Otto Tange

Otto Tange (22 September 1915 – 30 July 1943) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Tange claimed 68 aerial victories, 3 over the Western Front and 65 over the Eastern Front. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Otto Tange
Born	22 September 1915 Hochdonn
Died	30 July 1943(1943-07-30) (aged 27) Bolkhov
Cause of death	Killed in action
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	?–1943
Rank	Oberleutnant (first lieutenant)
Unit	JG 51
Battles / wars	World War II Battle of France Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kursk
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Tange was born on 22 September 1915 in Hochdonn in the Province of Schleswig-Holstein within the German Empire.^[1]

He was a member of the Luftwaffe at the beginning of the war and participated in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain. During the Battle of Britain he claimed his first three victories. Tange then participated in Operation Barbarossa, by the end of 1941 he claimed 33 more victories. On 19 March 1942 Otto Tange was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for having 40 victories.

On 11 July 1943, Tange was posted to the Stabsstaffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). On 30 July, his third mission with the Stabsstaffel, Tange was killed in action when his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 was hit by Soviet anti-aircraft artiller 35 kilometers (22 miles) southwest of Bolkhov.^[2][3] Posthumously, Tange was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant).^[4]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Tange was credited with 68 aerial victories.^[5] Spick also lists him with 68 aerial victories claimed in 426 combat missions.^[6] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 63 aerial victory claims, plus two further unconfirmed claims. This number includes one claim on the Western Front with others claimed on the Eastern Front.^[7]

Chronicle of aerial victories
This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[8] At the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 7 June 1941
1?[Note 1]	10 July 1940	12:10	Spitfire	northwest of Dover[9]	3	5 March 1941	15:14	Spitfire	Le Touquet[10]
2?[Note 1]	15 August 1940	20:05	Hurricane	south of Clacton-on-Sea[11]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 – Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
4	25 June 1941	10:55	SB-2	northeast of Vyhanaščanskaje Lake[12]	20	6 September 1941	09:48	I-16	10 km (6.2 mi) north of Bryansk[13]
5	25 June 1941	10:55	SB-2	northeast of Vyhanaščanskaje Lake[12]	21	9 September 1941	13:42	Pe-2	10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Konotop[14]
6	25 June 1941	11:00	SB-2	northeast of Vyhanaščanskaje Lake[12]	22	9 September 1941	16:13	Pe-2	10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Novgorod[14]
7	30 June 1941	08:05	SB-3	50 km (31 mi) east of Sevsk[12]	23	13 September 1941	10:03	DB-3	15 km (9.3 mi) east of Konotop[14]
8	1 July 1941	14:17	I-16	3 km (1.9 mi) northeast of Horodok[15]	24	13 September 1941	10:07	DB-3	20 km (12 mi) east of Konotop[14]
9	12 July 1941	17:51	DB-3	10 km (6.2 mi) east of Shklow[16]	25	13 September 1941	10:12	DB-3	27 km (17 mi) east of Konotop[14]
10	12 July 1941	17:55	DB-3	24 km (15 mi) east of Shklow[16]	26	14 September 1941	16:28	V-11 (Il-2)	35 km (22 mi) southwest of Konotop[14]
11	13 July 1941	12:20	Pe-2	10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Gorki[16]	27	14 September 1941	16:33	V-11 (Il-2)	35 km (22 mi) southwest of Konotop[14]
12	15 July 1941	18:33	DB-3	20 km (12 mi) west of Mstislawl[16]	28	27 September 1941	11:10	I-18 (MiG-1)	40 km (25 mi) east of Schatalowka[17]
13	16 July 1941	12:45	DB-3	3 km (1.9 mi) south of Smolensk[16]	29	4 October 1941	12:16 (MiG-1)	I-18	20 km (12 mi) east of Dmitrovsk[17]
14	28 July 1941	16:59	V-11 (Il-2)	8 km (5.0 mi) north of Propojsk[16]	30	4 October 1941	12:43	DB-3	25 km (16 mi) east of Kromy[17]
15	23 August 1941	18:00	DB-3	Wysokaja[13]	31	29 October 1941	12:50	DB-3	30 km (19 mi) east of Mtsensk[18]
16	30 August 1941	17:19	I-61 (MiG-3)	5 km (3.1 mi) east of Stajnja[13]	32	28 November 1941	13:05	I-18 (MiG-1)	10 km (6.2 mi) east of Venyov[18]
17	1 September 1941	16:18	R-3	7 km (4.3 mi) east of Sechtschinskaja[13]	33	2 December 1941	12:38	I-18 (MiG-1)	15 km (9.3 mi) west of Moscow[18]
18	2 September 1941	09:31	R-3	8 km (5.0 mi) east of Sechtschinskaja[13]	34	2 December 1941	15:02	I-18	25 km (16 mi) northwest of Moscow[18]
19	2 September 1941	09:34	R-3	20 km (12 mi) southeast of Sechtschinskaja[13]	35	4 December 1941	12:53	I-61 (MiG-3)	10 km (6.2 mi) south of Kaschira[18]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" – Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942
36	14 December 1941	13:28	Pe-2	35 km (22 mi) south of Serpukhov[19]	43	5 April 1942	12:18	MiG-3	30 km (19 mi) northeast of Scharkowka airfield[20]
37	13 January 1942	15:03	DB-3	40 km (25 mi) west of Kaluga[19]	44	6 April 1942	11:25	Yak-1	5 km (3.1 mi) west of Mosalsk airfield[20]
38	21 January 1942	12:23	Pe-2	5 km (3.1 mi) south of Terenowka[19]	45	6 April 1942	11:28	Yak-1	5 km (3.1 mi) west of Mosalsk airfield[20]
39	27 January 1942	13:09	R-Z	Mozhaysk airfield[21]	46	6 April 1942	11:32	Yak-1	5 km (3.1 mi) west of Mosalsk airfield[20]
40	27 January 1942	13:21	R-Z	5 km (3.1 mi) south of Mozhaysk airfield[21]	47	6 April 1942	11:34	Yak-1	5 km (3.1 mi) west of Mosalsk airfield[20]
41	31 March 1942	14:55	I-16	5 km (3.1 mi) west of Klimowo airfield[20]	48	27 April 1942	18:03	I-16	10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Mtsensk[20]
42	5 April 1942	09:47	Yak-1	5 km (3.1 mi) west of Mosalsk airfield[20]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" – Eastern Front — 1 May – 7 October 1942
49	16 May 1942	18:45	Boston	5 km (3.1 mi) east of Shulie[22]	58	27 August 1942	17:57	Il-2	15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Oryol[23]
50	16 May 1942	18:47	Yak-1	7 km (4.3 mi) northeast of Shulie[22]	59	29 August 1942	11:42	Il-2	18 km (11 mi) southwest of Kosalsk[23]
51	16 May 1942	18:50	Yak-1	5 km (3.1 mi) northeast of Kudinowo[22]	60	29 August 1942	11:47	Il-2	15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Kosalsk[23]
52	12 August 1942	12:15	MiG-3	4 km (2.5 mi) west of Belyov[24]	61	5 September 1942	17:04	Il-2	11 km (6.8 mi) southeast of Sychyovka[23]
53	22 August 1942	12:05	MiG-3	6 km (3.7 mi) west of Kosalsk[24]	62	14 September 1942	09:53	Il-2	PQ 47641[25]
54	22 August 1942	18:10	MiG-3	4 km (2.5 mi) west of Belyov[24]	63	14 September 1942	10:02	MiG-3	PQ 47563[25]
55	23 August 1942	06:43	Pe-2	18 km (11 mi) east of Uljanowo[23]	64	14 September 1942	10:09	Il-2	PQ 47524[25]
56	23 August 1942	06:48	Il-2	18 km (11 mi) east of Uljanowo[23]	65	30 September 1942	12:08	R-5	PQ 47484[26]
57	27 August 1942	17:49	MiG-3	13 km (8.1 mi) northeast of Oryol[23]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class^[4]
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 1 September 1941 as Feldwebel in a Jagdgeschwader^[27]
• German Cross in Gold on 24 November 1941 as Feldwebel in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 51^[28]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 March 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 4./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"^[29][30]

Notes

1. According to Mathews and Foreman, this claim was unconfirmed.^[8]