Otto Kittel
Otto Kittel (21th February 1917 – 14th or 16th February 1945) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. He flew 583 combat missions on the Eastern Front, claiming 267 aerial victories, making him the fourth highest scoring ace in aviation history according to authors John Weal and Jerry Scutts. Kittel claimed all of his victories against the Red Air Force.
Kittel joined the Luftwaffe in 1939, and, in spring 1941, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) supporting Army Group North on the Eastern Front. He received the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on 29th October 1943, for reaching 120 aerial victories. During the remainder of World War II, Kittel was credited with 144 more aerial victories and was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. He was shot down by Soviet aircraft and killed in February 1945. Kittel was the most successful German fighter pilot to be killed in action.
Personal life
Kittel was born on 21st February 1917 in Kronsdorf in Sudeten Silesia, Austria-Hungary, present-day Krasov. He was the son of Eduard Kittel, a farmer.[5] After working briefly as an auto mechanic, Kittel joined the Luftwaffe in 1939. Following completion of flight and fighter pilot training, he was posted to 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) on 12th February 1941. Kittel married his fiancé, Edith, in June 1942; the couple had a son, born in 1942.
World War Two
World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. At the time of Kittel’s posting to 2. Staffel in early 1941, the squadron was commanded by Oberleutnant Rudolf Unger and subordinated to I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 54 headed by Hauptmann Hubertus von Bonin. The Gruppe was based at Groningen Airfield in the Netherlands where they patrolled the German Bight. Unlike the other elements of JG 54, I. Gruppe did not participate in the German invasion of Yugoslavia and stayed in Groningen until 9th May when they relocated to Jever Airfield in northern Germany. On 31st May, due to technical problems with his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 12725—factory number) Kittel was forced to bail out near Spiekeroog. On 14th June, the Gruppe was withdrawn and began preparations for the German invasion of the Soviet Union.
War against the Soviet Union
Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, began on 22nd June 1941. In the fortnight prior, JG 54 had been moved to an airfield in Lindenthal near Rautenberg, East Prussia, present-day Uslowoje in Kaliningrad Oblast. Tasked with supporting Army Group North in its advance through the Baltic states towards Leningrad, the unit began combat operations shortly afterwards. On 24th June 1941, Kittel claimed his first two aerial victories, two Tupolev SB-2 bombers. His tally had risen to 19 by May 1942.
Otto “Bruno” Kittel standing in front of his Yellow 1 addressing his fellow pilots
In mid-December 1942, I. Gruppe began converting to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4 radial engine powered fighter. The conversion training took place at Heiligenbeil, present-day Mamonovo, before returning to Krasnogvardeysk, present-day Gatchina. On 12th January 1943, Soviet forces launched Operation Iskra fought south of Lake Ladoga and aimed to break the Wehrmacht’s siege of Leningrad. The Soviet operation was supported by bomber, ground-attack and fighter aircraft. That day, I. Gruppe pilots claimed 36 aerial victories, including Kittel’s first “ace-in-a-day” achievement when he shot down six Soviet aircraft on two separate combat missions. On 19th February, Kittel claimed his 39th aerial victory which was also JG 54’s 4,000th claim in total. On 15th March 1943, Kittel’s Fw 190 A-4 (Werknummer 2481) suffered engine failure resulting in a forced landing behind enemy lines. He managed to return to his unit on foot.
During the fighting in 1943, JG 54 took part in the spring battles over the Crimea Peninsula, Vyazma-Bryansk, Vitebsk, Kharkov, Orsha and Orel regions. During the Battle of Kursk, Kittel’s unit escorted Junkers Ju 87 Stukas of a dive bomber wing commanded by Hans-Ulrich Rudel. On 14th September 1943, Kittel claimed his 100th aerial victory, a Yakovlev Yak-9 fighter. The 53rd Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark, he received the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 29th October 1943. The presentation was made after the 123rd aerial victory at Vitebsk. On 1st November 1943, Kittel was promoted to the rank of Leutnant (second lieutenant). Kittel was then posted to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost, a supplementary training unit for fighter pilots destined for the Eastern Front, as an instructor. At the time, the unit was commanded by Major Viktor Bauer and was based at Saint-Jean-d’Angély, France.
Squadron leader
On 9th February 1944, Kittel was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 54. He succeeded Leutnant Günther Haase who had been killed in a flying accident on 30th January. At the time, I. Gruppe of JG 54 to which 3. Staffel was subordinated was based at Orsha. On 14th February, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield named Wesenberg near Rakvere, located approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) north of Lake Peipus and 105 kilometers (65 miles) west of Narva. Here the Gruppe was subordinated to the 3. Flieger-Division (3rd Air Division) and fought in the Battle of Narva.
Jagdgeschwader 54’s leading ace, Otto Kittel.
On 4th April 1944, Kittel claimed his 150th aerial victory. Shortly before 08:00, I. Gruppe was scrambled at Wesenberg and intercepted a flight of Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft and their fighter escort over sea off Kunda. In this aerial encounter which was fought for 20 minutes, I. Gruppe pilots claimed thirteen aerial victories, four Il-2s and nine fighter aircraft, including five claims by Kittel, taking his total to 151. On 11th April, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) for his 152nd aerial victory, the 449th soldier to receive this distinction. Kittel received the Oak Leaves from Adolf Hitler at the Berghof on 5th May 1944. Also present at the ceremony were Anton Hafner, Alfred Grislawski, Günther Schack, Emil Lang, Erich Rudorffer, Martin Möbus, Wilhelm Herget, Hans-Karl Stepp, Rudolf Schoenert, Günther Radusch, Otto Pollmann and Fritz Breithaupt, who all received the Oak Leaves on this date.
On 2nd August, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Šķirotava, located approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southeast of Riga. Flying from Šķirotava, Kittel claimed his 200th aerial victory on 26th August. On 29th May 1944, 2. Staffel of I. Gruppe had been detached and subordinated to III. Gruppe of JG 54 which was fighting on the Western Front in defense of the Reich over Germany. In consequence, on 1st September 1944 a new 2. Staffel was formed and placed under the command of Kittel. Command of 3. Staffel was then given to Leutnant Fritz Tegtmeier. In October, Hauptmann Franz Eisenach, the Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe was given home leave. In consequence, Kittel temporarily led the Gruppe during his absence. Kittel was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern) on 25th November 1944.
On 16th February 1945, Kittel was shot down in his Fw 190 A-8 (Werknummer 960282) southwest of Tukums over the Courland Pocket. He was hit by return fire from an Il-2 ground attack aircraft. His wingman later reported that his aircraft was hit, descended towards the ground on fire and crashed in flames. The site of the crash is believed to have been 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) south-west of Džūkste in Latvia.
Summary of career
Aerial victory claims
According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Kittel was credited with 267 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 267 aerial victories, all on the Eastern Front, claimed in 583 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 265 aerial victory claims, plus three further unconfirmed claims. All of his aerial victories were claimed on the Eastern Front.
Otto Kittel and his Focke Wulf Fw-190A-7
Corgi Aviation Archive 1/72nd scale Focke Wulf Fw 190A-8 ‘Black 1’ 2./JG54. W.Nr Oberleutnant Otto Kittel
The son of a farmer, Otto Kittel didn’t conform to most people’s opinion of a successful Luftwaffe fighter ace, being more reserved and modest than brash and boastful, going about his duties in a ruthlessly effective manner. Initially posted as wingman to a more experienced pilot, Kittel eventually took part in the opening exchanges of Operation Barbarossa with his unit JG54, where it became one of the most successful on the Eastern Front. Otto Kittel was credited with 267 aerial victories during the Second World War, with his final victory being his 94th against an Il-2 Sturmovik attack aircraft on 16th February 1945, his 583rd combat sortie of the war.
Unfortunately, moments after dispatching his latest victim, the hunter became the hunted, as another Sturmovik attacked Kittel’s Focke Wulf from below, scoring hits on the German fighter which almost immediately crashed into a forest below. The unassuming and well-liked Otto Kittel stands as the fourth most successful air ace of all time, achieved in less than four years of operational flying over the Eastern Front. He was also the most successful Focke Wulf FW190 ace, and, with 94 victories against the excellent Il-2 Sturmovik, the most successful ‘Sturmovik Hunter’.
Scoring all his victories over the Eastern Front, Kittel was the most successful fighter ace to be lost during combat.
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