Heinz "Wimmersal" Sachsenberg

Heinz Sachsenberg

Heinz “Wimmersal” Sachsenberg was born on 12 July 1922 at Dessau in Sachsen-Anhalt.

His uncle, Gotthard Sachsenberg, was a fighter pilot in World War 1 recording 31 victories and receiving the Pour-le-Merite. Following flying training, Sachsenberg was posted to JG 52, based in the southern sector of the Eastern Front, in the autumn of 1942. Feldwebel Sachsenberg was assigned to 6./JG 52. He achieved his first victory on 21 April 1943, when he shot down a Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft.

By the end of the 1943, he had 52 confirmed victories, including four victories on 26 July to record his 18th through 21st victories, and a further four on 4 August (23-26). In January 1944, Sachsenberg’s Bf 109 G-6 “Yellow 8” was badly damaged by a Russian fighter and he had to crash-land back at his airfield. He just managed to scramble clear of his machine before it exploded.

He was recommended for the award of the Ritterkreuz at the end of March after 76 victories but was destined not to receive the award until he had achieved 101 victories. On 7 May, he shot down six Russian aircraft (77-82). He recorded five victories on 8 June (97-101). On 9 June 1944 Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel Sachsenberg was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 101 victories. On 23 August 1944, he was shot down in Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 166 233) “Yellow 1” and badly injured over Romania by USAAF P-51 fighters. On 3 March 1945, he had raised his victory total to 103 victories when he shot down P-51 over Hungary. On 16 April Sachsenberg shot down a P-39  for his 104th and last victory.

 
JV 44 pilots

Four members of Platzschutzstaffel - from left to right: Lt. Karl-Heinz Hofmann, Hptm. Klaus Faber (2 v.), Lt. Heinz Sachsenberg and Hptm. Waldemar Wübke (15~ v.). Photo was taken at Ainring on 1 May 1945.

Later, Sachsenberg transferred to JG 7 to fly Me 262 jet fighters. Here, he briefly led 9./JG 7 before joining JV 44 in April 1945. Sachsenberg was tasked with setting up a Platzschutzstaffel, flying Fw 190 D-9 fighters, to protect the Me 262s during their most vulnerable phases - take-off and landing. The unit was variously known as the Sachsenberg-Schwarm or the Papagei Staffel. Sachsenberg died of complications from the wounds he received during the war on 17 June 1951.
   
 “Wimmersal” Sachsenberg flew 520 missions in recording 104 aerial victories. All but one of his victories were recorded on the Eastern Front.  

No
Date
Time
A/c Type
Unit
Location / Comments
1
21.4.1943
11:10
Il-5 6./JG 52 75 451: 1.000m [SW Novorossisk]
2
8.5.1943
7:18
P-39 6./JG 52 85 142: at 3.000m [2km W Abinskaja]
3
15.5.1943
9:50
P-40 6./JG 52 85 141: at 3.500m [7km S Krimskaya]
4
25.5.1943
10:04
Yak-1 6./JG 52 65 462 [E Kubardinka]
5
26.5.1943
15:55
Il-5 6./JG 52 76 852: at 800m
6
27.5.1943
11:50
Il-5 6./JG 52 65 241: at 200m
7
29.5.1943
18:18
Il-5 6./JG 52 75 231
8
29.5.1943
18:18
Il-5 6./JG 52 76 892
9
5.6.1943
11:32
Yak-1 6./JG 52 85 114: at 1.200m
10
5.6.1943
11:34
Yak-1 6./JG 52 85 112: at 900m
11
6.6.1943
7:35
LaGG-5 6./JG 52 76 894: at 2.800m
12
6.6.1943
7:36
LaGG-5 6./JG 52 76 894L at 2.800m
13
8.6.1943
9:27
Yak-1 6./JG 52 76 862
14
11.6.1943
10:19
Yak-1 6./JG 52 76 684: at 400m
15
13.6.1943
10:37
LaGG-5 6./JG 52 85 144: at 3.000m
16
20.7.1943
15:05
P-39 6./JG 52 75 452: at 4.000m
17
22.7.1943
8:15
P-39 6./JG 52 76 892: at 300m
18
26.7.1943
6:10
Yak-1 6./JG 52 75 363
19
26.7.1943
6:20
Il-5 6./JG 52 65 293
20
26.7.1943
10:25
Yak-1 6./JG 52 76 882: at 400m
21
26.7.1943
18:20
Yak-1 6./JG 52 75 262: at 1.000m
22
30.7.1943
6:25
Yak-1 6./JG 52 75 234: at 600m
23
4.8.1943
11:12
Yak-1 6./JG 52 61 383 at 1.000m
24
4.8.1943
13:40
LaGG-5 6./JG 52 61 363 at 1.000m
25
4.8.1943
13:47
LaGG-5 6./JG 52 61 271 at 400m
26
4.8.1943
16:00
R-5 6./JG 52 61 292
27
6.8.1943
10:50
Yak-1 6./JG 52 61 394 at 800m
28
6.8.1943
10:54
Il-2 6./JG 52 61 363 at 300m
29
7.8.1943
18:30
LaGG-5 6./JG 52 60 832 at 600m
30
8.8.1943
18:22
Boston III 6./JG 52 60 744 at 5.500m
31
10.8.1943
13:34
LaGG-5 6./JG 52 71 771: at 800m
32
12.8.1943
5:35
Yak-1 6./JG 52 41 684: at 2.000m
33
12.8.1943
10:50
Yak-1 6./JG 52 51 513: at 1.000m
34
12.8.1943
10:53
Yak-1 6./JG 52 51 373: at 100m
35
17.8.1943
6:56
Il-2 6./JG 52 41 464: at 1.000m
36
17.8.1943
9:40
Il-2 6./JG 52 51 371: at 500m
37
19.8.1943
16:05
Yak-1 6./JG 52 51 593: at 2.000m
38
21.8.1943
18:18
LaGG-5 6./JG 52 51 593: at 4.500m
39
19.11.1943
14:29
Yak-1 6./JG 52 66 64 Mitte: at 6.000m
40
20.11.1943
10:17
Yak-1 6./JG 52 66 677: at 2.500m
41
21.11.1943
9:48
P-39 6./JG 52 66 611: at 5.000m
42
25.11.1943
8:59
Yak-1 6./JG 52 66 643: at 6.000m
43
26.11.1943
13:59
Yak-1 6./JG 52 66 5632: at 2.500m
44
28.11.1943
7:10
Yak-1 6./JG 52 66 85 Mitte: at 500m
45
4.12.1943
11:56
Yak-1 6./JG 52 66 673
46
5.12.1943
7:15
Yak-1 6./JG 52 W Taman: at 200m
47
5.12.1943
12:30
P-39 6./JG 52 S Kossa-Tusla: at 3.000m
48
6.12.1943
10:35
MiG-3 6./JG 52 SW Taman
49
7.12.1943
14:50
P-39 6./JG 52 W Taman
50
7.12.1943
14:55
P-39 6./JG 52 NW Taman
51
31.12.1943
14:18
Il-2 6./JG 52 66 522: at 1.000m
52
31.12.1943
15:20
P-39 6./JG 52 66 521: at 500m
53
3.1.1944
11:15
Yak-7 6./JG 52 66 644 at 4.000m [Bagerovo/Krim]
54
17.1.1944
9:04
P-39 6./JG 52 66 641 at 6.500m
55
17.1.1944
11:37
P-39 6./JG 52 66 564 at 3.500m
56
17.1.1944
14:40
Yak-7 6./JG 52 66 613
57
18.1.1944
9:32
Yak-7 6./JG 52 66 641 at 5.000m
58
22.1.1944
13:28
P-39 6./JG 52 66544 at 500m
59
22.1.1944
13:40
Yak-7 6./JG 52 66532 at 1.000m
60
23.1.1944
7:25
P-39 6./JG 52 66613 at 4.000m
61
24.1.1944
7:10
Yak-1 6./JG 52 66 643 at 200m
62
24.1.1944
12:48
Yak-1 6./JG 52 66594 at 200m
63
7.2.1944
11:05
Yak-7 6./JG 52 66 643 at 4.000m
64
7.2.1944
13:43
Yak-9 6./JG 52 66 532 at 2.000m
65
12.2.1944
8:36
Yak-9 6./JG 52 66 641
66
15.2.1944
8:37
P-39 6./JG 52 66 641 at 4.000m
67
11.3.1944
11:50
Yak-7 6./JG 52 46 343: at 4.500m
68
11.3.1944
15:00
Yak-7 6./JG 52 37 854: at 4.000m
69
13.3.1944
8:37
Yak-7 6./JG 52 56 794: at 2.000m
70
13.3.1944
8:42
Il-2 6./JG 52 56 873
71
16.3.1944
14:15
Yak-9 6./JG 52 47 773: at 6.000m
72
17.3.1944
10:05
Yak-7 6./JG 52 46 352
73
17.3.1944
13:38
Yak-7 6./JG 52 47 773 at 500m
74
18.3.1944
16:50
Yak-7 6./JG 52 36 283
75
22.3.1944
10:40
LaGG-3 6./JG 52 66 538: at 2.000m
76
22.3.1944
10:45
Yak-7 6./JG 52 66 641: at 1.000m
77
7.5.1944
8:34
Yak-1 6./JG 52 35 611: at 4.500m
78
7.5.1944
10:35
Yak-7 6./JG 52 35 474: at 2.000m
79
7.5.1944
14:25
Il-2 6./JG 52 35 612: at 300m
80
7.5.1944
14:40
Yak-7 6./JG 52 35 453: at 1.500m
81
7.5.1944
18:05
P-39 6./JG 52 35 612: at 3.000m
82
7.5.1944
18:25
Yak-7 6./JG 52 35 443: at 2.000m
83
8.5.1944
15:40
Yak-7 6./JG 52 35 472: at 2.000m
84
9.5.1944
11:35
Il-2 6./JG 52 35 611: at 800m
85
9.5.1944
11:38
Yak-7 6./JG 52 35 472: at 2.000m
86
9.5.1944
11:43
Yak-7 6./JG 52 35 473: at 1.500m
87
30.5.1944
11:42
P-39 6./JG 52 78 623: at 3.000m
88
30.5.1944
17:27
P-39 6./JG 52 78 672: at 2.500m
89
31.5.1944
8:45
P-39 6./JG 52 78 812: at 1.000m
90
31.5.1944
12:19
P-39 6./JG 52 7864 Mitte: at 3.000m
91
31.5.1944
16:40
Yak-1 6./JG 52 78 643: at 1.000m
92
31.5.1944
16:44
P-39 6./JG 52 78 642: at 1.600m
93
2.6.1944
8:55
Pe-2 6./JG 52 78 683: at 3.000m
94
2.6.1944
14:47
Yak-7 6./JG 52 78 563: at 1.500m
95
2.6.1944
16:05
P-39 6./JG 52 78 564: at 5.000m
96
6.6.1944
8:04
Pe-2 6./JG 52 78 652: at 6.000m
97
8.6.1944
10:30
LaGG-5 6./JG 52 78 551: at 4.000m
98
8.6.1944
10:36
LaGG-5 6./JG 52 78 552: at 3.500m
99
8.6.1944
13:13
P-39 6./JG 52 78 562: at 6.000m
100
8.6.1944
13:14
P-39 6./JG 52 78 141: at 6.000m
101
8.6.1944
19:22
Il-2 6./JG 52 78 592: at 300m
102
22.8.1944
13:25
Boston 6./JG 52 97 573: at 5.000m
103
3.3.1945
-
P-51 6./JG 52 Hungary
104
16.4.1945
-
P-39 6./JG 52 -
 

Victories : 104
Awards : Ehrenpokal (2 October 1943)
                Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (17 October 1943)
                Ritterkreuz (9 June 1944)
Units : JG 52, JG 7, JV 44