Hptm. Werner Thierfelder - Gruppenkommandeur II./ZG 26 ?

[Evgeny Velichko]

. Oberleutnant Thierfelder was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./ZG 26 on 19 July 1941.

On 18 july, in the aircombat over Staraya Russa airfield, I-153's of 38iap shot down and killed Gr.Kdr. I./ZG26 Hptm. Horst Lehrmann. StaKa 1./ZG26, Oblt Wilhelm Spiess took over I./ZG26, and Oblt. Thierfelder became StaKa 1./ZG26.

On 7 August he was transferred as Staffelkapitän to 6./ZG 26.

But already on 10 augest 1941, in aircombat over Kingisepp, soviet fighter ramm Bf110 of StaKa 6./ZG26, Oblt. Alfred Möll, who was killed in his crippled aircraft. Oblt Thierfelder took his place as StaKa 6./ZG26.

He led his Staffel through hardest battles on the way to Leningrad, and got great success, such as attack on airfield of 5iap VVS KBF, when pilots of II./ZG26 destroyed 33 aircrafts on the ground and damaged more 13, plus shot down 3 in the air.

Hauptmann Thierfelder was transferred to the Geschwaderstab of ZG 2 on 1 May 1942.

On 31 april 1942, ZG26 was disbanded and absorbed by ZG1 and ZG2.
Maj. von Rettberg, ex-Gr.Kdr. of II./ZG26, took one of his best StaffelKapitane with him to Stab./ZG2, when was appointed Komodore ZG2.

On 1 July he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 4./ZG 2 although in August 1942 he was transferred as Staffelkapitän to 5./ZG 2.

He took the post of StaKa 4./ZG2 after Hptm. Paul Matuscheck, and after that was appointed StaKa 5./ZG2 after Hptm. Oskar Gehring, who was transferred to I./ZG1.

On 1 October he was transferred to the Stab of General der Jagdflieger on orders of Generalmajor Adolf Galland (104 victories, RK-Br) where he was placed in charge of various experimental units.

After ZG2 was disbanded, he moved to Stab duty.

He was appointed Kommandeur of Erprobungskommando 262 tasked with the evolution of suitable tactics for the Me 262 jet fighter on 15 December 1943.

As zerstorer ace, familiar with two engined heavy aircrafts, he was posted to test new Me262 heavy two engined fighter, jet zerstorer.

On 2.6.44, III./ZG26 gave last 14 servicable Bf110's to other units and became first ZerstoreGruppe, equipped with Me262. Obstlt Johann Kogler, who led Gruppe in last 3 months of hardest RVT dutyes, was appointed to Geschwader Komodore, and Hptm. Thierfelder took over III./ZG26, and used his expirience of Me262 flying to teach his pilots.

Unfortunatly, he was killed in his first combat mission on 18.7.44.

[Leo Etgen]

Hello Evgeny

Many thanks for your additions and corrections to what I had concerning this important Luftwaffe ace. Just one point of clarification: he took the place of Oberleutnant Alfred Möll who was killed in aerial combat on 10 August 1941 so therefore he could not have been appointed Staffelkapitän of 6./ZG 26 on 7 August 1941? Many thanks for the photograph as I have been searching for a better one for quite some time.

Horrido!

Leo