Werner Schröer

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Werner Schröer
12 February 1918(1918-02-12) – 10 February 1985 (aged 66)

Werner Schröer
Place of birth Mülheim an der Ruhr
Place of death Ottobrunn
Allegiance Flag of Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service 1937-1945
Rank Major
Unit JG 27, JG 3
Commands held 8./JG 27, II./JG 27 , JG 3
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Werner Schröer (born 12 February 1918 in Mülheim an der Ruhr, died 10 February 1985 in Ottobrunn) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1937, initially as a member of the ground staff, until the end of World War II 8 May 1945.

[edit] Military career

In August 1940 Schröer joined 2./JG 27 operating over the Channel and Southern England. In March 1941, I./JG 27 was sent to North Africa to support the Afrika Korps. Schroer's first victory was a Hurricane on 19 April 1941, although he force-landed his Bf 109-E near his airfield. On 21 April while combatting Hurricanes, he collided with another aircraft, slightly injuring him and requiring a forced-landing. On August 29, 1941 Schröer engaged in aerial combat with Clive Caldwell of 250 Squadron RAF north-west of Sidi Barrani. In the course of the battle Schröer damaged Caldwell's P-40 Tomahawk. Caldwell suffered bullet wounds to the back, left shoulder, and leg. By December 1941 his score was seven.

In March 1942, he became Adjutant in I./JG 27 before posting as Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 27 in June. In September he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. He then claimed 13 enemy aircraft in September (including six on 15 September) to bring his total to 40. However, it should be noted that German pilots in North Africa may have significantly over-reported kills on 15 September 1942; DAF squadron records suggest that German units over-claimed by a margin exceeding 200% on some occasions.[1]

Leutnant Schröer was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 21 October for 49 victories. On 4 November, Schröer shot down two B-24 bombers.

Hauptmann Schröer became Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 27 in April 1943. Operating over Sicily and southern Italy, Schröer claimed 22 Allied aircraft shot down, including 12 four-engined heavy bombers. On 2 August, he received the Eichenlaub, for 84 victories.

In August 1943, II./JG 27 was transferred to Wiesbaden-Erbenheim in Germany for Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) duties. On 6 September, four bombers were claimed shot down by II./JG 27, three of which were claimed by Schroer.

On January 7, 1944 Schröer is credited with the destruction of a P-38 Lightning piloted by Joseph P. Marsiglia (55 Fighter Group, 338 Fighter Squadron). Marsiglia had to bail out and was apprehended near Holz in the district of Saarbrücken.[2]

In March 1944, Major Schröer was appointed Gruppenkommandeur, III./JG 54, based at Lüneberg. On 24 May, Schröer claimed a P-51 and two P-47s for 100-102 claims total. On 21 July 1944, Schröer was transferred to a fighter pilot school as an instructor. In February 1945, Schröer was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of JG 3. He then claimed 12 Russian aircraft destroyed. On 19 April 1945 he received the Schwertern. He died on 10 February 1985 in Munich, aged 67.

Werner Schröer was a recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. He was credited with 114 victories, claimed in 197 combat missions. 102 of his victories were scored against the Western Allies, including 61 claimed over North Africa, and 26 four-engined bombers.

[edit] Awards

[edit] References

  1. ^ JG 27 claimed 19 P-40s destroyed from No. 239 Wing. Yet Russell Brown claims that DAF squadron records show only five aircraft lost to enemy action. He also lists several other dates on which there was significant overclaiming by JG 27 pilots. (Brown 1983, pp. 281–282.)
  2. ^ Crashes in Saarbrücken County
  • Aces of the Luftwaffe. Werner Schroer. Retrieved on 12 April 2007.
  • Crashes in Saarbrücken County. Werner Schroer. Retrieved on 3 January 2008.
  • Berger, Florian. Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Wien, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2006. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
  • Brown, Russell. Desert Warriors: Australian P-40 Pilots at War in the Middle East and North Africa, 1941-1943. Maryborough, Australia: Banner Books, 1983. ISBN 1-875-59322-5.
  • 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. & Scherzer, Veit. Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
Military offices
Preceded by
Major Heinrich Bär		 Commander of Jagdgeschwader 3 Udet
February 14, 1944-May 8, 1945		 Succeeded by
none
Languages