Quick Facts
Biography
Siegfried "Wumm" Lemke (7 April 1921 – 18 December 1995) was a German Luftwaffe 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. During his career he was credited with between 70 and 96 aerial victories.
Biography
Lemke was born on 7 April 1921 in Schivelbein, Farther Pomerania (today Świdwin, Poland).
In the autumn of 1942, Unteroffizier Lemke was posted to the first squadron (staffel) of Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG2), based on the French coast. His was to remain with JG2 throughout the rest of the war. His first victory came on 12 March 1943 when he downed an RAF Spitfire fighter near Fécamp. He was promoted to Staffelführer of his squadron on 12 September 1943.
In late January 1944, his squadron was transferred to the south of France to counter the bombing raids of the 15th Air Force, USAAF. On 9 February 1944 Lemke shot down four Spitfires southeast of Cannes to move his tally to 19 victories. His squadron were again transferred to Italy to counter the Allied landings at Anzio. In March, 1944 Lemke added sixteen further victories to his tally.
By the early summer of 1944, Lemke's squadron was again moved, this time to Creil, an airfield north of Paris. From here Lemke flew combat missions over the developing campaign in Normandy following D-Day. On 14 June 1944 Leutnant Lemke was awarded the Ritterkreuz for his then tally of 47 victories and shortly after on 23 June he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of the third squadron (staffel) of JG2 (he replaced Josef Wurmheller who had been killed the previous day). Lemke was to lead this squadron until the end of the war.
Lemke flew a total of 325 combat missions and ultimately reached 70 victories, including 25 Spitfires, eight P-47 Thunderbolts, six P-51 Mustangs and at least five four-engine bombers (B-17s).
Awards
- Aviator badge
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
- Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (31 March 1944)
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class
- 1st Class
- German Cross in Gold on 3 April 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel in the 1./Jagdgeschwader 2
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 June 1944 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 1./Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen"
- Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 275.
- Fellgiebel 2000, p. 236.