# Gerhard Michalski

Gerhard Michalski (25 June 1917 – 22 February 1946) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II. As a fighter ace, he is credited with 73 aerial victories in 652 missions, of which 59 victories were achieved over the Western Front including 13 four-engine bombers, and 14 over the Eastern Front. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

## Early life and career

Michalski was born on 25 June 1917 in Augsdorf in the Province of Saxony of the German Empire. In 1936, he volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe and was promoted to Leutnant in 1938. Michalski received the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse) on 28 September 1939.

## World War II

Michalski joined 6. Staffel (6th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) in 1940. He claimed his first victory on 31 March 1940 during the "Phoney War", when he downed a French Morane Saulnier MS 406 fighter over the French border near Püttlingen. Flying through the Battle of Britain, he claimed eight further aerial victories. In October 1940, Michalski was appointed Adjutant in II./JG 53.
JG 53 flew its last mission on the Channel Front on 4 June 1941. Four days later, II. Gruppe was ordered to Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield.

### Operation Barbarossa

In preparation of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul at Mannheim-Sandhofen Airfield. On 12 June, II. Gruppe relocated to Sobolewo. On 21 June, the commanding officers were ordered to Suwałki where they were briefed by Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring.
With JG 53 participating in the invasion of Russia from June 1941 onward, Michalski claimed 13 further victories by the end of August 1941 for a total of 22.
On 5 October 1941, II. Gruppe of JG 53 was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and ordered to Insterburg, present-day Chernyakhovsk. The Gruppe was then sent to Leeuwarden Airfield in the Netherlands where they arrived on 12. October. Prior to the relocation, Michalski was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 4. Staffel of JG 53, relacing Oberleutnant Kurt Liedtke in this capacity.

### Mediterranean theater

In November 1941, II. Gruppe of JG 53 were relocated to Sicily for operations against Malta. Michalski was to become the most successful German fighter pilot in the Siege of Malta, claiming 26 victories against the island's defenders. Michalski was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of JG 53 in August 1942. He succeeded Hauptmann Walter Spies who was transferred. Command of 4. Staffel was then passed to Oberleutnant Wilhelm Hobirk for two months before it was assigned to Leutnant Fritz Dinger in October. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for 41 victories in September. On 1 October, Michalski was promoted to Hauptmann (captain).
On 15 October, Michalski was shot down in his Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 10484—factory number). He bailed out over sea, climbed into his life raft before he was picked up by a Dornier Do 24 flying boat of Seenotstaffel 6, the 6th Squadron of the German air-sea rescue service. His victors were No. 126 Squadron Supermarine Spitfire fighters, flown by F/L. Jones and F/Sgt Varey, who shot him down off Marsaxlokk Bay.
In November 1942, II./JG 53 were sent to Tunisia. On 27 November, Michalski claimed a Spitfire fighter shot down 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) south of Majaz al Bab. That day, the RAF lost two Spitfires in aerial combat, one from No. 72 Squadron and another from No. 152 Squadron, plus another Spitfire damaged in combat. While Luftwaffe pilots claimed ten Spitfires shot down.
Following the fall of Tunisia, II./JG 53 relocated to bases in Sicily in May 1943. By June 1943, the Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 53, Oberst Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn, had fallen ill and could no longer lead JG 53 during combat missions. In consequence, Michalski was tasked with leading the air elements of JG 53. On 13 June, Michalski claimed a Supermarine Spitfire fighter shot down near Syracuse. His opponent may have been Wing Commander John Ellis who bailed out and was taken prisoner of war.
On 18 June 1943, II. Gruppe engaged in combat with eight Spitfire fighters over southeast Sicily. In this encounter, Michalski was shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 16362) near Donnafugata Castle. Forced to bail out, he was injured and taken to hospital in Ragusa. His victor was Flying Officer George Noel Keith Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), flying a Spitfire of No. 72 Squadron. He bailed out wounded in the leg and with a broken ankle, landing in the sea, from where he was rescued by the German air-sea rescue service. Hospitalised, he returned to JG 53 in August 1943.
On 1 October, Michalski was promoted to Major (major). In November 1943, II./JG 53 was relocated to airfields in Austria, operating on Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) duties. Michalski claimed his 60th victory on 2 November.

### Wing commander

On 24 April 1944, Michalski was made Geschwaderkommodore of the newly formed Jagdgeschwader z.b.V. (JG z.b.V.—fighter wing for special deployment), a special purpose unit which was tasked with defending the southern German airspace under control of 7. Jagd-Division (7th Fighter Division). Initially, the unit was based at Kassel and equipped with the Bf 109 G-6. On 29 April, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Eighth Air Force headed for Berlin. Michalski led the Stab and II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) on the intercept mission. Near Schandelah, present-day part of Cremlingen, he shot down a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber. On 1 May, the Eighth Air Force attacked German railroad infrastructure in southern Germany. Defending against this attack, Michalski was shot down by USAAF escorting fighters in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 440232) near Saarbrücken. Due to his injuries, he was taken off duty. The position of Geschwaderkommodore was left vacant until on 21 May Major Walther Dahl was given command of JG z.b.V.
Following his recovery, Michalski was transferred to the Verbandsführerschule of the General der Jagdflieger on 20 May 1944. On 21 July, he joined the Stabsstaffel, I./Jagdgeschwader 11.
On 15 June, JG z.b.V. had been renamed and became Jagdgeschwader 4 (JG 4—4th Fighter Wing) and Dahl was replaced by Major Gerhard Schöpfel as commander of JG 4. When on 6 August Schöpfel was wounded in combat, Michalski was transferred and became Geschwaderkommodore of JG 4. Michalski was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 25 November for 72 victories. On 1 January 1945, Michalski was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel).
As Geschwaderkommodore, Michalski was ordered to Berlin on 22 January 1945 and attended the meeting with Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring which was later dubbed the Fighter Pilots' Mutiny. This was an attempt to reinstate Generalleutnant Adolf Galland as General der Jagdflieger who had been dismissed for outspokenness regarding the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (Luftwaffe high command), and had been replaced by Oberst Gordon Gollob. The meeting was held at the Haus der Flieger in Berlin and was attended by a number of high-ranking fighter pilot leaders which included Michalski, Günther Lützow, Hannes Trautloft, Hermann Graf, Erich Leie, Helmut Bennemann, Kurt Bühligen and Herbert Ihlefeld, and their antagonist Göring supported by his staff Bernd von Brauchitsch and Karl Koller. The fighter pilots, with Lützow taking the lead as spokesman, criticized Göring and made him personally responsible for the decisions taken which effectively had led to the lost air war over Europe.

## Later life

Michalski was involved in a motor vehicle accident on 22 February 1946 and died in a hospital at the age of 28 in Kaltenkirchen. His brother Werner was killed in action as a Leutnant on 10 April 1942 serving with Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter".

## Summary of career
### Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Michalski was credited with 73 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 73 aerial victories in 652 missions, of which 59 victories were achieved over the Western Front including 13 four-engine bombers and 29 Spitfire fighters. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 68 aerial victory claims, plus three further unconfirmed claims. This number includes 14 on the Eastern Front and 54 on the Western Front, including 11 four-engined bombers.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 03 Ost 9848". 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 Michalski 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 ! (exclamation mark) indicates those aerial victories listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock.  This and the # (hash mark) indicates those aerial victories listed by Mathews and Foreman.  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman. ||||||||||||
| Claim! | Claim# | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim! | Claim# | Date | Time | Type | Location |
| – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 – "Phoney War" — 1 September 1939 – 9 May 1940 ||||||||||||
| 1 | | 31 March 1940 | 16:00 | M.S.406 | southwest of Sarreguemines | | | | | | |
| – 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 – At the Channel and over England — 26 June – August 1940 ||||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | 15 August 1940 | 18:50 | Hurricane | southwest of Portland | | | | | | |
| – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 – At the Channel and over England — August 1940 – 8 June 1941 ||||||||||||
| 3 | 2 | 10 October 1940 | 11:40? | Spitfire | Folkestone Thames Estuary | 7 | | 24 November 1940 | 16:50 | Hurricane | Gravesend |
| 4 | 3 | 11 October 1940 | 08:55 | Spitfire | | 8 | 6 | 30 November 1940 | 15:26 | Hurricane | Ashford |
| 5 | 4 | 28 October 1940 | 17:28 | Hurricane | 20 km (12 mi) south of London | 9 | 7 | 25 April 1941 | 15:47 | Spitfire | |
| 6 | 5 | 1 November 1940 | 15:40 | Spitfire | | | | | | | |
| – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 – Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 8 October 1941 ||||||||||||
| 10 | 8 | 1 July 1941 | 13:52 | I-153 | | 17 | 15 | 29 August 1941 | 15:57 | I-16? | |
| 11 | 9 | 4 July 1941 | 16:45 | SB-2 | | 18 | 16 | 11 September 1941 | 09:02 | I-18 (MiG-1) | |
| 12 | 10 | 4 July 1941 | 16:49 | SB-3 | | 19 | 17 | 21 September 1941 | 16:05 | I-18 (MiG-1) | |
| 13 | 11 | 5 July 1941 | 09:26 | SB-3 | southeast of Smitten | 20 | 18 | 23 September 1941 | 17:05 | I-18 (MiG-1) | |
| 14 | 12 | 14 July 1941 | 19:24 | DB-3 | | 21 | 19 | 28 September 1941 | 08:03 | I-18 (MiG-1) | |
| 15 | 13 | 19 July 1941 | 17:25 | R-5 | | 22 | 20 | 4 October 1941 | 09:43? | I-18 (MiG-1) | |
| 16 | 14 | 27 August 1941 | 17:10 | R-5 | | | | | | | |
| – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 – Mediterranean Theater — 15 December 1941 – August 1942 ||||||||||||
| 23? | 21 | 20 December 1941 | 16:40 | Hurricane | | 35 | 30 | 29 June 1942 | 08:45 | Spitfire | |
| 24 | | 29 December 1941 | 10:40 | Hurricane | | 36 | 31 | 2 July 1942 | 08:07 | Spitfire | 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Malta 5–8 km (3.1–5.0 mi) north of Ta' Vnezja |
| 25 | 22 | 3 January 1942 | 09:18? | Hurricane | | 37 | 32 | 2 July 1942 | 13:30 | Spitfire | 7–8 km (4.3–5.0 mi) east of La Valletta |
| 26 | 23 | 20 January 1942 | 14:18 | Hurricane | | 38 | 33 | 8 July 1942 | 06:48 | Spitfire | |
| 27 | — | 24 January 1942 | 14:25 | Hurricane | | 39 | 34 | 8 July 1942 | 11:35 | Spitfire | |
| 28 | 24 | 17 March 1942 | 08:08 | Spitfire | Malta | 40 | 35 | 30 July 1942 | 08:25 | Spitfire | |
| 29 | — | 2 April 1942 | 10:42 | Spitfire | | 41 | 36 | 31 July 1942 | 14:58 | Spitfire | |
| 30 | 25 | 8 May 1942 | 09:40 | P-40 | Ta' Vnezja | 42 | 37 | 31 July 1942 | 15:00 | Spitfire | |
| | 26 | 14 May 1942 | 11:43 | Spitfire | | | 38 | 2 August 1942 | 14:30 | Spitfire | 5 km (3.1 mi) west of Venezia |
| 31 | | 15 May 1942 | 11:31 | Spitfire | | 43 | 39 | 2 August 1942 | 16:23 | Spitfire | |
| 32 | 27 | 3 June 1942 | 11:13 | Spitfire | 60 km (37 mi) southeast of Pantelleria | 44 | 40 | 10 August 1942 | 12:21 | Spitfire | |
| 33 | 28 | 8 June 1942 | 11:25 | Spitfire | | 45? | | 12 August 1942 | — | Spitfire | |
| 34 | 29 | 15 June 1942 | 10:40 | Beaufighter | 70 km (43 mi) southeast of Pantelleria | 46 | 41 | 14 August 1942 | 18:48 | Spitfire | |
| – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 – Mediterranean Theater — August – 31 December 1942 ||||||||||||
| 47 | 42 | 13 October 1942? | 14:10? | Spitfire | 20 km (12 mi) north of La Valletta | 49 | 44 | 27 November 1942 | 14:56 | Spitfire | 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Majaz al Bab |
| 48 | 43 | 14 October 1942 | 08:20 | Spitfire | vicinity of Malta | | | | | | |
| – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 – Mediterranean Theater — 1 January – 15 October 1943 ||||||||||||
| 50? | — | 1 January 1943 | 11:56 | Spitfire | | 56 | 50 | 19 April 1943 | 16:08 | Spitfire | 3 km (1.9 mi) southeast of Menzel Temime 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Zembra |
| 51 | 45 | 25 February 1943 | 12:16 | P-38 | 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Tebourba | 57 | 51 | 2 May 1943 | 14:54 | P-40 | southwest of Béja |
| 52? | | 2 March 1943 | 11:50 | Spitfire | 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Sfax | 58 | 52 | 8 June 1943 | 08:52 | Spitfire | 40 km (25 mi) south-southwest of Pozzallo |
| | 46 | 2 March 1943 | 11:50 | B-17* | 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Béja | 59 | 53 | 9 June 1943 | 14:00 | P-38 | 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Pantelleria |
| 53? | 47 | 22 March 1943 | 14:10 | P-38 | PQ 03 Ost 9848 | 60 | 54 | 13 June 1943 | 12:12 | Spitfire | Syracuse |
| 54 | 48 | 18 April 1943 | 19:05 | P-40 | 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of the Gulf of Tunis | 61? | 55 | 8 September 1943 | 17:00 | P-38 | 50 km (31 mi) southwest of Capri |
| 55 | 49 | 19 April 1943 | 15:56 | Spitfire | 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Zembra | | | | | | |
| – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 – Defense of the Reich — 16 October – 31 December 1943 ||||||||||||
| 62 | 56 | 2 November 1943 | 12:40? | B-24* | Kaindorf | | | | | | |
| – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 53 – Defense of the Reich — 1 January – April 1944 ||||||||||||
| 63 | 57 | 7 January 1944 | 11:28 | P-38 | 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Kalsdorf | 67 | | 8 April 1944 | — | B-24 | |
| 64 | 58 | 24 February 1944 | 12:56 | B-17 | vicinity of Friedburg | 68 | | 11 April 1944 | — | B-24 | |
| 65 | 59 | 25 February 1944 | 11:56 | B-24 | Radlersberg-Fridau | 69 | 61 | 13 April 1944 | 15:54 | B-17 | Königsdorf |
| 66 | 60 | 23 March 1944 | 10:28 | B-17 | southwest of Braundes | 70 | 62 | 19 April 1944 | 10:35 | B-17 | south of Hann. Münden, east of Kassel |
| – Stab of Jagdgruppe z.b.V. – Defense of the Reich — April 1944 ||||||||||||
| 71 | 63 | 29 April 1944 | 11:03 | B-17 | Schandelah, east of Braunschweig | | | | | | |
| – Stab of Jagdgeschwader 4 – Defense of the Reich — September 1944 – 8 May 1945 ||||||||||||
| 72 | 64 | 21 September 1944 | 15:25 | Lancaster | northwest of Nijmegen | 75 | 67 | 2 November 1944 | 12:56? | B-17 | PQ 15 Ost JD-JE |
| 73 | 65 | 27 September 1944 | 18:15 | Typhoon | southwest of Goch | 76 | 68 | 8 March 1945 | 10:27 | Yak-9 | Eastern Front |
| 74 | 66 | 2 November 1944 | 12:55 | B-17 | PQ 15 Ost JE-JD | | | | | | |

### Awards

* Iron Cross (1939)
** 2nd Class (28 September 1939)
** 1st Class (3 September 1940)
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross on 4 September 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 4./Jagdgeschwader 53
** 667th Oak Leaves on 25 November 1944 as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 4