Theo Osterkamp

Theo Osterkamp
Osterkamp in 1918
Birth name	Paul Louis Theodor Osterkamp
Nickname(s)	Onkel (Uncle)[1]
Born	(1892-04-15)15 April 1892 Düren, Rhine Province, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	2 January 1975(1975-01-02) (aged 82) Baden-Baden, Baden-W��rttemberg, West Germany
Allegiance	German Empire  Weimar Republic  Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Imperial German Navy Luftwaffe
Years of service	1914–1944
Rank	Generalleutnant (major general)
Commands	JG 51
Battles / wars	World War I World War II Battle of France Battle of Britain
Awards	House Order of Hohenzollern Pour le Mérite Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Theodor "Theo" Osterkamp (15 April 1892 – 2 January 1975)^[2] was a German fighter pilot during World War I and World War II. A flying ace, he achieved 32 victories in World War I.^[3] In World War II, he led Jagdgeschwader 51 up to the Battle of Britain and claimed a further six victories during World War II, in the process becoming one of only a few men to score victories and become an ace in both world wars.

Osterkamp was born in Rölsdorf near Düren, West Germany, and grew up in Aschersleben,^[4] modern day Saxony-Anhalt. He was born in 1892 as the second son of the factory owner Hermann Osterkamp and Anna Wilhelmine née Blank. Osterkamp received his Abitur from the Gymnasium in Dessau. His schoolmates in Dessau included the future pilots Oswald Boelcke and Gotthard Sachsenberg.^[5]

When the First World War started he was studying forestry but decided to enlist in the German Army.^[4] He was rejected for service due to his "slight build"^[4] and he instead enlisted in the Marinefliegerkorps in August 1914.^[4] He then flew with the 2. Marine-Fliegerabteilung in Flanders. During 1915–1916, he served as an air observer, and became the first German pilot to fly a land-based aircraft to England on a reconnaissance-mission. Osterkamp claimed his first (but unconfirmed) kill on 6 September 1916 as an observer to pilot Leutnant zur See Wilhelm Mattheus in a LVG C.II two-seater aircraft.^[4] In March 1917, he joined the Kampffliegerschule (Combat pilot school) in Putzig and then joined Marine Feld Jagdstaffel 1 on the 14th of April 1917^[4] On 21 March 1917, Leutnant Osterkamp took command of Marine Feld Jagdstaffel 2 ^[6] He scored a total of 32 victories during the war,^[3] and was awarded the Prussian military order Pour le Mérite^[3] on 2 September 1918,^[7] and was one of the last individuals to receive it.

Osterkamp joined the new Luftwaffe on 1 August 1933 with the rank of Hauptmann.^[8] He also participated in the second, third and fourth FAI International Tourist Plane Contest Challenge 1930 (11th place), Challenge 1932 (12th place) and Challenge 1934 (5th place).^[8] On 1 April 1935, Osterkamp was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 132 "Richthofen" (JG 132—132nd Fighter Wing), the first commander of this newly created Staffel. On 15 March 1936, Osterkamp transferred command of 4. Staffel to Hauptmann Clemens Graf von Schönborn-Wiesentheid.^[9] Osterkamp was then appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel" (JG 134—134th Fighter Wing). He held this position until November 1937 when he was transferred to the Jagdfliegerschule Werneuchen, later (JFS 1).^[10]

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 19 September, Oberst Osterkamp was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing).^[8] During the Battle of France, he claimed four victories.^[2] During the Kanalkampf period of the Battle of Britain in July 1940, he claimed a further two victories, (a Bristol Blenheim on 1 June and a Spitfire on 13 July 1940) bringing his total to six. He was replaced as commander of JG 51 by Werner Mölders on 23 July with the latter formally taking command on the 27 July.^[11][12] Promoted to Generalmajor, Osterkamp was awarded his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 August 1940.^[13] Following his replacement in JG 51, Osterkamp was appointed Jagdfliegerführer 2, the commander of fighter aircraft in Luftflotte 2.^{[Note 1]}

On 1 August 1942, he was transferred to Luftgaustab z.b.V. Afrika. On 5 April 1943, he was appointed Jagdfliegerführer Sizilien and served until replaced on 15 June by Adolf Galland. He then served in a number of staff positions until being appointed Inspekteur der Luftwaffen-Bodenorganisation (Inspector of Luftwaffe ground organisation) in 1944. His criticism of the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (Luftwaffe High Command) led to his dismissal from service in December 1944.^[14]

In 1960, he was appointed honorary chairman of the Gemeinschaft der Jagdflieger, the Association of Fighter Pilots.^[15]

Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 31 aerial victory claims, plus six further unconfirmed claims during World War I and three further unconfirmed claims during World War II. This number includes 29 claims during the World War I and two on the Western Front of World War II.^[16]

• Kingdom of Prussia:
  • Iron Cross 2nd Class & 1st Class^[3]
  • Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight's Cross with Swords
  • Pour le Mérite^[3] (2 September 1918)^[7]
• German Empire: Imperial Navy Pilot’s Badge
• Weimar Republic: Baltic Cross
• Duchy of Anhalt:
  • House Order of Albert the Bear, Knight's Badge 2nd Class with Swords
  • Friedrich Cross
• Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg: Hanseatic Cross
• Grand Duchy of Oldenburg: Friedrich August Cross 2nd Class & 1st Class
• Austria-Hungary: Military Merit Cross, 3rd Class with War Decoration
• Nazi Germany:
  • Honour Cross of the World War 1914/1918 for Combatants
  • Combined Pilot/Observer Badge
  • Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Luftwaffe) 4th Class
  • 1939 Clasp to the Iron Cross 2nd Class & 1st Class
  • Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 August 1940 as Generalmajor and Jagdfliegerführer of Luftflotte 2^{[21][Note 3]}

• Du oder Ich. Deutsche Jagdflieger in Höhen und Tiefen [You or I. German Fighter Pilots at High and Low Altitude] (in German). Berlin: Nauck. 1938. OCLC 935029409.

• 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. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Goss, Chris (2018). Knights of the Battle of Britain — Luftwaffe Aircrew Awarded the Knight's Cross in 1940. Yorkshire, UK: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-52672-651-3.
• Guttman, Jon (2012). Naval Aces of World War 1 (part 2). Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 104. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-664-6.
• Kudlicka, Bohmuir (December 2004). "Post Scriptum: "Theo" Osterkamp et les Savoia-Marchetti S.73 tchécoslovaques" [Postscript: "Theo" Osterkamp and the Czech Savoia-Marchetti S.73s]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (141): 42–45. ISSN 1243-8650.
• Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims – Volume 3 M–R. Walton-on-Thames, UK: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-20-2.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2000a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 1—Vorkriegszeit und Einsatz über Polen—1934 bis 1939 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 1—Pre-War Period and Action over Poland—1934 to 1939] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-54-0.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2000b). 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. ISBN 978-3-923457-61-8.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/II—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/II—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-64-9.
• 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. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Sternal, Bernd (2019). Harzer Persönlichkeiten: Lebensbilder [Harz Personalities: Life Pictures] (in German). Vol. 3. Books on Demand. ISBN 978-3-7481-9604-4.
• Sumner, Ian (2005). German Air Forces 1914–18. Elite. Vol. 135. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-924-0.
• Van Wyngarden, Greg; Franks, Norman (2004). Fokker D VII Aces of World War 1 (part 2). Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 63. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-729-1.
• Weal, John (2006). Jagdgeschwader 51 'Mölders'. Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 22. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-045-1.