Erwin Fleig

Erwin Fleig
Born	6 December 1912 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Died	1 March 1986 (aged 73) Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–1942
Rank	Leutnant
Unit	JG 51
Battles/wars	World War II Eastern Front Western Front Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Ervin Fleig (6 December 1912 – 1 March 1986) was a former German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Ervin Fleig was credited with 66 victories in 506 missions.

Erwin Fleig spent his entire War time career flying with Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51) and became Werner Mölders's Rottenflieger (wingman). He had joined JG 51 in June 1940. Fleig claimed his first victory on 11 August 1940, when he shot down a Spitfire over the English Channel. He claimed seven aerial victories during the Battle of Britain, six of them were Spitfire fighters. During Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he accumulated a further 57 victories. He was Hermann Joppien's wingman on 28 August 1941, when Joppien was killed as they attacked Soviet bombers near Bryansk. On the 29th of May 1942 Fleig was shot down in Szokoloje. Taken as a Prisoner of war, Fleig wasn't released until the fifties. Erwin Fleig was credited with 66 aerial victories in 506 missions. Nine of his victories were scored on the Western Front, six were Spitfires.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe with Pennant
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 12 August 1941 as Leutnant and pilot in the 2./JG 51^{[1][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as I./Jagdgeschwader 51.^[2]

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 182.
2. Scherzer 2007, p. 311.

Bibliography

• Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.