Erbo Graf von Kageneck

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Erbo Graf von Kageneck
JG 27
Battles/wars
See battles

World War II

Awards
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Erbo Graf von Kageneck (2 April 1918 – 12 January 1942) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. A flying ace, he was credited with 67 aerial victories and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.

Early life

Kageneck was born on 2 April 1918 in

Clemens-Heinrich Graf von Kageneck (1913–2005), a captain in the army, and August von Kageneck
(1922–2004), a lieutenant in the army, later a journalist and writer.

World War II

Kageneck joined the German air force, the

Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing). On 5 July 1940, the Jagdwaffe (fighter force) of the Luftwaffe was reorganized and in consequence the I. Gruppe of JG 1 became the III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing), subsequently his 2. Staffel of JG 1 became the 8. Staffel of JG 27.[4] Two weeks later, on 19 July, Kageneck was wounded in aerial combat east of the Isle of Wight while flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-4.[5] It is possible, that his opponent may have been Pilot Officer Frank Reginald Carey who claimed to have scored hits on two and to have shot down one Bf 109 that day.[6]

On 18 September 1940, Kageneck was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9. Staffel of JG 27, replacing Oberleutnant Max Dobislav who was transferred.[7] He was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) on 1 October 1940.[8] On 10 November, III. Gruppe was withdrawn from Channel operations. The Gruppe was first ordered to Diepholz Airfield and then to Vechta for a period of replenishment and equipment overhaul.[9]

Balkan and Malta

In January 1941, JG 27 was ordered to relocate to Romania. Between 12 and 14 January, the ground personnel of III. Gruppe arrived in Bucharest-Băneasa, preparing for the arrival of the air elements which relocated on 2 February. Shortly after, the Gruppe moved to Giulești.[10]

Following the Balkans campaign, III. Gruppe was briefly deployed to

Z3057 and sustained severe burns.[12] On 20 May, Kageneck claimed III. Gruppe's last aerial victory over Malta when he shot down Pilot Officer Anthony John Reeves from No. 261 Squadron flying Hurricane N2673.[13] On 24 May, III. Gruppe left Sicily and returned to Germany.[14]

Operation Barbarossa

In June, the

ground support missions against Soviet airfields and forces, its first just past 03:00. Later in the day, Kageneck shot down a Tupolev SB bomber south of Vilnius.[16]

Following his 37th aerial victory, he was awarded the

ace-in-a-day" on 14 August, claiming his 39th to 43rd aerial victory.[19] On 20 August, Kageneck made a forced landing in his Bf 109 E-4 (Werknummer 1326—factory number) near Chudovo.[20] Kageneck had logged his 300th combat mission in this aircraft.[21]

On 16 October, General der Flieger

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 26 October 1941.[23] He was the 39th member of the German armed forces to be so honored.[1]

North Africa and death

Following the withdrawal from the Eastern Front, III. Gruppe had been moved to

Rastenburg, present-day Kętrzyn in Poland.[25] On 6 December, III. Gruppe transferred to North Africa where they were based at Timimi, Libya.[24]

Kageneck claimed his last two aerial victories against British Commonwealth fighters on 12 December. That day, he claimed a Hurricane and Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter shot down near Timimi.[24] On 24 December, Kageneck was seriously wounded in combat with several Desert Air Force (DAF) P-40 and Hurricane fighters south of Agedabia. Both Sergeant Maxwell of No. 94 Squadron and Pilot Officer Thompson No. 229 Squadron made claims for a fighter shot down in the same action. Many years later, some sources, including Kageneck's brother, August von Kageneck, claimed that the shots which hit Erbo were fired by the pre-eminent Australian ace of the war, Clive Caldwell.[26] The main reason for this was that Caldwell favoured attacks from beneath his opponents, which was precisely the fashion in which Kageneck's wounds were sustained.

Kageneck sustained severe injuries in combat near Agedabia resulting in a forced landing of his Bf 109 F-4 trop (Werknummer 8554) in the desert near El Magrun where he was recovered by Italian soldiers.[27] He was immediately evacuated, first to a hospital in Athens, and then to another in Naples where, despite intensive care, he died of his wounds to his stomach and abdomen on 12 January 1942. He was posthumously promoted to Hauptmann (captain).[28]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Kageneck was credited with 67 aerial victories.[29] Spick also lists him with 67 aerial victories, claimed in an unknown number of combat missions, 19 on the Western Front - including four over Malta and two in North Africa - and 48 on the Eastern Front.[30] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 66 aerial victory claims. This number includes 19 claims over the Western Allies and 47 on the Eastern Front.[31]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ♠ (
ace-in-a-day
", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 1 –[32]
Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
1 12 May 1940 06:00 Blenheim vicinity of Maastricht[33] 3 5 June 1940
—
 M.S.406 Roye[34]
2 12 May 1940 06:02 Blenheim vicinity of Maastricht[33] 4 6 June 1940
—
 LeO 451 Noyon[35]
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 –[36]
At the Channel and over England — 26 June – 17 September 1940
5 19 July 1940 18:35 Hurricane off the Isle of Wight[37] 7 18 August 1940 15:30 Spitfire Bognor Regis[38]
6 19 July 1940 18:40 Hurricane off the Isle of Wight[37] 8 9 September 1940 19:40 Spitfire Rochford[38]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 –[36]
At the Channel and over England — 18 September – 10 November 1940
9 20 September 1940 11:46 Hurricane southeast of London[38] 12 15 October 1940 11:07 Spitfire south of Maidstone[38]
10 29 September 1940 10:41 Hurricane Tunbridge Wells[38] 13 27 October 1940 09:48 Spitfire Ashford[38]
11 13 October 1940 15:20 Hurricane Faversham[38]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 1 –[36]
Over Malta — 2 – 24 May 1941
14 6 May 1941 12:08 Hurricane Luqa, Malta[39] 16 14 May 1941 16:36 Hurricane Luqa, Malta[39]
15 13 May 1941 13:52 Hurricane Luqa, Malta[39] 17 20 May 1941 17:40 Hurricane southwest of Ta' Vnezja, Malta[39]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 1 –[40]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 16 October 1941
18 22 June 1941 18:50 SB-2 south of Vilnius[41] 42♠ 14 August 1941 14:42 DB-3 east of Winy[42]
19 27 June 1941 17:26 SB-2 south of Minsk[41] 43♠ 14 August 1941 14:45 DB-3 east-southeast of Winy[42]
20 27 June 1941 17:28 SB-2 south of Minsk[41] 44 15 August 1941 10:27 Il-2 east-southeast of Proletariy[42]
21 27 June 1941 17:32 SB-2 south of Minsk[41] 45 16 August 1941 10:36 I-18 (MiG-1) east of Novgorod[42]
22 8 July 1941 06:08 SB-2 west of Vitebsk[43] 46 19 August 1941 11:34 I-18 (MiG-1) east of Chudovo[44]
23 11 July 1941 13:25 U-2 northeast of Gloyniki[43] 47 19 August 1941 15:45 I-18 (MiG-1) southeast of Kreszty[44]
24 12 July 1941 18:48 DB-3 west of Vitebsk[43] 48 21 August 1941 17:58 Il-2 north of Staraya Russa[44]
25 13 July 1941 12:00 DJ-6 southwest of Smolensk[43] 49 27 August 1941 12:10 I-18 (MiG-1) east of Manushkino[44]
26 14 July 1941 14:23 I-16 north of Smolensk[45] 50 29 August 1941 12:23 I-18 (MiG-1) south of Mga[44]
27 18 July 1941 13:29 DB-3 east of Demidov[45] 51 29 August 1941 16:12 Il-2 northwest of Schapki[44]
28 19 July 1941 18:20 DB-3 west of Yartsevo[45] 52 29 August 1941 16:26 Il-2 northwest of Tosno[44]
29 20 July 1941 07:15 DB-3 southeast of Yartsevo[45] 53 2 September 1941 07:53 I-16 east of Ivanovskoy[44]
30?[Note 1] 20 July 1941
—
 DB-3 southeast of Yartsevo[45] 54 3 September 1941 05:28 I-18 (MiG-1) southwest of Wassiklowo[44]
31 22 July 1941 19:26 DB-3 east of Yartsevo[45] 55 3 September 1941 09:57 I-16 southeast of Slutsk[44]
32 26 July 1941 04:17
R-10 (Seversky
) 		northeast of Yartsevo[42] 56 2 October 1941 14:06 I-18 (MiG-1) Pogorjelo[46]
33 26 July 1941 19:23 I-16 east of Yartsevo[42] 57 3 October 1941 12:08 I-18 (MiG-1) north of Vyazma[46]
34 26 July 1941 19:25 I-16 east of Yartsevo[42] 58 4 October 1941 13:55 DB-3 Michjejewa[46]
35 27 July 1941 04:05 DB-3 north of Lake Shiziskoje[42] 59 4 October 1941 14:08 SB-2 Spass[46]
36 27 July 1941 08:20 DB-3 west of Demidov[42] 60 4 October 1941 16:52 Pe-2 south of Chełm[46]
37 27 July 1941 08:22 DB-3 west of Demidov[42] 61 7 October 1941 09:10 Pe-2 east of Chełm[46]
38 10 August 1941 19:51 SB-3 north of Golino[42] 62 11 October 1941 16:14 Il-2 north of Sychyovka[46]
39♠ 14 August 1941 09:57?[Note 2] I-16 north-northeast of Novgorod[42] 63 11 October 1941 16:16 Il-2 northwest of Sychyovka[46]
40♠ 14 August 1941 14:33 DB-3 Malyje Lutschno[42] 64 11 October 1941 16:23 Il-2 northwest of Sychyovka[46]
41♠ 14 August 1941 14:35 DB-3 southeast of Malyje Lutschno[42] 65 12 October 1941 08:23 I-18 (MiG-1) east of Zubtsov[46]
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 –[47]
In North Africa — 6 – 24 December 1941
66 12 December 1941 13:46 P-40 vicinity of Timimi[48] 67 12 December 1941
—
 Hurricane vicinity of Timimi[48]

Awards

  • Iron Cross (1939)
    • 2nd Class (14 May 1940)[49]
    • 1st Class (11 July 1940)[49]
  • Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Dates of rank

8 November 1939: Leutnant (Second Lieutenant)[53]
1 October 1940: Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant)[8]
posthumously: Hauptmann (Captain)[28]

Notes

  1. ^ This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[36]
  2. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 09:47.[36]

References

Citations

  1. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 47.
  2. ^ von Kageneck 1999, pp. 17, 48.
  3. ^ von Kageneck 1999, p. 23.
  4. ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 408.
  5. ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 422.
  6. ^ Franks 2008, p. 63.
  7. ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 416.
  8. ^ a b Stockert 2012, p. 217.
  9. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1995, p. 75.
  10. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1995, p. 88.
  11. ^ Prien et al. 2003a, pp. 380, 382.
  12. ^ Shores 1999, p. 220.
  13. ^ Shores, Cull & Malizia 1987, p. 213.
  14. ^ Prien et al. 2003a, p. 380.
  15. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1995, p. 136.
  16. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1995, pp. 136, 340.
  17. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 599.
  18. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1995, p. 141.
  19. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1995, pp. 140, 342.
  20. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 195.
  21. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1995, p. 152.
  22. ^ Prien et al. 2003b, p. 180.
  23. ^ Prien, Rodeike & Stemmer 1995, p. 142.
  24. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2004, p. 297.
  25. ^ Stockert 2012, pp. 213, 218.
  26. ^ Alexander 2006, pp. 224–228.
  27. ^ Prien et al. 2004, pp. 298–299, 344.
  28. ^ a b Stockert 2012, p. 219.
  29. ^ Zabecki 2014, p. 1616.
  30. ^ Spick 1996, p. 239.
  31. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 599–601.
  32. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 599–600.
  33. ^ a b Prien et al. 2001, p. 77.
  34. ^ Prien et al. 2001, p. 78.
  35. ^ Prien et al. 2001, p. 79.
  36. ^ a b c d e Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 600.
  37. ^ a b Prien et al. 2002, p. 420.
  38. ^ a b c d e f g Prien et al. 2002, p. 421.
  39. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003a, p. 382.
  40. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 600–601.
  41. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003b, p. 187.
  42. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Prien et al. 2003b, p. 190.
  43. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003b, p. 188.
  44. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Prien et al. 2003b, p. 191.
  45. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2003b, p. 189.
  46. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Prien et al. 2003b, p. 192.
  47. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 601.
  48. ^ a b Prien et al. 2004, p. 337.
  49. ^ a b Thomas 1997, p. 339.
  50. ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 428.
  51. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 249.
  52. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 55.
  53. ^ Stockert 2012, p. 216.

Bibliography
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