunschweig. At approximately 10:15, Me 262s from 9. ''Staffel'' engaged in aerial combat with B-17 bombers between Braunschweig and Magdeburg. Schnörrer accounted for one of the B-17 bombers shot down that day.

On 18 March, the Eighth Air Force headed for various railway stations and tank factories in the greater Berlin area with 1,329 heavy bombers, escorted by 632 fighter aircraft. Flying from Parchim Airfield, 37 Me 262 fighters led by ''Major'' Theodor Weissenberger took off to intercept the bombers. For the first time, six of the Me 262 fighters were armed with the R4M unguided air-to-air rocket. Firing his rockets, Schnörrer shot down two B-17 bombers. On that mission, ''Oberleutnant'' Günther Wegmann, the ''Staffelkäpitan'' of 9. ''Staffel'' of JG 7, was wounded in aerial combat. In consequence, Schnörrer was temporary given command of 9. ''Staffel'', a command position referred to as ''Staffelführer''. The following day, 1,273 heavy bombers from the USAAF 3rd Air Division again attacked the synthetic fuel factories. The bombers were intercepted by 28 Me 262 fighters north of Chemnitz. In this encounter, Schnörrer shot down a B-17 bomber.

On 22 March, Schnörrer was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () for 43 aerial victories claimed. On 30 March, the USAAF 3rd Air Division dispatched 1,320 heavy bombers, escorted by 852 fighter aircraft, to the U-boat pens and oil storage facilities at Hamburg, Bremen, Wilhelmshaven and Farge. Defending against this attack, Me 262s from I. and III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 7 were scrambled. The attack force was intercepted north of Lüneburg. At 13:30 Schnörrer shot down two B-17 bombers, his last aerial victories. He was then hit by crossfire from a third bomber. Pursued by P-51 fighters near Uelzen, he bailed out but his leg hit the tailplane on his exit. Although he landed safely his leg wounds were so serious that he had to have his leg amputated, thus ending his combat career. Command of 9. ''Staffel'' was then passed on to ''Oberleutnant'' Gustav Sturm

Later life

After the war, Schnörrer worked as a photographer for the Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa). Schnörrer died on 25 September 1979 in Nuremberg, aged 60.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Schnörrer was credited with 46 aerial victories claimed in 536 combat missions. This figure includes 35 claims on the Eastern Front and 11 flying the Me 262 jet fighter over the Western Allies. Mathews and Foreman, authors of ''Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims'', researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 45 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This figure of confirmed claims includes 34 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 11 on the Western Front flying the Me 262 jet fighter, including nine four-engined bombers.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = ''Planquadrat''), for example "PQ 10662". The Luftwaffe grid map () covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.

Awards

* Pilot's Badge (6 May 1941)
*Eastern Front Medal (6 August 1942)
*Wound Badge in Black (13 November 1943)
*Order of the Cross of Liberty 2nd Class (22 November 1942)
*Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold for fighter pilots (14 November 1942)
*Iron Cross (1939)
** 2nd Class (16 September 1942)
** 1st Class (22 June 1943)
*Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 1 November 1943 as ''Feldwebel'' and pilot
*German Cross in Gold on 21 October 1943 as ''Leutnant'' in the I./''Jagdgeschwader'' 54
*Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 March 1945 as ''Leutnant'' of the Reserves and ''Staffelführer'' of the 11./''Jagdgeschwader'' 7

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Schnorrer, Karl
1919 births
1979 deaths
Luftwaffe pilots
German World War II flying aces
Recipients of the Gold German Cross
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Recipients of the Order of the Cross of Liberty, 2nd Class
German amputees
Military personnel from Nuremberg
Photographers from Bavaria