Josef Wurmheller

Infobox Military Person
name=Josef Wurmheller
born=birth date|1917|5|4|df=y
died=death date and age|1944|6|22|1917|5|4|df=y
placeofbirth= Hausham, Bavaria
placeofdeath= near Alençon, France


caption=Josef Wurmheller
nickname="Sepp"
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=Luftwaffe
serviceyears=1937-1944
rank=Major
commands= 9./JG 2, III./JG 2
unit= JG 53, JG 2
battles=World War II
*Battle of Britain
awards="Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords" (posthumous)
laterwork=

Josef "Sepp" Wurmheller (born 4 May 1917 in Hausham, Bavaria, killed in action 22 June 1944 near Alençon, France) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1937 until his death on 22 June 1944.

Military career

Wurmheller was an experienced glider pilot pre-war, and began training as a pilot in the Luftwaffe in 1937. At the start of World War 2, Unteroffizier Wurmheller was serving with 2 Staffel,JG 53. He recorded his first victory, a RAF Fairey Battle single-engined bomber on 30 September 1939. Between November 1939 and June 1940, Wurmheller served as an instructor before returning to 5. JG 53 in time for the Battle of Britain. He ditched twice in the English Channel, the latter time (23 November) leading to hospitalisation until March 1941.

In May 1941, Wurmheller gained his 10th claim when he shot down an RAF Spitfire. He then spent a short period on the Eastern Front with JG 53 where he added nine victories to his score. Oberfeldwebel Wurmheller was transferred back to the Channel front to II/JG 2 during July 1941. The following month, Wurmheller claimed 13 Spitfires, and on 4 September was awarded the "Ritterkreuz" for a tally of 31 claims. A further spell of instructing followed before a return to JG 2 in May 1942. Posted to 1./JG 2, Wurmheller gained 10 victories during May 1942 and another 11 victories the following month. His most successful day came during the Allied landings at Dieppe on 19 August 1942. Despite suffering with a broken leg, Wurmheller claimed seven victories during the day. Wurmheller was promoted to Leutnant and the award of the "Eichenlaub" in August 1942, with a score of 60 victories.

Wurmheller became Staffelkapitän of 9./JG 2 in April 1943. He recorded his 70th victory on 17 May when he shot down a B-17 bomber. On 23 September, he was wounded by bomb splinters while making an emergency landing in his Fw 190 A-6 during a bombing raid at Vannes-Meucon. On 8 March 1944, he claimed his 90th victory. Hauptmann Wurmheller was appointed "Gruppenkommandeur" III/JG 2 on 8 June 1944.

Wurmheller was killed in his Fw 190 A-8 on 22 June 1944 during aerial combat with Allied fighters near Alençon when he collided with his wingman Feldwebel FranzkeFlorian Berger, page 386, 387] . He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and promoted to the rank of Major on 24 October 1944Fellgiebel] . Josef "Sepp" Wurmheller is credited with 102 victories, 93 of which were claimed over the Western Front and 9 on the Eastern Front, at least 20 were four-engine bombers and at least 56 RAF Supermarine Spitfire fighters.

Awards

* Wound Badge in Black
* Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe
* Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "400"
* Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
* German Cross in Gold (21 August 1942)
* Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
* Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
** Knight's Cross (4 September 1941)
** 146. Oak Leaves (4 September 1941)
** 108. Swords (24 October 1944)

References

*cite web | title=Aces of the Luftwaffe| work= Josef Wurmheller| url=http://www.luftwaffe.cz/wurmheller.html| accessdate=30 April| accessyear=2007
* Walther-Peer Fellgiebel (2000), "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5
* Florian Berger (2006), "Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges". Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5
* 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.