Martin Drewes
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| Martin Drewes | |
|---|---|
| 20 October 1918 | |
 Martin Drewes |
|
| Place of birth | Salzgitter |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1937–1945 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit | ZG 76, NJG 3 and NJG 1 |
| Commands held | III./NJG 1 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub |
| Other work | Civil pilot, businessman |
Martin Drewes (20 October 1918) was a night fighter ace[1]. He flew with Luftwaffe during the second world war. 52 victories[2][3] were scored most against British four-engine bombers Handley Page Halifax and Avro Lancaster. Drewes flew variants of the Messerschmitt Bf 110.
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[edit] Early life
Martin Drewes was born on October 20, 1918 in Lobmachtersen-bei-Braunschweig, a small village near Hannover (northwestern Germany). He was the son of a local pharmacist.
As the end of the 1930s, Martin Drewes volunteered for the officer's school of the German Army and at the end of the course transferred to the Luftwaffe during 1939.
[edit] World War II
Drewes was first assigned to a Zerstörergeschwader 26 flying the Messerschmitt Bf 110, operating defensive patrols over the North Sea.
The Luftwaffe committed the Sonderkommando (Special force) which comprised one Staffel of He 111s (4./KG 4) one staffel of Zerstörer (Bf 110s of 4./ZG 76) and 12 transports including a number of Junkers Ju 90s to support the rebels in the Anglo-Iraqi War and the Syria-Lebanon Campaign in May 1941. The ten day stint in the Middle East included a victory (Gloster Gladiator) for Drewes. Allied air-opposition was light and the Luftwaffe force concentrated mainly on ground support duties. By 26 May, despite cannibalising two machines damaged in an RAF raid on Mosul there was not a single Bf 110 left that was serviceable[4]. Drewes and his unit were evacuated the following day.
Soon after ZG 76 was converted to a night fighter unit and renamed Nachtgeschwader 3.
Drewes scored regular night victories over Germany, before being transferred to Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 where he would remain until the end of the war. In 1944 he became Gruppenkommandeur III./NJG 1.
At the end of hostilities he had a total of 43 night victories, most of them achieved with his radio man Oberfeldwebel Petz. Seven of his victories were American 4-engined bombers shot down in daylight operations.
Martin Drewes was decorated with Ritterkreuz and Eichenlaub.
[edit] List of Victories
235 missions
- 1 Gloster Gladiator
- 1 Supermarine Spitfire
- 1 Short Stirling
- 1 Consolidated B-24 Liberator
- 6 Boeing B-17
- 9 Handley Page Halifax
- 33 Avro Lancaster[5][6]
[edit] References
- ^ For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II Night Fighter aces
- ^ 49 confirmed by Luftwaffe and 3 process interrupted in war finish
- ^ 43 victories at night
- ^ Weal,Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer Aces of World War Two, p65-66
- ^ 5 Lancasters on 04 may 1944
- ^ 4 Lancasters and 1 Halifax on 22 may 1944
- Drewes, Martin. Sombras da noite. Rio de Janeiro: Adler Editora, 2002. ISBN 85-89015-02-5.
- Weal, John (1999). Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer Aces World War Two. Oxford: Osprey. ISBN 1-85532-753-8.
[edit] External links
- Aircraft Resource Center
- Luftwaffe 39-45 (Portuguese)
