Lehwess-Litzmann, Walter

Date of birth:: June 5th, 1907 (Bromberg, (Bydgoszcz, Posen, Germany)
Date of death:: September 16th, 1986 (Wildau-Zeuthen, Germany)
Nationality:: German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

Grandson of General of the Infantry Karl Litzmann, a National-Socialist deputy and Alterpräsident of the German Reichstag, he was spared restrictions to his career
Aufklärer, Kampfflieger and Generalstabsoffizier credited with about 160 combat missions
01.04.1925: joined the Reichswehr
00.00.1925: Offiziersanwärter, 5. Schwadron, Reiterregiment 9
00.00.1926: Unteroffizierslehrgang, Kavallerieschule Hannover
01.01.1929: promoted to Leutnant
00.00.1929: privately took flight training with the Deutschen Aeroklub at Berlin-Staaken
01.02.1933: promoted to Oberleutnant
16.09.1933: badly injured in a crash, spending 12 months in hospital
01.02.1934: joined the Luftwaffe
01.10.1934: transferred to Grosse KFS Prenzlau
07.01.1935: transferred to Aufklärungsfliegerschule in Braunschweig for training as an observer
01.10.1935: Oberleutnant, appointed Staka, 2. Staffel, Aufkl.Gr. Ob.d.L.
00.00.1936: promoted to Hauptmann
00.02.1937: Adjutant, Stab, Höheren Fliegerkommandeur 5
01.03.1937: Hauptmann, Aufkl.Gr. 122 Prenzlau, transferred to Stab, Luftkreis III
00.03.1938: Ia, Lw.Kdo. Österreich
00.00.1939: at Luftkriegsakademie Berlin-Gatow
01.11.1939: Hptm. i.G., transferred from Stab, II. Fliegerkorps to Gen.St.d.Lw.
10.04.1940: Ia, X. Fliegerkorps and promoted to Major i.G.
00.04.1941-00.10.1941: Major i.G., Kdr, III./ KG 1
07.07.1941: crash-landed his Ju 88 A-5 coded 'V4+AD' near the coast during an attack on Pernau airfield, Estonia - escaped back to the German lines
00.11.1941: transferred to Stab, Luftflotte 5
00.00.1942: Chef des Stabes, Sonderstab Finland and Fliegerführer Nord (Ost)
00.00.1942: promoted to Oberstleutnant i.G.
13.03.1943: Obstlt.i.G., in Ob.d.L. pool, appointed Kommodore KG 3
06.04.1943-07.09.1943: Kommodore, KG 3 'Blitz'
18.07.1943: shot down in flames near Kharkov, making a belly-landing in safe territory
07.09.1943: MIA/POW when Ju 88A-4 Werknummer 550.202 coded "5K + AA" crashed at Bulowka after being hit by flak or due to sabotage by partisans.
Remaining crew :
-StbsFw Stefan Rajek (DKiG), Beobachter, bailed out, severely WIA, captured and reported KIA in a German air attack en route to a Soviet field hospital
-Uffz Ulrich Oelner, Bordfunker, KIA in the crash
-Gefr Günther Herzog, Borschütze, Soviet POW
Collaborated with his Soviet captors joining the 'Nationalkomitee Freies Deutschland' (NKFD) movement
29.10.1943: Oberstleutnant i.G., Kommodore, Kampfgeschwader 3, posthumously awarded the RK
01.09.1943: posthumously promoted to Oberst i.G. - RDA 01.09.1943
06.06.1944: editor and military commentator with Soviet propaganda radio broadcasts
01.08.1944: still officially listed as MIA
09.12.1945: released
00.00.1946: worked as an editor for the "Berliner Zeitung" and the "peace committee" of the GDR
00.07.1952: began working for the Volkspolizei-Luftwaffe
00.00.1953: received flight training from Soviet instructors
00.05.1957: Oberst i.G., involved in the flight training for the DDR air force
00.07.1957: Kdr. Fliegerschule Bautzen
00.07.1959: left the military and began some association with Lufthansa (East)
16.11.1968: badly injured in an auto accident