[Hubert Zemke oral history interview (Part 1 of 9)]

In this nine-part oral history, Hubert “Hub” Zemke is interviewed about his military service with the U.S. Army Air Forces and U.S. Air Force. In part one, he describes his wartime experiences as a fighter pilot during World War II, focusing in particular on his time as group commander of the 56th Fighter Group in England. He also touches on his time as a prisoner of war at Stalag Luft I (Germany). Other topics discussed include his personal and family background, his thoughts on the motivations and characteristics of fighter aces, and the competition between the 56th and 4th Fighter Groups.

The interview is conducted by fellow fighter ace Eugene A. Valencia and by John Florea, a former war correspondent for Life Magazine, and was recorded at Hamilton Air Force Base in California. Another man, noted as “Unidentified Man (UM)” in the transcript, is also present during the first part of the interview. Audio may be difficult to hear in some spots due to uneven volume levels and background noise from passing airplanes.

The original order of the Zemke interviews is unclear, due to conflicting date and order information on the reel containers. The order presented here has been determined by an archivist using contextual clues within the dialogue.

Hubert “Hub” Zemke was born on March 14, 1919 in Missoula, Montana. He studied forestry at Montana State University but left school in 1936 to enlist as an Aviation Cadet with the U.S. Army Air Corps. After completing flight training in 1937, he served with the 8th Pursuit Group at Langley Field (Virginia). In 1940, Zemke deployed to England to serve as an air observer with the Royal Air Force. At the conclusion of that assignment, he then traveled to the Soviet Union as an assistant military attaché and served as a flight instructor to Soviet pilots, teaching them how to fly their lend-lease Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks.

Zemke returned to the United States in 1942 and was appointed group commander of the 56th Fighter Group, the first fighter group to be equipped with the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt. During its service in Europe, the 56th distinguished itself as a highly successful group, consistently receiving top scores in air-in-air kills during missions. The group came to be known as “Zemke’s Wolfpack,” in reference to Zemke’s firm but fair leadership style and his emphasis on aerial discipline and tactics.

In August 1944, Zemke took command of the 479th Fighter Group, helping the unit convert from the Lockheed P-38 Lightning to the North American P-51 Mustang. A few months later, in October, he was forced to bail out over enemy territory after his P-51 sustained severe damage in a storm front. Zemke was captured by German forces and imprisoned at Stalag Luft I (Germany), a prisoner-of-war camp housing Allied airmen. As the war neared its end, German officials turned control of the camp over to Zemke and the other prisoners and fled to avoid the advancing Soviet forces.

Following the end of World War II, Zemke continued his military career with the U.S. Air Force. His assignments included commanding the 36th Fighter Group during the Berlin Airlift, serving in administrative posts at the Pentagon, commanding the 4080th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing during the U-2 Program, and serving with the Military Assistance Advisory Group in Madrid, Spain. Zemke retired as a colonel in 1966 and established a second career in agriculture, managing an almond ranch. He passed away in 1994.