Theodor Nordmann

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Theodor Nordmann (born December 18, 1918 in Dorsten , † January 19, 1945 near Insterburg ) was a " Stuka " pilot in the German Air Force and holder of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in World War II .

Early career

Theodor Nordmann joined the Air Force on November 1, 1937 and attended the Air War School in Berlin-Gatow . In the rank of lieutenant, he was trained as a pilot at the Stukaschule and was transferred to the 1st squadron of the aircraft group 186 (1st (St) / 186 (T)), the squadron that was to be stationed on the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin .

Second World War

Nordmann successfully participated in the western campaign with his squadron . After 60 flights at the front, he was awarded the Iron Cross II on May 24, 1940, and Class I on August 29, 1940. In July 1940 his squadron became 7th season of the III. Group Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (StG 1) renamed. After deployments during the Battle of Britain , his squadron was relocated to the Mediterranean . Here he sank a total of 5,000 GRT ship tonnage and destroyed port facilities and airfields on Malta with a direct hit .

On June 22, 1941, he was finally transferred to the Eastern Front , where he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on September 17, 1941 after 200 enemy flights and the destruction of 21 tanks and 14 anti-aircraft batteries. On October 1, 1941, Nordmann was appointed first lieutenant and squadron captain of the 8th Squadron III / StG 1, on August 22, 1942 he succeeded in his 600th mission and on the same day the destruction of his 60th tank, shortly afterwards he became an air force test site Rechlin moved. In December 1942 he was given command of the III. Group of the StG 1 and was awarded the oak leaves on March 17, 1943 for his 700th enemy flight. Meanwhile promoted to major and commander of the III. Group in the battle squadron 3 , Nordmann completed his 1,140. Feindflug and he was awarded the knight's cross swords for this. On December 15, 1944, he was finally appointed commodore of SG III.

Accident and death

On January 19, 1945, Nordmann was on an enemy flight near Insterburg in East Prussia when, in bad weather, his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 collided with the plane of his Rottenflieger. The 26-year-old Nordmann died in this accident, as did the pilot of the other aircraft.

With almost 1,300 enemy flights, Nordmann has the second most missions of all dive and battle pilots, surpassed only by Hans-Ulrich Rudel . With 80 destroyed tanks, he also reached 12th place among the most successful German attack pilots of the Second World War.

Awards

literature

  • Obermaier, Ernst: The Luftwaffe Knight's Cross Carriers 1939–1945, Volume II Stuka and Attack Airmen. Verlag Dieter Hoffmann, Mainz 1976, ISBN 3-87341-021-4 .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Veit Scherzer : Knight's Cross bearer 1939–1945. The holders of the Iron Cross of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and armed forces allied with Germany according to the documents of the Federal Archives. 2nd Edition. Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Ranis / Jena 2007, ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2 , p. 572.
personal data
SURNAME Nordmann, Theodor
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German pilot and knight's cross carrier in World War II
DATE OF BIRTH December 18, 1918
PLACE OF BIRTH Dorsten
DATE OF DEATH January 19, 1945
Place of death Insterburg