Josef Wurmheller

Josef Wurmheller

Josef Wurmheller
Nickname "Sepp"
Born 4 May 1917(1917-05-04)
Hausham, Bavaria
Died 22 June 1944(1944-06-22) (aged 27)
near Alençon, France
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service 1937–1944
Rank Major
Unit JG 53, JG 2
Commands held 9./JG 2, III./JG 2
Battles/wars

World War II
Awards Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (posthumous)

Josef "Sepp" Wurmheller (born 4 May 1917 in Hausham, Bavaria, killed in action 22 June 1944 near Alençon, France) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1937 until his death on 22 June 1944. He was also a posthumous recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Contents

Military career

Wurmheller was an experienced pre-war glider pilot, and began training as a pilot in the Luftwaffe in 1937. At the start of World War II, Unteroffizier Wurmheller was serving with 2 Staffel, JG 53. He recorded his first victory, a RAF Fairey Battle single-engined bomber on 30 September 1939. Between November 1939 and June 1940, Wurmheller served as an instructor before returning to 5./JG 53 in time for the Battle of Britain. He ditched twice in the English Channel, the latter time (23 November) leading to hospitalisation until March 1941.

In May 1941, Wurmheller gained his 10th claim when he shot down an RAF Spitfire. He then spent a short period on the Eastern Front with JG 53 where he added nine victories to his score. Oberfeldwebel Wurmheller was transferred back to the Channel front to II./JG 2 during July 1941. The following month, Wurmheller claimed 13 Spitfires, and on 4 September was awarded the Ritterkreuz for a tally of 31 claims. A further spell of instructing followed before a return to JG 2 in May 1942. Posted to 1./JG 2, Wurmheller gained 10 victories during May 1942 and another 11 victories the following month. His most successful day came during the Allied landings at Dieppe on 19 August 1942. Despite suffering with a broken leg, Wurmheller claimed seven victories during the day. Wurmheller was promoted to Leutnant and the award of the Eichenlaub in August 1942, with a score of 60 victories.

Wurmheller became Staffelkapitän of 9./JG 2 in April 1943. He recorded his 70th victory on 17 May when he shot down a B-17 bomber. On 23 September, he was wounded by bomb splinters while making an emergency landing in his Fw 190 A-6 during a bombing raid at Vannes-Meucon. On 8 March 1944, he claimed his 90th victory. Hauptmann Wurmheller was appointed Gruppenkommandeur III./JG 2 on 8 June 1944.

Wurmheller was killed in his Fw 190 A-8 on 22 June 1944 during aerial combat with P-47 and RCAF Spitfire fighters near Alençon when he collided with his wingman Feldwebel Franzke.[1] He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and promoted to the rank of Major on 24 October 1944.[2] Josef "Sepp" Wurmheller is credited with 102 victories, 93 of which were claimed over the Western Front and 9 on the Eastern Front, at least 20 were four-engine bombers and at least 56 RAF Supermarine Spitfire fighters.

Awards

References

Citations
  1. ^ Berger 2000, pp. 386, 387.
  2. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 38.
  3. ^ Patzwall and Scherzer 2001, p. 526.
  4. ^ a b c Scherzer 2007, p. 800.
Bibliography
  • Berger, Florian (2000). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 - 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Helden der Wehrmacht - Unsterbliche deutsche Soldaten (in German). München, Germany: FZ-Verlag GmbH, 2004. ISBN 3-924309-53-1.

External links