Werner Lucas

Werner Lucas

Werner Lucas
Born 27 December 1917(1917-12-27)
Berlin
Died 24 October 1943(1943-10-24) (aged 25)
Hooigracht
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service 1938–1943
Rank Hauptmann
Unit JG 3
Battles/wars

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

Werner Georg Emil Lucas (27 December 1917 – 24 October 1943) was a Luftwaffe fighter pilot, born on December 27, 1917 in north Berlin, Germany. He was a highly decorated 'ace' with some 106 aircraft claimed destroyed in total, including one four engined bomber ('viermot') whilst in the Western theatre of war.[1]

World War II

He joined 4./JG 3 'Udet' on 8 Februar 1941 as an Unteroffizier, receiving the Luftwaffe Honour Goblet on 2 October 1941 (date from original Goblet); the German Cross in Gold on 27 March 1942;[2] and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 September 1942, as a Feldwebel with 57 air victories.

He was appointed Leutnant in November 1942 and held the rank of Hauptmann (Staffelkapitän) at the time of his death in October 1943. 105 of his claims were made against the Soviet Air Force in 1941-43 while serving on the Eastern front with Jagdgeschwader 3.

Whilst with JG 3 flying from Schiphol, Holland, he was killed in combat with a Spitfire possibly escorting USAAF B-17 Flying Fortress bombers on 24 October 1943, and crashed in the city centre of Leiden Holland. Whether on purpose or by chance, his Me 109-G (Werknummer 27080 —factory number— 'White 7') crashed exactly in the courtyard of a hospital on the Hooigracht, thus taking no other people with him than his 106 kills.

Awards

References

Citations
  1. ^ (Source - Obermaier)
  2. ^ (Source - Scherzer)
  3. ^ Patzwall and Scherzer 2001, p. 286.
  4. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 296.
Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 (in German). 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.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall (in German). 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.