Anton Lindner

Anton Lindner
Born12 April 1917
Hohenkemnath
Died17 February 1994(1994-02-17) (aged 76)
Hohenkemnath
Allegiance Nazi Germany (to 1945)
West Germany
Branch Luftwaffe
 German Air Force
Service years1939–1945
1956–1972
RankOberleutnant (Wehrmacht)
Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
UnitJG 51
ConflictsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Anton Lindner (12 April 1917 – 17 February 1994) 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, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Lindner joined the postwar German Air Force, at the time named the Bundesluftwaffe, in 1956 and retired in 1972 as an Oberstleutnant (colonel).[1] During his career he was credited with 73 aerial victories,[2] one on the Western Front and 72 on the Eastern Front, claimed in 650 combat missions.[3]

Early life and career

Lindner was born on 12 April 1917 in Hohenkemnath, present-day part of Ursensollen, then in Kingdom of Bavaria within the German Empire.[4]

World War II

On 24 May 1940, Linder was shot down and wounded in aerial combat with Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfire fighters. He successfully bailed out of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E near Calais.[5]

On 8 April 1945, Lindner was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the Stabsstaffel (headquarters squadron) of JG 51.[Note 1] He succeeded Leutnant Wilhelm Hübner who had been killed in action. On 24 April, Lindner was also placed in command of 15. Staffel of JG 51, succeeding Hauptmann Helmut Scheuber. Lindner held both command positions until the end of World War II in Europe.[8]

Later life

Following World War II, Lindner reentered military service in the West German Air Force, at the time referred to as the Bundesluftwaffe. He retired in March 1972 holding the rank of Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) and died on 17 February 1994 at the age of 76 in Hohenkemnath, Germany.[9]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Lindner was credited with 73 aerial victories.[10] Spick also lists him with 73 aerial victories, 72 of which on the Eastern Front and one on the Western Front, claimed in 650 combat mission.[3] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that Lindner was credited with approximately 72 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, plus one further unconfirmed claim on the Western Front.[11]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 56441". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[12]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[1]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
1 23 June 1941 13:04 R-3[13] 6 27 July 1941 18:45 I-16[14]
2 29 June 1941 18:08 SB-2[13] 7 6 September 1941 17:10 I-16[15]
3 2 July 1941 14:18 DB-3[16] 8 6 October 1941 10:05 Pe-2[17]
4 10 July 1941 18:56 V-11[18] 9 6 October 1941 13:03 Pe-2[17]
5 24 July 1941 12:03 V-11[14]
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –[1]
Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942
10 7 March 1942 10:52 I-16[19] 11 1 April 1942 11:40 I-61 (MiG-3)[20]
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –[1]
Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
12 6 July 1942 19:35 Pe-2[21] 16 8 December 1942 13:12 MiG-3 vicinity of Dubrovka[22]
13 29 October 1942 13:45 P-40 over Volokolamsk[23] 17 17 December 1942?[Note 2] 13:50 Pe-2 PQ 56441[24]
30 km (19 mi) west-northwest of Mozhaysk
14 4 December 1942 08:16 P-40 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Rzhev[23] 18 15 January 1943 12:43 MiG-3 PQ 07653[24]
15 8 December 1942 13:08 MiG-3 vicinity of Rodsselja[22]
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –[11]
Eastern Front — 4 February – 31 December 1943
19 23 January 1943 07:34 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 64533[25]
20 km (12 mi) northeast of Telchje 		41 15 August 1943 10:30 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] PQ 35 Ost 51859[26]
15 km (9.3 mi) east of Bohodukhiv
20 23 January 1943 08:16 Pe-2?[Note 4] PQ 35 Ost 63254[25]
15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Zalegoshch 		42 19 August 1943 14:00 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] east of Liubotyn[26]
21 24 January 1943 06:58 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 44233[25]
25 km (16 mi) north-northeast of Zhizdra 		43 22 August 1943 06:22 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] Meragatschij[27]
Dergatsch
22 24 January 1943 07:04 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 44251[25]
15 km (9.3 mi) north of Zhizdra 		44 22 August 1943 06:59 Yak-1 northeast of Liubotyn[27]
23 26 July 1943 10:23 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63129[28]
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Oryol 		45 23 August 1943 11:57 LaGG-3 northeast of Juchnyi[27]
24 26 July 1943 10:40 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] PQ 35 Ost 63142[28]
10 km (6.2 mi) south of Oryol 		46 23 August 1943 12.08 LaGG-3 Danilovka[27]
25 28 July 1943 18:15 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63395[28]
15 km (9.3 mi) north-northwest of Maloarkhangelsk 		47 29 August 1943 08:49 LaGG-3 Kruschenschow[27]
26 29 July 1943 16:38 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] PQ 35 Ost 54648, southwest of Bolkhov[28]
20 km (12 mi) northeast of Znamenskoye 		48 29 August 1943 08:52 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] Golijuckowa[27]
Artiyevovka
27?[Note 5] 29 July 1943 19:01 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 64127[28] 49 29 August 1943 08:57 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] Golijuckowa[27]
Artiyevovka
28 1 August 1943 10:14 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 54662[30]
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Belev 		50 31 August 1943 12:40 La-5 west of Leonovo[27]
29 1 August 1943 18:53 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] PQ 35 Ost 53475[30]
20 km (12 mi) southwest of Kromy 		51 1 September 1943 12:40 La-5 east of Bolschaja-Lipnja[27]
30 2 August 1943 11:44 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 53454[30]
20 km (12 mi) southwest of Kromy 		52 2 September 1943 10:53 LaGG-3 Yelnya[27]
31 2 August 1943 11:52 Boston PQ 35 Ost 53469[30]
5 km (3.1 mi) east of Kromy 		53 2 September 1943 11:04 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] southwest of Leonovo[27]
32 5 August 1943 09:07 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 53446[30]
15 km (9.3 mi) south-southeast of Sockowo 		54 7 September 1943 12:33 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] east of Mokroje[31]
33 5 August 1943 14:15 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 54725[30]
10 km (6.2 mi) west of Znamenskoye 		55 14 September 1943 12:13 Pe-2 Shezkino[31]
34 5 August 1943 17:12 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] PQ 35 Ost 54726[30]
10 km (6.2 mi) west of Znamenskoye 		56 14 September 1943 16:39 La-5 Torshok[31]
35 6 August 1943 12:17 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] PQ 35 Ost 44654[30]
20 km (12 mi) northeast of Bryansk 		57 15 September 1943 17:16 Yak-1 Pjolki[32]
36 6 August 1943 12:20 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] PQ 35 Ost 44687[30]
20 km (12 mi) east-northeast of Bryansk 		58 15 September 1943 17:19 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] north of Yelnya[32]
37 8 August 1943 08:04 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] PQ 35 Ost 54729[26]
10 km (6.2 mi) west of Znamenskoye 		59 17 September 1943 10:43 Pe-2 south of Gluchow[32]
38 8 August 1943 08:07 Il-2 m.H.[Note 3] PQ 35 Ost 54731[26]
vicinity of Znamenskoye 		60?[Note 5] 18 September 1943 13:27 Yak-9 west of Yelnya[32]
39 12 August 1943 06:14 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 51544[26]
vicinity of Kirikowka 		61 6 October 1943 12:09 LaGG-3 Budniza[32]
40 14 August 1943 17:45 Il-2 northwest of Klenovo[26] 62 25 October 1943 11:34 LaGG-3 Lojew[32]

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ In early October 1942, II. Gruppe of JG 51 had been withdrawn from the Eastern Front and sent to Jesau, near present-day Bagrationovsk, to Heiligenbeil, present-day Mamonovo, to be reequipped with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A. While undergoing training on this aircraft, the Gruppe received orders on 4 November to transfer to the Mediterranean theatre flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 again. 6. Staffel had been exempt from this order, was detached from II. Gruppe, and continued its training on the Fw 190. In late November, 6. Staffel was renamed to Stabsstaffel (headquarters squadron) of JG 51.[6] Alternatively, the Stabsstaffel was also referred to as Geschwaderstabsstaffel z.b.V., roughly translating to fighter wing squadron for special deployment'. The abbreviation z. b. V. is German and stands for zur besonderen Verwendung (for special deployment).[7]
  2. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed on 29 December 1942.[1]
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
  4. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as an Ilyushin Il-2.[1]
  5. ^ a b This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[29]
  6. ^ According to Scherzer as pilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders".[36]

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e f Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 754.
  2. ^ Page 2020, p. 73.
  3. ^ a b Spick 1996, p. 237.
  4. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 158.
  5. ^ Prien et al. 2001, p. 275.
  6. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 247.
  7. ^ Aders & Held 1993, p. 123.
  8. ^ Aders & Held 1993, pp. 247, 252.
  9. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 106.
  10. ^ Zabecki 2014, p. 1615.
  11. ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 754–755.
  12. ^ Planquadrat.
  13. ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 248.
  14. ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 252.
  15. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 254.
  16. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 250.
  17. ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 255.
  18. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 251.
  19. ^ Prien et al. 2005, p. 71.
  20. ^ Prien et al. 2005, p. 72.
  21. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 269.
  22. ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 272.
  23. ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 271.
  24. ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 273.
  25. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2012, p. 489.
  26. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2012, p. 497.
  27. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Prien et al. 2012, p. 498.
  28. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2012, p. 495.
  29. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 755.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g h i Prien et al. 2012, p. 496.
  31. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2012, p. 499.
  32. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2012, p. 500.
  33. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 105.
  34. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 280.
  35. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 293.
  36. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 508.

Bibliography

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  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
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