Edwin Thiel

Thiel was born on 19 June 1913 in Oberbexbach in the Saarland, which at the time was politically part of the Kingdom of Bavaria of the German Empire. Prior to World War II, he qualified as a civil pilot and flew with Deutsche Luft Hansa and served a flight instructor. In late 1941, Thiel was posted to I. Gruppe (1st group) of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing).{{sfn|Obermaier|1989|p=215}}

On 29 May 1942, Thiel was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 2. Staffel of JG 51. He succeeded Leutnant Erwin Fleig who had been shot down behind enemy lines and became a prisoner of war.{{sfn|Prien|Stemmer|Rodeike|Bock|2006|pp=265, 274}} In July 1943, Thiel was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost, specialized training unit for new fighter pilots destined for the Eastern Front, as an instructor. There, he commanded the 1. Staffel. Thiel was replaced by Oberleutnant Horst Haase as commander of 2. Staffel of JG 51.{{sfn|Prien|Stemmer|Rodeike|Bock|2012|p=486}}

In May 1944, Thiel transferred back to JG 51. There, he was given command of the Stabsstaffel which had temporarily been led by Leutnant Herbert Friebel after Oberleutnant Diethelm von Eichel-Streiber was transferred in April 1944.{{sfn|Prien|Stemmer|Balke|Bock|2022|p=256}} Thiel was killed in action on 14 July 1944 when his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-8 (Werknummer 170943—factory number) was shot down by Soviet anti-aircraft artillery {{convert|2|km|mi|abbr=off|sp=us}} east of Vawkavysk.{{sfn|Prien|Stemmer|Balke|Bock|2022|p=264}} Command of the Stabsstaffel was then given to Oberleutnant Heinz Busse.{{sfn|Prien|Stemmer|Balke|Bock|2022|p=256}}

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Thiel was credited with 76 aerial victories.{{sfn|Zabecki|2014|p=1615}} Spick also lists him with 76 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.{{sfn|Spick|1996|p=237}} Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 71 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front in over 300 combat missions.{{sfn|Mathews|Foreman|2015|pp=1317–1317}}

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 37651". The Luftwaffe grid map ({{lang|de|Jägermeldenetz}}) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about {{Convert|360|sqmi|sqkm}}. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area {{Convert|3|x|4|km|mi|abbr=on|sp=us}} in size.{{sfn|Planquadrat}}

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class{{sfn|Dixon|2023|p=21}}
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 15 June 1942 as Leutnant and pilot{{sfn|Patzwall|2008|p=204}}
• German Cross in Gold on 9 September 1942 as Leutnant in the I./Jagdgeschwader 51{{sfn|Patzwall|Scherzer|2001|p=473}}
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 April 1943 as Oberleutnant and Staffelführer of the 2./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"{{sfn|Fellgiebel|2000|p=421}}{{refn|According to Scherzer as Staffelkapitän of the 2./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders".{{sfn|Scherzer|2007|p=741}}|group="Note"}}

{{Reflist|group="Note"}}

{{Reflist|25em}}

{{Refbegin|30em}}

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|trans-title=The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches

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|trans-title=The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War

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|trans-title=The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives

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{{Refend}}

• [http://www.luftwaffe39-45.historia.nom.br/ases/thiel.htm Luftwaffe 1939–1945 History]
• [https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/27278 TracesOfWar.com]
• [http://www.luftwaffe.cz/thiel.html Aces of the Luftwaffe]

{{Knight's Cross recipients of JG 51}}

{{Subject bar

| portal1=Aviation

| portal2=Biography

}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thiel, Edwin}}

Category:1913 births

Category:1944 deaths

Category:People from Saarpfalz-Kreis

Category:Luftwaffe pilots

Category:German World War II flying aces

Category:Recipients of the Gold German Cross

Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Category:Military personnel from the Rhine Province

Category:Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II

Category:Aviators killed by being shot down

Category:Military personnel from Saarland