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Lothar Linke - Pilot Profile - Lothar Linke

Lothar Linke

No Photo Available

Victories : 28
-----------------------------
Country : Germany
Fought in : WW2
Fought for : Axis


Latest Axis Aviation Artwork !
In early May 1941, in conditions of strict secrecy because the United States was not yet at war, seventeen pilots of the US Navy had arrived in Britain and been attached to Catalina squadrons of Coastal Command. These experienced PBY pilots were there to assist the Royal Air Force to become familiar with the Catalina, and also to gain operational experience for the US Navy. On 26th May 1941 Catalina Z of No.209 Sqn, commanded by Flying Officer Dennis Briggs RAF, with Ensign Leonard B Smith USN as co-pilot, joined the search for the Bismarck. At 1015 the aircraft was being flown in poor visibility at an altitude of 500ft when Ensign Smith sighted the Bismarck at a range of eight miles. The Catalina was flown towards the contact so that a positive identification could be made and emerged from the cloud only 500 yards from the German ship. The aircraft met a hail of anti-aircraft fire but was able to make its escape. As a result of the sighting report from Catalina Z the Bismarck was again engaged by ships and aircraft of the Royal Navy and was sunk at 1040 on 27th May 1941. Leonard Smith can be considered therefore, the first American to be directly involved in action in World War Two. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (American) for his actions.

The Aircraft That Found the Bismarck by Ivan Berryman.		 One of the all time great fighter aces, Adolf Galland is depicted flying Bf 109E-4/N of Stab/JG26 in September 1940. Galland flew 705 combat missions during World War Two and was credited with a final tally of 104 aerial victories. He survived the war and died peacefully in February 1996.

Tribute to Generalleutnant Adolf Galland by Ivan Berryman.		 Walter Briegleb is shown in his Ju88 G.7 4R+BR as he stalks his prey - on this occasion a Lancaster. Flying below their target, his crew would aim upward firing cannon at the inner wing of the bomber, igniting the fuel tanks. For the bomber crews, they were very much defenceless against this type of attack, and often had no idea of the presence of an enemy aircraft in the dark.

Tribute to Walter Briegleb by Ivan Berryman.		 The attack by Leutnant Walter Briegleb and his crew on Lancaster Mk.III ND960 DX-I of No.57 Sqn early on 22nd May 1944. Flying Me110 with codes D5+BV with his crew of Feldwebel Walter Bräunlich and Bordfunker Feldwebel Brandt, Briegleb flew undetected beneath the bomber and used the deadly 'Schräge Musik' - upward firing cannon - to hit the fuel tanks in the port wing between the fuselage and inner engine. Pulling away, he watched the aircraft burn and could see both gunners in their turrets but no return fire came. He wondered why none of the crew escaped by parachute with the bomber doomed - it disintegrated in the air over the coast of the island of Fyn, Denmark, impacting near Emtekær at 00:44hrs.<br><br><center>All of the crew were killed :<br>Flight Lieutenant Arthur Richards (Pilot)<br>Flying Officer William Woodall (Navigator)<br>Pilot Officer Athur Bugden (Flight Engineer)<br>Sergeant Thomas Edwards (Wireless Operator)<br>Flying Officer George Ferguson (Air Bomber)<br>Sergeant Harold Griffiths (Air Gunner)<br>Sergeant Cyril Woodmass (Air Gunner)

The Hunted and the Hunter by Ivan Berryman.

Lothar Linke

Squadrons for : Lothar Linke
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Lothar Linke. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
SquadronInfo

NJG1


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of NJG1		NJG1

Full profile not yet available.

NJG2


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of NJG2		NJG2

Full profile not yet available.

ZG76


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of ZG76		ZG76

Zerstörergeschwader 76 was formed on 1 May 1939 with the I. Gruppe and II. Gruppe without a Geschwaderstab. The II. Gruppe was initially equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and was known as Jagdgruppe 176. The Geschwaderstab was created on 15 April 1940 in Köln-Wahn. The III. Gruppe was raised on 26 June 1940 in Trier-Euren.

On 1 September 1939 Germany attacked Poland although bad weather initially precluded a large scale deployment of ZG 76. I./ZG 76 engaged Polish fighters formations and made their first claims, although also suffered their first losses. Future 'ace' Leutnant Helmut Lent participated in the attack on Poland, destroying several aircraft on the ground and a PZL P.11 fighter in the air on 2 September 1939 for his and (I./ZG 76) first victory. However, on 12 September, following the destruction of an aircraft on the ground he was attacked by another fighter and his starboard engine was hit and put out of action. This necessitated a forced-landing, fortunately behind his own lines, in which he received minor injuries.

On 29 September, I./ZG 76 was withdrawn to the Stuttgart area to provide Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) against the Western Allied Air Forces. I./ZG 76 claimed 31 kills during the campaign, of which 19 were confirmed.

On 18 December 1939 the Royal Air Force sent a force of Vickers Wellingtons to raid Wilhelmshafen during the day. I./ZG 76 under Hptm. Gunther Reinecke, intercepted. Staffelkapitän of 2./ZG 76, Wolfgang Falck, and wingman Uffz. Heinz Fresia were the first to engage, claiming two Wellingtons each, though Falck's aircraft was hit by defending fire and he crash-landed on Wangerooge. Others of I./ZG 76 intercepted at intervals, unit claims totalling 15 Wellingtons shot down. The RAF lost 12, with total Luftwaffe unconfirmed claims being 38

Known Victory Claims - Lothar Linke

DATE

PILOT

UNIT

JG

CLAIMED

LOCATION

TIME

FRONT

19/04/1940Fw. Lothar Linke3ZG 76BlenheimW. Stavanger-Western Front
12/05/1941Ltn. Lothar Linke6NJG 1WellingtonSE Ostenfeld E. Husum1.16Western Front
25/07/1941Ltn. Lothar Linke4NJG 1HampdenScheldmündung: 4200m23.57Western Front
12/03/1942Ltn. Lothar Linke5NJG 2WhitleyN. Terschelling23.44Western Front
22/04/1942Ltn. Lothar Linke5NJG 2HudsonWNW Texel11Western Front
26/04/1942Ltn. Lothar Linke5NJG 2HampdenNW Ameland0.04Western Front
26/06/1942Ltn. Lothar Linke5NJG 2StirlingNE Wieringen1.32Western Front
27/07/1942Ltn. Lothar Linke5NJG 2Lancaster20km ESE Leeuwarden2.05Western Front
05/09/1942Ltn. Lothar LinkeStab II.NJG 2Wellington446 6I3: 2200m [N. Vlieland]4.03Western Front
14/09/1942Ltn. Lothar LinkeStab II.NJG 2Wellington534 8D: 3900m [Zuiderzee]2.54Western Front
22/11/1942Ltn. Lothar LinkeStabNJG 1Ventura543 6H6: 300m [25km N. Terschelling]21.54Western Front
17/12/1942Ltn. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Halifax432 4B: 1150m [N. Peten]21.18Western Front
09/01/1943Ltn. Lothar LinkeStab II.NJG 1Halifax645 1G3: 1100m [Schiermonnikoog]18.22Western Front
03/02/1943Ltn. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Wellington448 312: 4400m [25km W. Vlieland]22.19Western Front
03/02/1943Ltn. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Halifax445 9D2: 4800m [W. Vlieland]22.34Western Front
03/03/1943Ltn. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Halifax544 1E3: 2300m [15km NW Ameland]22.21Western Front
05/03/1943Ltn. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Wellington447 3F: 2400m [W. Texel]22.52Western Front
21/04/1943Oblt. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Mosquito531 7F1: 6000m [E. Middenmeer]2.07Western Front
27/04/1943Oblt. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Wellington434 5E5: 4700m [Bergeneerzee]3.36Western Front
05/05/1943Oblt. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Wellington6332: 6400m [De Wijk Krs. Drenthe 7km ESE Meppel]0.58Western Front
05/05/1943Oblt. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Halifax633 1G: 5200m [1km S. Workum]1.14Western Front
05/05/1943Oblt. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Lancaster53133: 6000m [Workum Krs. Friesland SE Utrecht]1.4Western Front
05/05/1943Oblt. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Halifax547 1D: 4700m [SE Vlieland]2.1Western Front
13/05/1943Oblt. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Halifax54/7/6B: 6000m [4km SE Harlingen]2.02Western Front
13/05/1943Oblt. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Lancaster63/5/5: 6000m [Eesterga 3km N. Lemmer]23.22Western Front
13/05/1943Oblt. Lothar Linke12NJG 1Lancaster54/7/9: 4700m [13km W. Sneek]23.51Western Front

Known Claims : 26

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