Paul Semrau

Paul Semrau (12 November 1915 – 8 February 1945) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II. As a night fighter ace, he is credited with 46 aerial victories claimed in claimed in 350 combat missions.[Note 1] All of his victories were claimed over the Western Front against the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Bomber Command.[1]

Paul Semrau
Born	(1915-11-12)12 November 1915 Deutsch Eylau, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	8 February 1945(1945-02-08) (aged 29) near Fliegerforst Twente, Twente, German-occupied Netherlands
Buried	Ysselsteyn German war cemetery, Netherlands (Block Q—Row 2—Grave 38)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1936–45
Rank	Major (major)
Unit	KG 30, NJG 2, NJG 6
Commands held	3./NJG 2, V./NJG 6, III./NJG 2, NJG 2
Battles/wars	World War II Norwegian Campaign Defense of the Reich  †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Born in Deutsch Eylau, Semrau grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. He joined the military service of the Luftwaffe in 1936. Following training, he was posted to Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 30—30th Bomber Wing) and flew the Junkers Ju 88 as a bomber pilot during the Norwegian Campaign. In June 1940, Semrau transferred to the night fighter force where he was posted to I. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 (NJG 2—2nd Night Fighter Wing). He claimed his first aerial victory on the night of 10/11 February 1941 and in December 1941, he was appointed squadron leader of 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of NJG 2. In January 1944, he was given command of I. Gruppe and in November 1944 overall command of NJG 2. On 8 February 1945, Semrau and his crew were killed in action when they were shot down during a daytime maintenance flight by a RAF fighter aircraft. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 17 April 1945.

Career

A map of part of the Kammhuber Line. The 'belt' and night fighter 'boxes' are shown.

Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, Royal Air Force (RAF) attacks shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign.[2] By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector named a Himmelbett (canopy bed) would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942.[3]

Semrau joined the long distance night fighter service (Fernnachtjagd) flying intruder missions as a former destroyer pilot (Zerstörer) of Kampfgeschwader 30 (KG 30—30th Bomber Wing) in July 1940. In July 1940, elements of (Z)KG 30 were trained and converted to flying night fighter missions. These elements then the II. Gruppe (2nd group) of the newly created Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing). On 11 September, II. Gruppe of NJG 1 was reassigned and became the I. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 (NJG 2—2nd Night Fighter Wing) Kammhuber had created I./NJG 2 with the idea of utilizing the Junkers Ju 88 C-2 and Dornier Do 17 Z as an offensive weapon, flying long range intruder missions into British airspace, attacking RAF airfields. Until October 1941, I. Gruppe operated from the Gilze-Rijen Air Base.[4]

He claimed his first two aerial victories on the night of 10/11 February 1941 over two Bristol Blenheim bombers shot down near Feltwell.[5] The Blenheim bombers belonged to No. 21 Squadron, the second of which was destroyed during the laning approach, killing all but the gunner.[6] He took command of the 3. Staffel of NJG 2 in the fall of 1940. He fought in the Battle of Britain and in the Siege of Malta. Hauptmann Semrau received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) after 160 missions on 7 October 1942. Promoted to Major, he took command of the 4th Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 (NJG 6—6th Night Fighter Wing) in June 1943. After two months he was transferred again, taking command of the 3rd Gruppe of NJG 2.

Wing commander and death

German War Cemetery Ysselsteyn - Paul Semrau

On 1 November 1944, Semrau was appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of NJG 2.[7] He was shot down on 8 February 1945 and killed in action on factory flight with his crew, Oberfeldwebel Hantusch and Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel Behrens, of Junkers Ju 88 G-6 (Werknummer 620 562 — factory number) when he was intercepted during the landing approach at Fliegerhorst Twente by F/Lt K.S. Sleep of No. 402 Squadron RCAF on 8 February 1945.[1][8] The aircraft of Semrau came down between Fliegerhorst Twente and Oldenzaal.[9] He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 17 April 1945. He was the 841st member of the German armed forces to be so honored.[10]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Foreman, Parry and Matthews, authors of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 40 nocturnal victory claims.[11] Matthews and Foreman also published Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, listing Semrau with 39 claims. Two claims dated 28/29 January 1944 and 30/31 January 1944 respectively are not recorded in Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims while one claim dated on 2 November 1944 is missing in Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945.[12]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 05 Ost AD". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km²). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 × 4 km in size.[13]

Chronicle of aerial victories
This and the ! (exclamation mark) indicates aerial victories listed in Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945 but not in Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims.   This and the % (percent sign) indicates aerial victories listed in Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims but not in Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945.
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Serial No./Squadron No.
– 3. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –[14]
1	11 February 1941	04:15	Blenheim	vicinity of Feltwell[15]
2	11 February 1941	04:20	Blenheim	vicinity of Feltwell[15]
3	8 May 1941	01:20	Wellington	vicinity of Nottingham[16]
4	18 May 1941	02:15	Blenheim	5 km (3.1 mi) south of Grantham[17]
5	13 June 1941	01:40	Halifax	vicinity of Finningley[17]
6	19 June 1941	04:23	Whitley	over sea, 90 km (56 mi) northeast of Great Yarmouth[18]
7	7 July 1941	01:25	Blenheim	vicinity of Wells[19]
8	18 July 1941	02:50	Blenheim	vicinity of Digby[20]
9	20 September 1941	23:42	Hampden	7 km (4.3 mi) northeast of Upper Heyford[21]
10	30 June 1942	00:15	Halifax	Mediterranean[22]
11	30 June 1942	00:35	Wellington	Mediterranean[22]
12	3 July 1942	02:02	Wellington	Mediterranean[23]
13	5 July 1942	02:10	Wellington	Mediterranean[23]
14	6 July 1942	01:55	Wellington	Mediterranean[23]
– III. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –[14]
15	9 October 1943	01:35	four-engined bomber	35 km (22 mi) west of Den Haag[24]
– II. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –[14]
16!	28/29 January 1944	—	Lancaster[25]
17!	30/31 January 1944	—	Lancaster[26]
18	15 February 1944	20:58	Lancaster	vicinity of Berlin[27]
19	22 March 1944	21:40	four-engined bomber	vicinity of Minden[28]
20	31 March 1944	00:42	four-engined bomber	vicinity of Nuremberg[29]
21	11 June 1944	01:00	four-engined bomber	5–20 km (3.1–12.4 mi) south of Dreux[30]
22	11 June 1944	01:20	four-engined bomber	15–30 km (9.3–18.6 mi) northwest of Rambouillet[30]
23	15 June 1944	01:24	four-engined bomber	northeast of Fécamp[31]
24	25 June 1944	00:14	Lancaster	Saint-Valery-sur-Somme[32]
25	25 June 1944	00:17	Lancaster	Dieppe[32]
26	29 June 1944	00:31	Halifax	north of Rouen[33]
27	29 June 1944	00:45	Halifax	Étrépagny[33]
28	29 June 1944	00:45	Halifax	Étrépagny[33]	LW143/No. 102 Squadron
29	29 June 1944	01:00	Halifax	Soissons[33]
30	8 July 1944	01:07	four-engined bomber	PQ 05 Ost AD[34]
31	8 July 1944	01:12	four-engined bomber	PQ 05 Ost AD-BD-BE[34]
32	19 July 1944	01:10	four-engined bomber	east of Paris[35]
33	25 July 1944	00:01	four-engined bomber	northwest of Orléans[36]	LM142/No. 15 Squadron
34	25 July 1944	00:11	four-engined bomber	Orléans[37]
35	2 November 1944	19:15	four-engined bomber	Ruhr Area[38]
36	2 November 1944	19:17	four-engined bomber	Ruhr Area[38]
37	2 November 1944	19:21	four-engined bomber	west of Düsseldorf[38]
38%	2 November 1944	—	four-engined bomber
– Stab of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 –[12]
39	6/7 January 1945	—	Halifax[39]
40	6/7 January 1945	—	Halifax[39]
41	6/7 January 1945	—	Halifax[39]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (17 May 1941)[40]
  • 1st Class (12 June 1941)[40]
• German Cross in Gold on 24 April 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 3./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2[41]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 7 October 1942 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 3./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2[42][43]
  • 841st Oak Leaves on 17 April 1945 (posthumously) as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2[42][44]

Notes

1. For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces

References

Citations

1. Obermaier 1989, p. 77.
2. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 9.
3. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 27.
4. Hinchliffe 1998, p. 39.
5. Bowman 2016a, p. 27.
6. Forsyth 2019, p. 34.
7. Stockert 2011, p. 111.
8. Forsyth 2019, p. 32.
9. Bowman 2016b, p. 176.
10. Stockert 2011, p. 112.
11. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, pp. 16–229.
12. Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1214–1215.
13. Planquadrat.
14. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 1214.
15. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 16.
16. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 20.
17. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 21.
18. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 22.
19. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 24.
20. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 26.
21. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 31.
22. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 48.
23. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 49.
24. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 120.
25. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 144.
26. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 147.
27. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 148.
28. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 156.
29. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 161.
30. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 186.
31. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 188.
32. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 192.
33. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 194.
34. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 198.
35. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 201.
36. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 203.
37. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 204.
38. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 221.
39. Foreman, Parry & Matthews 2004, p. 229.
40. Thomas 1998, p. 314.
41. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 442.
42. Scherzer 2007, p. 702.
43. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 398.
44. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 102.

Bibliography

• Bergström, Christer. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 20 September 2018.
• Bowman, Martin (2016a). Nachtjagd, Defenders of the Reich 1940–1943. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-4738-4986-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Bowman, Martin (2016b). German Night Fighters Versus Bomber Command 1943–1945. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Aviation. ISBN 978-1-4738-4979-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Foreman, John; Parry, Simon; Matthews, Johannes (2004). Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939–1945. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-0-9538061-4-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Forsyth, Robert (2019). Ju 88 Aces of World War 2. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-2921-4.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Hinchliffe, Peter (1998). Luftkrieg bei Nacht 1939–1945 [Air War at Night 1939–1945] (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 978-3-613-01861-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Matthews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 4 S–Z. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-21-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Stockert, Peter (2011). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 9 [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 9] (in German). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. OCLC 76072662.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Military offices
Preceded by Oberst Günther Radusch	Commander of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 12 November 1944 – 8 February 1945	Succeeded by Oberstleutnant Wolfgang Thimmig