Edmund Roßmann

Edmund "Paule" Roßmann (11 January 1918 – 4 April 2005) was a Nazi Germany Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II. He was credited with 93 aerial victories achieved in 640 combat missions, among the numerous ground attack missions. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He is also noted as being an early mentor of Erich Hartmann, history's leading fighter ace.

Early life and career

Roßmann was born on 11 January 1918 in Caaschwitz in the Principality of Reuss-Gera within the German Empire. Following completion of his flight and fighter pilot training, Roßmann was posted to 7. '' Staffel'' (7th squadron) of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) on 1 March 1940 holding the rank of '' Unteroffizier'' (non-commissioned officer). At the time, 7. ''Staffel'' was commanded by ''Oberleutnant'' Herbert Ferner. The ''Staffel'' was subordinated to III. '' Gruppe'' (3rd group) of JG 52 headed by ''Major'' Wolf-Heinrich von Houwald. The ''Gruppe'' had been formed on 1 March 1940 at Strausberg and was equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1 and E-3. On 6 April, the ''Gruppe'' was moved to Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield where it was placed under the control of the '' Stab'' (headquarter unit) of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 (JG 53–53rd Fighter Wing).

World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday, 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 1 July 1940, III. ''Gruppe'' transferred from Jever Airfield to Werneuchen. According to Mathews and Foreman, Roßmann filed claim for an unconfirmed aerial victory over an unknown type of aircraft that day. This claim is not listed by Barbas nor by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock.

On 21 July during the ''Kanalkampf'' phase of the Battle of Britain, Roßmann claimed a Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber shot down over the English Channel. Three days later, Roßmann claimed a Supermarine Spitfire shot down north of Margate. That day, III. ''Gruppe'' had engaged in combat with Royal Air Force (RAF) Spitfires from No. 610 Squadron on a fighter escort mission for 15 Dornier Do 17 bombers attacking shipping in the Thames Estuary. Roßmann's claim was not confirmed. On 29 July, Roßmann had a mid-air collision with a Spitfire fighter in the combat area near Dover. The following day, III. ''Gruppe'', which had sustained heavy casualties during the Battle of Britain, was withdrawn from the English Channel and ordered to relocate to Leeuwarden Airfield. The ''Gruppe'' was then ordered to Zerbst on 1 August before moving to Merseburg on 25 August, to Neuruppin on 7 September and to Schönwalde on 18 September. At Schönwalde, III. ''Gruppe'' continued training, in particular aerial gunnery was practiced. On 7 October, the ''Gruppe'' was placed under command of ''Major'' Gotthard Handrick.

The rise of General Ion Antonescu in Romania in 1940 led to a reorganization of his country's armed forces. In this, he was supported by a military mission from Germany, the ''Luftwaffenmission Rumänien'' (Luftwaffe Mission Romania) under the command of ''Generalleutnant'' (equivalent to major general) . ''Luftwaffenmission Rumänien'' also defended Germany's southeastern borders, with its primary objective defending the oil fields and refineries at Ploiești. On 15 October, the ''Stab'' and 9. ''Staffel'' of III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 52 were sent to Bucharest Pipera Airfield, followed by 7. And 8. ''Staffel'' in late November. There, the III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 52 temporarily became the I. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 28 (JG 28—28th Fighter Wing). On 4 January 1941, the ''Gruppe'' again became the III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 52. On 25 May, III. ''Gruppe'' was sent to Greece where it was subordinated to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) and fought in the Battle of Crete.

War against the Soviet Union

Following its brief deployment in the Balkan Campaign, III. ''Gruppe'' was back in Bucharest by mid-June. There, the unit was again subordinated to the ''Luftwaffenmission Rumänien'' and reequipped with the new, more powerful Bf 109 F-4 model. On 21 June, the ''Gruppe'' was ordered to Mizil in preparation of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Its primary objective was to provide fighter protection for the oil fields and refineries at Ploiești. Prior to the invasion, ''Major'' Gotthard Handrick was replaced by ''Major'' Albert Blumensaat as commander of III. ''Gruppe''. Blumensaat was then replaced by ''Hauptmann'' Hubertus von Bonin on 1 October. At the time, von Bonin was still in convalescence so that ''Hauptmann'' Franz Höring, the commander of 9. ''Staffel'', was also made the acting '' Gruppenkommandeur'' (group commander). The invasion of the Soviet Union began on 22 June. The next day, the ''Gruppe'' moved to Mamaia, the northern district of Constanța on the Black Sea coast. On 25 June, Roßmann claimed his first confirmed aerial victory when he shot down a Soviet Ilyushin DB-3 bomber.

Roßmann received the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe () on 17 November. By the end of 1941 he had accumulated 32 aerial victories. On 19 March 1942, Roßmann and fellow JG 52 pilot ''Leutnant'' Adolf Dickfeld were awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (). From March to June 1942, he was posted to '' Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost'' (Supplementary Fighter Group, East) as fighter pilot instructor and returned to his ''Staffel'' afterwards. Nevertheless, he almost doubled his score by the end of 1942 and claimed his 80th victory on 29 November 1942. At the time, he was an early mentor of Erich Hartmann, history's leading fighter ace. When in March 1943, ''Oberleutnant'' Walter Krupinski was appointed '' Staffelkapitän'' (squadron leader) of 7. ''Staffel'', Roßmann was assigned as his wingman and assisted in familiarizing him with the combat conditions over the Kerch Peninsula.

On 5 July 1943 on the first day of Operation Citadel, Roßmann claimed three aerial victories. Four days later on 9 July, Roßmann attempted to rescue ''Feldwebel'' Ernst Lohberg who had crash landed behind enemy lines, approximately west of Oboyan. Roßmann successfully landed his Bf 109 G-6 (''Werknummer'' 20154—factory number) next to Lohberg's aircraft. At this moment, the Soviet infantry arrived, while Lohberg was shot, Roßmann was taken prisoner of war.

Later life

Roßmann died on 4 April 2005 at the age of in Krefeld, Germany.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Roßmann was credited with 93 aerial victories. Spick also lists Roßmann with 93 aerial victories claimed in approximately 640 combat missions. This figure includes 87 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, and further six victories over the Western Allies. Mathews and Foreman, authors of ''Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims'', researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 93 aerial victory claims, plus six further unconfirmed claims. All of his confirmed aerialvitories were claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = ''Planquadrat''), for example "PQ 44457". 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

* Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
* Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 17 November 1941 as '' Unteroffizier'' and pilot
* German Cross in Gold on 22 January 1942 as '' Feldwebel'' in the III./''Jagdgeschwader'' 52
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 March 1942 as ''Feldwebel'' and pilot in the 7./''Jagdgeschwader'' 52

Notes

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Rossmann, Edmund
1918 births
2005 deaths
People from Greiz (district)
People from the Principality of Reuss-Gera
Luftwaffe pilots
German World War II flying aces
Recipients of the Gold German Cross
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
German prisoners of war in World War II held by the Soviet Union
Military personnel from Thuringia