From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Siegfried Freytag
Siegfried Freytag
Siegfried Freytag War II, he served in the Luftwaffe, beginning with
6./Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77) in the summer of 1940. His
first victory was on 31 October 1940 when he claimed a
Lockheed Hudson of Coastal Command. Along with JG 77,
he then took part in the invasion of Greece and Crete in
March – May 1941. JG 77 next operated over the Eastern
front. By June 1942 Oberleutnant Freytag had 57 victories
to his credit, with some 12 aircraft destroyed on the
ground, and he was awarded the prestigious Ritterkreuz
on 3 July 1942.
Freytag was by now Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 77, and re-
located to the Mediterranean theatre, operating against
Malta from July until October 1942. Freytag was one of
the most successful aces during these operations, claim-
ing 21 victories, and raising his total to 78. He was shot
Siegfried Freytag down by Spitfires on 27 July, but was rescued from the
Nickname "The Malta Lion"
sea off Valetta by a Dornier Do 24 flying boat.
Operating over North Africa and Tunisia, Freytag
Born 10 November 1919(1919-11-10) scored 16 more victories. On 13 March 1943, Freytag was
Danzig-Langfuhr
made Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 77. He flew over Sicily,
Died 1 June 2003(2003-06-01) (aged 86) but was shot down over Gela by P-38 Lightning fighters
Puyloubier, France on 12 July, bailing out wounded from his stricken Bf 109
Allegiance
G-6. Following his recovery, Freytag commanded II./JG
Nazi Germany (1939 to 1945)
77, on Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) duties
France based in Germany.
Service/branch Luftwaffe On 25 December, Freytag was appointed acting
French Army Geschwaderkommodore of JG 77, when Major Johannes
Wiese was shot down and wounded.
Rank Major (Wehrmacht)
Sergent (Légion étrangère) Freytag may have shot down RCAF fighter ace Flt/Lt.
Henry Wallace McLeod. Freytag claimed the only Spitfire
Unit JG 77, JG 51, JG 7 for his 101st claim on 27 September 1944 in the Duisberg
Commands held II./JG 77, JG 77 area, which probably was flown by McLeod.[1] He record-
ed his last (102nd) victory on 1 January 1945. Freytag was
Battles/wars World War II
again appointed acting Kommodore of JG 77 on 7 March,
First Indochina War
following the death of Major Erich Leie.
Awards Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross On 4 April 1945, Freytag was transferred to the
Other work French Foreign Legion Geschwaderstab of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 5), but was
soon transferred to Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7), flying the
Siegfried Freytag (4 May 1917 – 1 June 2003) was a Ger- Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter, where it was intended
man World War II fighter ace and member of the French he become a Gruppenkommandeur. However, the war end-
Foreign Legion. He was also a recipient of the Knight’s ed before he could assume the position.
Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Siegfried Freytag was officially credited with 102 vic-
Kreuzes). The Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross was award- tories. He claimed about 50 victories over the Eastern
ed to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful front. Among his victories over the Western front are
military leadership. at least 3 four-engine bombers. Freytag had been nom-
inated for the Oak Leaves to Knight’s Cross of the Iron
Cross, but the war ended before the paperwork had been
World War II processed.
Born in in Danzig-Langfuhr, then in the German Empire,
Freytag grew up in the Free City of Danzig. During World
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Siegfried Freytag
Military offices
Preceded by Acting Commander of Jagdgeschwader 77 Succeeded by
Major Johannes Wiese Herz As Major Erich Leie
December 26, 1944 – December 29, 1944
Preceded by Acting Commander of Jagdgeschwader 77 Succeeded by
Major Erich Leie Herz As Major Fritz Losigkeit
March 7, 1945 – March 31, 1945
After the war • Johnson, J.E. Wing Leader. London: Goodall
Publications Ltd. 2000 (original edition 1956). ISBN
Captured near Regensburg by U.S. troops, he was initially 0-907579-87-6.
employed as an interpreter. After discovering all his fam- • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der
ily and friends had died and his family’s property had Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 - 1945 (in German). Mainz,
been seized by the Polish authorities when Danzig was Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN
annexed by Poland,[2] he worked for a time as a taxi dri- 3-87341-065-6.
ver before joining the French Foreign Legion in 1952 as • Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das
an infantry soldier. Assigned to the 5th Infantry Regi- Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II
ment after his basic training at Sidi Bel Abbes, he served (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D.
for 12 years with the 13th Demi-Brigade of the Foreign Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
Legion. He fought in Indochina as an private and also • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945
served in Algeria and Djibouti. He was promoted to Ser- Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939
gent Chef in 1962.[3] von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm
After his retirement in 1970, he resided in the French sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den
Foreign Legion retirement home in Puyloubier, where he Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena,
died in 2003 at the age of 83. Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN
978-3-938845-17-2.
Awards
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (18 May 1942) External links
• German Cross in Gold (25 January 1943) • "Aces of the Luftwaffe". Siegried Freytag.
• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st class http://www.luftwaffe.cz/freytag.html. Retrieved 10
• Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 July 1942 as May 2007.
Oberleutnant and pilot in the I./JG 77[4][Notes 1] • Foreign Legion Retirement Home Mark Corcoran
visit 2004
Notes Persondata
[1] According to Scherzer in the II./JG 77[5] Name Freytag, Siegried
Alternative names
References Short description
Date of birth 10 November 1919
[1] Siegfried Freytag
[2] Siegfried Freytag Place of birth Danzig-Langfuhr
[3] http://translate.google.co.uk/ Date of death 1 June 2003
translate?hl=en&sl=fr&u=http://www.cieldegloire.com/ Place of death Puyloubier, France
001_freytag_s.php&ei=YxozTdqYCtCRjAeT_tjjCg&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=9&ved=0CFQQ7gEwCDgK&prev=/
search%3Fq%3DSiegfried%2BFreytag%26start%3D10%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26prmd%3Divnso
[4] Fellgiebel 2000, p. 186.
[5] Scherzer 2007, p. 319.
Bibliography
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des
Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 (in
German). Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Siegfried_Freytag&oldid=455528361"
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Siegfried Freytag
Categories:
• 1917 births
• 2003 deaths
• Luftwaffe pilots
• German World War II flying aces
• People from Gdańsk
• Soldiers of the French Foreign Legion
• Recipients of the German Cross
• Recipients of the Knight's Cross
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