WWII Luftwaffe Stuka Pilot Oblt Wanner Soldbuch & Wehrpass Set – Ju 87 D-5 – 189 Missions! – Missing in Action – FFS Gold – Ultra Rare

Description

We lately got in a set of nice documents, coupled by the former collector with original awards.

Although they were not the pilots awards and are offered here separately, we do not split groups that belong together. 

Oberleutnant Will Wanner

Born in 1920, he was enlisted after volunteering in the Luftwaffe in 1940.

He went though almost three years of schooling on the Stuka before joining his Stuka unit in December of 1942.

Wanner served with III/ Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 

1943 SG 77 seen extensive action on the Eastern Front.

• By 20 December 1942 III./StG 77 had only seven serviceable dive-bombers.
• III./StG 77 lost 29 ground crew on the retreat from Rossosh to Kharkov. It probably took part in the air battles but was decimated and withdrawn to Würzburg. It was rebuilt with 37 Ju 87s and 245 officers and sent to Luftflotte 2, II. Fliegerkorps. The group moved to Cagliari, but was not to be used until the Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky). In the event, the airfields were so badly damaged on the island it was ordered to return to IV. Fliegerkorps on 27 April 1943
• On 8 July, StG 77 supported the Großdeutschland against the fortified village of Syrtsevo. StG 77 lost five Ju 87s and another damaged in combat with the 240 IAP. The air corps claimed, with contributions from SG 1, 84 Soviet tanks destroyed, 21 damaged, 40 vehicles destroyed, and five artillery pieces along with two anti-aircraft guns and two rocket launchers. By the evening of 8 July, 16 dive-bombers had been lost. The Germans halved the amount of Stuka sorties over the ensuing days.
• On 11 July, 9./StG 77, under III./StG 77 lost another five Ju 87s as it supported attacks against the 69th Army. The 183 IAP were their attackers. In the afternoon, 50 Ju 87s supported the 1st SS Panzer Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler’s attack on Hill 252.2. On 12 July StG 77 was involved in the Battle of Prokhorovka. While the Ju 87s could only fly 150 sorties in support, but with StG 2 the attacked with great success against Soviet armour advancing in the open. The 31st Tank Brigade, of the 29th Tank Corps, suffered heavy casualties. The 36th Tank Brigade’s commander was wounded by aircraft when his tank was destroyed. On 14 July, another six Ju 87s were lost supporting the XXXXVIII Panzer Corps
• The German offensive continued in the southern sector, but Operation Roland failed and the Red Army took time to begin the counter offensive, Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev. Soviet forces slowly pressed the Germans back. On 19 July 7./StG 77 was wiped out by a Soviet attack on the base at Kramatorskaya and 4./StG 77 lost another three to Soviet fighters.
• At the beginning of August 1943, the Soviet summer counter offensives began. StG 77 lost 24 dive-bombers and 30 damaged between 5 and 31 July 1943. Their losses from July to December 1942 were just 23. The Stuka arm had also lost eight Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross holders—Karl Fitzner of 5./StG 77 was one of them; he was shot down and killed on 8 July.III./StG 77 operated in the Kharkov and Belgorod sectors, after the fall of the latter on 5 August. From 6 to 12 August it lost four Ju 87s in combat and another three in the retreat to prevent their capture. On 17 August it was at Poltava, and the following day 7./StG 77 lost another four in combat near Sumy; four men were killed and two wounded. The group retreated to Stalino and lost another three on 2 and 3 September while 8. and 9. Staffel lost two Ju 87s near Kharkov on 5 September.

Awards

4.12.1941 – Pilots Badge

8.7.1943 – Iron Cross Second Class

8.7.1943 – Front Flying Clasp in Bronze

26.7.1943 – Iron Cross First Class

24.7.1943 – Front Flying Clasp in Silver

6.2.1944   – Front Flying Clasp in Gold

He flew a total of 189 Missions, according to the Luftwaffe Officer Lists he was shot down by Anti Aircraft Fire over Bialystok.  

WANNER, Willi. 01.06.44 promo to Oblt./A1. 27.07.44 Oblt., 7./SG 77 MIA – Ju 87 D-5 (S2+CR) shotdown by AA vic Bialystok.

According to the German War graves online archive he was never buried… 

The both Certificates for the Front Clasps are attached to a card by the previous collector. Condition is as photographed.