Helmut Schönfelder

Helmut Schönfelder (30 April 1914 – 23 September 2003) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Schönfelder was credited with 56 aerial victories.

Helmut Schönfelder
Born	30 April 1914 Nienburg an der Weser
Died	23 September 2003(2003-09-23) (aged 89) Bad Schwalbach
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service / branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	?-1945
Rank	Oberfeldwebel
Unit	JG 51
Battles / wars	World War II Eastern Front
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Schönfelder was born on 30 April 1914 in Nienburg an der Weser in the Province of Hanover within the German Empire.^[1]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Schönfelder was credited with 56 aerial victories.^[2] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that he claimed 56 aerial victories, all of which on the Eastern Front.^[3]

Chronicle of aerial victories
This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Balke, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[4] Operation Barbarossa — October – 5 December 1941
1	27 October 1941	14:15	DB-3	15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Mtsensk[5]	2	28 November 1941	11:10	I-16	3 km (1.9 mi) southeast of Kashira[6]
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[4] Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942
3	13 January 1942	14:49	I-16	southwest of Yukhnov[7]	6	7 March 1942	08:07	I-61?[Note 1]	30 km (19 mi) northeast of Krassilina[9]
4	13 January 1942	14:52	I-16	45 km (28 mi) southwest of Yukhnov[7]	7	8 March 1942	09:50	Pe-2	1 km (0.62 mi) north of Meshchovsk[9]
5	7 March 1942	08:05	I-61?[Note 1]	30 km (19 mi) northeast of Krassilina[9]
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[4] Eastern Front — 1 May – 7 October 1942
8	1 May 1942	06:35	MiG-3	15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Mtsensk[10]	10	26 September 1942	15:12	LaGG-3	15 km (9.3 mi) north of Rzhev[11]
9	25 August 1942	10:28	LaGG-3	12 km (7.5 mi) west of Belyov[12]

Awards

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class^[13]
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 19 June 1944 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot^[14]
• German Cross in Gold on 1 January 1945 as Oberfeldwebel in the Stabstaffel/Jagdgeschwader 51^[15]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 31 March 1945 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the Stabstaffel/Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"^[16][17]

Notes

1. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Polikarpov I-16 fighter.^[8]

References

Citations

1. Obermaier 1989, p. 200.
2. Zabecki 2014, p. 1618.
3. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1166–1167.
4. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1166.
5. Prien et al. 2003, p. 286.
6. Prien et al. 2003, p. 287.
7. Prien et al. 2005, p. 93.
8. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 606.
9. Prien et al. 2005, p. 95.
10. Prien et al. 2006, p. 295.
11. Prien et al. 2006, p. 305.
12. Prien et al. 2006, p. 304.
13. Dixon 2023, p. 214.
14. Patzwall 2008, p. 186.
15. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 422.
16. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 387.
17. Scherzer 2007, p. 680.

Bibliography

• Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1943–1945. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-39903-073-1.
• 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.
• Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 4 S–Z. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-21-9.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/I—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/I—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-69-4.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/II—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1.5.1942 bis 3.2.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/II—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-77-9.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2005). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/I—Winterkampf im Osten—6.12.1941 bis 30.4.1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/I—Winter War in the East—6 December 1941 to 30 April 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-76-2.
• 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.
• Zabecki, David T., ed. (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.