eArticle available: 'The Life of Otto Kittel'

[knusel]

Good evening Andrew Arthy,

thanks for your helpful post.
Have you noticed that in the Otto Kittel kill list in Mr Velichko's article 2xIl-2's are indicated for 22Jun1943 whereas in Johannes Mathews' list we find 1xIl-2 and 1xLaGG-3 ?

Have a nice weekend,

Michael

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your latest. Our source for 22 June 1943 states two Il-2s for Kittel on that morning, so we went with that.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com/earticles

[knusel]

Good afternoon Andrew,

have you noticed that some sources indicate 14Feb1945 as Otto Kittel's death date ? I tink this is based on a typo in OSPREY's "Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front".

Cheers,

Michael

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Michael,

I have noticed that sources including Haupt, Hannig and Bergström talk about heavy aerial combat over Courland on 14 February 1945, and Kurowski and Weal state that Otto Kittel was shot down that day. In reality, there were no offensive sorties by Luftflotte 1 on 14 February 1945.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com

[knusel]

Good afternoon Andrew,

some consider Otto Kittel the top Il-2 killer
https://www.luftwaffe.cz/stormovik.html
but I believe he is second to Joachim Brendel.
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showth...brendel&page=3

Have a nice weekend,

Michael

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by knusel

Good afternoon Andrew,

have you noticed that some sources indicate 14 Feb1945 as Otto Kittel's death based on a typo in OSPREY's "Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front".

goes back a bit further than that - a piece on Artur Gärtner's 65th birthday in Jägerblatt 4/87 gives 14 Feb as Kittel's death date, original source is most probably Kurowski

[knusel]

Good afternoon FalkeEins,

and do you think this date might be correct ?

Have a nice Friday,

Michael

[Andrew Arthy]

Hi Michael,

As I noted above, I./Jagdgeschwader 54 did not fly any sorties on 14 February 1945, so of course that is not the correct date for the death of Otto Kittel. Kurowski is a very unreliable source.

Cheers,
Andrew A.
Air War Publications - www.airwarpublications.com

[FalkeEins]

Originally Posted by knusel

Good afternoon FalkeEins,

and do you think this date might be correct ?

Have a nice Friday,

Michael

Hi Michael,

not if Andrew says otherwise!

Kurowski's 'Balkenkreuz und roter Stern' appeared in 1984 which most authors appear to use. His more 'scientific' "Luftwaffe über Rußland" (Moewe Verlag, 1987) doesn't get a mention anywhere - but quotes no date for Kittel's disappearance. Nor do Rodeike or Mombeeck. Weal gives the same date -14 February 45 - in three separate locations that I've found! Other sources quoting 14 February include Eriksson ('Alarmstart East'), Bob/Trautloft/Held in Schiffer's "JG 54 - photographic history of the Grünherzjäger" and Lorant/Frappe "Le Focke Wulf 190" (Docavia, 1981) as well as various issues of Jägerblatt. I've got three sources giving the date of Kittel's last combat as 16 February; Scutts in his "JG 54 Grünherz", Trautloft/Bob "Kriegs-Tagebuch von Hannes Trautloft- Grünherzjäger im Luftkampf 1940-45" and Bergstrom/Pegg (Jagdwaffe Vol 5 Section 2 - 'War in the East 44-45').

[Col Bruggy]

Hello,

One more!

Smith & Creek in their Focke-Wulf Fw 190, Vol.3, 1944-1945:

Date: 16-Feb-45
Type: A-8
Unit: 2./JG54
W.Nr: 960282
Markings: Black 1+
Pilot & Place: Oblt Otto Kittel, KIA, 6km south-west of Dzukste.

See:
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Volume Three 1944-1945.
Smith,J Richard & Eddie J Creek.
Hersham:Classic,2013.
pp.896 & 989

Col.