Erich Leie

Infobox Military Person
name=Erich Leie
born=birth date|1916|9|10|df=y
died=dda|1945|3|7|1916|9|10|df=y
placeofbirth=Kiel
placeofdeath=near Strumień and Hlučín in Czechoslovakia


caption=Erich Leie
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch= Luftwaffe
serviceyears=-1945
rank=Major
commands= I./JG 2, I./JG 51, JG 77
unit= JG 71, JG 2, JG 51, JG 77
battles=World War II
*Battle of Britain
awards="Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross"
laterwork=

Erich Leie (born 10 September 1916 in Kiel, killed in action 7 March 1945 in Czechoslovakia) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe until his death on 7 March 1945. He was posthumously promoted to the rank of Oberstleutnant and nominated for the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Military career

In March 1940, Leie joined III./JG 2 and claimed his first victory on 14 May when he shot down a Bristol Blenheim. By October 1940, Leie was serving with "Geschwaderstab" of JG 2, and had 11 victories by the end of the year. Leie was awarded the "Ritterkreuz" in August 1941 after claiming 21 victories in the west. He claimed 6 Spitfires shot down in one day on 23 July, and by the end of 1941, his total was 32.

In May 1942, Oberleutnant Leie became "Gruppenkommandeur" of I Gruppe, JG 2. He saw action in the air battle over Dieppe on 19 August, claiming a Spitfire. However, he was shot down and wounded, bailing out of his Fw 190 A-3.

In January 1943, Leie transferred as "Gruppenkommandeur" to I./JG 51, based on the Eastern front. Leie led the Gruppe during the offensive operations leading up to Operation Zitadelle, the Battle of Kursk, in July 1943. In November 1943, Major Leie record his 100th victory claim. After a spell of leave in March, he returned to duty only to be shot down by Russian fighters on 6 July. He bailed out over Russian lines and his parachute was blown back over German lines. By October 1944, Leie's victory total stood at 114. He became "Geschwaderkommodore" of JG 77 in December 1944.

Leie was killed over Czechoslovakia on 7 March 1945, when he collided with a crashing Russian Yak 9 fighter and failed to survive a low level bail-out from his Bf 109 G-14/AS. He was officially credited with 118 victories claimed in over 500 combat missions. He claimed 76 victories over the Eastern front, including 32 Il-2 Sturmovik ground attack aircraft. Among his 42 confirmed victories recorded over the Western front, 30 were Supermarine Spitfire fighters and one was a four-engine bomber.

Awards

* German Cross in Gold (20 October 1942)
* Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (1 August 1941)

References

*cite web | title=Aces of the Luftwaffe|work=Erich Leie|url=http://www.luftwaffe.cz/leie.html| accessdate=30 April| accessyear=2007
* 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.