Georg Schentke
Born23 November 1919
Kriescht
Died25 December 1942(1942-12-25) (aged 23)
Stalingrad, Russia
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service?–1942
RankOberleutnant (Posthumously)
UnitJG 3
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Georg 'Peterle' Schentke (23 November 1919 – 25 December 1942) was a 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.

Career

Feldwebel Schentke served with 9./JG 3 from March 1940. He participated in the Battle of France, where he earned his first victory. Schentke also served during the Battle of Britain claiming 3 more victories. He next took part in Operation Barbarossa, during 1941, flying wingman to Major Walter Oesau, who was his Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 3. After 34 victories, Oberfeldwebel Schentke received the Ritterkreuz on 4 September 1941.

From November, over the winter, III./JG 3 was rotated from the front for recuperation, and including a short stint in Italy in January. Schentke briefly transferred to 2./JG 3 and flew escort missions for the transport planes flying in supplies to the Demyansk pocket. He then returned to 9./JG 3 and continued to score regularly. In late July 1942, after 71 confirmed victories, Schentke was transferred to Ergänzungsgruppe Süd as an instructor, promoted to Leutnant and awarded the German Cross in Gold.

He returned to the Eastern Front in November 1942, joining 2./JG 3. Schentke was part of the volunteer Platzschutzstaffel (Airfield Defence squadron) Pitomnik. Their job was to defend the besieged 6th Army airfields near Stalingrad and protect the vulnerable transports on the last leg of their flights into the pocket. Over 6 weeks, in heavy snows and fogs and often with only 2 or 3 Bf 109's serviceable, this small unit claimed some 130 Soviet aircraft shot down. Schentke himself scored 29 victories including three on 10 December and six on 12 December in 5 missions.

On Christmas Day 1942 Schentke shot down a Soviet Il-2, but debris damaged his Bf 109G-2 (Black-3, W.Nr 13885) forcing him to bail out over Soviet positions to the west of the city. That was the last time he was seen alive. He was posthumously promoted to Oberleutnant.

During his career he was credited with 90 aerial victories, 4 over the Western Front and 86 over the Eastern Front, including at least 15 Il-2 Sturmoviks.

Awards

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 403.
  2. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 305.

Bibliography

  • Bergström. Christer & Mikhailov, Andrey (2001). Black Cross, Red Star Vol 2. Pacifica Military History. ISBN 0-935553-51-7
  • Bergström. Christer; Dikov, Andrey; Antipov, Vlad (2006). Black Cross, Red Star Vol 3. Eagle Editions Ltd ISBN 0-9761034-4-3
  • Bergström. Christer (2007). Stalingrad – The Air Battle: 1942 through January 1943. Midland Publications ISBN 1-85780-276-4
  • 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.
  • Musciano, Walter (1989). Messerschmitt Aces. Tab Books ISBN 0-8306-8379-8.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • 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.
  • Weal, John (1996). Bf109D/E Aces 1939-41. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-85532-487-3.
  • Weal, John (2001). Bf109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 1-84176-084-6.
  • Weal, John (2007). More Bf109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Limited. ISBN 978-1-84603-177-9.
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