Siegfried Simsch

Siegfried Simsch (6 September 1913 – 8 June 1944) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II.

Siegfried Simsch
Born	6 September 1913 Posen
Died	8 June 1944 (aged 30) Rennes, France
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	?–1944
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	JG 52 JG 11
Commands held	I./JG 11
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Britain Eastern Front Defence of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Despite being half Jewish, or Mischling under the Nuremberg Laws, Simsch enlisted in the Luftwaffe and served with distinction.[1][2]

On the 1st of June 1944, he was appointed to Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 11 to replace Hans-Heinrich Koenig who was killed in action on the 24th of May. One week later, and two days after the Normandy landings Siegfried Simsch was shot down by a P-51 and killed on 8 June 1944 over Rennes, France.[3][4] During his career he was credited with 54[5] or 95[2] aerial victories.

Awards

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (20 December 1941)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 July 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 5./Jagdgeschwader 52[6]

References

Citations

1. The Surreal Reich, By Joseph Howard Tyson, page 205
2. Hitler's Jewish Soldiers: The Untold Story of Nazi Racial Laws and Men of Jewish Descent in the German Military, Bryan Mark Rigg, page 39
3. Jagdgeschwader 52: The Experten, By John Weal
4. Fw 190 Defence of the Reich Aces, By John Weal
5. Aces of the Luftwaffe: The Jagdflieger in the Second World War
6. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 326.

Bibliography

• 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.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• 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.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com