page_title: Joachim Müncheberg
section_title: North Africa
hierarchical_section_title: Joachim Müncheberg / World War II / North Africa
caption_attribution_description: Photographed at the Spitfire 60th Anniversary Airshow, Duxford, 1996. Vintage, Veteran and Preserved Aircraft Scanned print. Photo ref; 1996/Spitfire 60th-Duxford/003
context_page_description: Joachim Müncheberg was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot during World War II and an ace credited with 135 air victories. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Western Front, with 33 claims over the Eastern Front. Of his 102 aerial victories achieved over the Western Allies, 46 were against Supermarine Spitfire fighters.
  Born in Friedrichsdorf, Prussia, Müncheberg volunteered for military service in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany in 1936. Initially serving in the Army, he transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1938. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 234 in October 1938. He was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" a year later and was appointed adjutant of the III. Gruppe. He fought in the Battle of France and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross following his 20th aerial victory and during the Battle of Britain. Serving as a Staffelkapitän he fought in the aerial battles during the siege of Malta and invasion of Yugoslavia. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Italian Gold Medal of Military Valor after 43 aerial victories.
context_section_description: Müncheberg took over command of Jagdgeschwader 77 on 1 October 1942. Jagdgeschwader 77 at the time was deployed on the southern sector of the Eastern Front and was scheduled to relocate to North Africa where I. Gruppe under the command of Heinz Bär arrived in Ain el Gazala on 26 October. Under the leadership of Müncheberg, the Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) which was equipped with new Bf 109 G-2s, arrived on 1 November.
  He scored over a No. 92 Squadron Spitfire piloted by Flight Sergeant Blade on 9 November. Lieutenant M Marshall, 1 SAAF, was killed in combat on 27 November 1942 when Müncheberg dived to attack ten of their fighters. Marshall's Spitfire shed a wing before spinning into the ground. Three other SAAF pilots were killed in the engagement—the Germans reported no losses. Promoted to Major on 30 November 1942, he claimed a No. 601 Squadron fighter 10 December and made a forced landing in his Bf 109 G-2 (Werknummer 10 725—factory number; 35% damage) following combat with a P-40 of the 66th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron, 57th Fighter Group, United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Warrant Officer B. Raises was posted missing in action from No. 601 Squadron. On 15 December, while flying a patrol during the Battle of El Agheila, Müncheberg intercepted P-40s from the 64th Fighter Squadron, 57th Fighter Group accompanied by 12 bomb-carrying P-40s from No. 112 Squadron. Müncheberg shot down two USAAF P-40s. Second Lieutenants Chester Kroplodowski was reported missing, presumed killed, and Steven Merena was captured. On 15 December Müncheberg took off with seven Bf 109s from III./JG 77 and attacked eleven British P-40s practicing ground attack tactics; he claimed one shot down. The pilot, RCAF Sgt N. E. McKee, crashed onto the shore and was captured.
  Müncheberg accounted for three P-40s on 14 January 1943 in a single combat. German pilots claimed 24 P-40s on this day. Actual British Commonwealth casualties were 12 destroyed and two damaged with five killed, one missing and one wounded. US forces reported on loss from the 85th Fighter Squadron, 79th Fighter Group.  On 22 January Müncheberg accounted for two 3 RAAF P-40s. Sergeant Righetti parachuted out and Flying Officer Russell was wounded and his aircraft damaged. Another success claimed on 28 January was a P-40 belonging to the 33rd Fighter Group which crashed. On 10 March Müncheberg claimed Flight Lieutenant R. R. Smith DFC, a Canadian pilot with 8 victory claims who was captured. No. 112 Squadron lost six in that fight, but claimed their 200th victory. A Bell P-39 Airacobra from 93d Fighter Squadron, 81st Fighter Group was claimed that day. Three days later, 10 P-39s of the 92nd Squadron and two from the 91st Squadron, 81st Fighter Group were ordered to attack targets of opportunity in the La Fauconnerie area. Spitfires of the 307th and 308th Squadrons of the 31st Fighter Group acted as escort but were distracted by Fw 190s and left the P-39s unprotected. Müncheberg claimed one, Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert, claimed four and Siegfried Freytag claimed two. The US units lost seven; Lieutenants Murray, Turkington, Smith, Leech, McCreight and Lewis of the 93rd and Lt Lyons of the 91st were lost. Murray escaped and returned the following day. The success was added to another claimed earlier in the morning when his unit engaged 34 P-40s from the US 57th Fighter Group, containing the 64th, 65th and 66th Squadrons. Reinert and another pilot claimed two each—the Americans lost four, with one pilot escaping to Allied lines, and most likely the pilot shot down by Müncheberg.
caption: Bf 109G-2/trop "Black 6", formerly of JG 77 (1996), prior to its crash. Müncheberg flew this exact type.
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