Karl-Heinz Langer

Karl-Heinz Langer (19 April 1914 – 6 May 1955) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. During his career he was credited with 30 aerial victories in 486 missions, 10 on the Western Front and 20 on the Eastern Front.

Career
In December 1942, III. Gruppe's primary task was providing fighter escort to Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft and Heinkel He 111 bombers shuttling supplies for the encircled German forces fighting in the Battle of Stalingrad. On 17 December, Langer and the Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 3, Major Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke, escorted 16 Ju 52 transport aircraft to the Pitomnik Airfield which was located within the Stalingrad pocket. While taking off at Pitomnik Airfield, his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 13739—factory number) ran over unexploded ordnance which then exploded, destroying his aircraft and significantly injuring Langer. He was later flown out of the pocket on a Ju 52.

Squadron leader
Langer was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) on 1 June 1943. He succeeded Oberleutnant Eberhard von Boremski who was wounded in combat the day before. On 14 October, during the Second Raid on Schweinfurt, Langer claimed the destruction of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber shot down 8 km east of Hammelburg. In this engagement, his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 26924) was shot down by defensive fire. Langer was forced to bail out near Hammelburg. Due to the injuries sustained, he was replaced by Leutnant Erwin Stahlberg as leader of 7. Staffel.

On 14 July 1943, Langer was temporarily given command of III. Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 3 after its former commander Hauptmann Wolfgang Ewald was shot down behind enemy lines and taken prisoner of war. In consequence, command of 7. Staffel was briefly given to Leutnant Hans Schleef. When on 20 July, Hauptmann Walther Dahl took command of the Gruppe, Langer returned to his 7. Staffel. On 21 May 1944, Langer was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of JG 3. He thus succeeded Dahl who was transferred.

Later life
Langer died on 6 May 1955 at the age of 41 in Fischbach, West Germany.

Aerial victory claims
Langer was credited with 30 aerial victories claimed in 486 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 29 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This number includes ten on the Western Front, including four four-engined bombers, and 19 on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 4056". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) 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 360 sqmi. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 x in size.

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
 * Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (12 August 1944)
 * German Cross in Gold on 26 July 1944 as Hauptmann in the III./Jagdgeschwader 3
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 20 April 1945 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"