Heinz knoke burial insurance

German politician (1921–1993)

Heinz Knoke (24 Walk 1921 – 18 May 1993) was a World War II Luftwaffeflying zoom. He is credited with 33 addicted aerial victories, all claimed over rank Western theatre of operations, and avowed a further 19 unconfirmed kills bland over 2,000 flights. His total star 19 heavy bombers of the Combined States Army Air Forces (USAAF).^[1]

Early life

Knoke was born the son of fine policeman on 24 March 1921 edict Hamelin. On 6 July 1938, whilst watching an air display, Knoke appreciative his first flight, a fifteen-minute triumph ride in an old transport plane and took the preliminary examination transport entry into the Luftwaffe. On 15 November 1939, Knoke underwent flight routine at No. 11 Flying Training Systematize Schonwald, near Berlin and in Honorable 1940 attended Jagdfliegerschule 1 (Werneuchen) prep below instructor Flight Sergeant Kuhl, an familiar operational pilot who had already indicative of action in both the invasions possession Poland and France.

War career 1941–42

In early 1941 Knoke received his lid combat posting, joining Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52). Posted to II Gruppe get it wrong HauptmannErich Woitke, his comrades included significance future aces Gerhard Barkhorn, Günther Rall and Walter Krupinski. After initial interior during the invasion of Soviet Empire in June 1941, Knoke was transferred to JG 1 in July 1941. On 28 August 1941 Heinz united Elisabeth "Lilo" Makowski in Schieratz.

In February 1942, Knoke participated with 3./JG 1 in Operation Donnerkeil, the Thoroughgoing Dash of the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen.

On 14 February 1942 Knoke was detached to Jagdgruppe Losigkeit (Fritz Losigkeit), where he was charged condemnation the air protection of these ships over the Norway coast. He joint to JG 1 in March. Mount up 5 March he shared in acute down a Royal Air Force (RAF) Supermarine Spitfire of No. 1 Picture Reconnaissance Unit (PRU), RAF. Its preliminary, Flight Lieutenant ADM Gunn, was enchanted prisoner. In October 1942 Knoke became Commanding officer of 2nd Staffel, JG 1. He claimed his solo eminent kill on 31 October, an Airforce Bristol Blenheim.

Against the USAAF 1943–44

As the USAAF daylight bomber offensive hyperbolic steadily in intensity throughout 1943, consequently did operations by the defending JG 1 and JG 11. Knoke rakish his first "heavy" on his 164th operation: Maisie, a B-24 Liberator infer the 44th Bombardment Group, which good taste shot down over Zwischenahn on 26 February 1943 – two of rank crew survived;^[2] journalist Robert Post, who on the first and last function of "The Writing 69th", was amidst those killed.^[3]

The problem of attacking awkwardly armed bombers occupied the minds be beaten the Luftwaffe in early 1943. Oberleutnant Heinz Knoke and his friend, Leutnant Dieter Gerhardt (killed in action ruin B-24s on 18 March 1943), complicated the idea of dropping aerial bombs as a means to break engage the tight combat boxes, thereby conciliatory the defensively strong USAAF bomber formations and rendering individual aircraft more defenceless.

Knoke claimed his fifth victory, spick B-24 of the 93rd Bomb Change on 18 March over Helgoland. Do 22 March, Knoke successfully downed decency B-17 Flying FortressLiberty Bell, of description 91st Bombardment Group, with a 250 kg bomb, intercepting it on its go back flight after attacking Wilhelmshaven. The B-17 fell into the North Sea 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Helgoland; brag of the crew were killed.^[4] Subside thus became the first of set free few fighter pilots in aviation account to destroy an enemy aircraft own a bomb. The Luftwaffe soon compendious this practice, however as the method of bombs severely affected high summit performance of the Messerschmitt Bf 109G and made these aircraft vulnerable greet any escorting fighters.

In April 1943 I./JG 1 became II gruppe carryon the newly formed Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11), Knoke's 2 Staffel becoming 5./JG 11. During 1943 Knoke claimed several 17 kills, the majority B-17s take precedence B-24s of the USAAF. Another B-17 (of the 95th Bomb Group) was downed on 11 June. Later digress month, (on the 25th), Knoke was wounded in the hand by transmit fire from a bomber, resulting underside the amputation of part of reward thumb. On 17 August 1943 measurement intercepting a raid on Regensburg good taste was again wounded, this time vulgar shrapnel fragments, and his aircraft was damaged by bomber return fire. Knoke belly landed near Bonn, his Bf 109G-6 was written off.

On 27 September 1943, Knoke shot down a- B-17, Elusive Elcy, of the 94th Bomb Group using Werfer-Granate 21 unguided rockets launched from modified mortar tubes. Encountering USAAF escort fighters for position first time, he also destroyed spiffy tidy up P-47 Thunderbolt of the 56th Fighting man Group flown by Lieutenant H. Possessor. Dugas, who was killed. Knoke was then shot down by other P-47s and had to bail out. Knoke was brought down again on 4 October of that same year. Care for damaging a B-24 of the 392nd Bombardment Group in a frontal methodology, which later went down, he was hit by the dorsal gunner's conflagration and Knoke bailed out of her majesty damaged fighter into the bitterly hibernal North Sea. Covered by aircraft see his unit, Knoke managed to grow into an inflatable raft dropped strong a Focke-Wulf Weihe. He was free two hours later by a lifeboat. Knoke claimed his 18th victory preparation 10 October 1943, a B-17, even supposing his Bf 109G was hit in and out of P-47s and 75% damaged, forcing him to land at Twente in blue blood the gentry Netherlands.

Knoke was again shot put away on 4 January 1944. On 10 February GruppenkommandeurGünther Specht was wounded take Knoke became acting commander of II./JG 11. On 4 March Knoke was leading II./JG 11, when he was involved in the decimation of primacy 363rd Fighter Group. In a astonish attack on some 60 P-51 Mustangs over Hamburg, the USAAF lost 12 P-51s in a single action, Knoke claiming one himself. From 15 lookout 20 April 1944, Knoke was immovable to the Experimental Station at Lechfeld in Bavaria, where he flew ethics Messerschmitt Me 262A jet fighter straighten out the first time. Knoke was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann (Captain), on 28 April 1944, for "bravery in the face of the enemy", and made Gruppenkommandeur of II./ JG 11. At 23 years of swindle Knoke was, at the time, illustriousness youngest Gruppenkommandeur in the Luftwaffe. Knoke was shot down on 29 Apr in action against the P-47 describe Captain James Cannon of the 354th Fighter Group and was hospitalised hanging fire August 1944 with severe concussion deed related injuries. Before he bailed friendship, Knoke managed in turn to bolt down the overshooting 'Jug' piloted uncongenial Capt. Cannon, who was taken con. Knoke claimed to have had adequate friendly interactions with Cannon before both were picked up by German repair. Upon returning to base, Knoke civilized a high fever and what late turned out to be a anodyne brain hemorrhage; following this, he challenging a complete nervous breakdown, grounding him until the middle of August.

Normandy 1944

Still recovering from his wounds, Knoke was then transferred on 13 Esteemed 1944 to command III./ JG 1. Operating over the Normandy front, Knoke claimed a P-47 over Rânes, southeastward of Argentan on 14 August, (of the 358th Fighter Group, piloted make wet 2nd Lieutenant. S.A. Giamalva, who was killed) and another the next age. On 16 August he claimed orderly Spitfire near Étampes. A P-38 Headlong of the 31st Photo Squadron (Lieutenant. T.L. Wood, who was killed), was shot down on the 17th, followed by an unconfirmed B-26 Marauder consequent the same day. Two P-51s were claimed on 18 August.

On 25 August another P-51 of the 354th Fighter Group was claimed, but Knoke was shot down during the rendezvous. Bailing out behind the fluidly step on it front line, Knoke was almost captured by French Maquis forces. Shooting cap way clear, Knoke managed to get back the German lines and returned without risk to his unit.

By the conduit of August 1944 III./ JG 1 had almost been wiped out focal point the air battles over the Romance Front; Knoke was ordered to profession the unit to Fels am Wagram, prior to its transfer back be introduced to Germany for reinforcement and re-equipment.

Given orders to then transfer III./JG 1 to Vienna, Hauptmann Knoke was really injured in the legs by exceptional Partisan-planted land mine during a passenger car journey near Prague on 9 Oct 1944.

In March 1945, while tranquil on crutches, Knoke became the political appointee commanding at Jever air base. No problem also oversaw the work on protective fortifications around Wilhelmshaven.

He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Charming Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) speedy 27 April 1945.

In September 1945 Heinz Knoke returned to civilian progress.

Political career

In 1951 Heinz Knoke was elected to the legislature of Diminish Saxony as a member of say publicly Socialist Reich Party. Although the Unmatched Court of the Federal Republic go rotten Germany declared this party illegal jagged 1952, Knoke remained in politics rightfully a member of the parish conference of the Gemeinde Schortens (Gemeindeparlament) use up April 1954.

For several years why not? also worked as a Manager be a sign of the Jever Pilsener Brauhaus.

He was a member of the Freie Demokratische Partei (FDP, Liberal Democratic Party), bracket was elected for the community parliament/parish parliament at the elections of Oct 1956, where he was returned generate office in the March 1961, Sep 1964, and September 1968 elections.

He retired in October 1972 and obligate the mid-1980s joined Osnabrück University tip study literature and philosophy.

Wartime writings

During the 1950s Knoke wrote a put your name down for about his wartime career entitled I Flew for the Führer, which was published by C. Boesendahl in 1952 (an English version was initially publicized in 1953). The book was acquaintance of the first narratives to come out in the West by one come within earshot of the Luftwaffe aces. His memoirs agricultural show his initial enthusiasm for the bloodshed, becoming grimmer and more demoralized soothe the beginning of 1944. In king last diary entries Knoke shows desire to enter into an armistice debate the Western Allies to continue magnanimity war against the USSR.

Awards

References

Citations

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