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 $Lt_ Werner Schroer Libya 1941 01_jpg.jpg)
Messerschmitt Bf-109E JG27.1 (W5+) $Lt. Werner Schroer Libya 1941 01
Photo 01: Ground personnel fastening the engine cowling on White 5, the Bf-109E-7Trop flown by Lt. Werner Schroer of I./JG27.The camouflage on the fuselage of this aircraft was in the form of a continuous wavy line, which later became known as the Wellen muster, or wave-type, camouflage.
Pilots JG27 $Werner Schroer 01 Photo 01: Pilots of I./JG27 before their flight to North Africa. On the extreme left is Fw. Werner Schroer and, next to him holding papers, Oblt. Wolfgang Redlich, the Staffelkapitan. Second from the right is Ofw. Albert Espenlaub, wearing a life jacket.
Pilots JG27 $Werner Schroer 02
Pilots JG27 $Werner Schroer 03-04 Photo’s 03-04: Shown left in the photograph above and seated left on the wing of a Bf-109E is Lt. Werner Schroer of I./JG27 who transferred to 8./JG27 as Staffelkapitan in July 1942 and became a successful German pilot in North Africa, second only to the remarkable Hans-Joachim Marseille, with 61 victories claimed before the end of the African campaign.
Werner Schroer was born on 12 December 1918 at Mülheim in Ruhr. His Luftwaffe career began in 1937 as a member of the ground staff. In May 1940 he completed his flying training. On 27 August 1940 he joined 2./JG27 based on the Channel front. He flew his first combat missions during the Battle of Britain but did not claim any confirmed victories. In March 1941, I./JG27 was deployed to North Africa in order to support the Afrika Korps under the command of Erwin Rommel. Schroer claimed his first victory, a RAF Hurricane, on 19 April 1941, however, his Bf-109E (WNr 3790) was hit and he had to make a forced-landing near his airfield with 48 bullet holes in his aircraft.
On 21 April, in an engagement with RAF Hurricanes, an aircraft collided with his Bf-109E (WNr 4170) slightly injuring him and requiring him to make another forced-landing. By the end of 1941 his score stood at seven. In March 1942, he was appointed Adjutant of I./JG27. He was appointed Staffelkapitän of 8./JG27 on 22 June. In July he recorded 16 victories.
On 9 September, he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. He shot down 13 enemy aircraft in September, including six on 15 September to record his 35th through 40th victories. In October, Schroer claimed 15 victories. Leutnant Schroer was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 21 October for 49 victories. On 4 November, Schroer, with Alfred Stückler (10 victories), shot down two four-engined B-24s. On 11 February 1943, Schroer reportedly shot down two RAF Beauforts, although he claimed them as B-26s.
When Major Gustav Rödel (98 victories, including 13 four-engined bombers, RK-EL) was appointed Kommodore of JG27, Hauptmann Schroer took his place as Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG27 on 22 April 1943. Operating over Sicily and southern Italy, between 29 April and 23 July, Schroer was to claim 22 Allied aircraft shot down, including 12 four-engined bombers. On 2 August, he became the 268th recipient of the Eichenlaub, awarded for his 84 victories. In August 1943, II./JG27 was redeployed to Wiesbaden-Erbenheim in Germany for Reichsverteidigung duties. On 6 September, Schroer led the Gruppe on an interception of a formation of 262 B-17s. In all 45 American bombers were lost including four shot down by II./JG27, three of which were claimed by Schroer as his victories 86 through 88.
On 3 March 1944, Major Schroer scored his 99th victory and was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG54, relieving Major Rudolf Sinner (39 victories, DK) who had been badly wounded on 6 March attacking a formation of four-engined bombers III./JG54 was based at Lüneberg and flew the Bf-109G-6.
On 24 May, Schroer shot down a P-51 and two P-47s for his 100th to 102nd victories. On 21 July 1944, Schroer relinquished command of III./JG54 to Hauptmann Robert ‘Bazi’ Weiss (121 victories, RK-EL, killed in action 29 December 1944). Schroer was transferred to a fighter pilot school as an instructor. On 4 August, he had to make a forced-landing when his engine malfunctioned. From November 1944 to February 1945 Schroer was retained in a training role.
On 14 February 1945, Schroer was appointed Kommodore of JG3. With this unit he quickly claimed 12 Russian aircraft destroyed. On 19 April 1945 he became the 144th recipient of the Schwertern. Werner Schroer survived the war. He died on 10 February 1985 in Munich, aged 67.
Werner Schroer was credited with 114 victories flying 197 missions. 102 of his victories were scored on the Western front, including 61 claimed over North Africa, and 26 four-engined bombers.
No Date Time A/c Type Unit Location / Comments 1. 19.4.1941 - Hurricane 1./JG27 W Tobruk 2. 25.6.1941 - Hurricane 1./JG27 S Sidi Barrani 3. 8.7.1941 - Hurricane 1./JG27 W Bardia 4. 19.7.1941 18:17 P-40 1./JG27 NE Ras Asaz 5. 21.8.1941 18.20 Hurricane 1./JG27 NE Bardia 6. 29.8.1941 18:10 P-40 1./JG27 NW Sidi Barrani 7. 14.9.1941 15:55 Hurricane 1./JG27 S El Hambra 8. 30.5.1942 14:05 P-40 Stab I./JG27 NE Bir Hacheim 9. 10.6.1942 7:49 P-40 Stab I./JG27 5km W Bir Hacheim 10. 15.6.1942 18:06 P-40 Stab I./JG27 NW El Adem 11. 15.6.1942 18:11 P-40 Stab I./JG27 NW El Adem 12. 23.6.1942 14:40 P-40 8./JG27 10km S Sidi Omar 13. 26.6.1942 11:40 P-40 8./JG27 SW Mersa Matruch 14. 26.6.1942 11:44 Hurricane 8./JG27 SW Mersa Matruch 15. 26.6.1942 16:10 P-40 8./JG27 SW Mersa Matruch 16. 2.7.1942 7:00 P-40 8./JG27 SE El-Alamein 17. 2.7.1942 7:05 P-40 8./JG27 E El-Alamein 18. 3.7.1942 14:40 Hurricane 8./JG27 S Imayid 19. 3.7.1942 14:47 Hurricane 8./JG27 SE El-Hammam 20. 3.7.1942 14:50 P-40 8./JG27 SE El-Hammam 21. 4.7.1942 18:40 P-40 8./JG27 SE El-Alamein 22. 6.7.1942 11:45 P-40 8./JG27 20km SW El-Alamein 23. 6.7.1942 11:48 P-40 8./JG27 21km SW El-Alamein 24. 11.7.1942 16:05 Spitfire 8./JG27 SE El-Alamein 25. 11.7.1942 16:10 P-40 8./JG27 SW El-Alamein 26. 13.7.1942 9:57 Hurricane 8./JG27 S El Hammam 27. 13.7.1942 10:02 Hurricane 8./JG27 S El Hammam 28. 13.7.1942 10:05 Hurricane 8./JG27 S El Hammam 29. 14.7.1942 10:15 P-40 8./JG27 SW El-Alamein 30. 16.7.1942 18:30 P-40 8./JG27 SW El-Alamein 31. 17.7.1942 18:25 P-40 8./JG27 W El-Alamein 32. 8.9.1942 12:45 Spitfire 8./JG27 Deir-El-Tarfa area 33. 8.9.1942 12:50 Spitfire 8./JG27 Deir-El-Tarfa area 34. 13.9.1942 17:25 P-40 8./JG27 7km SW El-Alamein 35. 15.9.1942 11:40 P-40 8./JG27 W El-Alamein 36. 15.9.1942 11:43 P-40 8./JG27 W El-Alamein 37. 15.9.1942 11:55 P-40 8./JG27 S El-Alamein 38. 15.9.1942 16:45 P-40 8./JG27 NE Deir-El-Tarfa 39. 15.9.1942 16:55 P-40 8./JG27 NE Deir-El-Tarfa 40. 15.9.1942 17:03 Spitfire 8./JG27 El-Alamein area 41. 16.9.1942 9:25 P-40 8./JG27 S El-Alamein 42. 20.9.1942 16:33 P-40 8./JG27 8km SW El-Alamein 43. 21.9.1942 16:30 Spitfire 8./JG27 N El-Hammam 44. 30.9.1942 10:30 Spitfire 8./JG27 Abu-Dweis 45. 2.10.1942 15:40 P-40 8./JG27 NNE Deir-El-Tarfa 46. 9.10.1942 9:25 Boston 8./JG27 NE El-Daba 47. 9.10.1942 16:15 Spitfire 8./JG27 NW El-Daba 48. 9.10.1942 16:20 Hurricane 8./JG27 SE Bir-el-Abd 49. 20.10.1942 14:12 P-40 8./JG27 SW Deir-El-Tarfa 50. 23.10.1942 8:00 P-46 8./JG27 NE El-Alamein 51. 23.10.1942 8:30 P-46 8./JG27 SE El-Alamein 52. 24.10.1942 8:25 P-40 8./JG27 NE El-Alamein 53. 24.10.1942 16:45 Hurricane 8./JG27 SW El-Alamein 54. 26.10.1942 13:10 P-40 8./JG27 W El-Alamein 55. 27.10.1942 - P-40 8./JG27 NW Quotaifiya 56. 27.10.1942 - P-40 8./JG27 N Quotaifiya 57. 27.10.1942 - P-40 8./JG27 NE El-Daba 58. 29.10.1942 12:25 Spitfire 8./JG27 S El-Alamein 59. 30.10.1942 9:20 P-39 8./JG27 SSE El-Daba 60. 4.11.1942 12:15 B-24 8./JG27 between Sollum and Benghasi 61. 16.11.1942 15:20 P-40 8./JG27 S Tecis 62. 11.2.1943 13:30 B-26 8./JG27 NNE Karpathos / in fact Beaufort 63. 11.2.1943 13:34 B-26 8./JG27 NNE Karpathos / in fact Beaufort 64. 29.4.1943 18:08 P-38 Stab II./JG27 60km SE Maréttimo 65. 29.4.1943 18:10 P-38 Stab II./JG27 60km SE Maréttimo 66. 5.5.1943 15:00 B-24 Stab II./JG27 NW Maréttimo 67. 9.5.1943 13:10 B-24 Stab II./JG27 E Capo Gallo 68. 9.5.1943 13:40 P-38 Stab II./JG27 70km NW Capo San Vito 69. 11.5.1943 11:46 P-38 Stab II./JG27 60km NE Cap Bon 70. 11.5.1943 12:14 B-17 Stab II./JG27 S Marsala 71. 18.5.1943 13:45 B-17 Stab II./JG27 NW Trapani 72. 19.5.1943 13:42 P-38 Stab II./JG27 W Maréttimo 73. 21.5.1943 11:21 B-17 Stab II./JG27 S Marsala 74. 21.5.1943 11:28 Spitfire Stab II./JG27 NW Pantelleria 75. 25.5.1943 11:17 B-17 Stab II./JG27 NW Maréttimo 76. 31.5.1943 14:40 B-17 Stab II./JG27 WNW Trapani 77. 7.6.1943 6:44 P-40 Stab II./JG27 5km N Pantelleria 78. 10.6.1943 9:26 P-46 Stab II./JG27 3km SSW Granitola Torreta 79. 10.6.1943 9:27 P-46 Stab II./JG27 4km SSW Granitola Torreta 80. 10.6.1943 - Boston Stab II./JG27 81. 15.6.1943 8:23 B-17 Stab II./JG27 2km W Favignana 82. 11.7.1943 13:20 B-24 Stab II./JG27 25km S Crotone 83. 16.7.1943 13:00 B-24 Stab II./JG27 5km SW Santeramo in Colle 84. 16.7.1943 13:15 B-24 Stab II./JG27 10km WSW Bari 85. 23.7.1943 14:10 B-17 Stab II./JG27 20km N Stromboli 86. 6.9.1943 11:08 B-17 Stab II./JG27 E Geislingen 87. 6.9.1943 - B-17 HSS Stab II./JG27 S Echterdingen 88. 6.9.1943 - B-17 HSS Stab II./JG27 SE Stuttgart 89. 14.10.1943 - B-17 Stab II./JG27 Alzey 90. 29.11.1943 14:48 B-17 Stab II./JG27 SSW Bremen 91. 19.12.1943 12:38 B-17 Stab II./JG27 Krimml 92. 7.1.1944 12:07 P-38 Stab II./JG27 N Saarbrücken 93. 7.1.1944 12:20 P-38 Stab II./JG27 N Saarbrücken 94. 11.1.1944 12:25 B-24 Stab II./JG27 SE Assen 95. 11.1.1944 13:30 B-17 HSS Stab II./JG27 W Almelo 96. 29.1.1944 11:02 B-17 HSS Stab II./JG27 St. Wendel 97. 25.2.1944 12:28 B-17 Stab II./JG27 20km NE Chiemsee 98. 25.2.1944 12:31 B-17 Stab II./JG27 Altötting 99. 3.3.1944 12:23 P-38 Stab II./JG27 Magdeburg 100. 24.5.1944 - B-17 Stab III./JG54 101. 24.5.1944 - B-17 Stab III./JG54 102. 24.5.1944 - P-51 Stab III./JG54 103. 11.3.1945 - P-39 Stab JG3 104. 11.3.1945 - Pe-2 Stab JG3 105. 11.3.1945 - Pe-2 Stab JG3 106. 15.3.1945 - P-39 Stab JG3 107. 15.3.1945 - La-5 Stab JG3 108. 15.3.1945 - Yak-3 Stab JG3 109. 19.4.1945 - Il-2 Stab JG3 110. 19.4.1945 - Yak-3 Stab JG3 111. 24.4.1945 - Yak-3 Stab JG3 112. 24.4.1945 - Yak-9 Stab JG3 113. 26.4.1945 - La-5 Stab JG3 114. 26.4.1945 - La-5 Stab JG3 Victories : 114 Awards : Knight`s Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Units : JG27, JG54, JG3 http://www.luftwaffe.cz/schroer.html
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