1. Herbert Ihlefeld was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during the Spanish Civil War and World War II, a fighter ace listed with 130 enemy aircraft shot down in over 1,000 combat missions.
44 Facts About Herbert Ihlefeld
1. 2.
Herbert Ihlefeld survived being shot down eight times during his 1,000 combat missions.
3.
Ten months later, following his 101st aerial victory of the war, Herbert Ihlefeld was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 24 April 1942.
4.
On 22 June 1942, Herbert Ihlefeld was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 52.
5.
Herbert Ihlefeld was injured in combat on 22 July 1942 and after convalescence, he was given command of Jagdfliegerschule 3.
6.
Herbert Ihlefeld died on 8 August 1995 in Wennigsen, Lower Saxony.
7.
Herbert Ihlefeld was born on 1 June 1914 in Pinnow, at the time in the Province of Pomerania, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia, the son of a farm laborer.
8.
On 13 March 1938, Herbert Ihlefeld was credited with his second victory, a Polikarpov I-15 biplane fighter aircraft followed by his third, an I-16, on 11 May 1938.
9.
Herbert Ihlefeld claimed another unconfirmed victory on 25 June 1938 over an I-16.
10.
Herbert Ihlefeld flew his first combat missions over Poland and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 26 September 1939.
11.
On 10 May 1940, the Battle of France, the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, began and Herbert Ihlefeld claimed his first victory of the war on 29 May The combat took place at an altitude of 2,500 meters near Saint-Quentin during the Battle of Dunkirk, the defense and evacuation of British and allied forces from France to England, on a combat air patrol.
12.
Herbert Ihlefeld was credited with shooting one of them down at 20:15, the other Morane was credited to Hauptmann Hanns Trubenbach.
13.
Herbert Ihlefeld received an early promotion to Oberleutnant on 1 June 1940 followed by his appointment to Staffelkapitan of 2.
14.
Herbert Ihlefeld was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class on 4 July 1940.
15.
On 30 August 1940, Herbert Ihlefeld claimed his tenth victory of the war, another Spitfire probably shot down over the English Channel near Calais.
16.
Later that day, Herbert Ihlefeld was appointed his successor as Gruppenkommandeur.
17.
Three day later, Detling airfield was the target, and Herbert Ihlefeld again claimed two Spitfires shot down.
18.
Again Herbert Ihlefeld claimed two victories, two Hurricanes shot down took his total to 17 aerial victories.
19.
Herbert Ihlefeld's Gruppe protected those bombers heading for the docks in the East End of London.
20.
On this mission, Herbert Ihlefeld claimed a Hurricane shot down at 18:05 and another one at 18:10.
21.
Herbert Ihlefeld claimed a Spitfire destroyed at 17:05 and a Hurricane at 17:10 that day.
22.
One day before the presentation, the Battle of Britain Day, Herbert Ihlefeld had claimed the 22nd aerial victory, a Hurricane.
23.
At 10:00 on 24 September 1940, Herbert Ihlefeld engaged Spitfires in combat over Maidstone, claiming one shot down.
24.
Herbert Ihlefeld was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 October 1940.
25.
Herbert Ihlefeld claimed his 26th victory of the war at 15:50 on 17 January 1941 northwest of Boulogne-sur-Mer.
26.
In combat with Spitfires west of Calais, Herbert Ihlefeld claimed his 31st victory at 17:20 on 1 March 1941.
27.
Herbert Ihlefeld claimed his last victory on the Channel Front on 25 March 1941.
28.
The airfield at Nis was practically deserted and Herbert Ihlefeld had been hit by small arms fire and was slightly wounded in the head.
29.
Herbert Ihlefeld was credited with his only aerial victory over Crete on 26 May 1941.
30.
Herbert Ihlefeld claimed his first two victories, both SB-2 bombers, on the Eastern Front on 23 June 1941.
31.
At 05:50, Herbert Ihlefeld claimed his 37th victory of the war.
32.
Herbert Ihlefeld was the 16th member of the German armed forces to be so honored.
33.
On 10 May 1942, Ihlefeld was replaced by Hauptmann Heinrich Bar as Gruppenkommandeur of I Gruppe.
34.
Herbert Ihlefeld replaced Oberstleutnant Friedrich Beckh who had been killed in action the day before.
35.
In consequence, Herbert Ihlefeld was transferred to the staff of the 30.
36.
On 1 February 1944, Herbert Ihlefeld was promoted to Oberstleutnant.
37.
Herbert Ihlefeld replaced Bar as Geschwaderkommodore who had led the Geschwader since the death in combat of Oberst Walter Oesau on 11 May 1944.
38.
On 14 July 1944, Herbert Ihlefeld claimed a North American P-51 Mustang and a Spitfire shot down.
39.
Herbert Ihlefeld probably learned of this operation on 5 December 1944.
40.
At the time, Herbert Ihlefeld was faced with a very challenging leadership situation.
41.
Several aircraft were hit, including the aircraft of Herbert Ihlefeld who had to make a forced landing near Rotterdam.
42.
Herbert Ihlefeld was promoted to Oberst on 30 January 1945.
43.
Herbert Ihlefeld died on 8 August 1995 in Wennigsen, Lower Saxony.
44.
Herbert Ihlefeld's ashes were buried on the urn field near the chapel on the old cemetery in Kirchheim unter Teck, Baden-Wurttemberg.