Egon Albrecht-Lemke


Egon Albrecht-Lemke was a German-Brazilian Luftwaffe fighter pilot and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Albrecht claimed 25 aerial victories, 10 over the Western Front and 15 over the Eastern Front.

Career

Albrecht-Lemke was born on 19 May 1918 in Curitiba, Brazil. He was the son of Frederico Albrecht and Hedwig Elditt Albrecht. By 1940, Albrecht-Lemke was serving with 6. Staffel of Zerstörergeschwader 1 operating Messerschmitt Bf 110 Zerstörer heavy fighter. After redesignation as 9./Zerstörergeschwader 76 in June 1940, and then 6. Staffel of Schnellkampfgeschwader 210 in April 1941, Albrecht flew combat operation over the Eastern Front. In January 1942 6./SKG 210 became 6./ZG 1.
Albrecht-Lemke was appointed Staffelkapitän, 1./ZG 1 in June 1942. Now an Oberleutnant, Albrecht-Lemke was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in May 1943 for 15 aerial victories, along with 11 aircraft, 162 motor vehicles, 254 covered vehicles, 3 locomotives, 8 Flak positions, 12 anti-tank gun positions and 8 infantry positions destroyed on the ground.
In October 1943, Albrecht succeeded Hauptmann Karl-Heinrich Matern who was killed in action on 8 October as Gruppenkommandeur of II. Gruppe of ZG 1. The unit was relocated to the Western Front, based on the Atlantic coast of France, flying missions over the Bay of Biscay. Later in 1943, the Gruppe was transferred to Austria to combat the incursions from the Italian-based United States Army Air Forces 15th Air Force.
After heavy losses in July 1944, II./ZG 1 converted to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G fighter and were redesignated as III./Jagdgeschwader 76. Albrecht-Lemke then led the unit in operations over the Invasion front in western France.
On 25 August 1944 Albrecht was intercepted by USAAF P-51 Mustang fighters and shot down in his Bf 109 G-14 near Creil. Albrecht-Lemke bailed out of his stricken aircraft but was dead when found on the ground.
Albrecht-Lemke was credited with 25 victories, with 15 victories claimed over the Eastern Front and 10 over the Western Front. This total included at least six B-24 four-engine USAAF bombers. In addition he claimed 11 aircraft destroyed on the ground on the Eastern Front.

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 more than 18 aerial victory claims. This figure includes at least eleven aerial victories on the Eastern Front and seven four-engined bombers on the Western Front.

Awards