Western Front Claims Oblt Heinz Schumann 4./JG 52 & I./JG 51

[Chris Goss]

The above is said to have 21 claims of which 12 were in Russia. I can only find claims 8 Nov 39 (1) and 14 May 40 (2). He leaves 4./JG 52 on 19 Oct 40 and then joins Stab I./JG 51 18 Nov 40 (Gr Adj?) and the only claim I can find is No. 6 on 15 May 41. He gets his 18th on 24 Jul 41 and leaves I./JG 51 21 Aug 41, not joining 10./JG 2 until 11 Dec 42. Can anyone fill the missing claims 3-5 and 19-21?

[Stig Jarlevik]

Indeed quite a mystery man Chris

There is also another problem with this guy since there were two Oblt Schumann in II,/JG 52
at the time.
Our Heinz Schumann (4./JG 52) and
August-Wilhelm Schumann (5./JG 52)

As per Bernd Barbas 'our' Schumann claimed three times with 4./JG 52
1) 25.9.1939 Potex 637
2) 8.11.1939 Balloon (were balloons still counted at that time in WW 2?)
3) 14.5.1940 Fairey Battle

All other claims by "a Schumann" are listed as our 5.St Schumann so two (or three?) claims
until he left JG 52

Obermaier lists him as having 18 victories when he received his RK in 1943, which in my mind
would be his final total since no claims are known for him in either JG 2 or SKG 10

Looking in Johannes Mathews Aces Vol 4 book, he only lists him with one claim with 4./JG 52
and that is the one on 14.5.1940
All other claims are with I./JG 51 (13 in all between 15.5.41 to 24.7.41 and one of them being u/c)

I have not checked Prien et al volumes (they are right now tricky to come by, blocked), but hopefully
someone else can do that

What I don't understand is how a fighter pilot in 1943 can get a RK for such a low total claim....

Cheers
Stig

[Chris Goss]

Interesting indeed. I believe RK was for being a successful Jabo pilot with 10./.JG 2, IV./SKG 10 and SG 10

[Stig Jarlevik]

I suppose there is very little else to choose from Chris

Did he join the JABO community before becoming St Kap of 10./JG 2 11 Dec 1942?

Since he received the RK 16 March 1943 while still being an Oblt and thus having served some four
months with the unit, he must have done an awful lot of flying during the winter months...

Without re-reading your book Chris, the unit suffered losses on five days during the period in question,
10 Jan, 26 Jan, 1 March, 12 March and 13 March (all 1943). The last date could even be the 12 March
mission placed on the wrong date.

How many missions were actually flown by him during those four months?

Cheers
Stig

[Chris Goss]

He was with Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte 14 Dec 41 to 9 Oct 42 when he joined Erg.Zerst.Gruppe Debin-Irmer. He was promoted to Hauptmann 1 Nov 41. Losses were 10 Jan, 26 Jan, 26 Feb (2), 1 March, 12 March. Hard to say how mnay missions he and 10./JG 2 flew with any degree of certainty but the staffel flew least 23 December 1942 to becoming IV./SKG 10