Edwin Thiel
Oberleutnant
 
Edwin Thiel
 
    Edwin Thiel was born on 19 July 1913 in Oberbexbach in Sarrgebiet. He began his pilot career before the war as a commander in Lufthansa. After the commencement of hostilities he joined the Luftwaffe, serving as a flight instructor for more than two years. In autumn 1941, Leutnant Thiel was assigned to the Stabsschwarm of I./JG 51 on the Eastern Front and achieved his first victory on 2 October 1941. On 1 June 1942, Oberleutnant Thiel was appointed Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 51. He was decorated with the Ehrenpokal on 16 June for 20 victories and received the Deutsches Kreuz on 21 September. On 4 December he claimed five victories. On 23 February 1943, Thiel claimed four victories and on 24 February he claimed five, including his 50th. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 16 April for 56 victories. At the end of July he was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost as a Staffelkapitän to undertake instructing duties. Thiel returned to JG 51 in May 1944 and succeeded Hauptmann Diethelm von Eichel-Streiber as Staffelkapitän of the Stabsstaffel, flying ground attack and fighter-bomber (Jabo) missions, during which he claimed his last victories. He claimed five victories on 23 June. On 14 July 1944, Thiel was shot down by Flak while strafing Russian columns east of Wolkowysk in Fw 190 A-8 (W.Nr. 170 943). He baled out at low altitude but was killed when his parachute failed to deploy correctly.
    Edwin Thiel flew 300 missions during which he claimed 76 victories over the Eastern Front, including at least 18 Il-2 Sturmoviks.
 
No
Date
Time
A/c Type
Unit
Location / Comments
1
2.10.1941
14:16
 I-61 1./JG 51 45 km N Roslawl
2
3.10.1941
9:55
 I-18 1./JG 51 -
?
6.7.1942
14:24
 Pe-2 2./JG 51 1km W Dobanno: at 1.500m
?
29.10.1942
13:42
 P-40 2./JG 51 über Volokolansk: at 2.800m
?
29.10.1942
13:44
 P-40 2./JG 51 bei Volokolansk: at 2.800m
?
4.12.1942
11:47
 P-40 2./JG 51 Un-readable Locations
?
4.12.1942
11:53
 Il-2 2./JG 51 Un-readable Locations
?
4.12.1942
11:56
 Il-2 2./JG 51 Un-readable Locations
?
4.12.1942
11:58
 Il-2 2./JG 51 Un-readable Locations
?
4.12.1942
12:05
 Il-2 2./JG 51 3km SW Ratbosh
43
23.2.1943
10:39
 Pe-2 2./JG 51 44 294: at 1.800m
44
23.2.1943
10:41
 Pe-2 2./JG 51 44 264: at 1.500m
45
23.2.1943
10:45
 P-2 2./JG 51 44 264: at 1.500m
46
23.2.1943
10:46
 Pe-2 2./JG 51 54 142: at 6-800m
47
24.2.1943
10:40
 Il-2 2./JG 51 44 223 
48
24.2.1943
10:48
 Pe-2 2./JG 51 44 233: at 400m
49
24.2.1943
13:41
 LaGG-5 2./JG 51 64 612: at 200m
50
24.2.1943
13:46
 Il-2 2./JG 51 64 671: at 100m
51
24.2.1943
13:50
 Il-2 2./JG 51 64 621: at 50m
52-56
1943
-
 5 victories 2./JG 51 -
57
8.6.1943
8:53
 Yak-7 2./JG 51 63 394: at 200-300m
58
10.6.1943
19:20
 Il-2 2./JG 51 44 562: at 100-150m
59
10.6.1943
19:23
 Il-2 2./JG 51 44 473
60
6.7.1943
19:47
 LaGG-3 2./JG 51 63 584: at 2.000m
61
11.7.1943
16:32
 Yak-1 2./JG 51 64 883: at 7.000-800m
62
11.7.1943
16:33
 Il-2 2./JG 51 64 891: at 700-800m
63
11.7.1943
16:35
 Il-2 2./JG 51 64 852: at 150m
64
11.7.1943
17:24
 LaGG-5 2./JG 51 63 471: at 2.000m
65
12.7.1943
8:45
 LaGG-5 2./JG 51 64 891: at 2.300m
66
12.7.1943
8:54
 Yak-1 2./JG 51 63 231: at 400m
67
13.7.1943
13:42
 Yak-1 2./JG 51 63 225: at 800m
68
13.7.1943
13:43
 Il-2 2./JG 51 63 254: at 400m
69
13.7.1943
13:45
 Il-2 2./JG 51 63 221: at 800m
70
23.6.1944
10:48
 Il-2 Stabsstaffel/JG 51 96 658
71
23.6.1944
10:50
 Il-2 Stabsstaffel/JG 51 96 655: at 200m
72
23.6.1944
10:53
 Il-2 Stabsstaffel/JG 51 96 652: at 200m
73
23.6.1944
14:12
 Il-2 Stabsstaffel/JG 51 97 676: at 50m
74
23.6.1944
14:18
 Il-2 Stabsstaffel/JG 51 96 813: at 400m
75
25.6.1944
9:35
 Pe-2 Stabsstaffel/JG 51 05 559: at 2.000m
76
25.6.1944
9:38
 Pe-2 Stabsstaffel/JG 51 05 565: at 2.000m

Victories : 76
Awards : Ehrenpokal (16 June 1942)
                Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (21 September 1942)
                Ritterkreuz (16 April 1943)
Units : JG 51

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