He led his Geschwader in the Battle of the Netherlands, although his unit did not follow the armies in the invasion of France or the Battle of Britain, instead being kept back on the coast. For his outstanding leadership and success he was the very first fighter pilot awarded the Knight's Cross - on 21 July 1940. Because of that, and/or his lack of direct involvement in the Battle of Britain, he kept his role as a Geschwaderkommodore and was not dismissed by Hermann Göring in his purge of the senior fighter commanders a month later. On 8 April 1941, Schumacher crash landed his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E at the airfield Rom located approximately south of Lemvig in Denmark.
