Joachim Müncheberg

Infobox Military Person
name=Joachim Müncheberg
lived=birth date|1918|12|18|df=y — death date and age|1943|3|23|1918|12|18|df=y
placeofbirth= Friedrichsdorf, Dramburg, Province of Pomerania
placeofdeath=Maknassy, Tunesia


caption=Joachim Müncheberg
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=Heer (1936 - 1938)
Luftwaffe (1938 – 1943)
serviceyears=1936-1943
rank=Major
commands= 7./JG 26, II./JG 26 , JG 77
unit= JG 26, JG 51, JG 77
battles=World War II
*Battle of France
*Battle of Britain
*Eastern Front
*Mediterranean Theatre
awards="Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords""Medagalia d'Oro"
laterwork=

Joachim Müncheberg (18 December 1918 – 23 March 1943) was a German fighter ace of World War II.

Müncheberg was born at Friedrichsdorf near Dramburg. After joining the Wehrmacht Heer in 1936, he transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1938. He was then posted to "Jagdgeschwader" 234.

Early World War II

In October 1939, Müncheberg joined III "Gruppe", Jagdgeschwader 26. He claimed his first victory on 7 November 1939, a RAF Bristol Blenheim bomber. During the invasion of France, Müncheberg claimed eight Allied aircraft shot down. During the early part of the Battle of Britain Müncheberg flew as wingman to Major Adolf Galland, Gruppenkommandeur of III/JG 26. In late August, he was promoted to "Staffelkapitän", 7 Staffel, JG 26, and on 14 September 1940 was awarded the "Ritterkreuz". He claimed 14 victories in total during the Battle of Britain.

Malta Operations

From February 1941, Müncheberg's staffel became the first Bf-109 unit to operate in the Mediterranean theatre, and from bases in Sicily the staffel was to achieve success out of all proportion to its size, with some 52 victories claimed without losing a single pilot. Müncheberg claimed almost half of these victories. Flying missions over Yugoslavia in support of the German invasion of the Balkans, he also claimed a Yugoslav 'Hawker Fury biplane' on 6 April 1941 and claimed another destroyed on the ground (Both victories were in fact Avia BH-33 biplanes).

In May 1941, Müncheberg was awarded the Oak Leaves and the Italian "Medaglia d'Oro" and by this time had 43 victories. A 2-month spell in Libya in mid 1941 to support the Afrika Korps saw a further 5 victories claimed.

In August 1941, 7./JG 26 returned to France. Müncheberg was to claim a further 35 victories (including 34 Spitfires) by June 1942. On 19 September, Müncheberg was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann and became "Gruppenkommandeur" of II/JG 26. On 29 April 1942 Müncheberg probably shot down and killed the Northolt Wing Leader and Polish ace Wing Commander Marian Pisarek.

Russia 1942

In July 1942, Müncheberg was posted to the Eastern Front, joining Jagdgeschwader 51. On 5 September, he claimed his 100th kill. On 9 September, he was awarded the 'Swords' following his 103rd victory. Müncheberg shot down 33 victories over Russian aircraft while being shot down twice himself.

North Africa

On 1 October 1942, Major Müncheberg was appointed "Geschwaderkommodore" of Jagdgeschwader 77, operating over North Africa and Tunisia. He added 24 victories but force-landed unhurt in his Bf 109-G2 after combat with RAF Kittyhawk fighters on 10 December 1942.

Müncheberg was killed on 23 March 1943 over Tunisia when his 135th victim, a USAAF 52nd Fighter Group Spitfire exploded in front of him after a close burst of cannon fire. The Spitfire was piloted by Captain Sweetman. [Jerry Scutts; page 88]

Müncheberg claimed 135 aerial victories in over 500 missions. 102 victories were achieved over the Western Allies and 33 on the Eastern Front. He shot down some 46 Spitfire fighters.

Awards and Honors

* Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
* German Cross in Gold (5 June 1942)
* Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "400"
* Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
* Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
** Knight's Cross (14 September 1940)
** 12. Oak Leaves (7 May 1941)
** 19. Swords (15 June 1942)
* Mentioned five times in the Wehrmachtbericht
* Medagalia d’Oro (7 May 1941)

On 30 November 1962 an honorary one-time pension of 1,500 DM was paid to the relatives of Müncheberg (and relatives of Hans-Joachim Marseille) by the Italian Minster of Defence Giulio Andreotti [Wübbe 2001, p. 66.] .

References

*cite web | title=Aces of the Luftwaffe| work=Joachim Müncheberg| url= http://www.luftwaffe.cz/muncheberg.html | accessdate=16 April| accessyear=2007
* Berger, Florian. "Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges". Wien, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2006. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Scutts, Jerry. "Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean". 1994. ISBN 1-85532-448-2.
* Wübbe, Walter. "Hauptmann Hans Joachim Marseille Ein Jagdfliegerschicksal in Daten, Bildern und Dokumenten". Schnellbach, Germany: Verlag Siegfried Bublies, 2001. ISBN 3-926584-78-5.