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Martin, Wolfgang (KG 3)

Date of birth:
September 11th, 1916 (Düsseldorf/Rhineprovince, Germany)
Date of death:
May 13th, 1944 (near Bürschen/Brandenburg, Germany)
Buried on:
German War Graves Nordfriedhof
Plot: 112. Row: O. Grave: 119.
Nationality:
German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

Erkennungsmarke 321/53578.

Wolfgang Martin served with 6. / Kampfgeschwader 3 from 1940 until March 1944. After this he was trained as Zerstörer pilot and was transferred to 4. / Zerstörergeschwader on 3rd Mai 1944. He died on 13th May 1944 near Bürschen, east of Frankfurt am Main as Oberfeldwebel and Flugzeugführer with 4. / Zerstörergeschwader 26 "Horst Wessel" together with his Bordfunker Feldwebel Ahlgrimm. Most probably they were shot down by a P-51 Mustang fighter. Martin flew a total of about 600 sorties and shot down two enemy planes of which one was a four engined bomber.

He lies buried at the Kriegsgräberstätte in Düsseldorf-Nordfriedhof (Germany), Plot 112, Row O, Grave 119.

Promotions:
1st December 1939: Unteroffizier;
1st September 1941: Feldwebel;
1st June 1942: Oberfeldwebel.

Career:
5th December 1939: Flieger Ausbildungs-Regiment;
6th August 1940: Flieger-Ersatz-Kampfgruppe II;
11th September 1940: 6. / Kampfgeschwader 3;
19th December 1942 - 2nd November 1943: 12. / Kampfgeschwader 3;
3rd November 1942 - 5th January 1944: 10. / Kampfgeschwader 3;
6th January 1944: II. / Kampfgeschwader 3;
30th March 1944 - 2nd May 1944: 2. / Ersatz-Zerstörergruppe;
3rd May 1944: 4. / Zerstörergeschwader 26.

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Unteroffizier
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 6. / Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz"
Awarded on:
November 1st, 1940
Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Unteroffizier
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 6. / Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz"
Awarded on:
January 22nd, 1941
Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Unteroffizier
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 6. / Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz"
Awarded on:
May 25th, 1941
Frontflugspange für Kampfflieger in Bronze
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Unteroffizier
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 6. / Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz"
Awarded on:
July 12th, 1941
Frontflugspange für Kampfflieger in Silber
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Feldwebel
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 6. / Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz"
Awarded on:
September 30th, 1941
Frontflugspange für Kampfflieger in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Feldwebel (Sergeant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer, 6. Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz"
Awarded on:
November 4th, 1941

Published in the Ehrenliste der Deutschen Luftwaffe on 1st December 1941.
Luftwaffe Ehrenpokale für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Feldwebel (Sergeant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer, 6. Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz"
Awarded on:
May 27th, 1942

Awarding according to the soldbuch on 8th June 1942.
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberfeldwebel
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 6. / Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz"
Awarded on:
August 6th, 1942
Medaille
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberfeldwebel
Unit:
Flugzeugführer 6. / Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz"
Awarded on:
September 2nd, 1942
Frontflugspange für Kampfflieger in Gold mit Anhänger
Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:
Oberfeldwebel (Flight Sergeant)
Unit:
Flugzeugführer, 6. Staffel, Kampfgeschwader 3 "Blitz"
Awarded on:
December 30th, 1942
The following newspaper excerpt (dated 19.01.1943) describes why Martin received the Knight’s Cross…

“Oberfeldwebel Wolfgang Martin has distinguished himself as a bomber pilot against both England and the Soviet Union. In July of the previous year he had a major share in the destruction of a Soviet tank group. His intervention in the ground combat brought friendly ground troops relief and support on many occasions.”

By this time Martin had flown 305 operational sorties.
Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Sources

  • Photo 1: Soldbuch
  • Photo: Soldbuch/Hans-Peter Rackete
  • - URBANKE, AXEL & KAISER, JOCHEN, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kampfflieger, Luftfahrtverlag-Start, 2011.
    - Die Ordensträger der Deutschen Wehrmacht (CD), VMD-Verlag GmbH, Osnabrück, 2002
    - Fellgiebel W.P., Elite of the Third Reich, The recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939-1945: A Reference, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003, ISBN 1-874622-46-9
    - Patzwall K., Scherzer V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Geschichte und Inhaber Band II, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001, ISBN 3-931533-45-X
    - Patzwall K.D., Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg, Studien zur Geschichte der Auszeichnungen, Band 6, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2008, ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3
    - Soldbuch
    - Die Grenz-Zeitung (Edition 18)

Photo