II. Gruppe had been created that very same day at the airfield in Magdeburg-Ost (Fliegerhorst Magdeburg-Ost) and was initially placed under the command of HauptmannErich von Selle. Command transferred to Hauptmann Werner Anders on 6 February while 4. Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Hermann Hollweg. The Gruppe was equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1 and E-3 variant. For the first weeks, the Gruppe conducted various flight exercises before on 10 February they were ordered to move to Döberitz. There, the unit was tasked with providing fighter protection for Berlin.[3] On 19 April, II. Gruppe began its transfer to the west, with 4. Staffel moving to Essen-Mühlheim. For the upcoming Battle of France, II. Gruppe was placed under the control of the Stab (headquarters unit) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) under command of OberstTheo Osterkamp. The Gruppe was briefly ordered to return to Döberitz on 24 April before returning west again on 3 May.[4]
World War II
World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. During the campaign against France, II. Gruppe, as a subordinated unit to JG 51 was controlled by Jagdfliegerführer 2, OberstKurt-Bertram von Döring, and was deployed on the right flank of Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2), supporting the attack of Army Group B against the Netherlands. On 10 May, the day the Wehrmacht launched the attack, 4. Staffel was located in Wesel and flew missions to Rotterdam.[5]
Following the Armistice of 22 June 1940, II. Gruppe was sent to Wunstorf near Hanover for replenishment. On 8 July, the Gruppe began its relocation west again, with 4. Staffel arriving in Leeuwarden on 11 July.[6] Here, the Gruppe was tasked with patrolling the Dutch coast until 5 August when they received orders to relocate to an airfield at Crépon, located northwest of Caen on the English Channel.[7] Schulz claimed his first victory on 31 August 1940 over a Royal Air Force (RAF) Supermarine Spitfire fighter in the vicinity of Dover.[8] On 7 September, 4. Staffel was placed under the command of Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) OberleutnantGustav Rödel.[9] On 28 October, Schulz claimed his fourth overall and last aerial victory of 1940. On a fighter escort mission to London, he shot down a Spitfire in the vicinity of Gravesend.[10] On 5 November, II. Gruppe was withdrawn from combat operations on the English Channel, relocating to Detmold on 9 November.[11]
Schulz also participated in the brief Balkan Campaign in April 1941, scoring two victories, flying out of airbases in Bulgaria then Greece.[12] His unit, as with most of the Luftwaffe, was then withdrawn for the imminent invasion of Russia. In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, II./JG 27 was moved to a makeshift airfield name Praszniki, located northeast of Suwałki close to the Curzon Line, on 18 June.[13] Despite II./JG 27's very brief 9-day participation in Operation Barbarossa,[14] he scored three victories. Two of these were some of the 25 bombers shot down over Vilnius by II./JG 27 on 25 June, however most of that short time the Gruppe was tasked with fighter-bomber missions.[14] On 1 July, II./JG 27 was withdrawn from combat operations, all serviceable aircraft were transferred to III. Gruppe of JG 27 and the personnel was ordered to return to Suwałki, awaiting further orders.[15]
North Africa
Following the withdrawal from the Eastern Front, II. Gruppe arrived in Döberitz on 24 July 1941. The entire personnel then went on vacation, returning to Döberitz on 18 August. Over the next three weeks, the Gruppe converted to the Bf 109 F-4 fighter. Relocation to the North African Theater began on 7 September, with 4. Staffel transferring south on 16 September and was based at an airfield in Ain el Gazala.[16] There, II. Gruppe joined I. Gruppe of JG 27 which was already based in North Africa.[14] On 26 September, II. Gruppe flew its first combat missions in North Africa, a combat air patrol to Sollum.[17]
On 6 October 1941, 30 October and 28 November, he recorded three victories on each day. On 6 October Lieutenants Miller or Neville McGarr from 2 Squadron SAAF were one other those claims—Rödel downed one of them.[18] On the latter date he downed Lieutenant Palm, Pilot Officer Muhart and Flying Officer Vos. Muhart was hospitalised with burns but the other pilots failed to return.[19]
Schulz's score-sheet is slightly unusual in that many of his victories can be positively identified with specific Allied pilots: On 30 November 1941, his 23rd and 24th victims were aces Sergeant Alan Cameron (6.5 victories) and Pilot Officer Neville Duke (27 victories).[20] Cameron was rescued by Wing Commander Peter Jeffrey and flown to base.[21] Schulz claimed his 30th victory on 15 December, when he shot down and killed Pilot Officer Geoffrey Ranger (5 victories) of No. 250 Squadron.[22] This was followed by downing the Australian ace Nicky Barr on 11 January 1942.[23] On 25 January 1942, Schulz claimed two Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighters for his 34th and 35th victories.[24] This put him two aerial victories ahead of Rödel and made him the top scorer in II./JG 27 at the time.[25]
On 8 February 1942, Schulz engaged 1 SAAF Hurricanes. He shot down Lieutenants Finney and Biden and then damaged Lieutenant Powell's aircraft in the tail. Each time Schulz descended to strafe and destroy the crash landed fighters from combat altitude of 9,000 feet (2,700 metres).[26] On 15 February 1942, he took off on his own and chased after 20 aircraft of No. 94 and No. 112 Squadron that had just strafed his airfield at Martuba.[27] He shot down five P-40 Kittyhawks in ten minutes, including the top 17-victory RAF ace Ernest "Imshi" Mason, making him an "ace-in-a-day".[28][29] Schulz was credited with five, the last was Sergeant McQueen's P-40. McQueen was wounded but limped back to base—an Italian 6°Gruppo pilot also claimed a P-40 and may have attacked McQueen.[30] The remaining pilots, Pilot Officer John Robert Vernall Marshall, Sergeant Charles Belcher, and Edward Weightman were killed.[31] Schulz was given credit in part due to the witness report of a German tank commander.[32]
This put him on 44 victories, just behind the 48 of the then top-scorer in the Desert, Hans-Joachim Marseille. In recognition of this success, they were both awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on the same day - 22 February - the first such awards for JG 27 since arriving in North Africa.[29] After this his scoring slowed down to only three victories in March. On 15 March Schulz downed Sergeant Rozanski, No. 112 Squadron.[33] Sent to officer-training school,[29] he was promoted to Leutnant in April. At the end of May, now an Oberleutnant and assigned to the Stab flight of II. Gruppe as Technical Officer,[27] he had another quick flurry of four victories including his 50th on 31 May: a P-40 flown by South African ace Major Andrew Duncan (5.5 victories) of No. 5 Squadron SAAF, who was killed.[34]
Death
On 17 June 1942, after claiming his 51st and last victory (Canadian ace Flight Lieutenant Walter "Wally" Conrad (6.5 victories) of No. 274 Squadron), Schulz himself was shot down and killed in his Bf 109 F-4trop (Werknummer 10 271—factory number) by RAF Kittyhawks near Sidi Rezegh.[27][28][35] Schulz descended to low level to strafe Conrad's P-40 when he was caught by an Allied fighter.[36] Research suggests the victory should be credited to Canadian ace James "Stocky" Edwards of No. 260 Squadron RAF.[37] At the time of his death, behind Marseille and Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn, Schulz was in third place with respect to the number of aerial victories claimed in the North African Theater.[38]
Summary of career
Aerial victory claims
According to Obermaier, Schulz was credited with 51 aerial victories claimed in approximately 400 combat missions, including three victories on the Eastern Front and 42 in North Africa.[2] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for more than 50 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This number includes three claims on the Eastern Front and 47 on the Western Front.[39]
Chronicle of aerial victories
This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Schulz an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.
This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim
Date
Time
Type
Location
Unit
Claim
Date
Time
Type
Location
Unit
– Claims with II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 –[40][41] On the Channel Front — August – November 1940
^Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings, and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations.[1]
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer[in German] (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. ISBN978-3-7909-0284-6.
Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 4 S–Z. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN978-1-906592-21-9.
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. ISBN978-3-87341-065-7.
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. ISBN978-3-931533-45-8.
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. ISBN978-3-931533-08-3.
Prien, Jochen; Rodeike, Peter; Stemmer, Gerhard (1997). Messerschmitt Bf 109 im Einsatz bei II./Jagdgeschwader 27, 1940 – 1945 [Messerschmitt Bf 109 in Action with II./Jagdgeschwader 27, 1940 – 1945] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-42-7.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2001a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 2—Der "Sitzkrieg"—1.9.1939 bis 9.5.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 2—The "Phoney War"—1 September 1939 to 9 May 1940] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-59-5.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2001b). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 3—Einsatz in Dänemark und Norwegen 9.4. bis 30.11.1940—Der Feldzug im Westen 10.5. bis 25.6.1940 [Fighter Pilot Association of the German Luftwaffe 1934 to 1945 Part 3—Assignments in Denmark and Norway 9 April to 30 November 1940—The campaign in the West 10 May to 25 June 1940] (in German). Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-61-8.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/I—Einsatz am Kanal und über England—26.6.1940 bis 21.6.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 4/I—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-63-2.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 5—Heimatverteidigung—10. Mai 1940 bis 31 Dezember 1941—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—Oktober 1940 bis November 1941—Einsatz im Westen—22. Juni bis 31. Dezember 1941—Die Ergänzungsjagdgruppen—Einsatz 1941 bis zur Auflösung Anfang 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 5—Defense of the Reich—10 May 1940 to 31 December 1941—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—October 1940 to November 1941—Action in the West—22 June to 31 December 1941—The Supplementary Fighter Groups—Action from 1941 until their Breakup in Early 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-68-7.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003b). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/I—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/I—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-69-4.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2004). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 8/I—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—November 1941 bis December 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 8/I—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—November 1941 to December 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-74-8.
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. ISBN978-3-938845-17-2.
Scutts, Jerry (1994). Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 2. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN978-1-85532-448-0.
Shores, Christopher; Ring, Hans (1969). Fighters over the desert: the air battles in the Western Desert, June 1940 to December 1942. London, UK: Neville Spearman. ISBN978-0-85435-060-5.
Shores, Christopher F.; Williams, Clive (1994). Aces High: A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces of WWII, Volume One. London, UK: Grubb Street. ISBN978-1-909808-42-3.
Shores, Christopher; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell (2012). A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: Volume One: North Africa: June 1940 – January 1942. London: Grub Street. ISBN978-1-908117-07-6.
Sundin, Claes; Bergström, Christer (1997). Luftwaffe Fighter Aircraft in Profile. Altglen, PA: Schiffer Military History. ISBN978-0-7643-0291-6.
Ring, Hans; Girbig, Werner (1994) [1971]. Jagdgeschwader 27 Die Dokumentation über den Einsatz an allen Fronten 1939–1945 [Jagdgeschwader 27 The Documentation on the Deployment on all Fronts from 1939 to 1945] (in German) (8th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN978-3-87943-215-8.
Shores, Christopher & Massimello, Giovanni. A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940-1945 Vol 2 London: Grub Street Publishing (2014). ISBN978-1909166127 has day-by-day combat analysis
Smith, J.Richard & Pegg, Martin. Jagdwaffe Vol 3, Sec3: War over the Desert June 1940 - June 1942 Hersham, Surrey: Ian Allan Publishing, 2003 ISBN1-903223-22-9