# Heinz Wernicke

Heinz Wernicke (17 October 1920 – 27 December 1944) was a Luftwaffe World War II fighter ace and was credited with 117 aerial victories—that is, 117 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Wernicke was killed in a mid-air collision with his wingman on 27 December 1944.

## Career

Wernicke was born on 17 October 1920 in Berlin of the Weimar Republic. He joined the 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in early 1942 as an Unteroffizier (non-commissioned officer). JG 54 at the time was stationed at the Eastern Front. In the fall of 1942, he was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost (Supplementary Fighter Group East) and then to 6. Staffel (6th squadron) of JG 54 in early 1943. There, he claimed his first aerial victory on 7 March 1943 over an Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft in aerial combat south of Lake Ilmen. At the time, II. Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 54 was based at Rjelbitzi, an airfield south of Leningrad. On 11 March, II. Gruppe under the command of Hauptmann (Captain) Heinrich Jung, relocated to Gatchina for combat in the Siege of Leningrad and east in the vicinity of the Volkhov River. In this combat area, Wernicke claimed a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter on 19 March, a Yakovlev Yak-4 light bomber one day later, and another LaGG-3 plus a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter on 27 March, taking his total to five aerial victories.
Following five further victories in June 1943, Wernicke became a fighter pilot instructor and underwent officer training courses. On 4 July 1943, Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant) Horst Ademeit, his Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 6. Staffel, assessed Wernicke concluding that at the time Wernicke required further training to become an officer.
In October 1943, he was back to front line service and claimed his 88th aerial victory on 3 August 1944, and surpassed the century mark—100 aerial victories—in mid-September 1944. He was the 91st Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century-mark. On 22 February 1944, Wernicke and Oberfeldwebel Fritz Harder suffered carbon monoxide poisoning in their accommodations at the Uman airfield. Wernicke was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 30 September 1944 after 112 victories. The presentation was made by General Kurt Pflugbeil.

### Squadron leader and death

On 1 October 1944, Wernicke was appointed Staffelkapitän of the 1. Staffel of JG 54, succeeding Oberleutnant Helmut Wettstein in this capacity. On 27 December, he and his wingman Unteroffizier Gerhard Wollien were killed in a mid-air collision during aerial combat with Yakovlev Yak-9 fighters north of Doblen, present-day Dobele. Command of 1. Staffel then went to Oberleutnant Josef Heinzeller.

## Summary of career
### Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Wernicke was credited with 117 aerial victories. Obermaier and Spick also list him with 117 aerial victories, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 118 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 18382". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km$^2$). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.
Chronicle of aerial victories :
| This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Wernicke an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.  This and the ? (exclamation mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Balke, Bock, Mathews and Foreman. ||||||||||
| Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
| – 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – ||||||||||
| 1 | 7 March 1943 | 11:47 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 18382 45 km (28 mi) north of Chełm | 27 | 15 December 1943 | 12:40 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 01794 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Leningrad |
| 2 | 19 March 1943 | 13:30 | LaGG-3 | PQ 36 Ost 00421 Pushkin-Mga | 28 | 15 December 1943 | 12:45 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 01761 20 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Leningrad |
| 3 | 20 March 1943 | 07:30 | Yak-4 | PQ 36 Ost 20363 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Mga | 29 | 9 January 1944 | 10:15 | La-5 | PQ 26 Ost 80161 over the Gulf of Finland, northeast of Hungerburg |
| 4 | 27 May 1943 | 16:43 | LaGG-3 | PQ 36 Ost 00274 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Pushkin | 30 | 13 January 1944 | 15:28 | Yak-7 | PQ 26 Ost 80682 30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Narva |
| 5 | 27 May 1943 | 19:53 | P-40 | PQ 36 Ost 20211 west of Volkhov | 31 | 14 January 1944 | 09:30 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 80682 30 km (19 mi) east-southeast of Narva |
| 6 | 1 June 1943 | 04:57 | LaGG-3 | PQ 36 Ost 20163 south of Volkhov | 32 | 14 January 1944 | 09:32 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 80654 30 km (19 mi) east of Narva |
| 7 | 8 June 1943 | 15:59 | P-40 | PQ 36 Ost 20152 southwest of Volkhov | 33 | 15 January 1944 | 12:15 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 90711 40 km (25 mi) southwest of Lissino |
| 8 | 17 June 1943 | 09:23 | LaGG-3 | PQ 36 Ost 10252 30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Schlüsselburg | 34 | 15 January 1944 | 12:20 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 90583 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Lissino |
| 9 | 18 June 1943 | 05:59 | La-5 | PQ 36 Ost 20213 vicinity of Volkhov | 35 | 15 January 1944 | 12:24 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 90572 35 km (22 mi) southwest of Lissino |
| 10 | 24 June 1943 | 07:07 | La-5 | PQ 36 Ost 21793 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Volkhov | 36 | 22 January 1944 | 11:56 | La-5 | PQ 26 Ost 80694 35 km (22 mi) southwest of Lissino |
| 11 | 20 October 1943 | 14:10 | Yak-9 | southeast of Glebowka | 37 | 24 January 1944 | 13:56 | La-5 | PQ 26 Ost 80664 40 km (25 mi) east of Narva |
| 12 | 21 October 1943 | 09:43 | Pe-2 | east of Gussenoje southeast of Schlüsselburg | 38 | 24 January 1944 | 14:02 | La-5 | PQ 26 Ost 90523 20 km (12 mi) west-northwest of Lissino |
| 13♠ | 5 November 1943 | 11:53 | Pe-2 | PQ 35 Ost 01682 40 km (25 mi) north-northwest of Schlüsselburg | 39 | 4 February 1944 | 07:17 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 09112 |
| 14♠ | 5 November 1943 | 11:59 | Pe-2 | PQ 35 Ost 01684 40 km (25 mi) north-northwest of Schlüsselburg | 40 | 4 February 1944 | 07:20 | La-5 | PQ 36 Ost 00771 30 km (19 mi) south of Siverskij |
| 15♠ | 5 November 1943 | 14:25 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 01564 45 km (28 mi) northeast of Zelenogorsk | 41 | 9 February 1944 | 06:32 | Pe-2 | PQ 35 Ost 09211 |
| 16♠ | 5 November 1943 | 14:28 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 01674 40 km (25 mi) north-northeast of Leningrad | 42 | 9 February 1944 | 12:25 | R-5 | PQ 36 Ost 00762 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Siverskij |
| 17♠ | 5 November 1943 | 14:34 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 01642 55 km (34 mi) north-northeast of Leningrad | 43 | 12 February 1944 | 15:25 | Yak-9 | PQ 36 Ost 10552 vicinity of Lyuban |
| 18 | 22 November 1943 | 09:00 | Pe-2 | PQ 25 Ost 91591 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Zelenogorsk | 44♠ | 16 February 1944 | 07:11 | U-2 | PQ 36 Ost 00693 25 km (16 mi) south of Tosno |
| 19 | 28 November 1943 | 10:45 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 91534 30 km (19 mi) north of Zelenogorsk | 45♠ | 16 February 1944 | 07:12 | U-2 | PQ 36 Ost 00693 25 km (16 mi) south of Tosno |
| 20 | 28 November 1943 | 10:48 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 91614 30 km (19 mi) north of Zelenogorsk | 46♠ | 16 February 1944 | 07:13 | U-2 | PQ 36 Ost 00694 25 km (16 mi) south of Tosno |
| 21 | 28 November 1943 | 14:53 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 91591 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Zelenogorsk | 47♠ | 16 February 1944 | 07:15 | U-2 | PQ 36 Ost 10573 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Lyuban |
| 22 | 29 November 1943 | 14:30 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 91534 30 km (19 mi) north of Zelenogorsk | 48♠ | 16 February 1944 | 07:18 | U-2 | PQ 36 Ost 10573 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Lyuban |
| 23 | 29 November 1943 | 14:32 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 91614 30 km (19 mi) north of Zelenogorsk | 49♠? | 16 February 1944 | 11:20 | La-5 | PQ 36 Ost 00562 |
| 24 | 29 November 1943 | 14:33 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 91621 30 km (19 mi) north-northeast of Zelenogorsk | 50♠ | 16 February 1944 | 14:56 | Il-2 | PQ 36 Ost 00691 25 km (16 mi) south of Tosno |
| 25 | 12 December 1943 | 13:34 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 00171 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Selo | 51 | 21 February 1944 | 11:10? | La-5 | PQ 26 Ost 90562 20 km (12 mi) east of Siverskij |
| 26 | 14 December 1943 | 17:05 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 00154 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Leningrad | 52? | 20 April 1944 | 18:20 | unknown | |
| – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – ||||||||||
| 53 | 17 June 1944 | 17:55 | P-39 | PQ 36 Ost 01384 55 km (34 mi) northeast of Zelenogorsk | ? | 21 July 1944 | 20:52 | Yak-9 | over the Baltic Sea, near Kunda |
| 54 | 18 June 1944 | 08:28 | La-5 | PQ 26 Ost 91369 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Vyborg | 73 | 22 July 1944 | 17:52 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 88597 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Ostrov |
| 55 | 19 June 1944 | 18:45 | Yak-9 | PQ 26 Ost 91533 30 km (19 mi) north of Zelenogorsk | 74 | 23 July 1944 | 08:28 | La-5 | PQ 25 Ost 88157 vicinity of Pskov |
| ? | 20 June 1944 | 15:40 | P-39 | 30 km (19 mi) northwest of Zelenogorsk | 75 | 23 July 1944 | 15:19 | Pe-2 | PQ 25 Ost 78265 |
| 56 | 21 June 1944 | 09:20 | La-5 | PQ 26 Ost 81575 over the Baltic Sea, northeast of Hungerburg | 76 | 23 July 1944 | 15:21 | Pe-2 | PQ 25 Ost 88323 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Pskov |
| 57 | 23 June 1944 | 12:28 | Yak-9 | PQ 26 Ost 81426 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Vyborg | 77 | 24 July 1944 | 16:03 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 70693 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Narva |
| 58 | 26 June 1944 | 13:42 | La-5 | 3 km (1.9 mi) south of Vyborg | 78 | 26 July 1944 | 16:36 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 70695 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Narva |
| 59 | 26 June 1944 | 13:47 | La-5 | 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Häämeda | 79 | 26 July 1944 | 17:02 | Pe-2 | PQ 26 Ost 70695 over the Gulf of Finland |
| 60 | 26 June 1944 | 18:45 | Yak-9 | 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Vyborg | 80 | 26 July 1944 | 17:03 | Pe-2 | PQ 26 Ost 70695 over the Gulf of Finland |
| 61 | 28 June 1944 | 09:25 | Yak-9 | PQ 26 Ost 91315 20 km (12 mi) east of Vyborg | 81 | 26 July 1944 | 17:05 | Pe-2 | PQ 26 Ost 70695 40 km (25 mi) southwest of Narva |
| 62 | 28 June 1944 | 20:45 | La-5 | PQ 26 Ost 81347 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Vyborg | 82 | 27 July 1944 | 11:23 | La-5 | PQ 25 Ost 78648 45 km (28 mi) west of Ostrov |
| 63 | 29 June 1944 | 08:05 | DB-3 | PQ 26 Ost 91265 65 km (40 mi) east-northeast of Vyborg | 83 | 27 July 1944 | 14:30 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 78562, northwest of Liepna 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Schwanenburg |
| 64 | 30 June 1944 | 09:43 | Boston | PQ 26 Ost 81413 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Vyborg | 84 | 27 July 1944 | 18:45 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 78523 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Schwanenburg |
| 65 | 30 June 1944 | 20:44 | Yak-9 | PQ 26 Ost 81297, north-northwest of Talias 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Vyborg | 85 | 27 July 1944 | 19:02 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 78481 40 km (25 mi) southwest of Selo |
| 66 | 2 July 1944 | 06:51 | P-39 | PQ 26 Ost 91175 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Vyborg | 86 | 2 August 1944 | 13:05 | La-5 | PQ 26 Ost 70462 over the Baltic Sea, north-northwest of Hungerburg |
| 67 | 4 July 1944 | 08:25 | P-39 | PQ 26 Ost 81467 | 87 | 2 August 1944 | 13:09 | La-5 | PQ 26 Ost 70481 over the Baltic Sea, northwest of Hungerburg |
| 68 | 6 July 1944 | 15:40 | Yak-9 | PQ 26 Ost 81422 vicinity of Vyborg | 88 | 3 August 1944 | 15:24 | Il-2 | PQ 26 Ost 80572 southwest of Narva |
| 69 | 8 July 1944 | 06:30 | Yak-9 | PQ 26 Ost 81431 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Vyborg | 89 | 3 August 1944 | 15:31 | La-5 | PQ 26 Ost 80582 southeast of Narva |
| 70 | 9 July 1944 | 12:12 | Yak-9 | PQ 26 Ost 91418 45 km (28 mi) east of Vyborg | 90 | 20 August 1944 | 13:59 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 57252 50 km (31 mi) north-northwest of Kreuzburg |
| 71 | 9 July 1944 | 21:03 | Yak-9 | PQ 26 Ost 91199 40 km (25 mi) northeast of Vyborg | 91 | 20 August 1944 | 16:09 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 57429 20 km (12 mi) northwest of Kreuzburg |
| 72 | 14 July 1944 | 10:32 | Yak-9 | PQ 26 Ost 91415 45 km (28 mi) east of Vyborg | | | | | |
| – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 – ||||||||||
| 92 | 26 August 1944 | 15:21 | P-39 | PQ KF-5/6 | 106 | 17 September 1944 | 16:26 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 37382 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Mitau |
| 93 | 26 August 1944 | 15:23? | Pe-2 | PQ KG-7/5 | 107 | 19 September 1944 | 15:57 | La-5 | PQ 25 Ost 37353 25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Mitau |
| 94 | 26 August 1944 | 15:24 | Pe-2 | PQ KG-8/3 | 108 | 19 September 1944 | 15:59 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 37381 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Mitau |
| 95 | 3 September 1944 | 10:18 | Pe-2 | PQ 25 Ost 58893 45 km (28 mi) southeast of Wenden | 109 | 20 September 1944 | 14:09 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 47382 45 km (28 mi) south-southwest of Riga |
| 96 | 6 September 1944 | 07:35 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 37366 15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Mitau | 110 | 20 September 1944 | 14:10 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 47386 45 km (28 mi) south-southwest of Riga |
| 97 | 6 September 1944 | 07:45 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 37626 20 km (12 mi) south of Mitau | 111 | 27 September 1944 | 15:30 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 57146 25 km (16 mi) south-southeast of Mālpils |
| 98 | 14 September 1944 | 14:52 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 57215 45 km (28 mi) east-southeast of Mālpils | 112 | 28 September 1944 | 13:57? | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 48823 20 km (12 mi) north-northwest of Mālpils |
| 99 | 14 September 1944 | 14:53 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 57219 45 km (28 mi) east-southeast of Mālpils | 113 | 1 October 1944 | 16:09 | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 48725 over the Baltic Sea, north-northeast of Riga |
| 100 | 14 September 1944 | 16:50 | P-39 | PQ 25 Ost 47139 20 km (12 mi) east of Riga | 114 | 7 October 1944 | 15:56 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 48882 west of Mālpils |
| 101 | 15 September 1944 | 13:35 | Pe-2 | PQ 25 Ost 47343 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Mitau | 115 | 7 October 1944 | 15:57 | Il-2 | PQ 25 Ost 58757 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Valmiera |
| 102 | 15 September 1944 | 18:20 | La-5 | PQ 25 Ost 47378 45 km (28 mi) south of Riga | 116 | 9 October 1944 | 08:56? | Yak-9 | PQ 25 Ost 47191 25 km (16 mi) southeast of Riga |
| 103 | 16 September 1944 | 09:18 | La-5 | PQ 25 Ost 37496 20 km (12 mi) southeast of Mitau | 117 | 12 October 1944 | 10:55? | Pe-2 | PQ 25 Ost 48782 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Riga |
| 104 | 16 September 1944 | 12:44 | La-5 | PQ 25 Ost 47517 45 km (28 mi) northeast of Pasewalk | ? | 27 December 1944 | — | Yak-9 | Dobele |
| 105 | 26 June 1944 | 16:24 | P-39 | PQ 25 Ost 37354 25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Mitau | | | | | |

### Awards

* Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
* German Cross in Gold on 20 March 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel in the II./Jagdgeschwader 54
* Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 24 April 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel and pilot
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 September 1944 as Leutnant and pilot in the 1./Jagdgeschwader 54