Friday 8 April 2016

Otto Kittel | Timeline

Otto "Bruno" Kittel (21 February 1917 – 16 February 1945) was a World War II Luftwaffe flying ace. He flew 583 combat missions on the Eastern Front, claiming 267 aerial victories, making him the fourth highest scoring ace in aviation history. Kittel claimed all of his victories flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 against the Red Air Force. (Intro from Wikipedia)

February 21, 1917 - Kronsdorf, Sudetenland (Krasov, NW of Opava) - Otto Kittel is born
January 1(?), 1939 - ? - Kittel joins the Luftwaffe
November 1(?), 1939 - ? - Kittel begins flying training
January 1(?), 1941 - ? - Kittel completes his flying training
February 12, 1941 - Westerland, Sylt Island, northern Germany - Joins 2./JG 54 as Unteroffizier =(START)
April 1(?), 1941 - Jever, NW Germany - 2./JG 54 moves out
May 9, 1941 - Groningen, Netherlands - 2./JG 54 moves out
May 31, 1941 - Groningen - Kittel bails out over Spiekeroog (East Frisian Islands) with technical difficulties
June 15, 1941 - Lindenthal, near Rautenberg (Uzlovoe, E Kaliningrad Oblast) - 2./JG 54 is withrawn to begin preparations for Operation Barbarossa
June 24, 1941 - Lindenthal - 2 Tupolev SB-2 bombers shot down SE of Maloarkhangelsk (2 total)
June 25, 1941 - Schaulen (Šiauliai, N Lithuania) - 2./JG 54 moves out
June 30, 1941 - Schaulen - 2 unconfirmed victories (Il-2 + SB-2) near Daugavpils - Awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class
July 1, 1941 - Biržai, N Lithuania - 2./JG 54 moves out
July 5, 1941 - Schwaneburg (Gulbene, NE Latvia) - 2./JG 54 moves out
July 6, 1941 - Schwaneburg - 1 SB-2 shot down (3 total)
July 10, 1941 - Korowje-Selo - 2./JG 54 moves out
July 17, 1941 - Sarudinje - 2./JG 54 moves out
July 29, 1941 - Mal. Owsischtschi (Samra-See) - 2./JG 54 moves out
August 18, 1941 - Mal. Owsischtschi - 1 MiG-1 shot down (4 total)
August 19, 1941 - Mal. Owsischtschi - 1 DB-3 shot down (5 total)
August 24, 1941 - Lissino - 1 DB-3 shot down (6 total) - 2./JG 54 moves out
September 8, 1941 - Siwerskaja (Siversky, S of Gatchina) - 1 R-5 + 1 I-153 shot down E of Lake Schinskoje (8 total) - 2./JG 54 moves out
September 12, 1941 - Siwerskaja - 1 I-153 shot down (9 total)
September 21, 1941 - Siwerskaja - 1 MiG-1 shot down over Leningrad (10 total)
October 13, 1941 - Siwerskaja - 1 MiG-1 shot down (11 total)
October 22, 1941 - Krasnogwardeisk (Gatchina) - 2./JG 54 moves out (stays for 2 years) - Awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class
December 13, 1941 - Krasnogwardeisk - 1 DB-3 shot down (12 total)
December(?) 20(?), 1941 - Elbing, East Prussia - Spends his leave in Elbing with his fiancée in the Winter of 1941/42
February 27, 1942 - Krasnogwardeisk - 1 I-16 shot down (13 total)
March 20, 1942 - Krasnogwardeisk - 2 P-40 shot down (15 total)
May 14, 1942 - Krasnogwardeisk - 2 SB-2 shot down (17 total)
June 1(?), 1942 - Krasnogwardeisk - Married to his fiancé Edith, by means of a long-distance ceremony known as "Fertrauung", a German wartime policy. Walter Nowotny and Hans Philipp were his witnesses
August 23, 1942 - ? Krasnogwardeisk - 1 Il-2 shot down 15km S of Zubtsov (18 total)
September 7, 1942 - Krasnogwardeisk - 1 Il-2 shot down 10km SE of Gatchina (19 total)
September 23, 1942 - Krasnogwardeisk - 1 I-16 shot down 30km N of Volkhov (20 total)
October 22, 1942 - Krasnogwardeisk - 1 Il-2 shot down (21 total)
December 21, 1942 - Krasnogwardeisk - Awarded the Luftwaffe Honor Cup for outstanding achievements in aerial combat
January 12, 1943 - Krasnogwardeisk - 3 Il-2 + 1 Yak-1 + 1 I-153 + 1 U-2 shot down around Schlüsselburg and East of Mga (27 total)
January 14, 1943 - Krasnogwardeisk - 1 La-5 shot down 25km E-SE of Schlüsselburg (28 total)
January 16, 1943 - Krasnogwardeisk - 1 Il-2 shot down SW of Schlüsselburg (29 total)
January 24, 1943 - Krasnogwardeisk - 1 La-5 shot down SE of Schlüsselburg (30 total)
January 26, 1943 - Krasnogwardeisk - 1 Il-2 shot down SW of Schlüsselburg (31 total)
February 1, 1943 - Heiligenbeil (Mamonovo, SW Kaliningrad Oblast) - 2./JG 54 moves out. Conversion to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4
February 11, 1943 - Heiligenbeil - 1 Il-2 shot down over Pushkin-Mga (32 total)
February 14, 1943 - Heiligenbeil - 2 Il-2 shot down NW of Lubań (34 total)
February 15, 1943 - Heiligenbeil - 1 Il-2 shot down 10km N of Tosno (35 total)
February 19, 1943 - Heiligenbeil - 1 Yak-7 + 1 LaGG-3 + 1 La-5 + 1 Pe-2 shot down NE of Lubań and E-SE of Mga (39 total)
February 21, 1943 - Heiligenbeil - 1 1 I-16 shot down W of Mga (40 total)
March 1, 1943 - Staraya Russa, S of Lake Ilmen - 2./JG 54 moves out
March 7, 1943 - Staraya Russa - 2 LaGG-3 shot down E-SE of Staraya Russa and E-SE Novgorod (42 total)
March 10, 1943 - Staraya Russa - 1 LaGG-3 + 1 MiG-3 shot down NE of Staraya Russa (44 total)
March 14, 1943 - Staraya Russa - 2 LaGG-3 shot down E-SE of Staraya Russa (46 total)
March 15, 1943 - Staraya Russa - 1 MiG-3 shot down E-NE of Staraya Russa (47 total) - Kittel's FW190 suffers engine failure - lands 60km inside soviet lines - evades detection speaking czech and a little russian
March 18, 1943 - Staraya Russa - Kittel crosses the frozen lake and makes it to the german lines at Staraya Russa. He is promoted to Oberfeldwebel and awarded the German Cross in Gold
April 1, 1943 - Staraya Russa - 2 Il-2 shot down S of Chudovo and SE of Mga (49 total)
May 1, 1943 - Nikolskoye, SW of Mga - 2./JG 54 moves out
June 11, 1943 - Nikolskoye - 1 La-5 shot down SE of Leningrad (50 total)
June 18, 1943 - Nikolskoye - 1 P-40 shot down SW of Volkhov (51 total)
June 22, 1943 - Nikolskoye - 2 Il-2 shot down S/E of Gatchina (53 total)
June 24, 1943 - Nikolskoye - 2 P-40 shot down ENE of Schlüsselburg (Shlisselburg, E of Leningrad) and W of Volkhov (55 total)
June 26(?), 1943 - Orel - 2./JG 54 moves out
July 5, 1943 - Orel - 2 Il-2 + 1 La-5 + 1 LaGG-3 shot down SW of Maloarkhangelsk, W of Voltcansk and N of Kursk (59 total)
July 7, 1943 - Orel - 2 P-40 + 1 P-39 shot down around Maloarkhangelsk and NNW of Kursk (62 total)
July 9, 1943 - Orel - 2 Il-2 shot down SSW/NW of Maloarkhangelsk (64 total)
July 10, 1943 - Orel - 2 LaGG-3 shot down SW/WNW Maloarkhangelsk (66 total)
July 13, 1943 - Orel - 4 Il-2 shot down SE/E-SE of Oryol (70 total)
July 16, 1943 - Orel - 3 La-5 shot down NW of Bolkhov and SE/E-SE of Zhizdra (73 total)
July 17, 1943 - Orel - 1 Yak-9 + 1 La-5 shot down WNW of Bolkhov and NE of Karachev (75 total)
July 20, 1943 - Orel - 1 Yak-9 + 1 LaGG-3 shot down S of Mtsensk (77 total)
July 27, 1943 - Orel - 1 Il-2 shot down NNE of Karachev (78 total)
July 28, 1943 - Orel - 2 Il-2 shot down NE of Karachev (80 total)
August 1, 1943 - Orel - 1 Yak-9 shot down W of Bolkhov (81 total)
August 2, 1943 - Orel - 2 LaGG-3 + 1 La-5 shot down E-SE of Karachev and E-SE of Dmitrovsk (84 total)
August 3, 1943 - Orel - 1 La-5 + 1 P-39 shot down E of Dmitrovsk and WSW of Bolkhov (86 total)
August 4, 1943 - Orel - 3 LaGG-3 + 3 Il-2 + 1 La-5 shot down NW of Karachev and SE of Zhizdra (93 total)
August 5, 1943 - Orel - 1 LaGG-3 shot down NNE of Karachev (94 total)
August 15(?), 1943 - Poltava - 2./JG 54 moves out
September 7, 1943 - Poltava - 1 Yak-9 + 1 LaGG-3 shot down N of Yartsevo and SE of Shatalovka (96 total)
September 8 1943 - Poltava - 1 P-40 shot down E-SE of Maklok (97 total)
September 11, 1943 - Poltava - 1 LaGG-3 shot down S of Kirov (98 total)
September 12, 1943 - Poltava - 1 LaGG-3 shot down E-SE of Kirov (99 total)
September 14, 1943 - Poltava - 1 Yak-9 + 1 La-5 + 1 LaGG-3 shot down NE of Moschna, E of Shatalovka and SSW of Yelnya (102 total)
September 15, 1943 - Poltava - 2 Pe-2 shot down NW of Yelnya and S of Smolensk (104 total)
September 30, 1943 - Poltava - 1 Il-2 shot down SE of Andrejewo (105 total)
October 1, 1943 - Vitebsk - 2./JG 54 moves out
October 5, 1943 - Vitebsk - 1 Yak-9 + 1 LaGG-3 shot down NE of Zelenogorsk (107 total)
October 11, 1943 - Vitebsk - 1 LaGG-3 shot down (108 total)
October 12, 1943 - Vitebsk - 3 LaGG-3 shot down NE of Gorki (111 total)
October 13, 1943 - Vitebsk - 1 R-5 shot down NW of Krassnyj (NNE of Krasnoye) (112 total)
October 14, 1943 - Vitebsk - 2 LaGG-3 shot down NE of Gorki (114 total)
October 15, 1943 - Vitebsk - 3 LaGG-3 + 1 Il-2 shot down NW of Usswjaty and S of Gorki (118 total)
October 17, 1943 - Vitebsk - 1 LaGG-3 shot down SE of Nevel (119 total)
October 19, 1943 - Vitebsk - 1 LaGG-3 shot down over Lake Ssennitza (120 total)
October 22, 1943 - Vitebsk - 1 La-5 shot down NE of Orsha (121 total)
October 23, 1943 - Vitebsk - 1 La-5 shot down (122 total)
October 28, 1943 - Vitebsk - 1 LaGG-3 shot down SW of Gomel (123 total)
October 29, 1943 - Vitebsk - Oberfeldwebel Kittel is awarded the Knights Cross by Walter Nowotny for reaching 120 aerial victories
November 1, 1943 - Vitebsk - Promoted to Leutnant (Second Lieutenant)
November 5, 1943 - Vitebsk - 2 Il-2 + 1 LaGG-3 shot down SW/NW of Nevel and NW of Lake Ssennitza (126 total)
November 6, 1943 - Vitebsk - 1 Il-2 shot down SSE of Nevel (127 total)
December 1(?), 1943 - Biarritz, SW France - Appointed Chief Instructor of the Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost, a supplementary training unit for fighter pilots destined for the Eastern Front
December 31, 1943 - Biarritz - Kittel takes off to intercept american bombers but doesn't get involved in air fights
February 9, 1944 - Orsha, Belarus (SW of Smolensk) - With the help of Hannes Trautloft, inspector of fighter aviation on the Eastern Front who visited 1./JGr at Biarritz, Kittel returns to JG 54 as Staffelkapitan of 3.Staffel
February 14, 1944 - Wesenberg (Rakvere, Estonia) - 3./JG 54 moves out
March 5, 1944 - Wesenberg - 1 La-5 shot down SW of Narva (128 total)
March 6, 1944 - Wesenberg - 1 La-5 shot down (129 total)
March 7, 1944 - Wesenberg - 1 Yak-9 + 1 Il-2 shot down over the Baltic Sea, NW of Hungerburg (131 total)
March 8, 1944 - Wesenberg - 2 La-5 shot down SW of Narva and S of Slancy (133 total)
March 19, 1944 - Wesenberg - 2 Yak-9 shot down ove Lake Peipus (135 total)
March 26, 1944 -
Wesenberg - 1 Yak-9 + 2 R-5 shot down near Lake Peipus and SW of Narva (138 total)
March 28, 1944 - Wesenberg - 1 Yak-9 shot down over the Black Sea, NE of Kunda (139 total)
March 30, 1944 - Wesenberg - 2 La-5 + 1 Pe-2 shot down over the Baltic Sea NE of Kunda, NW of Hungerburg and W of Gorodok (142 total)
April 1, 1944 - Wesenberg - 1 Yak-9 shot down W of Gorodok (143 total)
April 2, 1944 - Wesenberg - 2 La-5 + 2 Pe-2 shot down over the Gulf of Finland and E of Kunda (147 total)
April 4, 1944 - Wesenberg - 2 LaGG-3 + 2 Il-2 + 1 La-5 shot down over the Baltic Sea, NE/NW of Kunda and W of Hungerburg (152 total)
April 11, 1944 - Wesenberg - Awarded the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves
April 24, 1944 - Wesenberg - 1 Yak-9 + 1 La-5 shot down over the Baltic Sea, NE of Kunda and NW of Hungerburg (154 total)
May 5, 1944 - Berghof, Berchstesgaden - Kittel receives the Oak Leaves from Hitler Personally
May 26, 1944 - Wesenberg - 1 La-5 shot down over the Baltic Sea, NE of Hungerburg (155 total)
May 29, 1944 - Wesenberg - 2./JG 54 of Gruppe I is detached and subordinated to Gruppe III, which was fighting on the Western Front
May 30, 1944 - Wesenberg - 1 La-5 + 1 Pe-2 shot down over the Baltic Sea, NW of Hungerburg (157 total)
June 2, 1944 - Wesenberg - 1 LaGG-3 shot down S of Narva (158 total)
June 5, 1944 - Wesenberg - 1 Yak-9 shot down over the Black Sea, NE of Kunda (159 total)
June 6, 1944 - Wesenberg - 1 P-39 shot down (160 total)
June 23, 1944 - Reval-Laksberg - 3./JG 54 Moves out
June 27, 1944 - Polozk (Polatsk, N Belarus) - 3./JG 54 Moves out
June 28, 1944 - Polozk - 3 Il-2 + 2 P-39 shot down (165 total)
June 29, 1944 - Polozk - 1 P-39 shot down (166 total)
June 30, 1944 - Polozk - 2 Il-2 + 1 Yak-9 + 1 P-39 shot down (170 total)
July 1, 1944 - Dünaburg (Daugavpils, SE Latvia) - 1 P-39 shot down over Novorzhev/Pskov (171 total) - 3./JG 54 moves out
July 2, 1944 - Dünaburg - 1 P-39 shot down over Novorzhev/Pskov (172 total)
July 3, 1944 - Dünaburg - 1 P-39 + 1 Il-2 shot down over Novorzhev/Pskov (174 total)
July 4, 1944 - Dünaburg - 1 P-39 + 1 Il-2 shot down near Polotsk (176 total)
July 10, 1944 - Dünaburg - 1 P-39 shot down S of Subat (177 total)
July 16, 1944 - Dünaburg - 1 P-39 + 1 Il-2 shot down (179 total)
July 18, 1944 - Dünaburg - 2 Yak-9 shot down S of Ostrov (181 total)
July 21, 1944 - Dünaburg - 2 Yak-9 + 1 Il-2 shot down NW of Utsyani (184 total)
July 22, 1944 - Dünaburg - 3 Il-2 shot down near Daugavpils (187 total)
July 24, 1944 - Dünaburg - 2 Pe-2 shot down (189 total)
July 25, 1944 - Jakobstadt (Jekabpils, Latvia) - 3./JG 54 Moves out
July 29, 1944 - Jakobstadt - 2 Pe-2 shot down near Svedasai (191 total)
August 1, 1944 - Riga-Skulte - 3 Yak-9 shot down (194 total) - 3./JG 54 moves out
August 7, 1944 - Riga-Skulte - 1 Yak-9 shot down NE of Kreuzburg (195 total)
August 15, 1944 - Riga-Skulte - 2 Yak-9 + 1 Il-2 shot down (198 total)
August 17, 1944 - Riga-Skulte - 1 Pe-2 shot down (199 total)
August 25, 1944 - Riga-Skulte - 1 P-39 shot down (200 total)
August 26, 1944 - Riga-Skulte - 1 Yak-9 + 1 La-5 shot down (202 total)
August 27, 1944 - Riga-Skulte - 1 Il-2 shot down (203 total)
August 28, 1944 - Riga-Skulte - 3 Yak-9 shot down (206 total)
August 31, 1944 - Riga-Skulte - 3 Il-2 shot down W of Mitau (209 total)
September 1, 1944 - Riga-Skulte - A new 2./JG 54 is formed and placed under the command of Kittel
September 14, 1944 - Wenden (Cēsis, NE of Riga, Latvia) - 4 Il-2 + 2 Yak-9 shot down E of Weissenstein, NE of Walk and NNW of Kreuzburg (215 total) - 3./JG 54 moves out
September 15, 1944 - Wenden - 2 Il-2 shot down S of Riga and SE of Mitau (217 total)
September 16, 1944 - Wenden - 1 Il-2 shot down NE of Pasewalk (218 total)
September 17, 1944 - Wenden - 2 Pe-2 + 1 P-39 shot down SSE of Riga and N of Pasewalk (221 total)
September 20, 1944 - Wenden - 2 Yak-9 shot down SE of Riga (223 total)
September 22, 1944 - Riga-Spilve - 1 La-5 shot down SE of Riga (224 total) - 3./JG 54 moves out
September 28, 1944 - Riga-Spilve - 3 Pe-2 + 1 Yak-9 shot down SE of Mālpils and E-SE of Riga (228 total)
September 30, 1944 - Riga-Spilve - 2 Il-2 + 1 Yak-9 shot down E-SE of Mālpils and E-SE of Riga (231 total)
October 1(?), 1944 - Riga-Spilve - Kittel temporarily leads Gruppe I during the absence of the Gruppencommandeur Franz Eisenach, who was given home leave
October 3, 1944 - Tukums, W of Riga - 3./JG 54 Moves out
October 7, 1944 - Tukums - 1 Yak-9 shot down W of Wenden (232 total)
October 9, 1944 - Tukums - 5 Il-2 shot down NE and SE of Riga (237 total)
October 10, 1944 - Tukums - 2 Il-2 + 1 La-5 shot down E/NE of Riga (240 total)
October 14, 1944 - Tukums - 1 La-5 shot down NE of Riga (241 total)
October 16, 1944 - Tukums - 3 Il-2 + 1  La-5 shot down SW of Mitau and S/SW of Tukkum (245 total)
October 17, 1944 - Tukums - 1 La-5 shot down SSW of Mitau (246 total)
October 18, 1944 - Tukums - 2 Il-2 shot down N of Telšiai (248 total)
October 22, 1944 - Tukums - 1 Il-2 shot down SE of Libau (249 total)
October 27, 1944 - Tukums - 3 Il-2 + 2 Pe-2 + Yak-9 shot down NNE of Telšiai,  E of Libau (256 total)
October 29, 1944 - Tukums - 6 Il-2 shot down E/SE of Libau and S of Goldingen (262 total)
October 30, 1944 -
Tukums - 3 Il-2 shot down E/SE of Libau (265 total)
November 19, 1944 - Tukums - 1 La-5 shot down (266 total)
November 25, 1944 - Tukums - Kittel is awarded the Knights Cross with oak leaves and swords, and promoted to Oberleutnant
December(?) 1(?), 1944 - Kronsdorf, Sudetenland (Krasov, NW of Opava) - Spends leave with his family in the Sudetenland
January(?) 30(?), 1945 - Zabeln (Sabile, WNW of Tukums) - Returns to the front as commander of 2./JG 54 
February 14, 1945 - Zabeln - 1 Il-2 shot down over the vicinity of Džūkste (267 total)
February 16, 1945 - SW Džūkste, Lithuania - While attacking an Il-2 in company of an inexperienced wingman, Kittel is unexpectedly followed and attacked by a pair of Il-2s. The FW190 is hit in the cockpit at low altitude and high speed by Lieutenant Vadim Komendat. Although perhaps incapacitated, he managed to unfasten his seat belts, but wasn't able to drop the canopy and bail out. The aircraft crashed and exploded, killing him instantly, aged 27 =(END)

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