Adolf Glunz


Adolf "Addi" Glunz was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 71 aerial victories achieved in 574 combat missions. All but three of his victories were claimed over the Western Front and in Defense of the Reich. This figure included seventeen four-engine bombers and 37 Supermarine Spitfire fighters.
Born in Bresegard, Glunz grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. He joined the military service in the Luftwaffe in 1939 and was trained as a fighter pilot. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 52 in November 1940. Flying with this wing, Glunz claimed his first aerial victory on 7 May 1941 on the Western Front over a Royal Air Force fighter aircraft. In preparation of Operation Barbarossa, JG 52 was moved east where Glunz claimed three Soviet aircraft destroyed. In July 1941, he was assigned to Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter", operating on the Western Front. On 29 August 1943, Glunz was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the only non-commissioned officer of JG 26 to receive this distinction. In January 1944, Glunz was appointed squadron leader of 5. Staffel and in March of 6. Staffel, followed by his promotion to an officer's rank in April. On 24 June 1944, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Glunz claimed his last aerial victory on 1 January 1945 during Operation Bodenplatte. In March 1945, he underwent conversion training to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. In April, Glunz transferred to Jagdgeschwader 7, the first jet fighter wing but did not fly the Me 262 operationally.
In May 1945, Glunz was taken prisoner of war and released in June 1946. He then became a Formula Three race car driver before he founded his own business, giving driving lessons. Glunz died on 1 August 2002 in Lüdenscheid.

Early life and career

Glunz was born on 11 June 1918 in Bresegard, district of Ludwigslust, at the time in the Province of Pomerania of the German Empire. He was the son Karl Glunz, a Beamter, or civil servant, of the Deutsche Reichsbahn. Due to his father's job, the family moved to Hamburg and in 1934 to Heide. Following graduation from school, Glunz began vocational education in mechanical engineering. In Heide, he worked for a company which built glider aircraft, triggering his interest in flying. Aged sixteen, he began building and flying glider aircraft. Glunz then became a flight instructor with the National Socialist Flyers Corps 11/16 of the Nord Gruppe, teaching members of Hitler Youth to fly.
From 2 November 1938 to 25 March 1939, Glunz attended the compulsory Reichsarbeitsdienst. Glunz joined the military service of the Luftwaffe on 1 September 1939, the day German forces invaded Poland starting World War II in Europe. He served with 2. Kompanie of Flieger-Ausbildungs-Regiment 61, completing on 30 September. He was then transferred to 1. Staffel of Jagdfliegerschule 4 in Fürth. After he completed flight training, he received the Pilot's Badge on 4 October 1940. He was then posted to the Ergänzungsstaffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 on 1 November 1940.

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 9 November 1940, Glunz was transferred from the Ergänzungsstaffel to 4. Staffel of JG 52, a squadron of the II. Gruppe. At the time, II. Gruppe of JG 51 was undergoing a period of rest and replenishment at Mönchengladbach following the Battle of Britain. There, the Gruppes strength was brought to 24 Messerschmitt Bf 109 Es, including a few Bf 109 E-8. The Gruppe was commanded by Hauptmann Erich Woitke while 4. Staffel was headed by Oberleutnant Johannes Steinhoff. On 22 December, II. Gruppe was ordered to Leeuwarden Airfield where it was tasked with patrolling the North Sea coast in the Netherlands. Following a brief stay at Haamstede, the Gruppe was moved to Berck-sur-Mer on 10 February 1941. On 27 April, II. Gruppe was moved again, this time to an airfield at Katwijk where it started receiving the first aircraft of the Bf 109 F series. Flying from Katwijk on 7 May, Glunz claimed his first aerial victory when he shot down a Royal Air Force Supermarine Spitfire fighter east of Deal. On 19 May, he was credited with another Spitfire destroyed, claimed at 12:40 north of Dover. On 9 June, II. Gruppe of JG 51 was withdrawn from the Channel Front.
On 13 June, the Stab and 4. Staffel of JG 52 were ordered east to Suwałki, located about from the southwestern Lithuanian border, while 5. and 6. Staffel where moved to Eastern Prussia. On 22 June, German forces launched Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. At the start of this invasion, II. Gruppe was controlled the Stab of Jagdgeschwader 27 which was subordinated to VIII. Fliegerkorps and part of Luftflotte 2. JG 27 area of operation during Operation Barbarossa was over the northern area of Army Group Center. Glunz claimed his first aerial victory on the Eastern Front in the vicinity of Varėna on 26 June. That day he shot down an Ilyushin DB-3 bomber at 09:33. On 16 July 1941, his Bf 109 F-2 suffered engine failure resulting in an emergency landing at Vitebsk.

Western Front

Glunz joined Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" on 18 July 1941 and was assigned to the II. Gruppe. At the time, II. Gruppe was commanded by Hauptmann Walter Adolph and based at Moorsele Airfield, Belgium near the English Channel. Glunz made hist first check flight with this unit on 24 July and flew his first combat mission on 29 July with 4. Staffel. On 6 August, he flew another mission resulting in no claims or losses. On 21 August, the RAF Fighter Command targeted a chemical plant at Chocques with "Circus" No. 83 and Nr. 84. Following combat, Glunz made a forced landing of Bf 109 E-7 at Saint-Omer.
For 22 aerial victories, Glunz was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 1 November 1942.
Glunz flew a reconnaissance mission to England on 19 January 1943, patrolling the English coast from Hastings to Dover without encountering any opposition. On 3 February, the RAF flew "Circus" missions No. 259, attacking the Saint-Omer railroad yard. The attacking Lockheed Ventura medium bombers were escorted by Spitfires from the Royal Canadian Air Force No. 416 Squadron. In this encounter, Glunz claimed a Spitfire shot down at 15:30 which was not confirmed.
No. 2 Group had been complemented with two squadrons of de Havilland Mosquito combat aircraft. On the evening of 28 March 1943, six Mosquitos were spotted heading towards Dunkirk. Glunz's Schwarm scrambled from Vitry airfield to defend the airfield. The flight succeeded in intercepting the Mosquitos and Glunz shot down two No. 105 Squadron Mosquitos south of Lille. On 29 August, Glunz received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Squadron leader

On 14 January 1944, the Staffelkapitän of 5. Staffel, Hauptmann Johann Aistleitner, was killed in action. In consequence, Glunz was appointed his successor and was made a Staffelführer, the first non-commissioned officer of JG 26 to hold such a position.
On 3 March 1944, Glunz was appointed Staffelkapitän of 6. Staffel, replacing Leutnant Friedrich Lang who was killed in action on 2 March. He was promoted to Leutnant on 1 April 1944.
He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 24 June 1944 after 65 victories. The award was officially presented at the Führerhauptquartier at Rastenburg on 2 August 1944 by Adolf Hitler. Also present at the ceremony were Friedrich Lang, Erich Hartmann and Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer who receive the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, and Horst Kaubisch and Eduard Skrzipek who were also awared the Oak Leaves.
Glunz is credited with 71 aerial victories achieved in 574 combat missions. He engaged the enemy on 238 occasions and claimed all but three victories over the Western Front. Glunz is most noted for never being shot down or wounded all this time. The nearest he came to losing an aircraft was on 13 October 1944, when a broken oil pipe caused his engine to fail while in combat with two P-47 Thunderbolt.
Glunz most successful day as a fighter pilot was 22 February 1944 when during the course of two combat missions he claimed four B-17 Flying Fortress, a P-47 Thunderbolt plus forcing another B-17 out of formation. Only three B-17s and the P-47 were confirmed bringing his score to 58.
On 1 January 1945, Glunz led 6. Staffel in its attack on Brussels-Evere airfield during Operation Bodenplatte, an attempt to gain air superiority during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge. II. Gruppe, under the command of Major Anton Hackl, took off from Nordhorn at 08:29, arriving at the target area at approximately 09:20. At 09:25, fighters from No. 416 Squadron were scrambled to counter the German attack. The first Spitfires just made it into the air when sixty Fw 190s and Bf 109s arrived. Before reaching combat speed, Flight Lieutenant David Harling was shot down and killed by Glunz. In addition, Glunz made nine strafing attacks on Brussels-Evere airfield, claiming five aircraft destroyed, plus two further damaged, including one through the open door of a hangar.
Glunz left JG 26 on 18 March 1945, transferring to III. Gruppe of Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader, for conversion training to the then new Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. In mid-April, he was then assigned II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 7
In February 1945 Glunz was assigned to JG 7 and undertook conversion training to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. However he never flew the Me 262 in combat.

Later life

Glunz became a motor racing driver after the war. On 11 June 1950, he took third place in the XV Eifelrennen, a Formula Three motor race, driving a Scampolo 501 DKW. On 20 August 1950, he participated in the Großer Preis von Deutschland held on the Nürburgring. At the end of the 1950 German Formula 3 Championship, he finished in eighth place, tied with Oscar Frank with. Both drivers finished the season with three points. In 1951, Glunz participated in various races of the 1951 German Formula 3 Championship, but did not win points.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 69 aerial victory claims, plus eleven further unconfirmed claims. This figure includes three aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 66 over the Western Allies, including 17 four-engined bombers.

Awards

Citations