Heinz Sachsenberg
| Heinz Sachsenberg | |
|---|---|
Heinz Sachsenberg
|
|
| Nickname(s) | Wimmersal |
| Born |
12 July 1922 Dessau, Germany |
| Died | 17 June 1951 (aged 28) |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch |
 Luftwaffe
|
| Years of service | 1941–45 |
| Rank | Leutnant |
| Unit | JG 52, JG 7, JV 44 |
| Commands held | JG 7 and the Protection Squadron of JV 44 |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
| Relations | Gotthard Sachsenberg |
Heinz Wimmersaal Sachsenberg (12 July 1922 – 17 June 1951) was a Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Sachsenberg was credited with 104 aerial victories.
Sachsenberg was born in Dessau. "Heino", also called "Wimmersaal" by his comrades, was the nephew of the 31-victory and Pour le Mérite awarded World War I fighter ace Gotthard Sachsenberg. He had a brother named Gotthard, who also served in the Luftwaffe, and was killed in action on 8 March 1944 during a night fighter mission. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1941.
After flight training he was assigned, as a Feldwebel, to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) in the Fall of 1942. He was sent to the front in late 1942 at the Eastern Front, and was assigned to 6./JG 52. On 21 April 1943 he achieved his first air victory, shooting down an Il-2 ground attack aircraft. By the end of July 1943 he had shot down 22 enemy airplanes in heavy air combat over the Kuban bridgehead. His unit was then transferred to cover the retreat from the southern Kursk salient where he scored a further 16 victories. After a spell of leave from September to November due to overstress (when he was also awarded the German Cross in Gold and Ehrenpokal, he returned to the Crimea and the intense air-battles over the Kerch Straits.
After 76 victories, and on leave, Sachsenberg was recommended for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) in March 1944. Upon returning to the Crimea at the beginning of May, he shot down 25 aircraft in just a month including 6 planes on 7 May (77-82v.). On 31 May, over Iasi, in the battles for Romania, he claimed four victories (89-92v.) and five more were claimed on 8 June 1944, bringing his total to 101 air victories. He was the 76th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel Sachsenberg was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 9 June 1944. Returning from leave, his unit was then transferred to cover the Ploiești oilfields in Romania. After claiming one more victory, he was seriously wounded during an air battle with American P-51 Mustang fighters on 23 June 1944 although he managed to successfully belly-land his Bf-109 G-6, (Werknummer 166233—factory number) "Yellow 1". Promoted to Leutnant, he achieved his final victories over Hungary, including a USAAF P-51 (#103, on 3 March) and a Russian P-39 (#104, on 16 April).
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