Manfred Meurer

Manfred Meurer
Born 8 September 1919(1919-09-08)
Hamburg
Died 22 January 1944(1944-01-22) (aged 24)
east of Magdeburg
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Rank Hauptmann
Unit NJG 1
Commands held 3./NJG 1, I./NJG 1
Battles/wars

World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Manfred Meurer (8 September 1919 – 22 January 1944) was a Luftwaffe night fighter flying ace of World War II. Meurer was credited with 65 aerial victories claimed in 130 combat missions.[Notes 1] He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Contents

Career

Meurer was born on 8 September 1919 in Hamburg, joining the Luftwaffe in 1938. as part of a flak battalion before undergoing flying training in 1939. In late 1941 he was posted to 9./NJG 1 as a Leutnant.

Meurer claimed his first victory on his first combat mission on 26-27 March 1942. By the end of the year he had claimed a further seven victories. In January 1943 he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3 staffel, NJG 1. On 14-15 February he claimed three heavy bombers and on 12-13 March, a further four. In April 1943 he was awarded the Ritterkreuz. During May he scored some 14 victories and in July he achieved his 50th victory, a Mosquito light bomber. On 2 August he was awarded the Oakleaves to the Ritterkreuz.

On 5 August 1943 Hauptmann Meurer was transferred as Gruppenkommandeur of II./NJG 5. before returning to NJG 1 in September 1943 as Gruppenkommandeur of I./NJG 1. I gruppe flew the Heinkel He 219 and Meurer gained five victories flying this type.

On the night of 21-22 January 1944 he collided with a Avro Lancaster raiding Berlin. His He 219A-0 crashed and Meurer and his radar operator Oberfeldwebel Gerhard Schiebe were killed.

Meurer flew 130 combat missions achieving 65 victories, including 40 four-engined bombers and two Mosquitos, all claimed at night.

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces

References

Citations
  1. ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 540.
Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: 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). 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.
  • Scutts, Jerry (1998). German Night Fighter Aces of World War 2. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-696-5.

External links