Erich "Schmidtchen" Schmidt
Oberleutnant

Erich Schmidt

    Erich “Schmidtchen” Schmidt was born on 17 November 1914 at Neuhaus am Rennweg in the Sonneberg region of Thüringen.Schmidt was posted to JG 53 at the beginning of 1940. Leutnant Schmidt was assigned to 9./JG 53. He recorded his first victory on 12 August 1940 when he claimed a RAF Spitfire fighter shot down over the Isle of Wight. By the end of the aerial offensive against England, Schmidt had accumulated 17 victories, including three Spitfires shot down on 15 September to record his fifth through seventh victories.Operating over the Eastern front, Schmidt was to be particularly successful. On the opening day of Operation Barbarossa, 22 June 1941, Schmidt shot down four Russian aircraft (18-21). He recorded his 30th victory on 4 July when he shot a Russian I-16 fighter. Leutnant Schmidt was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 23 July by Oberst Werner Mölders (115 victories, RK-Br, killed in action 22 November 1941) for 30 victories.

Members of the ground crew paint victory bar number 44 on the rudder of Erich Schmidt`s Yellow 11. 27 August 1941.
Members of the ground crew paint victory bar number 44 on the rudder of Erich Schmidt`s "Yellow 11". Surash, 27 August 1941.

    On 26 July, Schmidt shot down five Russian DB-3 twin-engined bombers (32-36). He claimed his 40th victory, an I-16 fighter, on 7 August. On 31 August 1941, Schmidt’s Bf 109 F-2 (W.Nr. 12 633) “Yellow 6” was hit by flak. He was seen to bale out of his stricken machine but has remained missing ever since.
    “Schmidtchen” Schmidt was credited with 47 victories. He recorded 19 victories over the Western front.
 
No
Date
Time
A/c Type
Unit
Location
1
12.8.1940
12:37
 Spitfire 9./JG 53 Isle of Wight
2
31.8.1940
20:42
 Spitfire 9./JG 53 Dover area
3
5.9.1940
16:35
 Spitfire 9./JG 53  
4
9.9.1940
18:55
 Spitfire 9./JG 53 London area
5
15.9.1940
12:44
 Spitfire 9./JG 53 S London
6
15.9.1940
-
 Spitfire 9./JG 53 S London
7
15.9.1940
15:36
 Spitfire 9./JG 53  
8
17.9.1940
16:41
 Spitfire 9./JG 53  
9
27.9.1940
13:33
 Spitfire 9./JG 53 London area
10
30.9.1940
14:33
 Spitfire 9./JG 53 Dungeness-Hastings-London
11
2.10.1940
11:06
 Spitfire 9./JG 53 London
12
2.10.1940
11:10
 Spitfire 9./JG 53 London
13
5.10.1940
12:33
 Hurricane 9./JG 53 SE London
14
7.10.1940
14:20
 Spitfire 9./JG 53  
15
10.10.1940
-
 Spitfire 9./JG 53  
16
1.11.1940
-
 Hurricane 9./JG 53  
17
30.11.1940
-
 Spitfire 9./JG 53  
18
22.6.1941
7:16
 I-16 9./JG 53 Grodno area
19
22.6.1941
11:35
 DJ-6 9./JG 53  
20
22.6.1941
18:25
 I-17 9./JG 53  
21
22.6.1941
20:45
 DJ-6 9./JG 53  
22
25.6.1941
8:33
 SB-3 9./JG 53  
23
25.6.1941
11:30
 SB-3 9./JG 53  
24
26.6.1941
7:28
 DB-3 9./JG 53  
25
26.6.1941
7:41
 DB-3 9./JG 53  
26
27.6.1941
5:08
 DB-3 9./JG 53  
27
27.6.1941
14:57
 DB-3 9./JG 53  
28
27.6.1941
18:34
 DB-3 9./JG 53  
29
2.7.1941
20:09
 I-153 9./JG 53  
30
4.7.1941
12:21
 I-16 9./JG 53  
31
14.7.1941
18:05
 I-17 9./JG 53  
32
26.7.1941
9:35
 DB-3 9./JG 53  
33
26.7.1941
10:10
 DB-3 9./JG 53  
34
26.7.1941
10:12
 DB-3 9./JG 53  
35
26.7.1941
18:28
 DB-3 9./JG 53  
36
26.7.1941
18:32
 DB-3 9./JG 53  
37
2.8.1941
13:45
 I-18 9./JG 53  
38
5.8.1941
10:41
 I-18 9./JG 53  
39
5.8.1941
10:46
 I-18 9./JG 53  
40
7.8.1941
10:22
 I-16 9./JG 53  
41
19.8.1941
13:05
 I-16 9./JG 53 Velikiye Luki area
42
23.8.1941
17:00
 I-18 9./JG 53 Velikiye Luki area
43
25.8.1941
14:55
 Il-2 9./JG 53 Velikiye Luki-Toropets area
44
27.8.1941
16:25
 I-153 9./JG 53  
45
29.8.1941
15:35
 I-16 9./JG 53  
46
29.8.1941
15:44
 I-18 9./JG 53  
47
29.8.1941
15:46
 I-18 9./JG 53  

Victories : 47
Awards : Ritterkreuz (23 July 1941)
Units : JG 53

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