Adolf Glunz

Infobox Military Person
name=Adolf Glunz
born=birth date|1916|6|11|df=y
died=death date and age|2002|8|1|1916|6|11|df=y
placeofbirth=Mecklenburg
placeofdeath=
nickname=Addi
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=Luftwaffe
serviceyears=1939-1945
rank=Oberleutnant
commands=5./JG 26
unit=JG 52, JG 26, EJG 2, JG 7
battles=World War II
*Battle of Britain
*Eastern Front
*Defense of the Reich
*Operation Bodenplatte
awards=Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
laterwork=

Adolf "Addi" Glunz was a World War II Flying ace in the Luftwaffe (German Air Force).

Military career

Glunz was born 11 June 1916 at Bresegard near Mecklenburg. He joined the Luftwaffe in September 1939 and after training posted as a "Gefreiter" to 4 "Staffel", Jagdgeschwader 52 in November 1940.

His first victory claim was a Spitfire on 7 May and a second on 19 May. He then claimed 3 victories on the Eastern front. and two tanks destroyed. Glunz then was posted to II./JG 26 based in France in July 1941. By the end of 1942 he had some 23 victories. On 28 March, Glunz intercepted six Mosquito bombers bombers near Dunkirk at low level. He succeeded in shooting 2 bombers within one minute for his 28th and 29th victories. In August 1943, he became the only Non-commissioned officer in JG 26 to receive the "Ritterkreuz". "Oberfeldwebel" Glunz became "Staffelkapitän", 5./JG 26 in January 1944. On 22 February 1944, he claimed 6 victories in a day, including five four-engined bombers. He was commissioned as a "Leutnant" in April 1944.

In March 1944, Glunz was appointed "Staffelkapitän" of 6./JG 26. Operating over the Invasion front in June 1944, Glunz claimed 3 P-47 fighters shot down on 10 June. He was awarded the Oakleaves in late June 1944 after 65 victories.

He recorded his 71st and last, victory, a Spitfire on 1 January 1945. He is credited with 5 ground victories during Operation Bodenplatte. In March 1945, Glunz was transferred to III./EJG 2 for conversion training for the Me 262 jet. Assigned to JG 7 he served the remainder of the war with this unit.However he never flew the Me 262 in combat.Spick 1996, p. 188.] Adolf Glunz is credited with 71 aerial victories achieved in 574 combat missions. He engaged the enemy on 238 occasions and claimed all but three victories over the Western Front.

Although continuously in action until 1945, "Addi" Glunz was never shot down or wounded in aerial combat. He was wounded once on the ground when he was showered with glass fragments during a bombing raid on Abbeville airfield in April 1942. The nearest he came to losing an aircraft was on 13 October 1944, when a broken oil pipe caused his engine failure while in combat with P-47 Thunderbolts. [Spick 1996, p. 187.]

Awards

* German Cross in Gold (15 October 1942)
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross (29 August 1943)
** 508. Oak Leaves (24 June 1944)

References

*cite web|title=Aces of the Luftwaffe|work=Adolf Glunz|url=http://www.luftwaffe.cz/glunz.html|accessdate=6 March| accessyear=2008
* Caldwell, Donald L. "JG 26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe". Ivy Books, 1991. ISBN 0-8041-1050-6.
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II". Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
* Spick, Mike. "Luftwaffe Fighter Aces". New York: Ivy Books, 1996. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2.