Wilhelm Spies

Wilhelm Spies
Born	26 August 1913 Rimpar
Died	27 January 1942 (aged 28) Suchinitschi, Russia
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer (1933–35) Luftwaffe (1935–42)
Years of service	1933–42
Rank	Major (Posthumously)
Unit	Zerstörergeschwader 26
Commands held	1./ZG 26
Battles/wars	Spanish Civil War World War II Invasion of Poland Operation Weserübung Battle of France Battle of Britain Balkans Campaign Operation Barbarossa
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Wilhelm Spies (26 August 1913 – 27 January 1942) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II.

Biography

Spies was shotdown on 27 January 1942 near Suchinitschi, Russia. He was posthumously promoted to Major and awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 5 April 1942. During his career he was credited with 20 aerial victories, 10 over the Western Front and 10 over the Eastern Front.

Awards

• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (27 September 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (24 June 1940)^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 14 June 1941 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän in the I./Zerstörergeschwader 26^[2]
  • 85th Oak Leaves on 5 April 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Zerstörergeschwader 26^[3]

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 335.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 329.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 53.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.

External links

• Luftwaffe 39-45