Günther Lützow

Colonel Günther Lützow (4 September 1912 – 24 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and a leader in the "Fighter Pilots Revolt". Lützow was credited with 110 victories achieved in over 300 combat missions. He scored 5 victories during the Spanish Civil War. He recorded 20 victories over the Western Front, including at least one four-engine bomber, and 85 victories over the Eastern Front. Lützow, flying the Me 262 jet fighter for Adolf Galland’s JV 44, was posted missing on 24 April 1945 while attempting to intercept a USAAF B-26 Marauder raid near Donauwörth. His body was never recovered.

Career
On 7 April 1931 Lützow began his pilot training at the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule (German Air Transport School) at Schleißheim. He and 29 other trainees attended what was called Kameradschaft 31, abbreviated "K 31". Among the members of K 31 were future Luftwaffe staff Officers Wolfgang Falck and Hannes Trautloft. Lützow graduated from the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule on 19 February 1932. From K 31 Lützow and nine others were recommended for Sonderausbildung (special training) at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school.

Spanish Civil War
Lützow initially served as a Leutnant in the infantry before transferring to the Luftwaffe as a pilot with I./JG 132 "Richthofen". During the Spanish Civil War Lützow was Staffelkapitän of 2./Jagdgruppe 88 (J/88) with the Condor Legion. From March to September 1937 Oberleutnant Lützow claimed five victories, including the first ever recorded by the Bf 109. In November 1938 Lützow became an instructor at Jagdfliegerschule 1 at Werneuchen.

In 1938 Lützow was assigned to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, Sonderstab W. under the command of General Helmuth Wilberg. Sonderstab W. was responsible for collecting and analyzing the tactical lessons learned during the Spanish Civil War. Here Lützow met his future wife Gisela von Priesdorff (the eldest daughter of military historian Kurt von Priesdorff). Lützow wrote up his manuscript ''Erfahrungsbericht Winterausbildung 1937/1938, Jüterbog-Damm, 5. Staffel'' documenting his Spanish experiences and tactical proposals. This manuscript referred to the finger-four formation as the clearly superior tactical formation for contemporary fighter operations. Lützow's comrade Werner Mölders months later solved the problem of manoeuvring a finger-four formation by introducing what is still known today as the "crossover turn" or "tac turn".

World War II
Lützow became Gruppenkommandeur of I./Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) in November 1939. During the French campaign he claimed a further nine victories. At the height of the Battle of Britain in August 1940 Lützow was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of JG 3. After eight more victories over England Lützow was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes) in September.

In spring 1941 JG 3 received the new Bf 109-F before Lützow led JG 3 east for the invasion of Russia. On 17 July 1941 he recorded his 40th claim and was awarded the Oak Leaves (Eichenlaub) for the Knight's Cross on 20 July. He was shot down by Soviet ground fire on 23 September, force-landing behind enemy lines but returned to his unit unhurt. In October he claimed 29 victories, including five bombers shot down on 8 October. He was awarded the Swords (Schwerter) for the Knight's Cross on 11 October 1941 for 92 claims. He became the second Experte ( after Werner Mölders) to achieve 100 victories, on 24 October. Lützow was then grounded. In early November, he led Stab. JG 3 back to Germany to rest and re-equip. In May 1942 Lützow and JG 3 commenced operations near Kharkov before moving into the Crimea and Stalingrad. Lützow added one victory when he claimed a Polikarpov I-16 fighter on 21 May 1942 for his 107th kill.

Sometime in June 1942 (most likely in Grakowo), Lützow was visited by two men from the SS. They were of lower rank. After Lützow asked them how he could be of assistance to them they responded by requesting as many of his men as possible to form up execution squads to liquidate Jews, Soviet Political Officers and other "scum". Lützow was furious and ordered the entire Geschwader in full dress uniform to assemble and before Jagdgeschwader explained what the SS had requested and how he considered this act to be barbaric and criminal. He threatened to resign from command and take off his uniform if a single soldier volunteered. This act ensured Lützow got in trouble with the SS and the NSDAP.

In August 1942 Lützow was posted to the staff of the General der Jagdflieger as Inspector of Day Fighters, Eastern Front. Arguably Adolf Galland's decision to appoint Lützow was motivated to get him out of the "line of fire".

In July 1943 Oberst Lützow became Inspector of Day Fighters, Italian Front, based in Naples. He then commanded 1. Jagd-Division at Döberitz from September 1943 to March 1944, where he assumed command for day and night fighter operations in north western Germany, Holland and Belgium. 1. Jagd-Division was under control of 1. Jagd-Korps commanded by Generalmajor Joseph Schmid. Lützow was relieved of this command on 16 March 1944 because of personal differences with Schmid.

In late 1943 Lützow received news that his older brother, Korvettenkapitän Werner Lützow, commander of 4. Schnellbootflottille, had been killed in action on 25 October 1943.

Lützow became known as a central figure behind the Fighter Pilots' Mutiny in late 1944. This was an attempt to reinstate Adolf Galland who had been sacked as General der Jagdflieger for outspokenness regarding the Luftwaffe high command. The behavior of Lützow and the other leading pilots was regarded as mutiny by Göring, who relieved him of command and had Lützow posted to Italy to take over Jagdfliegerführer Oberitalien.

Lützow later joined Adolf Galland’s JV 44 and recorded two victories flying the Me 262 jet fighter, but was posted missing on 24 April 1945 while attempting to intercept a USAAF B-26 Marauder raid near Donauwörth. A B-26 was shot down by Lützow. His body and aircraft were never recovered.

Günther Lützow was credited with 110 victories, achieved in over 300 combat operations. He scored 5 victories during the Spanish Civil War, 20 victories over the Western Front and 85 victories over the Eastern Front.

Awards

 * Spanish Medalla de la Campaña
 * Spanish Medalla Militar
 * Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds (7 July 1939)
 * Wound Badge in Black
 * Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "300"
 * Combined Pilots-Observation Badge in Gold with Diamonds
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class (26 May 1940)
 * 1st Class (3 June 1940)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
 * Knight's Cross on 18 September 1940 as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of JG 3
 * 27th Oak Leaves on 20 July 1941 as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of JG 3
 * 4th Swords on 11 October 1941 as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of JG 3
 * Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht