Wolfgang Späte

Infobox Military Person
name=Wolfgang Späte
born=birth date|1911|9|8|df=y
died=dda|1997|4|30|1911|9|8|df=y


caption=Wolfgang Späte
placeofbirth=Dresden
placeofdeath=Edewecht
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (to 1945)
flagicon|West Germany West Germany
branch=Heer, Luftwaffe
serviceyears=?-1945, 1956-1967
rank=Major (Wehrmacht)
Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
commands=5./JG 54, IV./JG 54, JG 400, I./JG 7
unit=JG 54, JG 400, JG 7
battles=World War II
awards=Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
laterwork=Bundeswehr

Major Wolfgang Späte (born 8 September, 1911 in Dresden – died 30 April, 1997 in Edewecht) was German World War II Luftwaffe 99 victories Flying ace. Serving with Jagdgeschwader 54 on the Eastern front front, Jagdgeschwader 400 and Jagdgeschwader 7 in Western Europe, he is credited with the destruction of 99 enemy aircraft shot down in over 600 combat missions. He claimed five confirmed victories with the Messerschmitt Me 262 [For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see "List of German World War II Jet aces"] .

Before World War II Späte was a well-known and award-winning glider pilot and a student of the TH Darmstadt. After serving with an Me109 squadron, he became head of the testing program for the Messerschmitt Me 163 "Komet" and flew this advanced rocket plane on several occasions. When the Me 163 was deemed combat-ready, the testing program was disbanded and Späte transferred to a combat unit on the Eastern Front. He served in various squadrons during the hectic, last-ditch air defense of the Reich.

In 1956 he rejoined the military service in the Bundeswehr. Oberstleutnant Späte retired on 30 September 1967.

Awards

* Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (9 August 1941)
* German Cross in Gold (9 December 1941)
* Iron Cross
** 2nd Class (8 November 1939)
** 1st Class (27 June 1940)
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross (5 October 1941)
** 90. Oak Leaves (23 April 1942)

References

*cite web |title=Lexikon der Wehrmacht|work=Wolfgang Späte|url=http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/S/SpaeteW.htm|accessdate=28 September|accessyear=2007
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Morgan, Hugh & Weal, John. "German Jet Aces of World War 2". Orsprey Publishing Limited, 1998. ISBN 1-85532-634-5.
* Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II". Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
* Späte, Wolfgang. "Der streng geheime Vogel Me 163". DÖRFLER im NEBEL VERLAG GmbH. ISBN 978-3-89555-142-0.

Persondata
NAME=Späte, Wolfgang
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=German World War II fighter pilot
DATE OF BIRTH=September 8, 1911
PLACE OF BIRTH=Dresden, Germany
DATE OF DEATH=30 April 30, 1997
PLACE OF DEATH=Edewecht, Germany