Werner Stumpf (15 March 1917 – 13 October 1942) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Stumpf claimed 48 aerial victories, 2 over the Western Front, 23 over the Eastern Front and 23 over the Mediterranean Front. 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.

Early life and career Stumpf was born on 15 March 1917 in Berlin, then the capital of the German Empire. In 1934, he joined the military service of the Reichswehr. A year later, Stumpf transferred from the Reichswehr to the newly emerging Luftwaffe where he initially served as a driver. Following flight and fighter pilot training, he was assigned to III. Gruppe (3rd group) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing). The Gruppe had been ordered into existence on 26 September 1939. Leadership of the Gruppe was given to Hauptmann Werner Mölders at Wiesbaden–Erbenheim Airfield. Formation of the 7. Staffel (7th squadron) was headed by Oberleutnant Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke and Stumpf was assigned to this squadron holding the rank of Feldwebel (master sergeant). At the time, the Gruppe was equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E.

World War II Werner Stumpf joined the Luftwaffe in 1935, he participated in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. During the Battle of Britain he claimed his first two victories.

Operation Barbarossa On 8 June 1941, the bulk of JG 53's air elements moved via Jever, in northern Germany, to Mannheim-Sandhofen. There the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul prior to moving east. On 12 June, III. Gruppe was ordered to transfer to a forward airfield at Sobolewo. On 21 June, the Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 53 and its Gruppenkommandeure were summoned to nearby Suwałki, where Generalfeldmarschall (field marshal) Albert Kesselring gave the final instructions for the upcoming attack. Wilcke, who had been appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III. Gruppe on 12 August 1940, briefed his pilots that evening.

During Operation Barbarossa, Stumpf claimed 23 aerial victories.

III. Gruppe began returning to Germany in early October 1941. The air elements left the Soviet Union on 4 October, while the ground units were transported back by train to Mannheim on 13 October. Since 22 June 1941, III. Gruppe had claimed 769 aerial victories for the loss of 6 pilots killed, 7 missing in action, 2 captured and 12 wounded.

Malta and North Africa After its return to Germany, III. Gruppe was deployed to the Mediterranean Theater. The ground elements of III. Gruppe arrived in Catania in Sicily on 28 November 1941 while the rest of the Gruppe arrived on 3 December. Three days later, III. Gruppe was ordered to move to Timimi in Libya. On 11 December, III. Gruppe moved to an airfield west of Derna. Here the following day, the Gruppe flew multiple combat air patrols. That afternoon, they encountered RAF fighters and claimed seven aerial victories, including two Hurricane fighters by Stumpf. On 14 December, Stumpf claimed a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter shot down in the combat area near Gazala.

III. Gruppe relocated back to Sicily on 17 December for operations in the siege of Malta. The island of Malta had a strategically important position in the Mediterranean Sea. With the opening of a new front in North Africa in mid-1940, British air and sea forces based on the island could attack Axis ships transporting vital supplies and reinforcements from Europe to North Africa. To counter this threat, the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) conducted bombing raids to neutralize the RAF defenses and the ports. On 9 March 1942 on a mission to Malt, Stumpf claimed two Hurricanes shot down. Four days later, he claimed a Spitfire destroyed.

Stumpf was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () on 13 August 1942 for 42 aerial victories claimed.

On 13 October 1942, Stumpf was killed in action on a Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber escort mission to the combat area at El Alamein. On this mission, his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 (Werknummer 10175) was shot down by anti-aircraft fire near El Alamein. He was interred at the .

Summary of career Aerial victory claims Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 48 aerial victory claims. This number includes two claims during the Battle of Britain, 23 on the Eastern Front, and 23 in the Mediterranean theater.

Chronicle of aerial victories Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Battle of Britain and on the English Channel — 26 June 1940 – 7 June 1941 1 1 September 1940 12:20 Hurricane Thames Estuary 2 2 September 1940 17:50 Spitfire – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 7 August 1941 3 22 June 1941 04:05 DI-6 15 3 August 1941 08:20 I-18 (MiG-1) 4 22 June 1941 06:35 I-16 16 12 August 1941 07:00 DB-3 5 22 June 1941 17:20 DB-3 17 24 August 1941 15:48 SB-2 6 22 June 1941 17:23 DB-3 18 27 August 1941 13:45 V-11 (Il-2) 7 25 June 1941 10:30 DB-3 19 27 August 1941 13:50 V-11 (Il-2) 8 25 June 1941 12:30 DB-3 20 29 August 1941 18:19 DB-3 9 26 June 1941 04:11 I-15 21 31 August 1941 11:20 V-11 (Il-2) east of Barok 10 26 June 1941 04:30 DB-3 22 31 August 1941 11:24 V-11 (Il-2) east of Barok 11 26 July 1941 05:40 DB-3 23 3 September 1941 08:40 I-16 12 26 July 1941 05:45 DB-3 south of Duchowschtschina 24 9 September 1941? 12:10 I-16 13 29 July 1941 12:11 Pe-2 25 16 September 1941 15:55 I-18 (MiG-1) 14 30 July 1941 08:57 DB-3 east of Rybki – 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Mediterranean Theater — 25 November – December 1941 26 12 December 1941 16:03 Hurricane 28 14 December 1941 15:50 P-40 27 12 December 1941 16:05 Hurricane – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Mediterranean Theater — December 1941 – 31 December 1942 29 9 March 1942 15:30 Hurricane 39 12 June 1942 11:30 Hurricane east of El Adem 30 9 March 1942 15:33 Hurricane 40 14 June 1942 11:06 Hurricane 31 15 March 1942 11:15 Spitfire north of Ħal Far 41 1 July 1942 18:40 Hurricane 32 18 March 1942 17:25 Hurricane south of Ħal Far 42 17 July 1942 11:08 Spitfire northeast of El Alamein 33 12 May 1942 11:37 Spitfire east of Marsaxlokk 43 6 September 1942? 17:18 Spitfire northeast of El Alamein 34 14 May 1942 17:29 Spitfire southwest of Dingli 44 8 September 1942 12:30? Spitfire south-southeast of El Alamein 35 27 May 1942 09:10 P-40 southeast of El Adem 45 12 September 1942 10:23 Spitfire south-southeast of El Alamein 36 30 May 1942 14:25 P-40 southwest of El Adem 46 13 October 1942 09:40 P-40 37 1 June 1942 16:30 P-40 southwest of Fort Acroma 47 13 October 1942 09:42 Spitfire 38 11 June 1942 16:40 Hurricane west of El Adem 48 13 October 1942 09:45 Spitfire

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class German Cross in Gold on 25 February 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 53 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 13 August 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in III./Jagdgeschwader 53

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