Günther Lützow (4 September 1912 – 24 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe aviator and fighter ace credited with 110 enemy aircraft shot down in over 300 combat missions. Apart from five victories during the Spanish Civil War, most of his claimed victories were over the Eastern Front in World War II. He also claimed 20 victories over the Western Front, including two victories—one of which was a four-engined bomber—flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter.
Born in Kiel, Lützow volunteered for military service in the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic in 1931. In parallel, he was accepted for flight training with the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule, a covert military-training organization, and at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader Richthofen (Fighter Wing "Richthofen") in 1934. In 1937, he volunteered for service with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War where he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) in Jagdgruppe 88 (J/88—88th Fighter Group). From April to September 1937, he claimed five aerial victories. For his service in Spain he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds, Germany's highest decoration of the Spanish Civil War.
After an assignment as fighter pilot instructor, he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) in Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) following the outbreak of World War II. He led the Gruppe through the Battle of France and claimed his first victory of World War II on 14 May 1940. Lützow became Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 3 on 21 August 1940. After 15 aerial victories during the Battle of Britain, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 September 1940. Lützow commanded JG 3 in the aerial battles of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. There, after his 42nd aerial victory, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 20 July 1941. Three months later, following his 92nd aerial victory of the war, Lützow was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 11 October 1941. On 24 October, he claimed his 100th victory of the war, becoming the second fighter pilot after Werner Mölders to do so. From September to November 1941, he also served as acting commander of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing), replacing Friedrich Beckh, who had been injured in combat, until the position was filled by Karl-Gottfried Nordmann. After being instructed not to fly operations, he ignored the order, adding two more victories before being posted on 11 August 1942 to the staff of General der Jagdflieger (General of Fighters) Adolf Galland, serving as "Inspector of Day Fighters, East".
In July 1943, Lützow was tasked with commanding fighter operations in Italy. From September 1943 to March 1944, he led the 1. Jagd Division (1st Fighter Division), commanding all day- and night-fighter operations in northwestern Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. Lützow's role in the "Fighter Pilots Revolt" was considered mutiny by Hermann Göring, who exiled Lützow to Italy. In April 1945, he joined Galland's Jagdverband 44 (JV 44—44th Fighter Detachment). He was reported missing in action flying the Me 262 on 24 April 1945 while attempting to intercept a U.S. Army Air Forces Martin B-26 Marauder raid near Donauwörth. His body was never recovered.
Early life and career Lützow was born on 4 September 1912 in Kiel, at the time the capital of the Province of Schleswig-Holstein, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia. He was the third of five children of Friedrich Lützow, a naval officer, and his wife Hildegard, née Kinzel. He had an older brother, Werner, an older sister, Liselotte (Elisabeth Charlotte), a younger sister, Hildegard, and a younger brother, Joachim. The family at the time lived at the Reventlouallee 23 on the west bank of the Kieler Förde. This was close to the German Imperial Naval Academy where his father attended a two-year Admiralty Staff training course. Following the outbreak of World War I, his father was posted to the staff of the Führer der Unterseeboote (Commander of Submarines) Fregattenkapitän (Frigate Captain) Hermann Bauer, and the family had to move to Wilhelmshaven.
Lützow graduated with his Abitur (university-preparatory high school diploma) on 31 March 1931 from the Schulpforta, a boarding school for academically gifted students. Unlike his brothers, who both pursued a naval career, Lützow joined the Reichswehr (Army of the Weimar Republic) following his graduation from school. This decision had been influenced by his mother's youngest brother, Eberhard Kinzel, at the time an officer in the Reichswehr and later General der Infanterie (General of the Infantry) in the Heer (German Army).
On 7 April 1931 Lützow began his pilot training at the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule (DVS—German Air Transport School) at Schleißheim. The DVS was headed by Carl Bolle, a World War I fighter pilot, and his flight instructor was Wilhelm Stör, another World War I fighter pilot. He and 29 other trainees were part of Kameradschaft 31 (camaraderie of 1931), abbreviated "K 31". Among the members of "K 31" were future Luftwaffe staff officers Bernd von Brauchitsch, Wolfgang Falck, Günther Radusch, Ralph von Rettberg and Hannes Trautloft. Lützow graduated from the DVS on 19 February 1932. In late September 1931, Lützow and three other students made a cross-country flight from Schleißheim to Berlin. The flight was made in two 2-seater Klemm Kl 26 training aircraft. Lützow, as the best air navigation student of his class, flew in the navigator's position. In the Luftstreitkräfte of World War I, the pilot was called "Emil" and the navigator was called "Franz". From that point on, Lützow was nicknamed "Franz" or the diminutive "Franzl" (little Franz). From "K 31", Lützow and nine others were recommended for Sonderausbildung (special training) at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school.
Following his return from flight training, Lützow joined 5. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment (5th (Prussian) Infantry Regiment), at first in Greifswald (15 October 1932 – 31 January 1933) as an Offizieranwärter (officer candidate). There he completed his basic training. From 1 February to 31 March 1933, he served with 5. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment in Stettin. He then attended the Kriegsschule (war school) in Dresden and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 October 1934. In 1935, he officially transferred to the newly formed Luftwaffe, at first serving as a fighter pilot instructor at Schleißheim (8 March 1935 – 31 March 1936) followed by a posting to II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Sturzkampfgeschwader 162 (StG 162—162nd Diver Bomber Wing) at Lübeck-Blankensee (1 April – 3 November 1936). In parallel, from 1 May to 1 November 1936, Lützow held the position of Staffeloffizier (squadron officer) with 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 132 "Richthofen" (JG 132—132nd Fighter Wing) at in Jüterbog.
Spanish Civil War During the Spanish Civil War, Lützow volunteered for service with the Condor Legion, a unit composed of volunteers from the Luftwaffe and from the Heer which served with the Nationalists. On 19 March 1937, he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgruppe 88 (J/88—88th Fighter Group).
From March to September 1937, Lützow, now an Oberleutnant (first lieutenant), claimed five victories, including the first ever recorded claim by a Messerschmitt Bf 109 pilot. Flying a Bf 109 B, he shot down a Polikarpov I-15, a Soviet built biplane fighter aircraft, on 6 April 1937. On 26 April 1937, air elements of the Condor Legion targeted and bombed Guernica, an attack which has been characterised as a war crime by Wette and Ueberschär, but Lützow did not participate in the attack as he was on home leave from 8–29 April 1937. After he returned, Lützow claimed three more I-15s shot down, one on 22 May, another on 28 May, and his last on 18 August 1937. His final aerial victory in Spain was over a Polikarpov I-16, a monoplane fighter aircraft, which he shot down on 22 August 1937.
On 16 October 1937, Lützow was assigned to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM—Ministry of Aviation) Sonderstab W. (special staff "W") under the command of and named after General Helmuth Wilberg. Sonderstab W. was responsible for collecting and analyzing the tactical lessons of the Spanish Civil War. Lützow wrote up his report, Erfahrungsbericht Winterausbildung 1937/1938, Jüterbog-Damm, 5. Staffel (field report winter training 1937/1938, Jüterbog-Damm, 5th squadron) documenting his Spanish experiences and tactical proposals. His report referred to the finger-four formation as the clearly superior tactical formation for contemporary fighter operations. Lützow's comrade Werner Mölders solved the problem of manoeuvring a finger-four formation months later by introducing what is still known today as the "crossover turn" or "tac turn". At RLM, Lützow received his promotion to Hauptmann (captain) on 20 November 1937. For his achievements in Spain, Lützow was honored with the Spanish Medalla de la Campaña and Medalla Militar and the German Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds (Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten) on 6 June 1939.
On 12 February 1938, Lützow met his future wife Gisela von Priesdorff, the oldest daughter of military historian Kurt von Priesdorff, at a carnival party held at the Jagdfliegerschule 1 (fighter pilot school) at Werneuchen. On 19 July 1938 the two were officially engaged, and they married on 11 March 1939 at the Holy Trinity Church in Berlin. They had a son, Hans-Ulrich, born 29 January 1940, and a daughter, Carola, born 31 August 1942. On 1 November 1938, Lützow became a head flight instructor at Jagdfliegerschule 1 at Werneuchen, replacing Johannes Janke. At the time Jagdfliegerschule 1 was under the command of Theo Osterkamp, a World War I fighter pilot.
World War II World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. Lützow did not participate in this campaign. He was tasked with providing fighter protection for Berlin. From the Jagdfliegerschule in Werneuchen, he detached two squadrons and placed them under the command of Jagdgruppe 20 based at Strausberg. At the end of October 1939, a change in command of I. Gruppe (1st group) of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) was announced.For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II. The former commander Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel) Otto-Heinrich von Houwald was transferred to the Jagdfliegerschule in Werneuchen. Lützow joined I. Gruppe on 1 November 1939, officially taking over command as Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) two days later.
Battle of France On 10 May 1940, the Wehrmacht began its offensive Operation Case Yellow (Fall Gelb), the invasion of France and the neutral Low Countries. I. Gruppe of JG 3 participated in the offensive as a subordinated unit of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing). During the Battle of France, JG 77 was under control of I. Fliegerkorps (1st Air Corps), which formed the right wing of Luftflotte 3 (3rd Air Fleet) in Belgium and the Netherlands.