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Friedrich Körner

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Friedrich Körner
Körner as a Leutnant
Born(1921-01-24)24 January 1921
Schwerte, Province of Westphalia
Died3 September 1998(1998-09-03) (aged 77)
Bailly, France
Allegiance Nazi Germany (to 1945)
 West Germany
Service / branch Luftwaffe
 German Air Force
Years of service1939–1945
1956–1979
RankOberleutnant (Wehrmacht)
Brigadegeneral (Bundeswehr)
UnitJG 27
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Friedrich Körner (24 January 1921 – 3 September 1998) was a World War II Luftwaffe Flying ace. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Körner was credited with 36 victories in over 250 missions.[1] All of his victories were scored whilst flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109.

Military career

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Körner was born on 24 January 1921 in Schwerte, in the Province of Westphalia of the Weimar Republic.[2] He joined the Luftwaffe on 15 November 1939. Following flight and fighter pilot training,[Note 1] Körner was posted to I. Gruppe (1st group) of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) in North Africa on 4 July 1941.[4] At the time, the Gruppe was based at Ayn al-Ġazāla and equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-7 fighter aircraft. Körner claimed his first victory on 12 October near Sallum when he shot down a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.[5]

In June 1942 he scored 20 kills, five on the 26 June making him an "ace-in-a-day", Körner's most successful day.[6] On 4 July 1942, a year to the day of his arrival, he was shot down whilst scrambling to intercept a Royal Air Force (RAF) bomber formation over the front line near El Alamein in his Bf 109 F-4/Trop (Werknummer 8696—factory number) "Red 11".[7][8] His victor was Lieutenant Lawrence Waugh of 1 Squadron SAAF.[9] Körner was captured and sent to a prisoner of war camp in Canada, and released in 1947.[10]

After the war

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In January 1956, Körner joined the West German Air Force, at the time referred to as the Bundesluftwaffe, holding the rank of Oberleutnant. Initially serving as a flight instructor, he later received general staff training. He retired from military service on 30 June 1979, having reached the rank of Brigadegeneral. Following his retirement, Körner and his wife lived in Paris. He died on 3 September 1998 at the age of 77 in Bailly north-central France.[11]

Summary of career

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Aerial victory claims

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Körner was credited with 36 aerial victories claimed in approximately 250 combat missions, all of which over North Africa.[2] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 36 aerial victory claims, all of which over North Africa.[12]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Körner an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 –[13]
Sicily, Balkans and North Africa — 19 July – 17 November 1941
1 12 October 1941 09:34 P-40 southeast of Sallum[14] 2 20 October 1941 09:45 Blenheim 100 km (62 mi) north of Marsa Luccech[15]
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 –[12]
In North Africa — 18 November 1941 – 4 July 1942
3 10 December 1941 14:03 Boston 25 km (16 mi) east of Bir Hacheim[16] 20 14 June 1942 11:05 P-40 north of Kambut[17]
4 28 December 1941 08:55 Hurricane northeast of El Hasseiat[18] 21 14 June 1942 11:10 P-40 north of Kambut[17]
5 11 January 1942 12:50 P-40 north of Marsa al-Brega[18] 22 14 June 1942 17:05 Beaufighter north-northeast of Derna[17]
6 13 January 1942 14:35 P-40 Antelat[18] 23 16 June 1942 15:20 P-40 east of El Adem[19]
7 7 February 1942 14:27 Blenheim northeast of Derna[18] 24 16 June 1942 18:50 P-40 southwest of Kambut[19]
8 8 February 1942 14:27 P-40 Bomba Bay[18] 25 17 June 1942 08:50 P-40 east of Sidi Rezegh[19]
9 9 March 1942 16:50 Albacore southwest of Sidi Barrani[20] 26♠ 26 June 1942 11:48 P-40 west of Marsa Matruh[19]
10 19 March 1942 10:35 P-40 north of Kambut[20] 27♠ 26 June 1942 12:18 P-40 west of Marsa Matruh[19]
11 20 March 1942 08:03 P-40 south of Martuba[20] 28♠ 26 June 1942 18:42 P-40 south of Marsa Matruh[19]
12 20 March 1942 08:08 P-40 south of Ayn al-Ġazāla[20] 29♠ 26 June 1942 18:46 Spitfire Marsa Matruh[19]
13 21 March 1942 08:55 Boston southeast of Bir Hacheim[21] 30♠ 26 June 1942 19:05 Spitfire southeast of Marsa Matruh[19]
14 2 April 1942 14:28 Hurricane north of Kambut[21] 31 1 July 1942 19:01 P-40 west of Borg El Arab[19]
15 27 May 1942 15:30 P-40 south of Kambut[22] 32 1 July 1942 19:03 P-40 west of Borg El Arab[19]
16 29 May 1942 07:52 P-40 west of Tobruk[22] 33 1 July 1942 19:11 P-40 west of Borg El Arab[19]
17 13 June 1942 06:40 P-40 south of Fort Acroma[17] 34 2 July 1942 18:15 P-40 El Alamein[19]
18 13 June 1942 06:50 Hurricane north of Wadi Es Sahaae[17] 35 2 July 1942 18:20 P-40 Borg El Arab[19]
19 13 June 1942 06:53 P-40 Tobruk[17] 36 3 July 1942 15:11 Hurricane southeast of El Alamein[19]

Awards

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Notes

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  1. ^ Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations.[3]
  2. ^ According to Scherzer as pilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 27.[27]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Weal 2003, p. 84.
  2. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 148.
  3. ^ Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, p. 17.
  4. ^ Shores & Ring 1969, p. 228.
  5. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1998, pp. 148, 564, 580.
  6. ^ Scutts 1994, p. 23.
  7. ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 193.
  8. ^ Roba 2019, p. 73.
  9. ^ Hammond 2012.
  10. ^ Heaton & Lewis 2012, p. 132.
  11. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 250.
  12. ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 672–673.
  13. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 672.
  14. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 372.
  15. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 373.
  16. ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 176.
  17. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2004, p. 181.
  18. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2004, p. 177.
  19. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Prien et al. 2004, p. 182.
  20. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2004, p. 178.
  21. ^ a b Prien et al. 2004, p. 179.
  22. ^ a b Prien et al. 2004, p. 180.
  23. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 249.
  24. ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 123.
  25. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 247.
  26. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 266.
  27. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 461.

Bibliography

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  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]; Antipov, Vlad; Sundin, Claes (2003). Graf & Grislawski—A Pair of Aces. Hamilton MT: Eagle Editions. ISBN 978-0-9721060-4-7.
  • Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1939–1942. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-52677-864-2.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Hammond, Bryn (2012). El Alamein: The Battle that Turned the Tide of the Second World War. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78096-453-9.
  • Heaton, Colin; Lewis, Anne-Marie (2012). The Star of Africa: The Story of Hans Marseille, the Rogue Luftwaffe Ace. London, UK: Zenith Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-4393-7.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 2 G–L. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-19-6.
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
  • Prien, Jochen; Rodeike, Peter; Stemmer, Gerhard (1998). Messerschmitt Bf 109 im Einsatz bei Stab und I./Jagdgeschwader 27, 1939 – 1945 [Messerschmitt Bf 109 in Action with the Headquarters Unit and I./Jagdgeschwader 27, 1939 – 1945] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-46-5.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 5—Heimatverteidigung—10. Mai 1940 bis 31 Dezember 1941—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—Oktober 1940 bis November 1941—Einsatz im Westen—22. Juni bis 31. Dezember 1941—Die Ergänzungsjagdgruppen—Einsatz 1941 bis zur Auflösung Anfang 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 5—Defense of the Reich—10 May 1940 to 31 December 1941—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—October 1940 to November 1941—Action in the West—22 June to 31 December 1941—The Supplementary Fighter Groups—Action from 1941 until their Breakup in Early 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-68-7.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2004). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 8/I—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—November 1941 bis December 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 8/I—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—November 1941 to December 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-74-8.
  • Roba, Jean-Louis (2019). The Luftwaffe in Africa, 1941-1943. London: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61200-745-8.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Scutts, Jerry (1994). Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 2. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-448-0.
  • Shores, Christopher; Ring, Hans (1969). Fighters over the desert: the air battles in the Western Desert, June 1940 to December 1942. London, UK: Neville Spearman. ISBN 978-0-85435-060-5.
  • Weal, John (2003). Jagdgeschwader 27 "Afrika". Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 12. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-538-9.
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