He was one of the oldest operational fighter pilots and was credited with 81 aerial victories, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front, achieved in approximately 500 combat missions.

During Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he claimed his first aerial victory on 3 July 1941.

Gruppe of JG 52 which was headed by Hauptmann Wilhelm Ensslen and fought in the Battle of Britain.

Gruppe of JG 52, without a period of replenishment in Germany, was ordered to airfields close to the German-Soviet demarcation line.

Fliegerkorps commanded by Generaloberst Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen which supported the northern wing of Army Group Centre.

[7] On 22 June, the German forces launched the attack on the Soviet Union which opened the Eastern Front.

On 25 June, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Varėna in Lithuania which had previously been occupied by the Soviet Air Forces (VVS—Voyenno-Vozdushnye Sily).

[8] Flying from this airfield, Nemitz claimed his first aerial victories, two Ilyushin DB-3 bombers shot down on 3 July.

[11] Here, the Gruppe supported the fighting south of Lake Ilmen, and the German attacks on Shlisselburg, Leningrad and the Soviet fleet at Kronstadt.

Gruppe was ordered to Lyuban on 1 September, approximately 70 kilometers (43 miles) to Leningrad and located on the road to Moscow.

[17] The Gruppe stayed at Lyuban until 30 September, flying missions to Shlisselburg, Leningrad and Mga.

[19] On 2 October, German forces launched Operation Typhoon, the failed strategic offensive to capture Moscow.

Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front and sent to Jesau near Königsberg for a period of recuperation and replenishment, arriving on 24 January 1942.

Gruppe received orders to move to Pilsen, present-day Plzeň in the Czech Republic, for relocation to the Eastern Front.

[25] The Gruppe then moved to Wien-Schwechat on 24 April before flying to Zürichtal, present-day Solote Pole, a village near the urban settlement Kirovske in the Crimea.

Gruppe participated in Operation Trappenjagd, a German counterattack during the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula, launched on 8 May.

Gruppe relocated to Artyomovsk, present-day Bakhmut where JG 52 supported the German forces fighting in the Second Battle of Kharkov.

The main German objectives in that combat area were, breakthrough to the upper Don and capture of Voronezh.

[31] On 28 June, the Wehrmacht initiated Fall Blau (Case Blue), the 1942 strategic summer offensive in southern Russia.

Gruppe moved to an airfield named Nowy Cholan, approximately 200 kilometers (120 miles) northeast of Rostov-on-Don.

[35] In consequence, Nemitz then briefly led the Staffel before Oberleutnant Gustav Denk officially took command in January 1943.

[45] His Bf 109 G-4 (Werknummer 14898—factory number) crashed near the village Nishne Bakanskaja located approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) east-northeast of Anapa.

[46][1] According to Helmut Lipfert, who occasionally flew as his wingman, Nemitz Bf 109 crashed into a German infantry position.