Wilhelm Steinmann

Infobox Military Person
name=Wilhelm Steinmann
lived=15 January 1912 – 1 August 1966
placeofbirth= Nuremberg
placeofdeath=


caption=
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
serviceyears=1936-1945
rank=Major
branch=Luftwaffe
commands=I./JG 4
unit=Kampfgeschwader 53
Jagdgeschwader 4
Jagdgeschwader 27
EJG 2
Jagdverband 44
battles=World War II
*Polish Campaign (as a bomber pilot)
*French Campaign (as a bomber pilot)
*Eastern Front
*Defense of the Reich
awards="Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross"
laterwork=

Wilhelm Steinmann(12 January 1912 - 1 August 1966) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.

World War II

Wilhelm Steinmann joined the Luftwaffe as a bomber pilot and flew a Heinkel He 111 in the 1939-1941 campaigns before transferring to the "Jagdwaffe" and becoming a fighter pilot.

In October 1942, Steinmann was posted to the "Gruppenstab" of I./JG 27 based on the Channel Front. He recorded his first victory on 18 May 1943.On 1 June, Steinmann shot down a Bf 109 G-6 in error, flown by the "Gruppenkommandeur" of I./JG 27, Hauptmann Erich Hohagen.

Soon afterwards Steinmann was transferred to I./JG 4, in Romania. On 14 September 1943 Steinmann was appointed "Staffelkapitän" of 1./JG 4 in Italy then was appointed "Gruppenkommandeur" of I./JG 4 on 23 January 1944. He briefly left this unit only to return as "Gruppenkommandeur" of I./JG 4 during the Defense of the Reich campaign on 26 August 1944,In March 1945, Steinmann was transferred to III./EJG 2 and began training to fly the Me 262 jet fighter. He recorded four victories in the jet.The now Major Steinmann was awarded the Knight's Cross on 28 March 1945 after achieving 44 kills and ended the war with JV 44 under the command of General Adolf Galland. Wilhelm Steinmann was credited with 44 kills in 234 missions, all but four were scored against the Western Allies. Notable in his tally of 40 "western" victories were seven P-47 Thunderbolts and 11 P-51 Mustang fighters, making him one of the highest scoring "Luftwaffe" pilots of those Allied types.

Awards

* Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
* German Cross in Gold (1 January 1945)
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
** Knight's Cross (28 March 1945)

References

*Harvrefcol|Surname1=Caldwell|Given1=Donald|Surname2=Muller|Given2=Richard|Title=The Luftwaffe over Germany: Defense of the Reich|Publisher=Greenhill|Place=Oxford|Year=2007.ISBN 978-1-85367-712-0
*Harvrefcol|Surname1=Weal|Given1=John|Title=Bf109 Aces of the Russian Front|Publisher=Osprey|Place=Oxford|Year=1998. ISBN 1-85532-722-8
*Harvrefcol|Surname1=Weal|Given1=John|Title=Bf109 Defence of the Reich Aces|Publisher=Osprey|Place=Oxford|Year=2006. ISBN 1-84176-879-0
*Harvrefcol|Surname1=Weal|Given1=John|Title=Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front|Publisher=Osprey|Place=Oxford|Year=2006.ISBN 1-85532-518-7.