Robert Heuer

Robert Heuer
Birth date	9 November 1916
Place of birth	Sievershausen, Province of Hanover, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date	25 October 1951 (aged 34)
Place of death	Peine, Lower Saxony, West Germany
Allegiance	National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1937–1945
Rank	1st Lieutenant (Kr.O.)
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	German Cross in Gold Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Robert Heuer (9 November 1916 – 25 October 1951) was a German officer of the Wehrmacht, pilot of the Luftwaffe and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. He must not be confused with the fighter ace Luftwaffe NCO Robert Heuer (d. 29 March 2000), who flew in the Fighter Wings 51, 3 and 7 (Messerschmitt Me 262).

Life

After school, apprenticeship and mandatory service in the Reichsarbeitsdienst (RAD; Reich Labour Service), Heuer joined the Luftwaffe in 1937 as a NCO candidate and was trained for the next two years (beginning at the Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung 12 under Hans Gandert) as a long-range reconnaissance pilot (Fernaufklärer).

WWII

He took part in the Poland and Western Campaign flying the Dornier Do 17 F. In 1941, before the Operation Barbarossa, the 4th (long-range) Squadron of the Aufklärungs-Gruppe 14 (14th Reconnaissance Group) was re-equipped with the Junkers Ju 88. NCO (Unteroffizier) Heuer was eventually promoted to sergeant (Feldwebel) and senior sergeant (Oberfeldwebel). In 1942, he had already flown over 100 long-range combat missions (Feindflüge) and exceptionally distinguished himself time and time again.

On 1 December 1942, he was commissioned as Leutnant (2nd Lieutenant) and Kriegsoffizier; Kr.O. (war officer) and was promoted on 1 June 1943 to Oberleutnant (1st Lieutenant; Kr.O.). In 1944, after receiving the Knight's Cross and further training, he flew in Zerstörer (Messerschmitt Bf 110) and fighter school (Messerschmitt Bf 109) units.

Battles

• Poland Campaign
• Battle of France
• Battle of Britain
• Operation Barbarossa
• Defense of the Reich (Reichsluftverteidigung)

Last combat mission

On 13 September 1944, Heuer was leading the 3rd Squadron of the Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost und fighter ace Major Viktor Bauer against the terror bombers of the USAAF attacking Wiesbaden and Darmstadt, among other targets. Heuer was shot down over the Wiesbaden area and crash-landed. He survived, but was very severly wounded. He was transported to a hospital in Wiesbaden and later to a military hospital. The war was over for him.

Death

Heuer never really healed and his damaged body gave up in 1951. He was ceremoniously buried in Peine.

Awards and decorations

• Pilot Badge (Flugzeugführerabzeichen)
• Iron Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class
  • 2nd Class on 20 September 1939
  • 1st Class on 13 October 1939
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Bronze, Silver and Gold with Pendant
  • Bronze on 1 April 1941
  • Silver on 10 October 1941
  • Gold on 12 April 1942
  • Star pennant on 31 July 1943
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg) on 7 April 1942 as Oberfeldwebel
• Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal
• Wound Badge (1939) in Black and Silver
  • Silver on 14 October 1944
• German Cross in Gold on 26 February 1943 as Leutnant in the 4. (Fern-)Staffel/Aufklärungs-Gruppe 14
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 April 1944 as Oberleutnant and pilot in the 4. (Fern-)Staffel/Aufklärungs-Gruppe 14

Further reading

• Walther-Peer Fellgiebel: Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German), Podzun-Pallas, Wölfersheim 2000, ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6
  • English: 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, expanded edition, 2000
• Klaus D. Patzwall / Veit Scherzer: Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941–1945 Geschichte und Inhaber, Band II (in German), Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt 2001, ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8