Wilhelm Steinmann
Hauptmann
Wilhelm Steinmann was born on 15 January 1912 at
Nürnberg. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1936 and trained as a bomber pilot.
Steinmann served with 3./KG 53 from 1939 to 1941. He later served as Technischer
Offizier with II./Fliegerkorps. He then underwent conversion training to
become a fighter pilot. On 6 October 1942, Steinmann was posted to the
Gruppenstab of I./JG 27 based on the Channel front.
He was serving with 3./JG 27 when he recorded his first victory on 18 May
1943, a RAF Typhoon fighter-bomber shot down over the Channel. On 1 June,
Steinmann claimed a RAF Spitfire shot down. However, he had made a mistake
in identification and had shot down a Bf 109 G-6 flown by the Gruppenkommandeur
of I./JG 27, Hauptmann Erich Hohagen (56 victories, RK). Hohagen was forced
to bail out of his Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 16 391) but had been wounded in the
incident. Hauptmann Steinmann was exiled to Romania to the staff of Jagdfliegerführer
Rumänien as punishment. Steinmann was transferred to I./JG 4, based in
Romania, in mid-June 1943. He shot down two USAAF B-24 four-engine bombers
during the American raid on the Ploesti oil refineries on 1 August. On
14 September 1943, Steinmann was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 4 based
in Italy. Steinmann was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 4 on 23 January
1944. He claimed 15 victories in this theatre, mainly fighters. Steinmann
relinquished command of I./JG 4 to Hauptmann Walter Hoeckner (68 victories,
RK, killed in action 25 August 1944) on 14 February 1944. Steinmann was
re-appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 4 based in Germany on Reichsverteidigung
duties on 26 August 1944, following the death of Hauptmann Walter Hoeckner.
On 18 December, Steinmann succeeded in shooting down a RAF Mosquito twin-engine
bomber for his 29th victory. In March 1945, Steinmann transferred to III./EJG
2 and underwent conversion training to the Me 262 jet fighter. He recorded
four victories operating the Me 262, including
two USAAF B-17 four-engine bombers. Major Steinmann was awarded the Ritterkreuz
on 28 March. Steinmann served the last few weeks of the war with JV 44.
He survived the war but died on 1 August 1966 at Ansbach.
Wilhelm Steinmann was credited with 44 victories
in 234 missions. He recorded four victories over the Eastern
front. Of his 40 victories recorded over the Western
front, six were four-engine bombers, at
least seven P-47 fighters and at least 11
P-51
fighters.
|
No
|
Date
|
Time
|
A/c
Type
|
Unit
|
Location
|
|
1.
|
18.5.1943
|
6:48
|
Typhoon |
3./JG
27 |
Ärmelkanal |
|
2.
|
1.6.1943
|
12:22
|
Spitfire |
3./JG
27 |
Le
Touquet-Boulogne |
|
3.
|
1.8.1943
|
14:01
|
B-24 |
1./JG
4 |
near
Bucharest |
|
4.
|
1.8.1943
|
14:28
|
B-24 |
1./JG
4 |
Ogregini |
|
5.
|
28.12.1943
|
12:12
|
B-24 |
1./JG
4 |
Vicenza |
|
6.
|
20.1.1944
|
-
|
Spitfire |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
7.
|
21.1.1944
|
16:00~
|
P-51 |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
8.
|
2.2.1944
|
13:15
|
P-51 |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
9.
|
2.2.1944
|
13:20
|
P-51 |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
10.
|
7.2.1944
|
12:10
|
Spitfire |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
11.
|
8.2.1944
|
13:50
|
P-51 |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
12.
|
8.2.1944
|
13:52
|
P-51 |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
13.
|
16.2.1944
|
10:57
|
Dragonfly |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
14.
|
16.2.1944
|
12:47
|
P-40 |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
15.
|
3.3.1944
|
12:07
|
B-25 |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
16.
|
14.5.1944
|
6:46
|
Spitfire |
1./JG
4 |
8km
NW Cassino |
|
17.
|
24.5.1944
|
7:02
|
P-47 |
1./JG
4 |
Rome
area |
|
18.
|
25.5.1944
|
9:08
|
P-47 |
1./JG
4 |
14
Ost S/23-7-51 |
|
19.
|
25.5.1944
|
9:25
|
P-47 |
1./JG
4 |
Bologna |
|
20.
|
29.5.1944
|
15:50
|
P-51 |
1./JG
4 |
14
Ost S/23-7-36 |
|
21.
|
20.7.1944
|
-
|
P-38 |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
22.
|
29.7.1944
|
-
|
P-51 |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
23.
|
29.7.1944
|
-
|
P-51 |
1./JG
4 |
|
|
24.
|
29.9.1944
|
15:04
|
P-47 |
Stab
I./JG 4 |
Pfalzerwald |
|
25.
|
2.10.1944
|
15:42
|
P-51 |
Stab
I./JG 4 |
30km
S Lunéville |
|
26.
|
26.11.1944
|
15:24
|
P-47 |
Stab
I./JG 4 |
05
Ost S/AQ-12 |
|
27.
|
26.11.1944
|
15:30
|
P-47 |
Stab
I./JG 4 |
05
Ost S/AP-2 |
|
28.
|
10.12.1944
|
14:56
|
P-47 |
Stab
I./JG 4 |
SW
Bad Kreuznach |
|
29.
|
18.12.1944
|
8:56
|
Mosquito |
Stab
I./JG 4 |
Roetgen |
|
?
|
?.1945
|
-
|
E/a |
Stab
I./JG 4 |
Eastern
front |
|
?
|
?.1945
|
-
|
E/a |
Stab
I./JG 4 |
Eastern
front |
|
?
|
?.1945
|
-
|
E/a |
Stab
I./JG 4 |
Eastern
front |
|
?
|
?.1945
|
-
|
E/a |
Stab
I./JG 4 |
Eastern
front |
|
?
|
?.1945
|
-
|
Viermot |
Stab
I./JG 4 |
|
|
41
|
12.3.1945
|
-
|
B-17 |
III./EJG
2 |
|
|
42
|
15.3.1945
|
-
|
B-17 |
III./EJG
2 |
|
|
43
|
18.3.1945
|
-
|
P-51 |
III./EJG
2 |
|
|
44
|
18.3.1945
|
-
|
P-51 |
III./EJG
2 |
|
Victories : 44
Awards : Ehrenpokal (1 May 1944)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (1 January 1945)
Ritterkreuz (28 March 1945)
Units : KG 53, JG 27, JG 4, EJG 2, JV 44
