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

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

Here is what I have been able to uncover on this fellow. Not much concerning his victories, though, as it appears that victory claim information for Zerstörer pilots is hard to come by. By the way, would anyone have another photograph of this ace?

http://rapidshare.com/files/39595168...elder.zip.html

Horrido!

Leo

[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

[Evgeny Velichko]

I am glad to help You, Leo

Yes, 10 aug, correct, not 7 aug.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

Good night to all!
About his last combat mission, on 18th July 1944; is there any evidence of him or his machine being hit by return fire? Is there any recorded transcription of his Radio messages? Is there any kind of indication of him exceeding the limits of the Me 262 and having some kind of compressibility problems? We do know that there was NO evident Allied claim on a type looking like a Me 262...What was the probable cause of his death? ( Maybe an Oxygen problem? ) Was there any kind of post-accident investigation on the part of the Luftwaffe?
Any information related to his last mission would be very welcomed.
Yours
Adriano

[Tom Semenza]

Yevgeny,

Thanks for the clarification.

Regards,
Tom

[Evgeny Velichko]

Adriano - we should look on some good Me262 book for an answer.

[Adriano Baumgartner]

I do have the "Me 262 Combat Diary" by Harvey and Foreman and there are NO information available on the causes of the crash of Hptm Thierfelder.
I wonder IF there was a Comission investigating the crash and causes of the loss. As far as I know it was common, at least to the RAF, to have such kind of Aircraft Accident Investigation Comissions...I remember reading about one such RAF officer who underwent this kind of training.
Yours
Adriano Baumgartner

[Adriano Baumgartner]

PS: I mean NO detailed information..the book is excellent and they did a helluva job, interviewing and tracking both sides who fought against the Me 262 ( RAF, USAF, PAF ) as well as interviewing the available Luftwaffe airmen who flew the machine in combat. It is a great book with a lot of information...no doubt about it. IF they did not find any kind of Post-Accident investigation, I guess that there is no such document available...( my personal opinion ).
Yours
Adriano

[Evgeny Velichko]

Adriano:
According info, that I was able to find:
Hptm. Thierfelder crashed, flying Me 262 S6 (VI+AK, W.Nr. 130011). His last mission was intercept of USAAF bombers, but he had no contact,got engine trouble on way home, and crashed. It is thought, that he entered the dive to shut the flame, but Me262 entered uncontrollable dive and crashed. Pilot could not leave aircraft because of extremly high speed.