Günther Scheel
German flying ace
Died when: 21 years 235 days (259 months)Star Sign: Sagittarius
Günther Scheel (23 November 1921 – 16 July 1943) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II.A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.
He is credited with 71 enemy aircraft shot down in only 70 combat missions, all of which he claimed over the Eastern Front.
He is the only pilot with over ten victories known to have scored a strike rate higher than 1:1, having achieved more combat kills than his missions flown.
Born in Dannenberg, he was trained as a fighter pilot and was posted to Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in early 1943.
At the time JG 54 was based at airfields near Leningrad where he claimed his first aerial victory on 9 February 1943 during the Siege of Leningrad.
In July 1943, his unit was moved to an airfield at Oryol, where it fought in Operation Citadel.In 12 days of combat during the Battle of Kursk, Scheel claimed 31 further aerial victories.
On 16 July, he claimed his 71st and last aerial victory before he had a mid-air collision with a Soviet fighter.
Crashing behind enemy lines, he was reported missing in action, presumed killed in action.Posthumously, Scheel was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
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