Wolf-Dietrich Huy

Wolf-Dietrich Huy
Born (1917-08-02)2 August 1917
Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Died 13 July 2003(2003-07-13) (aged 85)
Gernsbach, Germany
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Luftwaffe
Rank Hauptmann
Unit JG 77
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Wolf-Dietrich Huy[Note 1] (2 August 1917 – 13 July 2003) was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.[1] 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.

Career

Born on 2 August 1917 in Freiburg. Oberleutnant Huy joined Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77) in September 1939. His first combat claim was a Spitfire on 31 May 1940. On 13 August 1940 Huy was posted into Stab, III./JG 77.

By early 1941 Huy's staffel served mainly as a Jaboflieger, flying ground support missions. During operations against Greece and Crete Huy carried out several successful attacks on shipping in an Bf 109F-4 coded 'White 1', (Werknummer 8334—factory number). III./JG 77 claimed some 34,000 tonnes of shipping sunk, including the 22,000 ton freighter 'Hellas' as well as damaging the Royal Navy cruiser HMS Fiji and a destroyer. On 22 May 1941 7./JG 77 attacked the British battleship HMS Warspite between 12:13 pm and 12:48 pm during the Battle of Crete. Oberleutnant Huth, Feldwebel Furth and Unteroffizier Pichler each had hit the Warspite and damaged her.

Following the operations in Crete, JG 77 was withdrawn to prepare for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, which started on 22 June 1941, III. Gruppe supported the advance East as part of Army Group South, and scored heavily. Huy was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 5 July 1941, awarded principally for his Jabo exploits in May 1941, but also for attaining 22 air victories, 21 since 22 June.

III./JG 77 served in the Crimea through to early 1942. On 23 January 1942 he was shot down by an ace of the Soviet 32 IAP, Starshiy Leytenant Mikhail Avdeyev.[Note 2] A Soviet offensive aimed at relieving Sevastopol ensued and Oberleutnant Huy claimed the Gruppe's 600th victory on 11 March, and his thirty-eight victory, but was then mistakenly shot down and wounded by German anti-aircraft fire.

In August 1942 he returned to JG 77 on recovery from his wounds and shortly afterward his unit was transferred to North Africa. On 28 October 1942 he claimed a Spitfire over Egypt. Huy was shot down by a Supermarine Spitfire Vc of No. 601 Squadron, flown by P/O JH Nicholls ( an eventual 7-kill ace) on 29 October 1942 over the El Alamein area. He survived the crash and spent the rest of World War II as a prisoner of war.[2]

Huy was credited with 40 air victories ( 38 on the Eastern Front) in over 500 operational missions.

Huy died on 13 July 2003 in Gernsbach.

Awards

Notes

  1. ↑ According to his wife his first name is spelled Wolfdieter.
  2. ↑ IAP—Istrebitelny Aviatsionny Polk (Fighter Aviation Regiment—Истребительный Авиационный Полк)
  3. ↑ According to Thomas on 21 January 1941, and according to Obermaier on 23 January 1942.[3][5]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Spick 1996, pp. 3–4.
  2. ↑ Scutts 1994, p. 54.
  3. 1 2 3 Thomas 1997, p. 316.
  4. ↑ Patzwall 2008, p. 108.
  5. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 49.
  6. 1 2 Scherzer 2007, p. 412.
  7. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 239.
  8. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 59.

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. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3. 
  • 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. 
  • Scutts, Jerry (1994). Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean. London: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-448-2.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1. 
  • Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. 
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