Hans-Arnold "Fiffi" Stahlschmidt
Oberleutnant
 
Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt
 
    Hans-Arnold “Fiffi” Stahlschmidt was born on 15 September 1920 at Kreuztal in the Siegen region of Westfalen. He began his military career at Salzwedel where he completed his basic flying training. He attended the pilots’ school in Breslau and the war school in Vienna-Schwechat. On completion of his training he was posted to JG 27. Oberfähnrich Stahlschmidt was assigned to 2./JG 27. In the spring of 1941, JG 27 was transferred to Africa. He claimed his first victory, a RAF Hurricane over Tobruk, on 15 June. On 20 November, Stahlschmidt claimed three SAAF Maryland bombers shot down to record his 2nd through 4th victories. On 21 February, he was shot down, making a crash-landing in no-man’s land, following aerial combat with the Australian ace Clive Caldwell (28.5 confirmed, 6 probable and 15 damaged victories) of 250 Sqn, RAF. He was rescued by a German reconnaisance patrol.  On 27 February 1942, he was shot down while attacking a column of enemy vehicles. He force-landed his damaged Bf 109 F-4 (W.Nr. 8497) when his engine cut, ramming a truck. He was captured by Polish troops who beat him with rifle butts and kicked him. His decorations were removed and he was made to run the gauntlet of the column. He was interrogated before being sent to another camp. He managed to escape the following night and hiked the 60km back to his own lines in 16 hours. He was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz on 20 April 1942. On 7 May, Stahlschmidt attacked a formation of RAF fighters. He had reached an advantageous position behind a Kittyhawk when one of his guns exploded forcing his disengagement from the combat. He crash-landed his aircraft in Axis territory near Tmimi where his aircraft burned out. Stahlschmidt claimed four victories on 26 June to record his 14th through 17th victories. On 1 July 1942, Stahlschmidt was appointed Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 27. He gained 26 victories in July 1942, including four victories on 4 July (23-26), and three on 10 July (31-33), 22 July (38-40) and 27 July (41-43). Leutnant Stahlschmidt was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 20 August 1942 for 48(47?) victories. On 3 September, he recorded five victories to take his tally from 52 to 56. On 7 September 1942, Stahlschmidt was part of a Schwarm that had taken off on a freie Jagd. Southeast of El Alamein they came under attack by RAF Spitfires. Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt failed to return in his Bf 109 F-4 (W.Nr. 8704) “Red 4”. It is possible he was the victim of the American ace John Curry (7.333 confirmed, 2 probable and 3 damaged victories) flying with 601 Sqn, RAF. Stahlschmidt was awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr. 365) and promoted to the rank of Oberleutnant posthumously on 3 January 1944.
    Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt shot down 59 enemy aircraft in over 400 combat missions. All his victories were recorded in the North African theatre.
 
No
Date
Time
A/c Type
Unit
Location
Comments
1.
15.6.1941
11:40
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 Sollum Hurricane of 73 Sqn, RAF
2.
20.11.1941
12:20
 Martin 167 2./JG 27 SE Tobruk Maryland of 21 Sqn SAAF
3.
20.11.1941
12:25
 Martin 167 2./JG 27 SE Tobruk Maryland of 21 Sqn SAAF
4.
20.11.1941
12:30
 Martin 167 2./JG 27 SE Tobruk Maryland of 21 Sqn SAAF
5.
27.11.1941
16:20
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 S El Adem  
6.
14.12.1941
11:20
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 S Tmimi   
7.
11.1.1942
12:48
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 NE Agedabia Kittyhawk of 3 Sqn, RAAF
8.
22.1.1942
12:50
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 E Gtafia Kittyhawk of 3 Sqn, RAAF
9.
22.5.1942
7:50
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 SW Tmimi Kittyhawk of 112 or 250 sqn, RAF
10.
29.5.1942
7:49
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 N Fort Acroma Kittyhawk of 450 Sqn, RAF
11.
13.6.1942
6:52
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 Tobruk Hurricane of 213 Sqn, RAF
12.
14.6.1942
11:08
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 NNW Gambut Tomahawk of 5 Sqn, SAAF
13.
16.6.1942
15:25
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 SW Gambut  
14.
26.6.1942
12:20
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 SW Marsa Matruh  
15.
26.6.1942
12:27
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 15km SW Marsa Matruh  
16.
26.6.1942
12:30
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 W Marsa Matruh  
17.
26.6.1942
19:06
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 SSW Marsa Matruh  
18.
27.6.1942
13:05
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 10km SE Fuka  
19.
2.7.1942
6:25
 Beaufighter 2./JG 27 N Fuka Beaufighter of 252 Sqn, RAF
20.
2.7.1942
18:23
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 Burg el Arab Kittyhawk of 2 Sqn, SAAF
21.
3.7.1942
15:09
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 SE El Alamein Hurricane of 213 Sqn, RAF
22.
3.7.1942
15:15
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 E El Alamein  
23.
4.7.1942
6:30
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 El Alamein  
24.
4.7.1942
6:32
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 SE El Alamein  
25.
4.7.1942
8:25
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 El Alamein Hurricane of 213 Sqn, RAF
26.
4.7.1942
17:05
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 SW Burg-el-Arab Hurricane of 1 Sqn, SAAF
27.
7.7.1942
6:02
 Gladiator 2./JG 27 10km NE El Daba Albacore of 826 Sqn, RN or Italian CR 42 in error
28.
8.7.1942
10:32
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 SE El Alamein Hurricane IIC of 33 Sqn, RAF
29.
8.7.1942
10:35
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 S Burg-el-Arab  Hurricane IIC of 33 Sqn, RAF
30.
8.7.1942
10:40
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 SE Burg-el-Arab  Hurricane IIC of 33 Sqn, RAF
31.
10.7.1942
13:25
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 N El Alamein  Hurricane of 80, 92 or 127 Sqn, RAF
32.
10.7.1942
13:33
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 W El Alamein  Hurricane of 80, 92 or 127 Sqn, RAF
33.
10.7.1942
13:35
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 E El Alamein  Hurricane of 80, 92 or 127 Sqn, RAF
34.
11.7.1942
16:10
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 SW El Alamein Tomahawk or Kittyhawk of 2 or 5 Sqn, SAAF
35.
14.7.1942
18:29
 Spitfire 2./JG 27 El Alamein  
36.
16.7.1942
10:15
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 SE El Alamein  
37.
17.7.1942
13:25
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 SW El Alamein Hurricane of 92 or 238 Sqn, RAF
38.
22.7.1942
8:25
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 W El Alamein Kittyhawk of 112 Sqn, RAF flown by P/O Barrow, killed
39.
22.7.1942
8:40
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 SW El Alamein Kittyhawk of 4 Sqn, SAAF
40.
22.7.1942
12:00
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 S El Alamein Hurricane of 73 Sqn, RAF
41.
27.7.1942
12:26
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 S El Hammam Hurricane of 33 or 213 Sqn, RAF
42.
27.7.1942
17:30
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 SW El Alamein Hurricane of 1 Sqn, SAAF
43.
27.7.1942
17:42
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 W El Alamein  Kittyhawk of 3 Sqn, RAAF or 450 Sqn, RAF
44.
1.8.1942
16:40
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 W El Alamein Hurricane of 80 Sqn, RAF
45.
1.8.1942
16:45
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 WEl Alamein Hurricane of 80 Sqn, RAF
46.
16.8.1942
8:15
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 NW El Hammam Tomahawk of 5 Sqn, SAAF flown by Lt Trenchard, POW
47.
16.8.1942
8:25
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 WSW El Alamein Tomahawk of 5 Sqn, SAAF
48.
23.8.1942
8:03
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 S El Hammam Kittyhawk of 3 Sqn, RAAF or 450 Sqn, RAF
49.
1.9.1942
17:48
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 SE El Alamein Hurricane of 213 Sqn, RAF
50.
1.9.1942
17:50
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 SE El Alamein  
51.
2.9.1942
16:12
 P-46 2./JG 27 SW El Hammam Hurricane of 274 Sqn, RAF
52.
3.9.1942
7:22
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 SW El Hammam  
53.
3.9.1942
7:24
 Spitfire 2./JG 27 SW El Hammam  
54.
3.9.1942
7:29
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 SW El Hammam  
55.
3.9.1942
15:12
 Hurricane 2./JG 27 SW Imayid Hurricane of 7 Sqn, SAAF
56.
3.9.1942
15:26
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 S Imayid  
57.
5.9.1942
10:49
 Spitfire 2./JG 27 SW Ilmayid  
58.
5.9.1942
10:52
 P-46 2./JG 27 SE Ilmayid  
59.
6.9.1942
17:25
 Curtiss P-40 2./JG 27 SE El Hammam  

Victories : 59
Awards : Knight`s Cross with Oak Leaves
Units : JG 27

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