# Detlev Rohwer

Detlev Rohwer (14 November 1917 – 30 March 1944) was a German 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. During his career he was credited with 38 aerial victories, 12 on the Western Front and 26 on the Eastern Front.

## Career

Rohwer was born on 14 November 1917 in Kiel, at the time in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia.
Following aerial combat with Royal Air Force (RAF) Hawker Hurricane fighters on 2 September 1940, Rohwer made a forced landing in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E in the English Channel off of Maidstone. He was later rescued unhurt by the Seenotdienst (air-sea rescue).
On 12 May 1942, Rohwer was appointed Staffelkapitän of 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing). He succeeded Oberleutnant Eberhard Bock who had been transferred. On 20 June, Rohwer was temporarily appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of JG 1. He replaced Hauptmann Hans von Hahn who had been relieved of his command on 15 June following the shooting of a sentry. On 4 October, Rohwer was transferred and appointed Staffelkapitän of 2. Staffel of JG 3. He succeeded Oberleutnant Erwin Straznicky who was killed in action. In consequence, command of II. Gruppe of JG 1 was passed to Major Herbert Kijewski. On 29 November, Rohwer was shot down and wounded when his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2/R1 (Werknummer 13910—factory number) was hit by ground fire 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) south of the Chir. During his convalescence, he was replaced by Leutnant Franz Daspelgruber as head of 3. Staffel.
In February 1944, Rohwer was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II. Gruppe of JG 3. He replaced Hauptmann Heinrich Sannemann who had temporarily led the Gruppe. In consequence, command of 2. Staffel was given to Leutnant Harro Schlüter. Rohwer was wounded on 29 March 1944 following a forced landing west of Osnabrück when he was strafed by marauding Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighters. Sustaining wounds to his leg, he was taken to a hospital where he succumbed to his wounds the following day. Command of II. Gruppe was again given to Sannemann.

## Summary of career
### Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Rohwer was credited with 38 aerial victories, 26 of which on the Eastern Front, 12 over the Western Front, and further destroying six aircraft on the ground. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 36 aerial victories, 26 of which on the Eastern Front and ten over the Western Allies.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 30541". 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 :
| Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
| – Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 – Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940 ||||||||||
| 1 | 6 June 1940 | — | Blenheim | Saint-Valery-Abbeville | | | | | |
| – Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 – Battle of Britain and on the English Channel — 26 June 1940 – 9 June 1941 ||||||||||
| 2 | 15 September 1940 | — | Hurricane | vicinity of London | 4 | 9 October 1940 | — | Hurricane | southeast of London |
| 3 | 15 September 1940 | — | Hurricane | north of London | | | | | |
| – Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 – Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 16 September 1941 ||||||||||
| 5 | 25 June 1941 | 15:05 | I-153 | 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Dubno | 17 | 16 July 1941 | 15:25 | SB-3 | 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Berdychiv |
| 6 | 26 June 1941 | 06:15 | DB-3 | northeast of Brody | 18 | 16 July 1941 | 15:28 | SB-3 | 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Berdychiv |
| 7 | 26 June 1941 | 14:20 | SB-2 | Szczurowcze | 19 | 16 July 1941 | 15:30 | SB-3 | 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Berdychiv |
| 8 | 26 June 1941 | 14:20 | SB-2 | Szczurowcze | 20 | 31 July 1941 | 17:05 | I-16 | 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Cherkasy |
| 9 | 29 June 1941 | 18:05 | Pe-2 | 30 km (19 mi) south of Ostriv | 21 | 11 August 1941 | 06:46 | SB-2 | 6 km (3.7 mi) west of Boryspil |
| 10 | 29 June 1941 | 18:10 | Pe-2 | 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Ostriv | 22 | 12 August 1941 | — | I-16 | over Kiev |
| 11 | 2 July 1941 | 09:50 | V-11 (Il-2) | 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Zwiatel | 23 | 14 August 1941 | 13:00 | I-16 | southeast of Kaniv |
| 12 | 6 July 1941 | 15:40 | SB-2 | southeast of Shepetivka | 24 | 15 August 1941 | 17:50 | I-153 | north of Kaniv |
| 13 | 6 July 1941 | 15:45 | DB-3 | southeast of Shepetivka | 25 | 16 August 1941 | 10:02 | DB-3 | east of Kaniv |
| 14 | 13 July 1941 | 16:15 | SB-2 | 20 km (12 mi) east of Berdychiv | 26 | 16 August 1941 | 10:05 | DB-3 | east of Kaniv |
| 15 | 13 July 1941 | 16:16 | SB-2 | Oschadowka | 27 | 16 August 1941 | 10:08 | DB-3 | east of Kaniv |
| 16 | 13 July 1941 | 16:19 | SB-2 | 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Oschadowka | 28 | 7 September 1941 | 13:10 | R-10 (Seversky) | southeast of Kremenchuk |
| – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Eastern Front — 4 October – 29 November 1942 ||||||||||
| 29 | 13 November 1942 | 11:35 | MiG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 30541 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Kletskaya | 30 | 21 November 1942 | 11:42 | Il-2 | PQ 35 Ost 49372 southwest of Werchnedjeprow |
| – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Defense of the Reich — 1 May – 22 October 1943 ||||||||||
| 31 | 20 May 1943 | 12:58 | P-47 | PQ 05 Ost 2211 | 33 | 14 October 1943 | 14:08 | P-47 | PQ 05 Ost S/KJ-4, 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Weert Rosendaal |
| 32 | 8 October 1943 | 15:00 | P-47 | PQ 05 Ost S/EN-8, northwest of Meppel Havelte east of Steenwijk | | | | | |
| – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Western Front — 21 October – 31 December 1943 ||||||||||
| 34 | 24 October 1943 | 12:20 | Spitfire | PQ 05 Ost S/QE-1 Auxi-le-Château | | | | | |
| – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Defense of the Reich — February – 29 March 1944 ||||||||||
| 35 | 6 March 1944 | 14:20 | P-38 | PQ 15 Ost S/ED-15 10 km (6.2 mi) west of Wittenberge | 36 | 8 March 1944 | 15:12 | P-38 | PQ 15 Ost S/GU Hannover |

### Awards

* Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 October 1941 as Leutnant and pilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 3