Leopold Steinbatz

Infobox Military Person
name=Leopold Steinbatz
lived=birth date|1918|10|25|df=y — death date and age|1942|6|23|1918|10|25|df=y
placeofbirth=Vienna
placeofdeath=Volchansk


caption=Leopold Steinbatz
nickname="Bazi"
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
serviceyears=1937-1942
rank=Leutnant
branch=Luftwaffe
commands=
unit= JG 52
battles=World War II
*Operation Barbarossa
awards="Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords"
laterwork=

Leopold "Bazi" Steinbatz (born 25 October 1918 in Vienna, Austria, killed in action 23 June 1942 near Volchansk, Kharkov region, on the Eastern front) was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and sole non Officer recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords during World War II.

Luftwaffe career

After service in the Austrian Army Steinbatz joined the Luftwaffe as a trainee pilot in 1939. By November 1940 Steinbatz was posted to 9 "Staffel" of Jagdgeschwader 52. He often flew as wingman to future high scoring ace Hermann Graf, first seeing combat during the invasions of the Balkans and Crete.

He gained his first victory over the Soviet Union in early August 1941. by the end of November, he had claimed some 25 kills. In February 1942, Feldwebel Steinbatz was awarded the "Ritterkreuz" for 42 victories. He continued to score consistently through the summer air offensives and shot down seven Soviet aircraft on 8 May. Oberfeldwebel Steinbatz was awarded the Eichenlaub in June 1942. By mid June 1942, he had 95 claims to his credit.

However Steibatz had some fatigue problems after returning from leave in January 1942. He had dislayed a combat fever. Hermann Graf said:

After his return he proved to be absolutely reckless. He entered an unparalleled victory march, scoring one victory after another! As he achieved his no. 80 and was expected to be awarded the Oak Leaves, I urged him to take some leave. The combats had put a tremendous strain on his nerves. This was shown on several occasions. I grounded him for a couple of days, but then he requested that I allow him to start flying combat sorties again. [Bergstrom 2007, p. 52.]

On 15 June 1942, Steinbatz recorded his 99th victory but, during the return from a combat sortie on this day, his Bf 109-F was hit by Russian anti-aircraft fire and he was killed after crashing into a forest near "Volchansk". Steinbatz was posthumously promoted to the rank of Leutnant and awarded the "Schwertern" on 23 June 1942. [Bergstrom 2007, p. 52.] By this time "Bazi" Steinbatz had flown about 300 combat missions and shot down 99 enemy aircraft, all on the Eastern Front.

Awards

* Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (8 December 1941)
* Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "300"
* Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
* German Cross in Gold (22 January 1942)
* Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross (14 February 1942)
** Oak Leaves (2 June 1942)
** Swords (23 June 1942)
* Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (12 June 1942)

References

Citations and notes

*cite web|title=Aces of the Luftwaffe|work=Leopold Steinbatz|url=http://www.luftwaffe.cz/steinbatz.html| accessdate=25 April| accessyear=2007
*cite web|title=Lexikon der Wehrmacht|work=Leopold Steinbatz|url=http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/S/SteinbatzL.htm
accessdate=16 May|accessyear=2007
* Berger, Florian, "Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges". Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2006. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
* Bergstrom, Christer (2007). "Stalingrad - The Air Battle: November 1942 - February 1943". London: Chervron/Ian Allen. ISBN 978-1-85780-276-4 .
* 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.