• Messerschmitt Bf 109
• Messerschmitt Me 262

Date of birth:

May 26th, 1916 (Weipert/Bohemia, Austrian-Hungarian Empire)

Date of death:

May 19th, 2001 (Freiberg/Saxony, Germany)

Nationality:

Austrian

Viktor Pertermann was born in Weipert, Bohemia on 26th May 1916. After his primary education he studied engineering and worked in the textile industry. Before the Second World War he learned flying with glider planes.

On 30th July 1939, Petermann joined the Luftwaffe. His training was received with the Fliegerausbildungs-Regiment 53 which was based at Straubing in Eastern Prussia. After basic training he attended his flying courses between April 1940 and March 1941 at Halberstadt, Bromberg and Jüterbog. Practical training as fighter pilot was received with the Jagdfliegerschule 3, at Märkisch and his operational training with the Jagdgruppe Drontheim. In October 1941 he was transferred to the 2. / Ergänzungsgruppe / Jagdgeschwader 52. He left for the Eastern Front on 15th June 1942 with the rank of Unteroffizier. At first Petermann was assigned to the Geschwaderstaffel (Stab Jagdgeschwader 52). His first victory he achieved on 1st July 1942. From March 1943 he served as Rottenführer with 5. / Jagdgeschwader 52. On 26th May 1943 he achieved his 40th air victory and on 6th June he sunk a gunboat. That same day he was shot down with his Messerschmitt Bf 109G-4 (W.Nr. 19257), but managed to make an emergency landing behind Soviet lines. He managed to sneek through the Soviet defences and reached his unit three days later.
After a short recess in hospital, he claimed his 50th victory on 26th July 1943. On 10th September Petermann was transferred to 6. / Jagdgeschwader 52. On 1st October 1943 he was once more shot down with his Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 15851), this time accidently by his own flak, and again managed to make an emergency landing. Due to the fire on board he was severely wounded. His left arm had to be amputated as was the fourth toe of his left foot. From 15th May 1944 he served with the Abteilung Kriegswissenschaft in the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, but was eager to go back to the front. He succeeded in being permitted to fly again and was posted to Stab III. / Jagdgeschwader 52 on 22nd July 1944. He flew for the first time again on 24th September, using an artifical left arm. On 7th January 1945 Petermann was transferred to the 10. / Jagdgeschwader 52 and claimed another four victories. On 30th March 1945 he was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 7 for training duties with the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter but returned to 10. / Jagdgeschwader 52 on 11th April. His last mission took place on 5th May. On 8th May he was captured by US forces at Deutsch Brod in Czechoslowakia and handed over to the Soviets the following day. Due to his wounds he was already released after three months on 26th July 1945.

After the Second World War, Viktor Petermann became a farm labourer in eastern Germany and from 1954 worked as technical engineer and technical adviser for a farm machine production company. He lived his final years of retirement in Freiberg, Saxony, and passed away on 19th May 2001.

During the Second World War, Viktor Petermann achieved 64 victories in 550 sorties and recorded six unconfirmed victories. All of them over the Eastern Front.

Promotions:
1st January 1940: Gefreiter;
1st April 1942: Unteroffizier;
1st February 1943: Felwebel;
1st July 1943: Leutnant;
1st May 1945: Oberleutnant.

Career:
30th July 1939: Fliegerausbildungs-Regiment 53, Straubing;
April 1940 – March 1941: Halberstadt, Bromberg and Jüterbog;
1941: Jagdfliegerschule 3, Märkisch;
1941: Jagdgruppe Drontheim;
October 1941: 2. / Ergänzungsgruppe / Jagdgeschwader 52;
15th June 1942: Stab Jagdgeschwader 52;
March 1943: 5. / Jagdgeschwader 52;
10th September 1943: 6. / Jagdgeschwader 52;
15th May 1944: Reichsluftfahrtministerium;
22nd July 1944: Stab III. / Jagdgeschwader 52;
7th January 1945: 10. / Jagdgeschwader 52;
30th March 1945: Jagdgeschwader 7;
11th April 1945: 10. / Jagdgeschwader 52
8th May 1945: Prisoner of War;
26th July 1945: Released.

Victories:
With Stab Jagdgeschwader 53:
1. 1-7-1942, 14:55, LaGG-3;
2. 2-7-1942, 9:25, MiG-1;
3. 15-8-1942, 6:45, I-153;
4. 24.8-1942, 17:05, 1-mot. Flzg.;
5. 25.8-1942, 15:20, Boston;
6. 7-9-1942, 12:17, Boston;
7. 17-9-1942, 14:27, Su-2;
8. 29-9-1942, 15:48, MiG-1;
9. 6-10-1942, 15:04, LaGG-3;

With 5. / Jagdgeschwader 52:
10. 11-3-1943, 11:40, I-16;
11. 12-2-1943, 14:38, I-153;
12. 13-2-1943, 11:37, I-153;
13. 1-3-1943, 9:40, R-5;
14. 19-3-1943, 9:30, Yak-1;
15. 18-4-1943, 16:20, Il-2;
16. 20-4-1943, 8:40, Yak-1;
17. 20-4-1943, 15:31, LaGG-3;
18. 21-4-1943, 7:10, La-5;
19. 23-4-1943, 5:02, Yak-1;
20. 23-4-1943, 5:08, Yak-1;
21. 25-4-1943, 12:36, R-5;
22. 25-4-1943, 12:39, R-5;
23. 27-4-1943, 17:05, LaGG-3;
24. 28-4-1943, 11:48, Yak-1;
25. 29-4-1943, 13:15, LaGG-3;
26. 30-4-1943, 16:39, Spitfire;
27. 2-5-1943, 8:52, LaGG-3;
28. 3-5-1943, 6:07, LaGG-3;
29. 3-5-1943, 6:34, LaGG-3;
30. 4-5-1943, 14:58, Yak-1;
31. 4-5-1943, 15:18, LaGG-3;
32. 5-5-1943, 9:22, Yak-1;
33. 5-5-1943, 13:32, La-5;
34. 5-5-1943, 17:32, LaGG-3;
35. 6-5-1943, 16:07, Yak-4;
36. 8-5-1943, 17:58, Yak-1;
37. 9-5-1943, 18:22, LaGG-3;
38. 22-5-1943, 6:15, R-5;
39. 26-5-1943, 18:30, Yak-1;
40. 27-5-1943, 14:10, P-39;
41. 28-5-1943, 10:51, P-39;
42. 28-5-1943, 13:21, Yak-1;
43. 31-5-1943, 8:00, Yak-1;
44. 31-5-1943, 14:07, Pe-2;
45. 1-6-1943, 18:18, Yak-1;
46. 2-6-1943, 10:45, P-39;
47. 4-6-1943, 18:17, LaGG-3;
48. 4-6-1943, 18:21, LaGG-3;
49. 23-7-1943, 17:34, Il-2;
50. 26-7-1943, 6:18, Il-2;
51. 26-7-1943, 6:25, Il-2;
52. 26-7-1943, 18:20, Il-2;
53. 31-7-1943, 18:20, P-39;
54 7-9-1943, 17:12, Pe-2;

With 6. / Jagdgeschwader 52:
55. 14-9-1943, 6:17, Yak-1;
56. 25-9-1943, 11:57, Yak-1;
57. 25-9-1943, 12:09, Il-2;
58. 25-9-1943, 12:12, Il-2;
59. 25-9-1943, 12:19, Il-2;
60. 26-9-1943, 7:32, P-40;

With 10. / Jagdgeschwader 52:
61. 16-1-1945, 12:06, Yak-9;
62. 11-2-1945, 12:50, Yak-9;
63. 16-3-1945, 17:08, P-39;
64. 22-3-1945, 15:46, Yak-9.

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• Photo 1: Norbert Beyerlein
• Photo: Beyerlein sammlung
  
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