# Viktor Petermann

Viktor Petermann (26 May 1916 – 19 May 2001) 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. Viktor Petermann was captured by American troops in May 1945, he was handed over to Soviet troops and was released in August 1945 due to his health problems. At the end of the war he flew the Me 262 fighter jet. During his career was credited with 64 aerial victories, four of them, after he lost his arm in an airfight, all on the Eastern Front.

## Career

Petermann was born on 26 May 1916 in Weipert, at the time part of the district of Kaaden in the Sudetenland, present-day Vejprty in the Czech Republic.
On 6 June 1943, Petermann was wounded in aerial combat with Yakovlev Yak-1 fighters near Petrovskaya located approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) northwest of Slavyansk-on-Kuban. He made an emergency landing of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-4 (Werknummer 19527—factory number) near Krasny Oktyabr located 40 kilometers (25 miles) west of Slavyansk-on-Kuban at 18:00. He returned to his unit on 10 June.
On 1 October 1943, Petermann became a victim of friendly fire when his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 15851) was shot down by German anti-aircraft artillery resulting in an emergency landing at Nove Zaporizhzhya at 12:15. His injuries were severe, requiring the amputation of his left arm and a toe on his left foot.

### Squadron leader and end of war

On 7 January 1945, Petermann was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 10. Staffel of JG 52. He succeeded Leutnant Karl Gratz who had temporarily led the Staffel after its former commander, Oberleutnant Friedrich Obleser, had been wounded on 30 December 1944. The Staffel was subordinated to III. Gruppe of JG 52 at the time headed by Hauptmann Wilhelm Batz and based at Kraków. When on 13 January Soviet forces launched the East Prussian offensive, III. Gruppe was moved to an airfield at Weidengut, present-day Wierzbie. Here on 16 January, Petermann claimed Yakovlev Yak-9. On 1 February 1945, Batz was transferred and command of III. Gruppe went to Major Adolf Borchers. On 11 February, Petermann claimed another Yak-9 fighter.
Flying to Schweidnitz, present-day Świdnica, on 16 March, Petermann and his wingman Unteroffizier Schreck interceped a flight of 20 Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers and 15 Bell P-39 Airacobra fighters north of Grottkau, present-day Grodków. Attacking from above, both pilots claimed a P-39 shot down. On 22 March, Petermann claimed his last confirmed aerial victory, a Yak-9 fighter. On 30 March, Petermann was transferred to III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 7 "Nowotny", the first operational jet fighter unit. Command of 10. Staffel was again passed to Gratz. Petermann claimed one probable aerial victory flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter.

## Summary of career
### Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Petermann was credited with 64 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 64 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions. All of his aerial victories were achieved over the Eastern Front. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 64 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 54522". 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 Petermann did not receive credit.  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 |
| – Stab of Jagdgeschwader 52 – Eastern Front — 17 May 1942 – 3 February 1943 ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 July 1942 | 14:55 | LaGG-3 | vicinity of Volokonovka | 6 | 7 September 1942 | 12:17? | Boston | PQ 54522 |
| 2 | 2 July 1942 | 09:25 | MiG-1 | vicinity of Volokonovka | 7 | 17 September 1942 | 14:27 | Su-2 (Seversky) | PQ 54331 |
| 3 | 15 August 1942 | 06:45 | I-153 | PQ 34272 | 8 | 29 September 1942 | 15:48 | MiG-1 | PQ 44591 |
| 4 | 24 August 1942 | 15:04 | one-engined bomber | PQ 54194 | 9 | 4 October 1942 | 15:04 | LaGG-3 | PQ 44432 |
| 5 | 25 August 1942 | 15:20 | Boston | PQ 44274 | | | | | |
| – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – Eastern Front — 4 February – 18 April 1943 ||||||||||
| 10 | 11 February 1943 | 11:40 | I-16 | PQ 34 Ost 8512 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Novocherkassk | 13 | 12 March 1943 | 07:40 | R-5 | PQ 34 Ost 85152 vicinity of Erdol |
| 11 | 12 February 1943 | 14:38 | I-153 | PQ 34 Ost 85624 Black Sea, south of Nowe Mikhaylovskoye | 14 | 19 March 1943 | 09:30 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 86594 Ivanovskaya |
| 12 | 13 February 1943 | 11:37 | I-153 | PQ 34 Ost 85194 east of Derbentskaya | 15 | 18 April 1943 | 16:20 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 75494 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Novorossiysk |
| – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – Eastern Front — 20 April – September 1943 ||||||||||
| 16 | 20 April 1943 | 08:40 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 85181, Neberdschajewskaja vicinity of Usun | 37 | 9 May 1943 | 18:22 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 85141, northwest Abinskaja east of Krymsk |
| 17 | 20 April 1943 | 15:51 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 75452 8 km (5.0 mi) south of Novorossiysk | 38 | 22 May 1943 | 06:15 | R-5 | PQ 34 Ost 96724 east of Krasnodar |
| 18 | 21 April 1943 | 07:10 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 75461 Black Sea, 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Kabardinka | 39 | 26 May 1943 | 18:30 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 76891 vicinity of Kijewskoje |
| 19 | 23 April 1943 | 05:02 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 75415, southeast of Kabardinka | 40 | 27 May 1943 | 14:10 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 76864, Kruglik vicinity of Kecskemet |
| 20 | 23 April 1943 | 05:08 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 7543, Novorossiysk | 41 | 28 May 1943 | 10:51 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 76892, northeast Kijewskoje vicinity of Kijewskoje |
| 21 | 26 April 1943? | 12:36 | R-5 | PQ 34 Ost 75733 west of Nowomyschowskaja | 42 | 28 May 1943 | 13:21 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 75232, southeast Kijewskoje north of Krymsk |
| 22 | 26 April 1943? | 12:39 | R-5 | PQ 34 Ost 85732 west of Nowomyschowskaja | — | 28 May 1943 | 18:00+ | Il-2 | |
| 23 | 27 April 1943 | 17:05 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 85142 vicinity of Abinsk | 43 | 31 May 1943 | 08:00 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 76864, Kruglik north of Kecskemet |
| 24 | 28 April 1943 | 11:48 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 86783 Bondarenka | 44 | 31 May 1943 | 14:07 | Pe-2 | PQ 34 Ost 86771 vicinity of Bondarenka |
| 25 | 29 April 1943 | 13:15 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 85161 vicinity of Abinsk | 45 | 1 June 1943 | 18:18 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 76892, northeast Kijewskoje vicinity of Kijewskoje |
| 26 | 30 April 1943 | 16:39 | Spitfire | PQ 34 Ost 85751 vicinity of Abinsk | 46 | 2 June 1943 | 10:45 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 76993 |
| 27 | 2 May 1943 | 08:52 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 85172 southwest of Abinsk | 47 | 4 June 1943 | 18:17 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 75491 Black Sea, 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Kabardinka |
| 28 | 3 May 1943 | 06:07 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 85161 vicinity of Nowenjkij | 48 | 4 June 1943 | 18:21 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 75452 8 km (5.0 mi) south of Novorossiysk |
| 29 | 3 May 1943 | 06:34 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 85181 northeast of Usun | 49 | 23 July 1943 | 17:34 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 76894, east Kijewskoje vicinity of Kijewskoje |
| 30 | 4 May 1943 | 14:58 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 75324 Black Sea, south of Anapa | 50 | 26 July 1943 | 06:18 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 76774 Black Sea, west of Blagowetschskoje |
| 31 | 4 May 1943 | 15:18 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 85143 southeast of Krymsk | 51 | 26 July 1943 | 06:25 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 75151 Black Sea, west of Anapa |
| 32 | 5 May 1943 | 09:22 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 85261 north of Nowo Bakanskaja | 52 | 26 July 1943 | 18:20 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 34 Ost 75262, southwest of Krymskaja south of Krymsk |
| 33 | 5 May 1943 | 13:32 | LaGG-3? | PQ 34 Ost 85184, 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Abinskaja southeast of Tscherkassowski | 53 | 31 July 1943 | 18:20 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 75291, Neberdshajewskaja vicinity of Neberdshajewskaja |
| 34 | 5 May 1943 | 17:32 | LaGG-3 | PQ 34 Ost 76893, southeast Kijewskoje south of Bakanskij | 54 | 7 September 1943 | 17:12 | Pe-2 | PQ 34 Ost 50242 25 km (16 mi) southwest of Olshany |
| 35 | 6 May 1943 | 16:07 | Yak-4 | PQ 34 Ost 75454 Black Sea, southwest of Anapa | 55 | 14 September 1943 | 07:17 | Yak-1 | PQ 35 Ost 50141 40 km (25 mi) south-southwest of Bogodechow |
| 36 | 8 May 1943 | 17:58 | Yak-1 | PQ 34 Ost 85171, southwest Abinskaja vicinity of Usun | | | | | |
| – 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – Eastern Front — September – 1 October 1943 ||||||||||
| 56 | 25 September 1943 | 11:57 | Yak-1 | PQ 35 Ost 11744 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi | 59 | 25 September 1943 | 12:19 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 35 Ost 10153 vicinity of Rabotschi |
| 57 | 25 September 1943 | 12:09 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 35 Ost 11783 Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi | 60 | 26 September 1943 | 07:32 | P-40 | PQ 35 Ost 10133 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi |
| 58 | 25 September 1943 | 12:12 | Il-2 m.H. | PQ 35 Ost 11753 vicinity of Jerkownik | | | | | |
| – 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 – Eastern Front — 1945 ||||||||||
| 61 | 16 January 1945 | 12:06 | Yak-9 | PQ 91653 | 63 | 16 March 1945 | 17:08 | P-39 | PQ 71342 northeast of Münsterberg |
| 62 | 11 February 1945 | 12:50 | Yak-9 | PQ 71167 | 64 | 22 March 1945 | 15:46 | Yak-9 | PQ 71471 west of Schädeburg |

### Awards

* Flugzeugführerabzeichen
* Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
* Iron Cross (1939)
** 2nd Class (31 August 1942)
** 1st Class (16 October 1942)
* Wound Badge (1939)
** in Black (12 June 1943)
** in Silver (22 December 1943)
* German Cross in Gold on 23 July 1943 as Feldwebel in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 52
* Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 9 August 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 February 1944 as Leutnant and pilot in the III./Jagdgeschwader 52