Emil Clade
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| Emil Josef Clade | |
|---|---|
| 26 February 1916 | |
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| Place of birth | Hambach, Neustadt an der Weinstraße |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1936 - 1945 |
| Rank | Hauptmann |
| Unit | JG 27 |
| Commands held | I./JG 27 |
| Battles/wars | Battle of France Mediterranean Theatre Operation Bodenplatte |
Emil Josef Clade (born February 26, 1916 in Hambach, now part of Neustadt an der Weinstraße in Rheinland-Pfalz) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace in World War II, and figured in German civilian aviation after the war.
Originally trained to become a merchant, he first came in touch with aviation in 1934, became a glider pilot, and participated in the German national civilian aviator’s competition before joining the Luftwaffe in April 1937. Initially certified to fly the Junkers Ju 52 transporter-bomber, he quickly moved to become a fighter pilot instead.
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[edit] Luftwaffe Ace in World War II
Clade was with 1./JG 1 when he scored his first kill on the early morning of May 11, 1940 near Maastricht, Belgium against a Belgian Air Force Gloster Gladiator biplane. On the evening of the same day, he prevailed over a French LeO 451 twin-engine bomber, also in the Maastricht area. At this time he was already flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109 which should remain his type aircraft throughout the war.
In March 1941, Clade was made an instructor attached to Jagdgeschwader 27 into which JG 1./1 had meanwhile been merged, and stayed with this fighter unit for essentially all his remaining wartime career.
Clade was assigned to the Mediterranean theatre with 5./JG 27 from bases in North Africa when on August 7, 1942 (still as a Oberfeldwebel, a non-commissioned officer) he indirectly made a potentially decisive impact on the future course of the African campaign, although he was most likely unaware of the fact at the time. He was airborne over the desert south of Alexandria in Egypt when he chanced upon a Bristol Bombay transport of No. 216 Squadron RAF which was taking Lt. Gen. W.H.E. Gott, the newly appointed Commander of the British 8th Army, to a staff meeting in Cairo. Clade’s attack forced the transport to crash-land, and the subsequent strafing run by Bernd Schneider (another fighter from the squadron) killed Gott and most other British troops inside the wreckage on the ground. (In March 2005, the 89-year old Clade and the British pilot would have an emotional meeting in Bonn, compare their accounts of the incident, and then take to the skies together.[1]) Gott’s replacement commander for the 8th Army was Bernard Law Montgomery.
Still posted in Egypt, Clade recorded his 10th air kill in on July 5, 1942 when he shot down an RAF Spitfire fighter near El-Daba. An officer (Leutnant, lieutenant) meanwhile, and with 17 air victories to his credit, Clade was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron commander) of 7./JG 27 on May 23, 1943. From 1944 onward he piloted a Me 109 G/R-9 ("White 9"). In February 1945, Oberleutnant Clade was appointed acting Gruppenkommandeur (wing commander) of III./JG 27. The war was over for Hauptmann (Captain) Clade when he and his squadron comrade Major Peter Werfft disbanded the remainders of their unit near Saalbach between May 3 and May 8, 1945, and became U.S. prisoners of war.
Clade was himself shot down six times, including aerial combat occasions on October 5, 1943 (during a mission resulting in his 18th victory), on November 26, 1944, and on February 25, 1945 (immediately after his 27th air kill - the last one). He also sustained severe injuries in a Resistance attack on February 16, 1944 when he was posted in France near Avignon. In his memoirs[1] he emphasized how lucky he had actually been to survive all this tumultuous events.
[edit] Life after the war
According to his own representation, Clade survived on various minor jobs after his release. He applied to become a civilian pilot with the newly re-emerged Lufthansa in 1956 but was turned down because he exceeded the age limit by two years. However, he continued as a private aviator, was successful in various German competitions, and helped setting up local aviation associations. [2]
Emil Clade celebrated his 90th birthday in 2006, and appears to be still alive.
[edit] Awards
- German Cross in Gold
- Iron Cross 1st Class
[edit] References
- ^ Clade, Emil. Glück gehabt. Ein deutscher Jagdflieger berichtet. Self-published, ca. 1996. 124 p., in German
- Aces of the Luftwaffe. Emil Clade. Retrieved on 7 June 2007.
