Siegfried Freytag
Major

Siegfried Freytag

    Siegfried Freytag was born on 10 November 1919 at Danzig-Langfuhr. Freytag served with 6./JG 77 from 1940. He gain his first victory on 31 October 1940 when he shot down a Hudson twin engine patrol/bombing aircraft. He participated in the invasion of Greece and Crete. He gain his next victories in July 1941, operating over the Eastern front. A year later Oberleutnant Freytag had 57 victories to his credit, recorded in 360 missions, plus 12 aircraft destroyed on the ground and had been awarded the Ritterkreuz on 3 July 1942. He recorded his 10th victory on 12 August 1941, his 20th victory on 30 October, his 30th victory on 26 March 1942, his 40th victory on 8 May 1942 and his 50th victory on 3 June. On 27 June 1942, Freytag was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 77 and relocated with the unit to the Mediterranean theatre. Operating over Malta from July until October, Freytag was to claim 21 confirmed victories, and many unconfirmed, raising his victory total to 78. He was the highest scoring German fighter pilot over Malta. However, RAF Spitfire fighters shot him down on 27 July. He was rescued from the sea off Valetta by a Do 24 three-engine flying boat, just as British rescue launches were approaching. Operating over North Africa and Tunisia, Freytag added a further 16 victories. On 13 March 1943, Freytag was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 77. He also saw action over Sicily but was shot down over Gela by USAAF P-38 twin-engine fighters on 12 July. Freytag successfully baled out of his stricken Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 180 25) but was wounded in the encounter. Following his recovery from wounds, Freytag led II./JG 77, on Reichsverteidigung duties, from bases in Germany. On 25 December, Freytag was appointed acting Kommodore of JG 77 when Major Johannes Wiese (133 victories, RK-EL) was shot down and wounded in aerial combat. He recorded his 102nd, and last, victory on 1 January 1945. Freytag was again appointed acting Kommodore of JG 77 on 7 March, following the death in action of Major Erich Leie (118 victories, RK). He led the unit until 1 April. On 4 April 1945, Freytag was transferred to the Geschwaderstab of JG 51 but was soon transferred to JG 7, operating the Me 262 jet fighter, where it was intended he become a Gruppenkommandeur. However, the war ended before he could take up the position. Freytag was recommended for the award of the Eichenlaub. He survived the Second World War only to discover that all his family and friends had perished. Joining the French Foreign Legion as a regular infantry soldier. He fought in Indochina as a humble infantryman. He survived and ended up in the French Foreign Legion retirement home, where he died on 1 June 2003.
    Siegfried Freytag was credited with 102 victories. He recorded about 50 victories over the Eastern front. Included in his victories recorded over the Western front are at least three four-engine bombers.
 
No
Date
Time
A/c Type
Unit
Location / Comments
1
31.10.1940
16:00
 Hudson 6./JG 77 W Lister
?
28.7.1941
19:20
 I-153 5./JG 77 -
?
3.8.1941
-
 I-16 5./JG 77 -
?
10.8.1941
8:15
 I-15 5./JG 77 -
?
10.8.1941
10:43
 I-15 5./JG 77 -
?
10.8.1941
16:55
 I-153 5./JG 77 -
?
12.8.1941
15:48
 I-16 5./JG 77 -
?
12.8.1941
18:35
 I-16 5./JG 77 -
?
31.10.1941
10:45
 MiG-3 5./JG 77 -
?
27.11.1941
8:57
 MiG-3 5./JG 77 -
?
29.11.1941
11:00
 MiG-3 5./JG 77 -
?
29.11.1941
11:18
 I-16 5./JG 77 -
?
20.3.1942
-
 I-153 6./JG 77 -
?
8.6.1942
12:30
 LaGG-3 6./JG 77 35 391
?
8.6.1942
19:10
 I-153 6./JG 77 35 441
~54
6.7.1942
15:20
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~55
9.7.1942
19:22
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~56
10.7.1942
6:20
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~57
10.7.1942
6:35
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~58
21.7.1942
16:20
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~59
22.7.1942
11:35
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~60
22.7.1942
11:41
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~61
23.7.1942
10:36
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~62
23.7.1942
16:46
 P-40 1./JG 77 -
~63
28.7.1942
8:16
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~64
28.7.1942
17:25
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~65
28.7.1942
17:27
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~66
3.8.1942
11:25
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~67
5.8.1942
8:59
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~68
8.8.1942
11:00
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~69
10.8.1942
11:17
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~70
13.8.1942
8:10
 Beaufighter 1./JG 77 -
~71
4.10.1942
9:16
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~72
6.10.1942
11:12
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~73
11.10.1942
8:32
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~74
13.10.1942
8:02
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 40km N Zonqor
~75
14.10.1942
17:46
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~76
15.10.1942
-
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~77
15.10.1942
-
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
-
30.10.1942
-
 P-40 1./JG 77 not confirmed
~78
10.11.1942
-
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~79
11.11.1942
-
 P-40 1./JG 77 -
~80
11.11.1942
-
 P-40 1./JG 77 -
~81
10.12.1942
-
 Spitfire 1./JG 77 -
~82
19.12.1942
-
 Beaufighter 1./JG 77 -
~83
13.1.1943
8:40
 Baltymore 1./JG 77 -
~84
13.3.1943
17:50
 P-39 Stab II./JG 77 15km SE La Fauconnerie
~85
13.3.1943
17:54
 P-39 Stab II./JG 77 50km SW Sfax
~86
21.3.1943
11:47
 Spitfire Stab II./JG 77 10km SE Maknassy
~87
22.3.1943
16:30
 Spitfire Stab II./JG 77 12km N Zarat
~88
30.3.1943
9:50
 P-40 Stab II./JG 77 20km NE La Fauconnerie
~89
4.4.1943
17:15
 Spitfire Stab II./JG 77 35km E Maknassy
~90
5.4.1943
17:12
 Boston Stab II./JG 77 62km NW La Fauconnerie
~91
13.4.1943
-
 Spitfire Stab II./JG 77 -
~92
6.5.1943
15:55
 Spitfire Stab II./JG 77 97/26/1
~93
6.5.1943
18:30
 Spitfire Stab II./JG 77 97/43/1
~94
7.5.1943
-
 Spitfire Stab II./JG 77 -
~95
4.7.1943
11:38
 Spitfire Stab II./JG 77 57 613
~96
8.7.1943
12:25
 B-17 Stab II./JG 77 18km NNW Agricola
~97
9.7.1943
11:00
 P-40 Stab II./JG 77 15km NE Trapani
~98
9.7.1943
11:12
 P-40 Stab II./JG 77 13km SE Marsala
~99
29.5.1944
11:42
 B-24 Stab II./JG 77 66 321/ON 21
~100
13.6.1944
9:09
 B-24 Stab II./JG 77 SE Pieve
~101
27.9.1944
9:23
 Spitfire Stab II./JG 77 Düsburg
~102
1.1.1945
-
 Spitfire Stab II./JG 77 -
 
Victories : 102
Awards : Ehrenpokal (18 May 1942)
                Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (25 January 1943)
                Ritterkreuz (3 July 1942)
Units : JG 77, JG 51, JG 7

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