Ulrich Steinhilper
Ulrich Steinhilper | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1918-09-14 Stuttgart, Germany |
| Died | 2009-10-20 Stuttgart, Germany |
| Occupation(s) | Luftwaffe fighter ace, IBM typewriter salesman, author |
| Years active | 1936–2009 |
| Known for | World War II flying ace, early proponent of word processing |
| Notable work | A Spitfire on My Tail, Ten Minutes to Buffalo, Full Circle, Don't Talk – Do It! |
Ulrich Steinhilper (14 September 1918 – 20 October 2009) was a distinguished World War II Luftwaffe fighter ace noted for his numerous escape attempts after being downed. Following the war, he pursued a career as an IBM typewriter salesman and emerged as an early proponent of word processing, with some attributing to him either the invention of the term or the initial development of the idea.
Early life
Steinhilper was born in Stuttgart, Germany, amid a World War I aerial bombardment. His father worked as an educator. In 1936, he completed high school ahead of schedule after successfully passing the Luftwaffe’s flight training examination.
Luftwaffe ace
After receiving his Pilot's Badge, Steinhilper was assigned in 1939 to Jagdgeschwader 433, serving as adjutant to Adolf Galland. As the youngest officer, he took on the role of communications officer, overseeing both ground-to-ground and ground-to-air communications via radio and field telephone equipment. Despite opposition from pilots such as Galland, who regarded radios as unnecessary burdens, Steinhilper showcased their strategic benefits during a major exercise led by General Hugo Sperrle; however, these results were largely disregarded.
His squadron, later redesignated I/JG 52, defended the Ruhr area during the 1939 Polish invasion and engaged sporadically in combat during the Battle of France, piloting Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighters. Beginning in August 1940, he completed over 150 sorties during the Battle of Britain, including seven missions in one day, earning ace status. On 19 August, he destroyed two or three Spitfires on the ground at RAF Manston and recorded his first confirmed aerial victory on 19 September. His tally includes several Spitfires and a Bristol Blenheim.
Steinhilper described a mission on 30 September escorting Junkers Ju 88 bombers over London; many Bf 109 pilots exhausted their fuel on return flights and were forced to bail out into the English Channel, resulting in numerous fatalities.
On 27 October, he was shot down near Canterbury by Sergeant Bill Skinner of No. 74 Squadron RAF and became a prisoner of war after safely parachuting. The wreckage of his Bf 109E was recovered in 1980 and is exhibited at the Kent Battle of Britain Museum’s Dowding Memorial Hangar.
Escape attempts
In January 1941, Steinhilper was transferred to Canada for internment at Camp W (later Camp 100) in Neys, Ontario, or Camp 30 in Bowmanville, Ontario. His first escape occurred on 23 November; he remained free for two days before being apprehended near Niagara Falls, Ontario. Weeks later, he made another attempt reaching Montreal’s Windsor Station. On 18 February 1942, together with Albert Waller, he reached Watertown, New York, before capture. Subsequently, he was moved to Camp 20 in Gravenhurst, Ontario, where he attempted two additional escapes without success.
Following the war’s conclusion in 1945, Steinhilper returned to Germany and was released by late 1946.
IBM and later life
After the war, Steinhilper held various positions before joining IBM Germany as a typewriter sales representative. In 1955, he introduced the term "Textverarbeitung" ("word processing"), with some accounts crediting him as the concept’s originator. Nevertheless, Thomas Haig from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee pointed out that the English phrase predates its German counterpart, though "Textverarbeitung" gained broader usage earlier. Initially, IBM Germany showed limited enthusiasm for this innovation. When word processing became widely accepted in 1971, IBM honored him with an Outstanding Achievement Award and sponsored a global tour recognizing him as "the author and advocate" of the concept.
Steinhilper wrote four autobiographies: A Spitfire on My Tail, Ten Minutes to Buffalo, and Full Circle detail his wartime experiences; Don't Talk – Do It! focuses on his life after the war. The first three were also issued in German editions.
Ulrich Steinhilper passed away on 20 October 2009 at age 91 in Stuttgart.
External links
- Official homepage
- Excerpts from the 1985 documentary Churchill's Few:
- World War II clips showing Steinhilper’s takeoff from Calais and his return to the parachute landing site (1:05–3:45)
- Retrieval of his aircraft wreckage and a visit to a museum (11:55–15:20)
- Steinhilper’s concise remarks on the Battle of Britain (17:47–18:07) available on YouTube
- Imperial War Museum record of the 1990 BBC Radio interview with Steinhilper
- Sunday Daily Telegraph 1990 feature "The spoils of war", which includes a wartime image of Steinhilper
- Liverpool Daily Post 1985 article "The fateful Few", containing a postwar photograph of Steinhilper alongside his Messerschmitt wreckage