# Rolf Hermichen

Rolf Hermichen (25 July 1918 – 23 May 2014) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

## Career

He was born in Wernigerode in the district of Harz.
On 15 July 1942, Hermichen was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 26. He succeeded Oberleutnant Johannes Schmidt who was transferred. On 13 June 1943, the Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe, Hauptmann Kurt Ruppert was killed in action. Command of the Gruppe was temporarily given to Hermichen. On 29 June, Geschwaderkommodore Josef Priller appointed Major Klaus Mietusch as the new commander of III. Gruppe. Mietusch assumed command on 5 July and Hermichen returned to 3. Staffel.
On 16 October 1943, Herminchen was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing). He succeeded Hauptmann Erich Woitke who temporarily led the Gruppe after Hauptmann Erwin Clausen was killed in action on 4 October. On 2 April 1944, Hermichen was presented the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) by Generaloberst Hans-Jürgen Stumpff at the airfield in Rotenburg an der Wümme. The Knight's Cross had been awarded on 26 March.
On 12 May, the Eighth Army Air Force targeted the German fuel industry. In total 886 four-engined bombers, escorted by 980 fighter aircraft, headed for the five main synthetic fuel factories in middle Germany in area of Leuna, Merseburg, Böhlen and Zeitz, and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and Brüx. That day, Hermichen was shot down in aerial combat near Limburg an der Lahn. In consequence, he was transferred to the staff of the 2. Jagd-Division (2nd Fighter Division) based in Stade. Hermichen was replaced by Oberleutnant Hans-Heinrich Koenig as commander of I. Gruppe.

## Summary of career
### Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Hermichen was credited with 64 aerial victories. Obermaier also lists him with 64 aerial victories claimed in 629 combat missions, 11 of them while flying the Messerschmitt Bf 110. He shot down 53 enemy aircraft in Defense of the Reich, including 26 four-engine strategic bombers. Forsyth also lists him with 26 heavy bombers shot down. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 49 aerial victory claims, plus eight further unconfirmed claims. This figure includes 11 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 38 over the Western Allies, including 17 four-engine bombers.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 28321". 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 – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Hermichen did not receive credit.  This along with the * (asterisk) indicates an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman. ||||||||||
| Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
| – 6. Staffel of Zerstörergeschwader 1 – Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940 ||||||||||
| 1 | 10 May 1940 | 11:15 | Battle | Waalhaven | 2 | 27 May 1940 | — | Spitfire | |
| — | 15 May 1940 | — | M.S.406 | | — | 30 May 1940 | — | Potez 63 | |
| – 9. Staffel of Zerstörergeschwader 76 – Battle of Britain — 10 July – 31 October 1940 ||||||||||
| — | 12 August 1940 | — | Hurricane | | — | 25 August 1940 | — | Hurricane | |
| — | 15 August 1940 | — | Spitfire | | | | | | |
| – III. Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 76 – Norwegian Coast ||||||||||
| 3 | 9 February 1941 | 11:00 | Beaufort | Mandal | | | | | |
| – 6. Staffel of Schnellkampfgeschwader 210 – Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941 ||||||||||
| 4 | 6 September 1941 | — | Yak-1 | | 6 | 22 October 1941 | — | Pe-2 | |
| 5 | 12 October 1941 | — | Yak-1 | | | | | | |
| – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" – On the Western Front — 1 January – 15 July 1942 ||||||||||
| 12? | 4 April 1942 | 11:35 | Spitfire | northwest of Brouckerque off Lister | 13 | 12 April 1942 | 13:43 | Spitfire | 3 km (1.9 mi) north of Cassel |
| – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" – On the Western Front — 15 July – 31 December 1942 ||||||||||
| 14 | 9 May 1942 | 17:42 | Spitfire | 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Koksijde | 18 | 19 August 1942 | 11:28 | P-39 | Dieppe |
| 15 | 30 July 1942 | 19:11 | Hurricane | Saint-Omer-Wizernes | 19 | 4 December 1942 | 14:35 | Spitfire | 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Desvres south of Ardres |
| 16 | 18 August 1942 | 15:01? | Spitfire | 20 km (12 mi) south of Dungeness | 20 | 6 December 1942 | 11:37 | Spitfire | 20 km (12 mi) west of Le Tréport |
| 17 | 19 August 1942 | 09:51 | Spitfire | northeast of Dieppe | 21 | 19 December 1942 | 14:15 | US-fighter | 25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Deal |
| – Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" – On the Eastern Front — 2 February – 7 June 1943 ||||||||||
| 22 | 18 February 1943 | 08:23 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 28321 | 26 | 5 March 1943 | 15:09 | P-40 | PQ 35 Ost 18443 |
| 23 | 19 February 1943 | 09:59 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 18293 | 27 | 7 March 1943 | 10:03 | Pe-2 | PQ 35 Ost 18254 |
| 24 | 19 February 1943 | 10:01 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 18462 | 28 | 7 March 1943 | 15:43 | Pe-2 | PQ 35 Ost 18551 |
| 25 | 4 March 1943 | 08:03 | Pe-2 | PQ 35 Ost 18242 | 29 | 23 March 1943 | 13:42 | Yak-7 | PQ 36 Ost 00412 |
| – 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" – Defense of the Reich — 5 July – 15 October 1943 ||||||||||
| 31? | 28 July 1943 | 12:17 | Typhoon | PQ 05 Ost S/JH-1/NH-7 west of Rotterdam | 34 | 12 August 1943 | 08:42 | B-17* | PQ 05 Ost S/KN-3/6 Mönchengladbach |
| 32 | 30 July 1943 | 10:12 | B-17 | PQ 05 Ost S/JM-3 Nijmegen | 35 | 15 August 1943 | 11:58? | Spitfire | PQ 05 Ost S/KG-7 Vlissingen-North Sea |
| 33 | 30 July 1943 | 10:15 | P-47 | PQ 05 Ost S/JM-2/3 Dordrecht | | | | | |
| – Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 – Defense of the Reich — 16 October – 31 December 1943 ||||||||||
| 36 | 5 November 1943 | 14:02 | P-47 | PQ KH, Schouwen | 38 | 1 December 1943 | 12:20 | B-24 | PQ 05 Ost OO-8/6, south of Euskirchen |
| — | 5 November 1943 | — | B-17* | | — | 1 December 1943 | — | B-24* | south of Euskirchen |
| 37 | 13 November 1943 | 11:30 | B-24 | PQ 05 Ost SS-5/6 east of Husum | 39 | 11 December 1943 | 12:17 | B-17 | PQ 05 Ost AP-2/4 25 km (16 mi) north of Norderney |
| – Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 – Defense of the Reich — January – June 1944 ||||||||||
| 49? | 10 February 1944 | 12:55 | B-17 | PQ 05 Ost S/EP-8, northwest of Lingen | 57 | 8 March 1944 | 15:26 | B-24 | PQ 15 Ost S/FA, north of Großburgwedel |
| 50 | 20 February 1944 | 13:27 | B-24 | PQ 05 Ost S/JU-4, vicinity of Holzminden | 58 | 8 March 1944 | 15:28 | B-24 | PQ 15 Ost S/FA, north of Großburgwedel |
| 51 | 20 February 1944 | 13:30 | B-24 | PQ 05 Ost S/JU-1, vicinity of Holzminden | 59 | 8 March 1944 | 15:36 | B-17 | PQ 15 Ost S/FA, vicinity of Celle |
| 52 | 20 February 1944 | 13:37 | B-24 | PQ 15 Ost S/JA-1/1, vicinity of Gotha | 60? | 8 March 1944 | 15:47 | B-17 | |
| 53 | 20 February 1944 | 13:45 | B-24 | PQ 05 Ost S/JU-6, vicinity of Holzminden | 61 | 23 March 1944 | 10:03? | B-17 | PQ 05 Ost S/ES, south of Bremen |
| 54 | 3 March 1944 | 12:02 | B-17 | west of Tönning | 62 | 15 April 1944 | 13:56? | P-38 | PQ 05 Ost S/DT, vicinity of Rotenburg |
| 54 | 6 March 1944 | 12:00 | B-17 | PQ 05 Ost S/EP, vicinity of Haselünne | 63 | 15 April 1944 | 13:57? | P-38 | PQ 05 Ost S/DT-2/9, vicinity of Rotenburg |
| 55 | 6 March 1944 | 12:06 | B-17 | PQ 05 Ost S/ER, south of Delmenhorst | 64 | 24 April 1944 | 13:06 | P-51 | PQ 05 Ost S/SS, vicinity of Mannheim |
| 56 | 6 March 1944 | 12:12 | B-17 | PQ 05 Ost S/ER, south of Delmenhorst | | | | | |

### Awards

* Iron Cross (1939)
** 2nd Class (24 April 1940)
** 1st Class (7 June 1940)
* Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 5 January 1942 as Oberleutnant and pilot
* German Cross in Gold on 15 October 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 3./Jagdgeschwader 26
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross on 26 March 1944 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 11
** 748th Oak Leaves on 19 February 1945 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 11