Eduard Neumann

Eduard "Edu" Neumann (5 June 1911 – 9 August 2004) was a Luftwaffe officer and commanded the famous Jagdgeschwader 27 ‘Afrika’ during the North African Campaign from 1941 to 1943.

Eduard Neumann
Eduard Neumann (right) with Adolf Galland in North Africa, 22 September 1942.
Born	(1911-06-05)5 June 1911
Died	9 August 2004(2004-08-09) (aged 93)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1934–1945
Rank	Oberst
Unit	Condor Legion, JG 26
Commands held	JG 27
Battles/wars	North African campaign

The day after scoring his first (World War II) victory during the opening phase of the Battle of Britain, a RAF No. 236 Squadron RAF Blenheim off the coast of Cherbourg on the 20 July 1940, he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 27. After a brief participation In the Invasion of Yugoslavia, in April 1941 the unit moved to Ain-el Gazala, Libya, North Africa on 18 April 1941.[1] He received the German Cross in Gold on 11 May 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur I./JG 27.[2]

On 8 June 1942 he was promoted to Major and Geschwaderkommodore of JG 27, which he successfully led until 22 April 1943 when he joined the Staff of General der Jagdflieger. In March 1943 Neumann was promoted to Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel), and later in 1944 to Oberst (Colonel).[3] Neumann finished the war as the Commander of Fighter Forces in Northern Italy.

After the war Neumann worked as a technical consultant on the Hans-Joachim Marseille biographical film, Der Stern von Afrika, (The Star of Africa), directed by Alfred Weidenmann and starring Joachim Hansen as Marseille.

References

Citations

1. Weal, p. 30.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 328.
3. Scutts 1994

Bibliography

• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Prien, Jochen; Rodeike, Peter; Stemmer, Gerhard (1998). Messerschmidt Bf 109 im Einsatz bei Stab und I./Jagdgeschwader 27 1939 – 1945 [Messerschmidt Bf 109 in Action with the Headquarter Unit and I./Jagdgeschwader 27 in 1939 – 1945] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-46-5.
• Scutts, Jerry (1994). Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-448-0.
• Weal, John (2003). Jagdgeschwader 27 'Afrika'. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-538-9.

Military offices
Preceded by Major Bernhard Woldenga	Commander of Jagdgeschwader 27 Afrika June 10, 1942 – April 22, 1943	Succeeded by Oberstleutnant Gustav Rödel
Preceded by Oberstleutnant Bernhard Woldenga	Commander of Jagdabschnittsführer Rumänien February 1944 – August 1944	Succeeded by none
Preceded by Oberstleutnant Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn	Commander of Jagdfliegerführer Oberitalien December 1944 – January 1945	Succeeded by Oberst Günther Lützow