At the outbreak of World War 2, Rohwer was serving with JG 3. Leutnant Detlev Rohwer was assigned to the Stabsstaffel of I./JG 3. He participated in the French campaign and claimed his first victory on 6 June 1940, when he shot down a RAF Blenheim.

On 2 September, during the battle of Britain Rohwer during a mission over Manston, his Bf 109 E was hit in the radiator in aerial combat with RAF Hurricane fighters. He was forced to ditch in the sea just off the coast of France. Fortunately he was observed doing so by several of his colleagues and a motorboat was able to rescue him.
However he was soon back in action and 13 days later he would score two Hurricanes. His last over England would be filed on 9 October, another Hurricane claimed South of London.

After the invasion of the USSR had commenced he would score heavily adding six VVS aircraft in June, another ten in July, seven in August and by claiming his last, a R-10 on 7 September he reached his 28th abschüsse. He had also claimed six aircraft destroyed on the ground. This all was however not without hardships, as he was shot down twice in combat and making belly-landings.

At the beginning of October 1941, I./JG 3 was withdrawn to Germany for rest and refit after which it was relocated to the German and Dutch coastal region. Here Oberleutnant Detlev Rohwer was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 5 October. On 15 January 1942, I./JG 3 was redesigned II./JG 1.

Rohwer commanded the Stabskompanie and, from 20 March, the 6th Staffel of JG 1. Three months later, on 20 June 1942, Oblt. Rohwer was appointed acting kommandeur of II./JG 1. However his stay in JG 1 was over on 14 October 1942 when he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 3, based on the Eastern front.

While in the East he would add another two abschusse, a MiG-3 on 13 November and and a Il-2 little more than a week later on 21st. Eight days later, on 29 November Rohwer was badly wounded by flak during a low-level attack near Chir. He managed to bring his Bf 109 G-2 to friendly territory where he landed safely. His recovery period was a lengthy one for he did not return to his unit until August 1943, by then the JG 3 had been relocated to the Western front on Reichsverteidigung duties.

Back in the west and Mönchengladbach he would add an USAAF P-47 Thunderbolt on 20 May before he was once back to the Eastern front. Now in the Stab of JG 3 as its acting Kommandeur. Here he would add three confirmed victories on 13 July 1943, all SB-2 bombers claimed within four minutes.

After the I Gruppe was posted back to the Home defense he was promoted to Hauptmann and took over the position as Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 3. Here he would add another P-47 on 8 October 1943, downed in combat at 7500 m over Havelte. Another six USAAF aircraft would fell before his guns, three P-47s, two P-39s and one B-26 bomber. His final and 38th abschüsse was filed on 8 March 1944 when he downed a USAAF P-38 over Hannover.

Three weeks later, on 29 March 1944 Hptm. Klaus-Detlev Rohwer would fly his last combat mission, when engaging USAAF B-17 four-engine bombers. His Bf 109 G-6 was hit by return fire from the bombers forcing him to belly-land it at Mettingen.

However after putting down his crippled machine a USAAF P-38 Lightning strafed him and he suffered severe wounds. He was soon rushed to a hospital at Ibbenbüren where he had a leg amputated. Unfortunately, the next day, on 30 March he succumbed to his wounds.


This profile was one of ten Luftwaffe fighter profiles made during the week, that is to say the 100th profile of Profile book No 19 and the over 500 German WWII fighters finished off for my upcoming books. So I guess this profile would be included in my profile book No 19, due to be published in 2027-2028!