Gustav Sprick

Gustav Sprick
Nickname(s) "Micky"
Born 29 November 1917
Biemsen, Germany
Died 28 June 1941
Holque, France
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Luftwaffe
Years of service 1935–41
Rank Oberleutnant
Unit JG 26
Battles/wars

World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Gustav "Micky" Sprick (29 November 1917 – 28 June 1941) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Sprick was credited with 31 victories in 192 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Western Front.

Military career

Sprick joined the Luftwaffe in 1937. After completing his pilot-training Fähnrich Sprick was posted to JG 26 on 23 September 1939, and assigned to 8./JG 26 (8th squadron of the 26th Fighter Wing). On 10 May 1940, the opening day of Fall Gelb (the invasion of the West), the now Leutnant Sprick shot down his first enemy aircraft: a Dutch Fokker T-5 twin-engined bomber, over Breda in the Netherlands. He was very successful during the French campaign, having scored nine victories by the fall of France, and been promoted to Oberleutnant. He was shot down however, on 14 June near Évreux, by RAF (Royal Air Force) Hurricane fighters after claiming one of their number. But he managed to crash-land uninjured and was rescued by German troops.

On 8 August 1940 he was promoted to Staffelkapitän (Squadron leader) of 8./JG 26. His Gruppe, III./JG 26 had a formidable team of leaders during the Battle of Britain, with the experienced Kommandeur Adolf Galland and Gerhard Schöpfel (9. Staffel), with Sprick (8. Staffel) and Joachim Müncheberg (7. Staffel). These four pilots all had 10 or more victories and over the next 2 months claimed 50 aircraft between them.

Sprick himself scored 11 victories in the battle, including a pair of Hurricanes of 85 Sqn on 31 August (his 14th & 15th victories). He was awarded the Ehrenpokal (Goblet of Honour) on 8 September, and then the coveted Ritterkreuz (Knight’s Cross) on 1 October after gaining his 20th victory on 28 September. By the end of 1940, with the battle falling back into a relatively quiet period, his score had increased to 23. (Müncheberg had 23, Schöpfel had 22 and Galland with 58)

June 1941 marked the invasion of the Soviet Union in the east. With the majority of the Luftwaffe involved in Operation Barbarossa, it left just JG 26, JG 2 and JG 1 defending the west. Coinciding with this, the British started their own air offensive, taking the fight to the Germans over France. Now, however, the roles were reversed, and it was the RAF fighters that found themselves vulnerable, operating at the limit of their range. Sprick quickly claimed 8 victories in the last fortnight of June.

On 28 June, III./JG 26 was ordered to intercept the RAF Circus No. 26 flown by No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron, en route to attack the Comines power station.[1] 8./JG 26 was jumped from above by Spitfires and in the ensuing melee, the right wing of Sprick's Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 5743—factory) sheared off while he attempted an evasive Split S maneuver. He crashed to his death near Holque, inland from Calais.[2][3][4][5][6] Other sources say he may have been shot down by Spitfires.

Oberleutnant Gustav Sprick was credited with 31 victories in 192 missions, all over the Western Front.

Awards

References

Citations
  1. ↑ Knoblock 2008, p. 79.
  2. ↑ Caldwell 1991, p. 89.
  3. ↑ Weal 1999, p. 94.
  4. ↑ Weal 2000, p. 76.
  5. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 208.
  6. ↑ Hall 2001, p. 11.
  7. ↑ Fellgiebel 2001, p. 406.
Bibliography
  • Caldwell, Donald L. (1991). JG 26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe. Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1050-6. 
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • Hall, Peter (2001). No. 91 'Nigeria' Sqn. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-160-2. 
  • Caldwell, Donald L. (1991). JG 26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe. Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1050-6. 
  • Knoblock, Glenn (2008). With Great Sacrifice and Bravery... Bennington, Vt: Merriam Press. ISBN 978-1-4357-5550-5. 
  • 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
  • Weal, John (1996). Bf109D/E Aces 1939-41. Oxford: Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-85532-487-3.
  • Weal, John (1999). Bf 109F/G/K Aces of the Western Front. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-905-8. 
  • Weal, John (2000). Jagdgeschwader 2 'Richthofen'. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-046-9. 
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