Viktor Petermann
Oberleutnant
Viktor Petermann was born on 26 May 1916 at Weipert
in the Kaaden region of Sudetenland. He was active flying gliders pre war.
He also studied engineering and, on qualifying, worked in a large textile
factory. Petermann joined the Luftwaffe on 30 July 1939 and was posted
to Fliegerausbildungregiment 53, based at Straubing in East Prussia. Following
six months basic military training and two further months studying general
aeronautical subjects, he began flying training. Between April 1940 and
March 1941, he attended flying schools at Halberstadt, Bromberg and Jüterbog.
On 1 April 1941, Petermann was transferred to Jagdfliegerschule 3, based
at Märkisch. A few weeks later, he was transferred to Jagdgruppe Drontheim
for operational training. In October 1941, he transferred to 2./Ergänzungsgruppe
/JG 52. Petermann was posted to JG 52, based on the Eastern front, on 15
June 1942. Unteroffizier Petermann was assigned to the Geschwaderstaffel
of JG 52. He flew 22 combat missions before claiming his first victory
on 1 July, when he shot down a Russian LaGG-3 fighter near Wolokonovka.
Petermann then spent a period flying as wingman to Geschwaderkommodore,
Major Herbert Ihlefeld (132 victories, RK-EL) and the Geschwaderkommodore
of JG 77, Major Gordon Gollob (150 victories, RK-Br). On 15 August, Petermann
rammed a Russian I-153 biplane fighter in aerial combat but managed to
bring his damaged aircraft 100 kilometers before belly-landing back at
his base at Mineralyje Wody. By the end of 1942, Petermann had six victories
to his credit. By early March 1943, Feldwebel Petermann was serving with
5./JG 52. He recorded 18 victories in May, including his 30th victory on
4 May and his 40th victory on 27 May. On an early morning mission on 6
June, he shared in the sinking of a Russian gunboat and forced a second
to run aground. That afternoon, accompanied by Unteroffizier Peter Düttmann
(152 victories, RK), Petermann flew a mission over the northern front of
the Kuban bridgehead in support of army troops. In aerial combat with Russian
aircraft his Bf 109 G-4 (W.Nr. 19257) was hit in the oil cooler and he
was forced to belly-land behind Russian lines. He successfully evaded capture
and returned to his unit three days later. Admitted to hospital with exposure,
dehydration and exhaustion, he was finally released on 20 July but not
before receiving a promotion to the rank of Leutnant on 1 July. He also
received the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 16 July. Petermann claimed his
50th victory shot down on 26 July. On 10 September 1943, Petermann was
transferred to 6./JG 52. His most successful day occurred on 25 September,
when he shot down a Russian Yak-1 fighter and three Il-2
Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft in a 23 minute engagement to record
his 57th through 59th victories. On 1 October, Petermann participated in
the escort of 40 He 111 twin-engine bombers. On the return journey his
Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 15851) received a direct hit from German flak. He received
severe wounds to his left arm and wrist and his left foot. With his engine
on fire, he decided to bale out but found his parachute had also been damaged.
He managed a belly-landing in no-man’s land between the front lines where
he was rescued by German troops and hospitalised. However the wounds to
left arm were so severe that amputation was necessary. In addition he had
lost the fourth toe of his left foot. Petermann was awarded the Ritterkreuz
on 29 February 1944, for 60 victories, while recovering in hospital. From
15 May 1944, Petermann served in a staff role with the Reichsluftfahrtministerium.
However, he persisted with the authorities to allow him to return to flying
duties, finally succeeding on 22 July. He was posted to the Stabsstaffel
of III./JG 52, where he flew a Bf 109 for the first time since his wounding
on 24 September, complete with an artificial left arm. On 7 January 1945,
Petermann transferred to 10./JG 52. During March, he claimed four victories.
Petermann transferred to JG 7 on 30 March 1945 and retrained on the Me
262 jet fighter. However, he returned to 10./ JG 52, based at Schweidnitz,
on 11 April. Petermann received promotion to the rank of Oberleutnant on
1 May. He flew his last mission of the war on 5 May. On 8 May, Petermann
was captured by American troops at Deutsch Brod in Czechoslovakia. The
next day he was handed to the Russians. He was released after three months
in captivity on 26 July 1945, due to the severity of his wounds. Petermann
became a farm labourer in the former East Germany. From 1954, he worked
as an engineer becoming technical adviser to the largest producer of farm
machinery in East Germany. On retirement, Petermann resided in Freiburg
before passing away on 19 May 2001.
Victor Petermann was credited with 64 missions in
550 missions. In addition he recorded six unconfirmed victories. All his
victories were recorded over the Eastern front.
|
No
|
Date
|
Time
|
A/c
Type
|
Unit
|
Location
|
|
1
|
1.7.1942
|
14:55
|
LaGG-3 |
Stab/JG
52 |
Wolokonovka |
|
2
|
2.7.1942
|
9:25
|
MiG-1 |
Stab/JG
52 |
Wolokonovka |
|
3
|
15.8.1942
|
6:45
|
I-153 |
Stab/JG
52 |
Karagatsch |
|
4
|
24.8.1942
|
17:05
|
1-mot.
Flzg. |
Stab/JG
52 |
Caucasus
area |
|
5
|
25.8.1942
|
15:20
|
Boston |
Stab/JG
52 |
Caucasus
area |
|
6
|
7.9.1942
|
12:17
|
Boston |
Stab/JG
52 |
Terek
front |
|
7
|
17.9.1942
|
14:27
|
Su-2 |
Stab/JG
52 |
Terek
front |
|
8
|
29.9.1942
|
15:48
|
MiG-1 |
Stab/JG
52 |
Terek
front |
|
9
|
6.10.1942
|
15:04
|
LaGG-3 |
Stab/JG
52 |
44
432 |
|
10
|
11.3.1943
|
11:40
|
I-16 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
11
|
12.2.1943
|
14:38
|
I-153 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
12
|
13.2.1943
|
11:37
|
I-153 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
13
|
1.3.1943
|
9:40
|
R-5 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
14
|
19.3.1943
|
9:30
|
Yak-1 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
15
|
18.4.1943
|
16:20
|
Il-2 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
16
|
20.4.1943
|
8:40
|
Yak-1 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
17
|
20.4.1943
|
15:31
|
LaGG-3 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
18
|
21.4.1943
|
7:10
|
La-5 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
19
|
23.4.1943
|
5:02
|
Yak-1 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
20
|
23.4.1943
|
5:08
|
Yak-1 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
21
|
25.4.1943
|
12:36
|
R-5 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
22
|
25.4.1943
|
12:39
|
R-5 |
5./JG
52 |
Kunam
area |
|
23
|
27.4.1943
|
17:05
|
LaGG-3 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
24
|
28.4.1943
|
11:48
|
Yak-1 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
25
|
29.4.1943
|
13:15
|
LaGG-3 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
26
|
30.4.1943
|
16:39
|
Spitfire |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
27
|
2.5.1943
|
8:52
|
LaGG-3 |
5./JG
52 |
5km
SW Abinskaya |
|
28
|
3.5.1943
|
6:07
|
LaGG-3 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
29
|
3.5.1943
|
6:34
|
LaGG-3 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
30
|
4.5.1943
|
14:58
|
Yak-1 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
31
|
4.5.1943
|
15:18
|
LaGG-3 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
32
|
5.5.1943
|
9:22
|
Yak-1 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
33
|
5.5.1943
|
13:32
|
La-5 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
34
|
5.5.1943
|
17:32
|
LaGG-3 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
35
|
6.5.1943
|
16:07
|
Yak-4 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
36
|
8.5.1943
|
17:58
|
Yak-1 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
37
|
9.5.1943
|
18:22
|
LaGG-3 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
38
|
22.5.1943
|
6:15
|
R-5 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
39
|
26.5.1943
|
18:30
|
Yak-1 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
40
|
27.5.1943
|
14:10
|
P-39 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
41
|
28.5.1943
|
10:51
|
P-39 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
42
|
28.5.1943
|
13:21
|
Yak-1 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
43
|
31.5.1943
|
8:00
|
Yak-1 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
44
|
31.5.1943
|
14:07
|
Pe-2 |
5./JG
52 |
Kuban
area |
|
45
|
1.6.1943
|
18:18
|
Yak-1 |
5./JG
52 |
|
|
46
|
2.6.1943
|
10:45
|
P-39 |
5./JG
52 |
|
|
47
|
4.6.1943
|
18:17
|
LaGG-3 |
5./JG
52 |
|
|
48
|
4.6.1943
|
18:21
|
LaGG-3 |
5./JG
52 |
|
|
49
|
23.7.1943
|
17:34
|
Il-2 |
5./JG
52 |
|
|
50
|
26.7.1943
|
6:18
|
Il-2 |
5./JG
52 |
Blagowetschenskoje |
|
51
|
26.7.1943
|
6:25
|
Il-2 |
5./JG
52 |
15km
SE Anapa |
|
52
|
26.7.1943
|
18:20
|
Il-2 |
5./JG
52 |
|
|
53
|
31.7.1943
|
18:20
|
P-39 |
5./JG
52 |
|
|
54
|
7.9.1943
|
17:12
|
Pe-2 |
5./JG
52 |
|
|
55
|
14.9.1943
|
6:17
|
Yak-1 |
6./JG
52 |
|
|
56
|
25.9.1943
|
11:57
|
Yak-1 |
6./JG
52 |
Perejaslav |
|
57
|
25.9.1943
|
12:09
|
Il-2 |
6./JG
52 |
Perejaslav |
|
58
|
25.9.1943
|
12:12
|
Il-2 |
6./JG
52 |
Perejaslav |
|
59
|
25.9.1943
|
12:19
|
Il-2 |
6./JG
52 |
Perejaslav |
|
60
|
26.9.1943
|
7:32
|
P-40 |
6./JG
52 |
|
|
61
|
16.1.1945
|
12:06
|
Yak-9 |
10./JG
52 |
|
|
62
|
11.2.1945
|
12:50
|
Yak-9 |
10./JG
52 |
|
|
63
|
16.3.1945
|
17:08
|
P-39 |
10./JG
52 |
NE
Münsterberg |
|
64
|
22.3.1945
|
15:46
|
Yak-9 |
10./JG
52 |
W
Schadeburg |
Victories : 64
Awards : Ehrenpokal (9 September 1943)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (23 July 1943)
Ritterkreuz (29 February 1944)
Units : JG 52, JG 7
