Walter Sigel

Walter Sigel (12 January 1906 – 8 May 1944) was a German air officer during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. He led the German bombers during the bombing of Wieluń, the first aerial bombing (and has been described as the first war crime) of the war. Sigel died on 8 May 1944 after crashing his aircraft into Trondheim Fjord.

Walter Sigel
Born	12 January 1906 Ulm
Died	8 May 1944(1944-05-08) (aged 38) Trondheimsfjord
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1934–1944
Rank	Oberst (colonel)
Commands	StG 3
Battles / wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Sigel was the commanding officer of Sturzkampfgeschwader 76 during the Junkers Ju 87 dive bombing demonstration at Neuhammer, present-day Świętoszów, Poland, on 15 August 1939. Observing the demonstration were the senior Luftwaffe commanders, including Generals Hugo Sperrle, Bruno Loerzer, and Wolfram von Richthofen. The lower cloud layer, which was believed to be at 900 metres (3,000 ft), was only at 100 metres (330 ft). While Sigel managed to just barely pull out in time, 13 other Ju 87 crews crashed to their death. The event became known as the "Neuhammer Stuka Disaster" (Neuhammer Stuka-Unglück).^[1]

Awards and decorations

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (17 September 1939)^[2]
  • 1st Class (20 June 1940)^[2]
• German Cross in Gold on 24 April 1942 as Major in the I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 3^[3]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 21 July 1940 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of I./Sturzkampfgeschwader 3^{[4][Note 1]}
  • 116th Oak Leaves on 2 September 1942 as Oberstleutnant and Geschwaderkommodore of Schlachtgeschwader 3^[5][6]