Karl Schnörrer

For Yiddish term meaning "beggar" or "sponger", see Schnorrer.
Karl Schnörrer

Karl Schnörrer
Nickname Quax
Born 22 March 1919(1919-03-22)
Nuremberg
Died 25 September 1979(1979-09-25) (aged 60)
Nuremberg
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service 1941 – 1945
Rank Leutnant
Unit JG 54, Kommando Nowotny, JG 7
Commands held 11./JG 7
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Ritterkreuz

Lieutenant Karl "Quax" Schnörrer (22 March 1919 – 25 September 1979) was a famous "ace" of the German Luftwaffe during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Schnörrer flew a total of 536 missions and claimed 46 aerial victories—that is, 46 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft. Of his 11 aerial victories claimed in Defense of the Reich, all were made flying the Messerschmitt Me-262 jet fighter and included nine four-engine bombers.[Note 1]

He "earned" his nickname "Quax" by crashing the difficult to control Messerschmitt 109 fighter planes. The name was taken from the movie Quax der Bruchpilot released in 1941 with the famous German actor Heinz Rühmann as Quax.

In late 1942, Walter Nowotny chose Karl to be his wingman. The two were close friends and Schnörrer had but three victories at the time. Later, in March 1943, Anton "Toni" Döbele and Rudolf Rademacher joined with the two and created one of the most fearsome formations in the Luftwaffe, the Nowotny Schwarm. The group had a combined total of over 500 victories.

Contents

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see List of German World War II jet aces

References

Citations
  1. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 386.
Bibliography
  • 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.
  • 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.

External links