Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3, Hptm. Horst Tietzen
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Messerschmitt Bf 109E-3, Hptm. Horst Tietzen, commander of 5./JG 51, Desvres, France, July 1940
The cold raven with an umbrella was the emblem of II./JG 51. Later, individual staffel of this group adopted it and had it painted with different colored backgrounds.
Horst Jakob Tietzen was born on July 19, 1912, in Neu-Ostwalder. Leutnant Tietzen scored his first victory during the Spanish Civil War while flying with 3.J/88 of the Condor Legion on July 19, 1938. During the Spanish Civil War, he scored another six victories and was awarded the Spanish Gold Cross with Swords. He later joined 5./JG51 as Staffelkapitan and took part in the Battle of France, where he shot down a Bloch MB174 and a Fairey Battle. With eight victories to his credit, he took part in the Battle of Britain, where he significantly increased his total number of kills with JG51. Fighting Spitfires and Hurricanes during July and August 1940, he shot down three Hurricanes in a single day on August 15. Just three days later, he became only the fourth German pilot to reach 20 kills. However, his luck ran out that day when he was shot down over the mouth of the Thames during a battle with a Hurricane and killed. His body was later washed ashore in Calais. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross and promoted.
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