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Herbert Kaiser

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Herbert Kaiser
Born16 March 1916
Jessen
Died5 December 2003(2003-12-05) (aged 87)
Felde
Allegiance Nazi Germany (to 1945)
 West Germany
Service / branch Luftwaffe
Years of service1938–45
RankLeutnant
UnitJG 77, JV 44, JG 1
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Herbert Kaiser (16 March 1916 – 5 December 2003) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. He was captured by American troops in May 1945. During his career, he flew 1,200 missions and is credited with 68 aerial victories.

Summary of career

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Aerial victory claims

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According to Spick, Kaiser was credited with 68 aerial victories, 42 of which on the Eastern Front, claimed in approximately 1,000 combat missions.[1] Obermaier also lists him with 68 aerial victories, however claimed in approximately 1,200 combat missions.[2] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that Kaiser was credited with more than 50 aerial victory claims, including 39 claims on the Eastern Front and at least eleven claims over the Western Allies.[3]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 3716". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[4]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 5. Staffel of Jagdggruppe 186 (Trägergruppe) –[5]
"Phoney War" — 6 September 1939 – 9 May 1940
1 5 May 1940 17:30 Blenheim 60 km (37 mi) north of Terschelling[6]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdggruppe 186 (Trägergruppe) –[5]
Battle of France — 10 May – 1 June 1940
2 10 May 1940 06:50 D.XXI De Kooy[7]
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 –[5]
Balkans and Crete — 1 April – 1 June 1941
3 16 May 1941 16:47 Hurricane 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Chania[8]
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 –[9]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
4 22 June 1941 19:02 ZKB-19[10]?[Note 1] 15 29 August 1941 07:12?[Note 2] R-Z[11]?[Note 2]
5 1 July 1941 17:54 I-15[12] 16 1 September 1941 10:51 DB-3 PQ 3716[13]
6 4 July 1941 16:05 Pe-2[12] 17 1 September 1941 17:40 DB-3[13]
7 5 July 1941 17:58 ZKB-19[12]?[Note 1] 18 1 September 1941 17:41 DB-3[13]
8 10 July 1941 11:28?[Note 3] MiG-3[14] 19 19 October 1941 16:12?[Note 4] I-15[15]
9 10 July 1941 17:45 I-16[14] 20 4 November 1941 16:10 I-153[16]
10 10 July 1941 17:47 I-16[14] 21 4 November 1941 16:20 Il-2[16]
11 10 July 1941 17:48 I-16 PQ 972[14] 22?[Note 5] 5 November 1941
—
 I-15[16]
12 22 August 1941 10:35 I-15[11] 23?[Note 5] 9 November 1941
—
 Il-2[16]
13 28 August 1941 15:23 R-Z[11]?[Note 6] 24?[Note 5] 9 November 1941
—
 Il-2[16]
14 29 August 1941 07:00 DB-3[11] 25 3 December 1941 09:50 I-16[16]

Awards

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as an Ilyushin DB-3.[5]
  2. ^ a b According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 17:12 as a Polikarpov R-5.[5]
  3. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 11:48.[5]
  4. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 16:13.[5]
  5. ^ a b c This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[5]
  6. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Polikarpov R-5.[5]
  7. ^ According to Scherzer as pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 77.[20]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ Spick 1996, p. 239.
  2. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 142.
  3. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 603–604.
  4. ^ Planquadrat.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 603.
  6. ^ Prien et al. 2001a, p. 491.
  7. ^ Prien et al. 2001b, p. 396.
  8. ^ Prien et al. 2003a, p. 293.
  9. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 939–940.
  10. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 362.
  11. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003b, p. 368.
  12. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003b, p. 363.
  13. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003b, p. 369.
  14. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003b, p. 364.
  15. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 373.
  16. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2003b, p. 374.
  17. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 10.
  18. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 217.
  19. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 249.
  20. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 429.

Bibliography

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  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2024.
  • Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1943–1945. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-39903-073-1.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2001a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 2—Der "Sitzkrieg"—1.9.1939 bis 9.5.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 2—The "Phoney War"—1 September 1939 to 9 May 1940] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-59-5.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2001b). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 3—Einsatz in Dänemark und Norwegen 9.4. bis 30.11.1940—Der Feldzug im Westen 10.5. bis 25.6.1940 [Fighter Pilot Association of the German Luftwaffe 1934 to 1945 Part 3—Assignments in Denmark and Norway 9 April to 30 November 1940—The campaign in the West 10 May to 25 June 1940] (in German). Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-61-8.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003a). 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 (2003b). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/II—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/II—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-70-0.
  • 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.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
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