Otto Kittel

Otto Kittel (21 February 1917 – 14 or 16 February 1945) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. He flew 583 combat missions on the Eastern Front, claiming 267 aerial victories, making him the fourth highest scoring ace in aviation history according to authors John Weal and Jerry Scutts. Kittel claimed all of his victories against the Red Air Force.

Kittel joined the Luftwaffe in 1939, and, in spring 1941, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) supporting Army Group North on the Eastern Front. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 October 1943, for reaching 120 aerial victories. During the remainder of World War II, Kittel was credited with 144 more aerial victories and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. He was shot down by Soviet aircraft and killed in February 1945. Kittel was the most successful German fighter pilot to be killed in action.

Personal life
Kittel was born on 21 February 1917 in Kronsdorf in Sudeten Silesia, Austria-Hungary, present-day Krasov. He was the son of Eduard Kittel, a farmer. After working briefly as an auto mechanic, Kittel joined the Luftwaffe in 1939. Following completion of flight and fighter pilot training, he was posted to 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) on 12 February 1941. Kittel married his fiancé, Edith, in June 1942; the couple had a son, born in 1942.

World War II
World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. At the time of Kittel's posting to 2. Staffel in early 1941, the squadron was commanded by Oberleutnant Rudolf Unger and subordinated to I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 54 headed by Hauptmann Hubertus von Bonin. The Gruppe was based at Groningen Airfield in the Netherlands where they patrolled the German Bight. Unlike the other elements of JG 54, I. Gruppe did not participate in the German invasion of Yugoslavia and stayed in Groningen until 9 May when they relocated to Jever Airfield in northern Germany. On 31 May, due to technical problems with his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 12725—factory number) Kittel was forced to bail out near Spiekeroog. On 14 June, the Gruppe was withdrawn and began preparations for the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

War against the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, began on 22 June 1941. In the fortnight prior, JG 54 had been moved to an airfield in Lindenthal near Rautenberg, East Prussia, present-day Uslowoje in Kaliningrad Oblast. Tasked with supporting Army Group North in its advance through the Baltic states towards Leningrad, the unit began combat operations shortly afterwards. On 24 June 1941, Kittel claimed his first two aerial victories, two Tupolev SB-2 bombers. His tally had risen to 19 by May 1942.

In mid-December 1942, I. Gruppe began converting to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4 radial engine powered fighter. The conversion training took place at Heiligenbeil, present-day Mamonovo, before returning to Krasnogvardeysk, present-day Gatchina. On 12 January 1943, Soviet forces launched Operation Iskra fought south of Lake Ladoga and aimed to break the Wehrmacht's siege of Leningrad. The Soviet operation was supported by bomber, ground-attack and fighter aircraft. That day, I. Gruppe pilots claimed 36 aerial victories, including Kittel's first "ace-in-a-day" achievement when he shot down six Soviet aircraft on two separate combat missions. On 19 February, Kittel claimed his 39th aerial victory which was also JG 54's 4,000th claim in total. On 15 March 1943, Kittel's Fw 190 A-4 (Werknummer 2481) suffered engine failure resulting in a forced landing behind enemy lines. He managed to return to his unit on foot.

During the fighting in 1943, JG 54 took part in the spring battles over the Crimea Peninsula, Vyazma-Bryansk, Vitebsk, Kharkov, Orsha and Orel regions. During the Battle of Kursk, Kittel's unit escorted Junkers Ju 87 Stukas of a dive bomber wing commanded by Hans-Ulrich Rudel. On 14 September 1943, Kittel claimed his 100th aerial victory, a Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter. The 53rd Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 29 October 1943. The presentation was made after the 123rd aerial victory at Vitebsk. On 1 November 1943, Kittel was promoted to the rank of Leutnant (second lieutenant). Kittel was then posted to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost, a supplementary training unit for fighter pilots destined for the Eastern Front, as an instructor. At the time, the unit was commanded by Major Viktor Bauer and was based at Saint-Jean-d'Angély, France.

Squadron leader
On 9 February 1944, Kittel was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 54. He succeeded Leutnant Günther Haase who had been killed in a flying accident on 30 January. At the time, I. Gruppe of JG 54 to which 3. Staffel was subordinated was based at Orsha. On 14 February, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield named Wesenberg near Rakvere, located approximately 60 km north of Lake Peipus and 105 km west of Narva. Here the Gruppe was subordinated to the 3. Flieger-Division (3rd Air Division) and fought in the Battle of Narva.

On 4 April 1944, Kittel claimed his 150th aerial victory. Shortly before 08:00, I. Gruppe was scrambled at Wesenberg and intercepted a flight of Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft and their fighter escort over sea off Kunda. In this aerial encounter which was fought for 20 minutes, I. Gruppe pilots claimed thirteen aerial victories, four Il-2s and nine fighter aircraft, including five claims by Kittel, taking his total to 151. On 11 April, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) for his 152nd aerial victory, the 449th soldier to receive this distinction. Kittel received the Oak Leaves from Adolf Hitler at the Berghof on 5 May 1944. Also present at the ceremony were Anton Hafner, Alfred Grislawski, Günther Schack, Emil Lang, Erich Rudorffer, Martin Möbus, Wilhelm Herget, Hans-Karl Stepp, Rudolf Schoenert, Günther Radusch, Otto Pollmann and Fritz Breithaupt, who all received the Oak Leaves on this date.

On 2 August, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Šķirotava, located approximately 10 km southeast of Riga. Flying from Šķirotava, Kittel claimed his 200th aerial victory on 26 August. On 29 May 1944, 2. Staffel of I. Gruppe had been detached and subordinated to III. Gruppe of JG 54 which was fighting on the Western Front in defense of the Reich over Germany. In consequence, on 1 September 1944 a new 2. Staffel was formed and placed under the command of Kittel. Command of 3. Staffel was then given to Leutnant Fritz Tegtmeier. In October, Hauptmann Franz Eisenach, the Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe was given home leave. In consequence, Kittel temporarily led the Gruppe during his absence. Kittel was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern) on 25 November 1944.

On 16 February 1945, Kittel was shot down in his Fw 190 A-8 (Werknummer 960282) southwest of Tukums over the Courland Pocket. He was hit by return fire from an Il-2 ground attack aircraft. His wingman later reported that his aircraft was hit, descended towards the ground on fire and crashed in flames. The site of the crash is believed to have been 6 km south-west of Džūkste in Latvia.

Aerial victory claims
According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Kittel was credited with 267 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 267 aerial victories, all on the Eastern Front, claimed in 583 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 265 aerial victory claims, plus three further unconfirmed claims. All of his aerial victories were claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 44793". 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 360 sqmi. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 x in size.

Awards

 * Wound Badge in Black
 * Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 21 December 1942 as Feldwebel and pilot
 * Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "500"
 * Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
 * German Cross in Gold on 18 March 1943 as Feldwebel in the 2./Jagdgeschwader 54
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (30 June 1941)
 * 1st Class (October 1941)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
 * Knight's Cross on 29 October 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 2./Jagdgeschwader 54
 * 449th Oak Leaves on 11 April 1944 as Leutnant (war officer) pilot in the 1./Jagdgeschwader 54
 * 113th Swords on 25 November 1944 as Oberleutnant (war officer) and Staffelkapitän of the 2./Jagdgeschwader 54