Emil Lang (Jagdflieger)

Emil "Bully" Lang (14 January 1909 – 3 September 1944) was a Luftwaffe Flying ace during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He was credited with 173 aerial victories (144 on the Eastern Front, 29 on the Western Front) in over 400 sorties, before his death in combat over Belgium.

On 3 November 1943 Lang recorded 18 kills in a single day against Soviet aircraft (an all-time record). Of the 29 victories claimed against the Western Allies, all but one occurred over the Normandy Invasion Front, making him the highest scoring German Ace of the Campaign.

Emil Lang flew the Focke-Wulf Fw 190.

Early life

Emil "Bully" Lang was born on 14 January 1909 at Talheim in the Neckar region near Sontheim of Württemberg. Lang was reportedly a track-and-field athlete as well as a qualified civil pilot, flying with Lufthansa prior to World War II. He earned the nickname "Bully" from his 'bulldog-like' looks, enforced by his barrel-chested physique.

Career in the Luftwaffe

He was thirty-three when he joined Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in 1942, a ripe old age at which to begin a combat career. A veteran Lufthansa pilot, Bully Lang knew his flying. He joined the Luftwaffe as a cargo pilot in 1942. He wasn't admitted to fighter school until 1943, overcoming considerable skepticism on account of his advanced age (34 years old, probably the oldest fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe). In 1942 he was assigned to JG 54 and immediately involved in heavy fighting on the Eastern Front. Lang's first kills came in March, and within a month he was transferred to 5./JG 54 of which he became Staffelkapitän.

In spite of a late start, he proved to be talented and a fast learner. Before the year's end his kill tally stood at over 100 victories, with a remarkable 72 victories in just 3 weeks of October 1943. This remarkable achievement included the world all-time record of eighteen victories on one day.

In 9 April 1944, Oberleutnant Lang was appointed Staffelkapitän of the 9./JG 54 engaged in Reich Defence. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) in April 1944.

In June, Lang claimed 15 victories, including his 150th on 14 June and four P-51 fighters claimed on 20 June. Hauptmann Lang was then made Gruppenkommandeur of II./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—2nd Group of the 26th Fighter Wing) in late June 1944. On 9 July 1944 Lang claimed three RAF Spitfires, on 15 August two P-47 and on 25 August three P-38 fighters. On 26 August, he claimed three Spitfires for his final victories.

Death

Emil Lang was killed in action on 3 September 1944 when his Fw 190 A-8 (Werknummer 171 240—factory number) "Green 1" hit the ground and exploded north of Saint-Trond. Lang's Fw 190 had experienced mechanical trouble on the ground and he and the other aircraft of his flight took off at Melsbroek at 1.20 pm. Ten minutes later Lang was still having difficulties raising his landing gear. Flying at an altitude of Vorlage:Convert his wingman Unteroffizier Hans-Joachim Borreck called out P-47 Thunderbolt's to their rear. Lang broke upward, to the Left. Leutnant Alfred Groß saw Lang's Fw 190 diving in flames, its gear extended, but hit himself had to bail out. Research suggests that Borreck and Groß misidentified their opponents. An examination of the American records yields an excellent match with the German data. The P-51 Mustang's of the 55th Fighter Group's 338th Squadron intercepted a flight of three to six Focke Wulf. Lieutenant Darrell Cramer took a high deflection shot at the Focke Wulf on the left, which fell upside down in a steep dive and crashed hard into the ground, which undoubtedly was Emil Lang.

On 28 September 1944 Lang's commanding officer Geschwaderkommodore (Wing Commander) Josef Priller submitted a request for posthumous promotion to Major. Priller described Lang's character as follows:

Captain Lang is a fully matured character, serious and calm in his demeanor, yet definite and energetic when strength was needed. Very good attitude as an officer. Demands of himself first. He understands how to reach the men under his command correctly. Captain Lang possesses an examplary concept of service, has initiative and talent for improvisation to a large degree, well rooted in the National Socialist ideas.

The commander of the II. Jagdkorps (2nd Fighter Corps) Generalmajor Alfred Bülowius concurred in the assessment. Despite these recommendations Emil Lang did not receive a posthumous promotion to Major.

Achievements

• 4 USAAF P-51 Mustang fighters shot down in a day (20 June 1944)
• 3 RAF Spitfire fighters shot down in five minutes (9 July 1944)
• 3 USAAF P-38 Lightning fighters shot down in five minutes (26 August 1944)
• 2 USAAF P-47 Thunderbolt fighters shot down in one minute (15 August 1944)

Awards

• War Merit Cross 2nd Class with Swords (24 October 1940)
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Fighter Pilots in Gold
  • Bronze (23 March 1943)
  • Silver (14 May 1943)
  • Gold (25 June 1943)
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (27 October 1943)
• German Cross in Gold (25 November 1943)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd class (13 June 1943)
  • 1st class (2 August 1943)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 22 November 1943 as Leutnant (war officer) and Staffelführer of the 9./JG 54
  • 448th Oak Leaves on 11 April 1944 as Oberleutnant (war officer) and Staffelkapitän of the 9./JG 54
• Mentioned twice in the Wehrmachtbericht

References in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
22 October 1943	Leutnant Lang, Staffelführer in einem Jagdgeschwader, errang gestern zwölf Luftsiege.	Lieutenant Lang, squadron leader in a fighter wing, achieved twelve aerial victories yesterday.
30 August 1944 (addendum)	Eine Jagdgruppe unter Führung von Hauptmann Lang schoß im Westkampfraum seit Invasionsbeginn 100 feindliche Flugzeuge ab und zeichnete sich auch bei Tiefangriffen gegen den Feind besonders aus.	A fighter group under the leadership of Captain Lang shot down 100 enemy aircraft in the western combat area since the beginning of the invasion and also distinguished itself in ground attacks against the enemy.

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Caldwell, Donald L. (1998). JG 26 War Diary Volume Two 1943–1945. London: Grub Street. ISBN 1-898697-86-8.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• MacLean, French L. (2007). Luftwaffe Efficiency & Promotion Reports — For the Knight's Cross Winners. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0-7643-2657-8.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 - 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
• Schaulen, Fritjof (2004). Eichenlaubträger 1940 - 1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe II Ihlefeld - Primozic (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 3-932381-21-1.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2.
• Thomas, Andrew and Davey, Chris (2008). Griffon Spitfire Aces. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1846032989.
• Toliver Raymond F. and Constable, Trevor J. (1996). Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military/Aviation History. ISBN 0-88740-909-1
• Weal, John (1998). Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Aces of the Russian Front. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-518-7.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.

External links

• Aces of the Luftwaffe. In: Emil Lang. Abgerufen am 7. Mai 2007. 
• The Jagdgeschwader 54 HomePage. In: Emil Lang. Abgerufen am 7. Mai 2007.