Dietrich Schmidt was born on 17 June 1919 at Karlsruhe. Schmidt was posted to NJG 1 in September 1941. Oberleutnant Schmidt was assigned to 8./NJG 1 based at Twente in Netherland. He claimed his first victory on the night of 24/25 March 1943, when he shot down a RAF Halifax four-engine bomber near Enkhuizen. Schmidt claimed two RAF bombers shot down on the night of 4/5 May to record his second and third victories. On 15 June 1943, Schmidt was appointed Staffelkapitän of 8./NJG 1. He had five victories to his credit at this time. By the end of 1943, Schmidt had increased his victory total to nine. On the night of 1/2 January 1944, he claimed a RAF Lancaster four-engine bomber shot down near Ramsel for his 10th victory. Schmidt succeeded in shooting down a RAF Mosquito twin-engine bomber near Kleve on the night 13/14 January to record his 11th victory. He was able to record three victories in a night on a number of occasions, including 3/4 May (22-24), 22/23 May (26-28) and 28/29 July (32-34). Schmidt was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 27 July for 32 victories. Schmidt transferred as Staffelkapitän to 9./NJG 1 on 25 December 1944. He added five further victories, all Lancasters, to raise his victory total to 43 by war’s end. Schmidt ended the war in the Schleswig Holstein, where he was interned by British troops. He was released in August 1945. He attended Heidelberg University post war, obtaining a doctorate in Chemistry, married and sired three children. Schmidt retired in 1984.
    Dietrich Schmidt was credited with 43 victories in 171 missions. All his victories were recorded at night.
 

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit	Location / Comments
1	25.3.1943	1:36	Halifax	8./NJG 1	NE Enkhuizen
2	5.5.1943	1:15	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	Nordhorn
3	5.5.1943	2:16	Wellington	8./NJG 1	5351
4	14.5.1943	3:44	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	6km SW Ruhlertwist
5	13.6.1943	1:30	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	1lm W Ahaus
6	20.10.1943	20:45	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	15 Ost S/FD-6
7	3.11.1943	19:46	Halifax	8./NJG 1	Recklinhausen
8	26.11.1943	22:54	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	Emlichheim
9	16.12.1943	18:45	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	W Cloppenburg
10	2.1.1944	1:58	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	Ramsel
11	14.1.1944	5:36	Mosquito	8./NJG 1	Near Kleve
12	14.1.1944	20:35	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	Kolhorn
13	16.3.1944	0:56	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	1km SE Longwiller
14	18.3.1944	22:35	Halifax	8./NJG 1	Kaiserslautern
15	22.3.1944	22:36	Halifax	8./NJG 1	NNW Paderborn-Minden
16	24.3.1944	23:04	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	Erfurt
17	24.3.1944	23:04	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	Gotha
18	31.3.1944	0:49	Viermot	8./NJG 1	N Würzburg
19	23.4.1944	0:21	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	30km S Laon
20	23.4.1944	0:26	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	40km SW Laon
21	27.4.1944	0:47	Viermot	8./NJG 1	Dijon
22	4.5.1944	0:03	Viermot	8./NJG 1	SW St Dizier
23	4.5.1944	0:19	Viermot	8./NJG 1	W St Dizier
24	4.5.1944	0:21	Viermot	8./NJG 1	Ste Ménéhould
25	22.5.1944	2:01	Viermot	8./NJG 1	S Amsterdam
26	23.5.1944	0:42	Viermot	8./NJG 1	5km N Ibbenbüren
27	23.5.1944	3:13	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	North Sea
28	23.5.1944	3:48	Viermot	8./NJG 1	North Sea
29	13.6.1944	1:24	Viermot	8./NJG 1	Rheine-Vechta / Lancaster II (LL678) of 514 Sqn, RAF flown by F/O HS Delacour, 5 killed
30	21.7.1944	1:16	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	50km W Duisburg
31	21.7.1944	1:41	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	30km NW Volkel
32	29.7.1944	1:11	Halifax	8./NJG 1	W Hamburg
33	29.7.1944	1:37	Halifax	8./NJG 1	05 Ost N/US-TS
34	29.7.1944	1:50	Viermot	8./NJG 1	10km NW Helgoland
35	13.8.1944	0:47	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	50km S Braunschweig
36	23.9.1944	23:31	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	S Zuiderzee
37	6.12.1944	20:14	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	NW Twente
38	18.12.1944	6:36	Viermot	8./NJG 1	W Duisburg
39	15.1.1945	21:15	Lancaster	9./NJG 1	NE Frankfurt-am-Oder
40	21.2.1945	1:10	Lancaster	9./NJG 1	-
41	21.2.1945	23:18	Lancaster	9./NJG 1	10km W Venlo
42	21.2.1945	23:25	Lancaster	9./NJG 1	25km SW Goch
43	22.3.1945	4:00	Lancaster	9./NJG 1	Köln

Victories : 43
Awards : Ehrenpokal (24 April 1944)
                Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (1 October 1944)
                Ritterkreuz (27 July 1944)
Units : NJG 1