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Josef Zwernemann

Name : Josef Zwernemann Died : 8th April 1944 Air Victories : 126.00 Awards : Knights Cross Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross

Josef Zwernemann initially served in the Kriegsmarine where he completed his basic training. Unteroffizier Zwernemanns' service with 7./JG 52 began on 1 March 1940 and participated in the Battle of France. He claimed his first aerial victory over a Supermarine Spitfire in July 1940. In May 1941 he fought in the Battle of Crete. With the beginning of Operation Barbarossa his tally increased and he became one of the most successful pilots of his Jagdgruppe. By the end of 1941 his score stood at twenty and he was awarded Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 12 December 1941. In May 1942 the number of victories had increased to thirty and he was honored with the German Cross in Gold on 25 May 1942. The Oberfeldwebel received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 57 victories on 23 June 1942. In the month of September 1942 he claimed over thirty victories. On 1 October 1942 claimed four victories increasing his score to 103, for which he received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. He was promoted to Leutnant in the spring of 1943. One of Zwernemanns' wingmen and students was history's top-scoring ace Erich Hartmann. While serving with 9./JG 52, Zwernemann claimed his 113th victory on 15 April 1943 and victory 117 on 7 May 1943. One of his victories on 15 April 1943 was Starshiy Leytenant Dmitriy Glinka, who had already been recommended to be appointed a Hero of the Soviet Union. At the end of May 1943 he was posted to the fighter pilot training school, Ergänzungsgruppe Ost. He returned to combat service in the fall of 1943, this time serving with 3./JG 77 in Italy. From here he was posted to 1./JG 11 on 15 December 1943 serving in Defense of the Reich duties and claimed a further 9 victories. As of 15 December he was acting Staffelkapitän, representing Hauptmann Siegfried Simsch. Zwernemann was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 April 1944. On 8 April 1944 1st Staffel took off from Rotenburg together with I. and II./JG 11 to intercept an inbound B-24 Liberator bomber formation, which was protected by P-51 Mustang escort fighters. JG 11 reported the destruction of 8 bombers and 6 P-51 Mustangs for the loss of 20 fighters. Eleven pilots were killed in action and three wounded in action. Among those killed in action was Josef Zwernemann. His fellow comrades reported that Zwernemann was shot in his parachute. Josef Zwernemann was killed 8 April 1944 near Gardelegen, Altmark after more than 600 combat missions and 126 aerial victories.

Known Victory Claims :
Date	Rank	Squadron	Claimed	Location	Time	Aircraft Flown	Notes
24/07/1940	Uffz.	JG 52	Spitfire details	NE Margate	13.26
26/06/1941	Fw.	JG 52	DB-3 details	Raum Konstanza	5.45
08/07/1941	Fw.	JG 52	DB-3 details	NE Mamaia	15.56
08/07/1941	Fw.	JG 52	DB-3 details	NE Mamaia	16.01
14/08/1941	Fw.	JG 52	I-16 details	-	10.4
19/08/1941	Fw.	JG 52	I-26 details	-	11.35
31/08/1941	Fw.	JG 52	I-16 details	-	10.1
31/08/1941	Fw.	JG 52	I-16 details	-	10.12
01/09/1941	Fw.	JG 52	I-16 details	-	11.15
07/09/1941	Fw.	JG 52	SB-3 details	-	9.24
07/09/1941	Fw.	JG 52	I-17 details	-	9.32
13/09/1941	Fw.	JG 52	V-11 details	-	17.4
25/09/1941	Fw.	JG 52	I-26 details	-	14.45
28/09/1941	Fw.	JG 52	R-10 details	-	10.47
25/10/1941	Fw.	JG 52	I-16 details	-	11.45
25/10/1941	Fw.	JG 52	I-61 details	-	15.21
25/10/1941	Fw.	JG 52	I-61 details	-	15.23
31/10/1941	Fw.	JG 52	I-61 details	-	15.32
08/11/1941	Ofw.	JG 52	I-16 details	-	11.58
09/11/1941	Ofw.	JG 52	I-61 details	-	11.2
11/11/1941	Ofw.	JG 52	I-16 details	-	10.03
16/11/1941	Ofw.	JG 52	I-61 details	-	13.3
26/08/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Jak-1 details	49 214: tiefflug	9.11
27/08/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	49 214: 1500m	10.39
31/08/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Jak-1 details	59 251: 2000m	17.05
31/08/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Jak-1 details	59 252: 2500m	17.08
31/08/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Jak-1 details	59 263: 2000m	17.15
01/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Il-2 details	49 391: tiefflug	8.34
03/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	40 781: 3000m	11.48
05/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Curtiss P-40 details	49 452: 2500m	6.25
08/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	40 142: 800m	16.12
08/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	40 153: 1500m	16.28
08/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	40 152: 1000m	16.3
09/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Il-2 details	49 364: 100m	16.05
09/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Il-2 details	49 334: 100m	16.06
12/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Il-2 details	44 272: 100m	16.03
13/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Il-2 details	49 362: 150m	6.33
13/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Il-2 details	49 334: 100m	6.3
13/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Il-2 details	49 334: 100m	6.31
14/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	49 413: 1500m	16.04
14/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Il-2 details	49 272: 150m	16.25
22/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Jak-1 details	40 582: 4000m	6.22
22/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Jak-1 details	40 592: 3000m	6.36
22/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	49 421: 3000m	16.12
22/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	49 254: 2500m	16.23
22/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	49 253: 2000m	16.23
22/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	49 281: 2000m	16.25
23/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Jak-1 details	49 122: 4000m	6.32
23/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Jak-1 details	40 784: 3000m	6.33
25/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Jak-1 details	40 753: 3000m	16.13
27/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	49 413: 4000m	8.11
27/09/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	49 441: 1000m	8.12
05/10/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	44 574: 4500m	12.08
19/10/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	Jak-1 details	44 452: 1500m	7.38
19/10/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	44 454: 1500m	7.46
19/10/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	44 454: 1000m	7.46
19/10/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	44 491: 200m	7.42
25/10/1942	Ltn.	JG 52	Jak-1 details	34 413: 2200m	15.32
25/10/1942	Ltn.	JG 52	Jak-1 details	34 414: 1500m	15.35
31/10/1942	Ltn.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	44 752: 1000m	9.42
01/11/1942	Ofw.	JG 52	I-16 Rata details	44 271: 400m	11.24
05/11/1942	Ltn.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	44 853: 2000m	13.44
05/11/1942	Ltn.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	44 853: 2500m	13.42
24/11/1942	Ltn.	JG 52	I-16 Rata details	44 843: 1000m	12.32
24/11/1942	Ltn.	JG 52	Il-2 details	44 751: 20m	12.43
29/11/1942	Ltn.	JG 52	Il-2 details	44 724: 1500m	10.23
29/11/1942	Ltn.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	44 733: 2000m	10.25
29/11/1942	Ltn.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	44 762: 2500m	13.3
29/11/1942	Ltn.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	44 733: 2000m	13.32
29/11/1942	Ltn.	JG 52	I-16 Rata details	44 724: 2000m	13.43
15/04/1943	Ltn.	JG 52	Airacobra details	85 141: 5000m	12.52
16/04/1943	Ltn.	JG 52	Airacobra details	85 141: 2000m	14.53
20/04/1943	Ltn.	JG 52	LaGG-3 details	75 424: 2000m	16.16
28/04/1943	Ltn.	JG 52	LaGG details	75 262: 5000m	16.38
06/05/1943	Ltn.	JG 52	Il-2mH. details	75 264: tiefflug	17
10/02/1944	Oblt.	JG 11	P-38 details	FU-FB: 7000m [Hannover-Braunschweig]	-
24/02/1944	Oblt.	JG 11	B-24 details	05 Ost S/NA-7: 7000m [SW Gotha]	13.37
03/03/1944	Oblt.	JG 11	B-17 details	-	12.04
06/03/1944	Oblt.	JG 11	B-17 details	05 Ost S/EP: 7000m [Raum Haselünne]	11.55
06/03/1944	Oblt.	JG 11	B-17 details	05 Ost S/ES-9: 6500m [SE Bassum]	14.18
08/03/1944	Oblt.	JG 11	B-17 details	FU: 8000m [bei Schwarmstedt]	13.05
08/03/1944	Oblt.	JG 11	P-47 details	-	-
08/04/1944	Oblt.	JG 11	B-24 details	05 Ost S/EB: 6500m [Uelzen]	13.47
08/04/1944	Oblt.	JG 11	P-51 details	05 Ost EB: 6500m [Salzwedel]	13.48

Squadrons for : Josef Zwernemann
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Josef Zwernemann. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
Squadron	Info
JG11 Country : Germany Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG11	JG11 Full profile not yet available.
JG52 Country : Germany Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG52	JG52 The most successful Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II, with a claim total of more than 10,000 victories over enemy aircraft. It was home to the top three scoring Experten of the Luftwaffe, Erich Hartmann, Gerhard Barkhorn and Günther Rall. The unit flew the various marks of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 exclusively through the war.
JG77 Country : Germany Founded : May 1939 'Ace of Hearts' Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG77	JG77 Herz As (Ace of Hearts) was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II. It served in all the German theaters of war, from Western Europe to the Eastern Front, and from the high north in Norway to the Mediterranean. JG 77 was formed in May 1939 with I. and II. Gruppe. III./JG 77 was formed on 5 July 1940 in Trondheim from the II(J)./JG 186. I./ JG 77 was reorganized on 21 November 1940 into IV./JG 51 and a new I./JG 77 was established. In January 1942 I./JG 77 was transferred to I./JG 5 and a new I./JG 77 was created. In April 1942 1. Staffel was transferred to Romania and designated the defence unit for the Ploie?ti oil fields at Mizil. (This staffel was redesignated 1./JG 4 in August 1942.)