# Oskar Zimmermann

Oskar Zimmermann (6 December 1917 – 12 June 1976) 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 recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He received this award after 28 aerial victories—that is, 28 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft.

## World War II

On 7 April 1944, Zimmermann was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 6. Staffel of JG 3. He replaced Hauptmann Heinrich Sannemann who was transferred and led the Staffel until late April when Zimmermann took command. On 19 May, Zimmermann and his wingman had a mid-air collision. Both pilots bailed out and were unhurt, their Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft crashed southeast of Wittenberge.
In July, Zimmermann was transferred again and appointed Staffelkapitän of 9. Staffel of JG 3. He succeeded Leutnant Dieter Zink who had been shot down by anti-aircraft artillery and taken prisoner of war on 11 July. Zimmermann was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 29 October for 28 aerial victories claimed. On 18 December during the Battle of the Bulge, Zimmermann claimed his 29th aerial victory when he shot down a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter. On 1 January 1945 during Operation Bodenplatte, Zimmermann claimed a Hawker Tempest shot down.

## Later life

Zimmermann died on 12 February 1976 at the age of 58 in Bad Hersfeld, West Germany.

## Summary of career
### Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Zimmermann was credited with 34 victories in over 580 combat missions, 28 of which claimed on the Western Front including 14 heavy bombers. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that he was credited with at least 28 aerial victories, plus two further unconfirmed claims. Of this figure, he claimed six aerial victories on the Eastern Front and more than 22 over the Western Allies, including eleven four-engined heavy bombers.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 46264". 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 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 |
| – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 – Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – March 1943 ||||||||||
| 1 | 4 August 1942 | 19:15 | Il-2 | PQ 46264 30 km (19 mi) east-northeast of Konaja | 2 | 18 March 1943 | 08:28 | MiG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 53594 15 km (9.3 mi) north-north-east of Dmitriyev-Lgovsky |
| – Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 – Eastern Front — July – August 1943 ||||||||||
| 3 | 5 July 1943 | 11:00 | MiG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 63582 20 km (12 mi) southwest of Maloarkhangelsk | 5 | 15 July 1943 | 15:50 | P-39 | PQ 35 Ost 54453 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Bolkhov |
| 4 | 6 July 1943 | 09:03 | La-5 | PQ 35 Ost 63592 15 km (9.3 mi) south-southwest of Maloarkhangelsk | 6 | 18 August 1943 | 14:34 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 26732 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Moschna |
| – 11. Sturmstaffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Defense of the Reich — February – 24 April 1944 ||||||||||
| 7 | 8 April 1944 | 14:16 | B-17 | northwest of Braunschweig | 12 | 18 April 1944 | 14:32 | B-17 | northwest of Nauen |
| 8 | 11 April 1944 | 11:04 | B-17 | 20 km (12 mi) west of Haldensleben | 13? | 18 April 1944 | — | B-17* | |
| 9 | 11 April 1944 | 11:05 | P-38 | 20 km (12 mi) west of Haldensleben | 14 | 19 April 1944 | 10:46 | B-17 | PQ 15 Ost S/LA southeast of Göttingen |
| 10 | 11 April 1944 | 13:15 | B-17 | 20 km (12 mi) south of Rostock | 15 | 24 April 1944 | 13:35 | B-17 | PQ 04 Ost S/CE, northeast of Munich south of Landshut |
| 11 | 13 April 1944 | 14:00 | B-17* | PQ 05 Ost S/ST-3 | 16? | 24 April 1944 | — | B-17* | |
| – 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Defense of the Reich — 29 April – 6 June 1944 ||||||||||
| 17 | 29 April 1944 | 11:05 | B-17 | northwest of Magdeburg | 20 | 13 May 1944 | 14:30 | P-51 | PQ 15 Ost S/AF Jördenstorf-Demmin |
| 18 | 8 May 1944 | 10:17 | B-24 | southwest of Braunschweig | 21 | 19 May 1944 | 13:46 | B-17 | Dreis-Brück |
| 19 | 8 May 1944 | 10:40 | B-24* | west of Braunschweig | 22 | 30 May 1944 | 11:45 | P-51 | Braunschweig |
| – 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Invasion of Normandy — 7 June – July 1944 ||||||||||
| 23 | 12 June 1944 | 15:12 | P-47 | PQ 04 Ost N/AC-2 vicinity of Dreux | 25 | 25 July 1944 | 11:25 | P-51 | PQ 04 Ost N/BD-9/BE-7 vicinity of Dourdan |
| 24 | 24 July 1944 | 15:31 | P-51 | PQ 15 West UU-2/4 vicinity of Caen | | | | | |
| – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Invasion of Normandy — August – 22 September 1944 ||||||||||
| 26 | 14 August 1944 | 16:50 | P-47 | PQ 04 Ost N/CC-2/3 southeast of Chartres | 28 | 22 August 1944 | 14:37 | P-47 | PQ 04 Ost N/AJ-3/6 south of Châlons-sur-Marne |
| 27 | 18 August 1944 | 19:25 | P-51 | PQ 04 Ost N/TE-7/8 vicinity of Beauvais | | | | | |
| – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" – Defense of the Reich and on the Western Front — 24 November 1944 – January 1945 ||||||||||
| 29 | 18 December 1944 | 13:27 | P-47 | PQ 05 Ost OO-2 Lommersum | 30 | 1 January 1945 | — | Tempest | |

### Awards

* Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
* German Cross in Gold (1 October 1944) as Leutnant in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 3
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 October 1944 as Leutnant and pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"