Manfred Meurer

Manfred Meurer
Born (1919-09-08)8 September 1919
Hamburg
Died 22 January 1944(1944-01-22) (aged 24)
east of Magdeburg
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Luftwaffe
Years of service 1938–44
Rank Hauptmann
Unit NJG 1
Commands held 3./NJG 1, I./NJG 1
Battles/wars

World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Manfred Meurer (8 September 1919 – 22 January 1944) was a Luftwaffe night fighter flying ace of World War II. Meurer was credited with 65 aerial victories claimed in 130 combat missions.[Notes 1] He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Career

Meurer was born on 8 September 1919 in Hamburg, joining the Luftwaffe in 1938, as part of a flak battalion before undergoing flying training in 1939. In late 1941 he was posted to 9./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing) as a Leutnant.

Schröer, Ehrler, Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld, Lent, Meurer, Kirschner and Weissenberger (right) at Rastenburg.

Meurer claimed his first victory on his first combat mission on 26–27 March 1942. By the end of the year he had claimed a further seven victories. In January 1943 he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3 staffel, NJG 1. On 14–15 February he claimed three heavy bombers and on 12–13 March, a further four. In April 1943 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. During May he scored some 14 victories and in July he achieved his 50th victory, a Mosquito light bomber. On 2 August he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

On 5 August 1943 Hauptmann Meurer was transferred as Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5—5th Night Fighter Wing) before returning to NJG 1 in September 1943 as Gruppenkommandeur of I./NJG 1. I gruppe flew the Heinkel He 219 and Meurer gained five victories flying this type.

On the night of 21–22 January 1944 he collided with an Avro Lancaster raiding Berlin. His He 219A-0 crashed and Meurer and his radar operator Oberfeldwebel Gerhard Scheibe were killed.

Meurer flew 130 combat missions achieving 65 victories, including 40 four-engined bombers and two Mosquitos, all claimed at night.

Awards

Notes

  1. ↑ For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Thomas 1998, p. 74.
  2. ↑ Patzwall 2008, p. 184.
  3. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 57.
  4. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 307.
  5. 1 2 Scherzer 2007, p. 540.
  6. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 309.
  7. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 70.

Bibliography

  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3. 
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
  • Scutts, Jerry (1998). German Night Fighter Aces of World War 2. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-696-5.
  • Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. 
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