Heinz Sachsenberg

Infobox Military Person
name=Heinz Sachsenberg
lived=birth date|1922|7|12|df=y — death date and age|1951|6|17|1922|7|12|df=y
placeofbirth=Dessau, Germany
placeofdeath=


caption=Heinz Sachsenberg
nickname="Wimmersal"
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=
serviceyears=1941-1945
rank=Leutnant
commands=JG 7 and the Protection Squadron of JV 44
unit=JG 52, JG 7, JV 44
battles=
awards="Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes", 9 June, 1944
laterwork=

Heinz "Wimmersaal" Sachsenberg (12 July 1922 - 17 June, 1951) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe.

Early life

Sachsenberg was born in Dessau. "Heino", also called "Wimmersaal" by his comrades, was the nephew of the Pour le Mérite awarded World War I fighter pilot Gotthard Sachsenberg. He had a brother named Gotthard, who also served in the Luftwaffe, and was killed in action on 8 March 1944 during a night fighter mission. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1941.

Flying on the Eastern Front

After flight training he was assigned to JG 52 in the Fall of 1942. He was sent to the front in late 1942 at the Eastern front, and was assigned to 6./JG 52. [For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization] On 21 April 1943 he achieved his first air victory. By 12 August 1943 he had shot down 34 enemy airplanes. By the end of 1943 his score had climbed to 52 air victories despite his absences due to overstress for several weeks.

After 76 victories, Sachsenberg was recommended for the "Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes" in March 1944, and he was awarded the medal on 9 June. On 7 May 1944 he shot down 6 enemy planes, on 31 May he claimed four victories and five more was claimed on 8 June 1944, bringing his total to 101 air victories. Wounded during an air battle over Romania with American P-51 Mustang fighters on 23 June 1944 he managed to belly land his Bf-109 G-6, W.Nr. 166233 "Yellow 1". He achieved his last victories over Hungary, among others, a P-51.

The protection squadron

In 1945 he transferred briefly to jet fighters in JG 7, but in April 1945 he joined JV 44. His task was to provide top cover for the Me 262 jet fighters. Sachsenberg was assigned as "Staffelkapitän" of the protection staffel, flying the Fw 190 D9 fighter. His particular aircraft was known as "Red 1". The inscription on his Fw 190 D9 was "Verkaaft's mei Gwand 'I foahr in himmel!" meaning "Sell my clothes I'm going to heaven".

The aircraft in the protection squadron were painted red on their underbelly with prominent white stripes to help in their identification by ground crews. The legend of the "Papagei Staffel" (parrot squadron) was born (the name was given after the war and is truly misleading as it was not used by the squad itself). The decision to paint the aircraft in this manner was made by the pilots themselves, perhaps as result of the failed Operation Bodenplatte, where a number of German aircraft were lost to friendly fire. [Quote from Franz Stigler]

The protection squadron were tasked with flying "Start- und Landeschutz" (Takeoff and landing cover). During take off and landing, the jets were very vulnerable to attacks by strafing allied ground attack airplanes, because the jet engines were not very responsive and the jets could not accelerate and decelerate quickly. To give additional protection besides the light and medium AA-guns around the airfields, parts of JG 52 and JG 54 were delegated to fly protective missions to cover the take off and landing phase of the 'Stormbirds'. JV 44 was a special case in that they had their own protection squadron.

After the war

Sachsenberg had a total of 104 victories over a total of 520 flown sorties. Of his 104 air victories, 1 was achieved in the west, 84 of his victories were fighter planes. He also sunk 1 speed boat. He died on 17 June 1951, following complications from wounds he received during the war.

Quotations

"I don't trust anything without a Propeller at least." - Sachsenberg in reply to being asked why he didn't fly jet aircraft.

Awards

*Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes 9.6.1944
*Deutsches Kreuz 17.10.1943
*Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe 2.10.1943

References

* Crandall, Jerry. "Doras of the Galland Circus". Hamilton, MT: Eagle Editions Ltd., 1999. ISBN 0-9660706-2-3.
* 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. & Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II". Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.