Thursday, April 15, 2021

Bio of Hauptmann i.G. Otto Schmidt

Otto Schmidt (23 February 1917 - 1 December 2006) was a Channel pilot, Wounded in action 18 August 1940 when his aircraft was damaged during an attack on Thorney Island, Sussex. He managed to return to base with his seriously wounded Radio Operator, Unteroffizier Gerhard Bärsch. Bärsch died of his wounds on 2 October 1940 and was buried in War Cemetery Waldfriedhof Oberrad, Frankfurt Germany. At wars end, Schmidt became a British POW, released in the Fall of 1947.

Otto Schmidt received the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes on 3 September 1942 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän 7.Staffel / III.Gruppe / Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (StG 77). The medal was awarded after flying 527 sorties. He was credited with 555 missions during World War II, destroying 61 tanks, several supply ships and a Soviet submarine in the Black Sea.



Source :
Christian Schudnagies photo collection
https://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?p=2337457#p2337457
https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/26432/Schmidt-Otto-LW-Stuka-Geschwader-77.htm

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