Franz Eisenach

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Franz Eisenach
JG 54
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Franz Eisenach (11 August 1918 – 21 August 1998) was a German

fighter ace during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany
. He was credited with 129 aerial victories claimed in 319 combat missions, all on the Eastern front of the Second World War.

Career

In March 1942, IV. Gruppe of

Wilhelm Moritz formed 11. Staffel on 3 April. Eisenach initially led 12. Staffel created from some pilots of the former IV. Gruppe. Command of 12. Staffel then passed on to Oberleutnant Heinz Stöcker in October.[2]

Eisenach was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) on 17 April 1943. He replaced Hauptmann Gerhard Koall in this function who was transferred.[3] On 8 July 1943, Eisenach was wounded in his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5 (Werknummer 1503—factory number) during combat with Douglas A-20 Havoc bombers northeast of Panino. During his convalescence, he was temporarily replaced by Oberleutnant Robert Weiß as Staffelkapitän.[4][5] On 18 December, he was again injured and shot down. On this occurrence, his Fw 190 A-6 (Werknummer 530391) was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) northwest of Gorodok, south of Nevel.[6]

In July 1944, Eisenach was given command of 4. Staffel of JG 54, succeeding Hauptmann Herbert Aloé who had been killed in action on 21 June.[7] On 8 August 1944, Eisennach was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) on I. Gruppe of JG 54.[8][9] He succeeded Hauptmann Horst Ademeit who was killed in action the day before.[10] Command of 4. Staffel was then temporarily given to Leutnant Hermann Schleinhege before the Staffel was renamed 7. Staffel and command was given to Leutnant Gerhard Thyben in September.[7]

Soviet forces launched the

ace-in-a-day" claiming nine aerial victories, include five Ilyushin Il-2 ground attach aircraft and four Petlyakov Pe-2 twin-engined dive bombers. He was the 90th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[12] Eisenach was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 10 October for 107 aerial victories.[13]

Later life

Eisenach re-joined the military service of the Bundeswehr in 1956. He left the service in 1974 with the rank of Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel).[14] He died on 21 August 1998 at the age of 80 in Ottobrunn, Germany.[15]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Eisenach was credited with 129 aerial victories.[16] Spick also lists Eisenach with 129 aerial victories claimed in 319 combat missions, all of which on the Eastern Front.[17] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and also found confirmed records for 129 aerial victories for 154 claims filed.[18]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 00253". 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.[19]

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, Balke, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[8]
Eastern Front — November 1942
1 8 November 1942 14:50 P-40 PQ 00253, Novaya Pustosh[20]
15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Shlisselburg
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[8]
Eastern Front — December 1942 – 3 February 1943
2 9 December 1942 11:20 Il-2 Atby-Whariya[21] 6 8 January 1943 09:25 Il-2 PQ 07724[22]
20 km (12 mi) southwest of Velikiye Luki
3 30 December 1942 11:55 MiG-3 PQ 07682[21]
15 km (9.3 mi) east-southeast of Velikiye Luki 		7 12 January 1943 13:22 Il-2 PQ 07831[22]
25 km (16 mi) east-southeast of Velikiye Luki
4 30 December 1942 12:30?[Note 1] Il-2 PQ 07663[21]
25 km (16 mi) east of Velikiye Luki 		8 14 January 1943 09:30 LaGG-3 PQ 07643[22]
10 km (6.2 mi) east of Velikiye Luki
5 5 January 1943 08:46 Il-2 PQ 07761[23]
25 km (16 mi) south of Velikiye Luki 		9 15 January 1943 12:06 LaGG-3 PQ 07814[22]
20 km (12 mi) south-southeast of Velikiye Luki
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[24]
Eastern Front — 17 April – 31 December 1943
10 24 May 1943 19:28 Il-2 PQ 36 Ost 09741[25] 30 15 October 1943 13:38 P-39 PQ 35 Ost 07752, northeast of Nevel[26]
11 24 May 1943 19:36?[Note 2] Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 09764[25] 31 20 October 1943 09:10 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 06163, Lake Ssennitza[26]
12 17 June 1943 05:16 P-40 PQ 36 Ost 10583[27]
25 km (16 mi) northeast of Lyuban 		32 22 October 1943 15:25 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 15173[26]
20 km (12 mi) south of Rudnya
13 17 June 1943 05:20 LaGG-3 PQ 36 Ost 10421[27]
35 km (22 mi) east-southeast of Mga 		33 27 October 1943 14:52 LaGG-3 northeast of Dubrovo[28]
14 5 July 1943 09:57 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63624[29]
20 km (12 mi) northeast of Maloarkhangelsk 		34 28 October 1943 15:21 LaGG-3 south of Gomel[28]
15 5 July 1943 14:45 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63393[29]
15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Maloarkhangelsk 		35 28 October 1943 15:34 Yak-9 south-southeast of Gomel[28]
16 6 July 1943 07:52 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63571[29]
15 km (9.3 mi) south of Maloarkhangelsk 		36 5 November 1943 10:40 Yak-9 west-northwest of Lake Ssennitza[28]
17 6 July 1943 14:12 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63544[29]
25 km (16 mi) west-southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 		37 5 November 1943 10:44 Yak-9 west of Lake Ssennitza[28]
18 6 July 1943 14:31 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63722[29]
35 km (22 mi) west-southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 		38 5 November 1943 10:46?[Note 3] Yak-9 east of Nevel[28]
19 7 July 1943 08:32 Yak-7 PQ 35 Ost 63572[31]
35 km (22 mi) west-southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 		39 6 November 1943 10:36 Yak-9 north of Lake Ssennitza[28]
20 7 July 1943 14:12 P-39 PQ 35 Ost 63534[31]
10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Maloarkhangelsk 		40 10 November 1943 12:50 La-5 southeast of Nevel[28]
21 8 July 1943 08:06 Boston PQ 35 Ost 63563, northeast of Ponyri[31]
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 		41 10 November 1943 13:42 Il-2 west of Nevel[28]
22 30 September 1943 11:45 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 06861[32] 42 10 November 1943 13:43 Il-2 west-southwest of Nevel[28]
23 30 September 1943 11:46 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 06222[32] 43 17 November 1943 10:22 Yak-9 southeast of Nevel[33]
24 7 October 1943 15:40 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 06249[32] 44 15 December 1943 09:14 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 06344[33]
25 9 October 1943 06:52 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 06114[32] 45 15 December 1943 11:37 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 06374[33]
26 9 October 1943 06:54 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 06121[32] 46 15 December 1943 11:40 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 06173[33]
27 11 October 1943 07:05 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 97892[32]
vicinity of Nevel 		47 15 December 1943 11:52 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 06342[33]
28 12 October 1943 12:52 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 15514, north of Leninsk[26]
20 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Krassnyj 		48 18 December 1943 10:52 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 06352[33]
29 13 October 1943 08:40 Yak-9 PQ 35 Ost 15553, Leninsk[26]
20 km (12 mi) northeast of Gorky 		49 18 December 1943 10:54 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 06354[33]
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[30]
Eastern Front — June – 4 July 1944
50 26 June 1944 10:40 Yak-1?[Note 4] PQ 25 Ost 88471[34]
40 km (25 mi) southeast of Pskov 		55 30 June 1944 18:15 P-39 PQ 25 Ost OT-4/4[34]
51 26 June 1944 10:44 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 88612[34]
15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Ostrov 		56 30 June 1944 18:18?[Note 5] Il-2 PQ 25 Ost OT-4/6[34]
52 26 June 1944 10:46 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 88624[34]
25 km (16 mi) northeast of Ostrov 		57 2 July 1944 17:22 P-39 PQ 25 Ost PS-2/9[34]
Pyatnitsa
53 29 June 1944 12:35 P-39 PQ 25 Ost PS-4/5[34] 58 4 July 1944 17:17 P-39 PQ 25 Ost OS-4/8[34]
vicinity of Siversky
54 30 June 1944 13:30 P-39 PQ 25 Ost PS-8/9[34]
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[35]
Eastern Front — 24 July – 7 August 1944
59 24 July 1944 07:43 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 70661[36]
35 km (22 mi) south-southwest of Narva 		70 30 July 1944 19:53 Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 60496[36]
northeast of Kunda
60 24 July 1944 08:01?[Note 6] Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 70824[36]
25 km (16 mi) southwest of Narva 		71 30 July 1944 19:54 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 70357[36]
Baltic Sea, 25 km (16 mi) northeast of Kunda
61 24 July 1944 19:53 Yak-9?[Note 7] PQ 26 Ost 70694[36]
15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Narva 		72 2 August 1944 13:07 La-5 PQ 26 Ost 70454[36]
Baltic Sea, 25 km (16 mi) northwest of Hungerburg
62 26 July 1944 16:52 Pe-2 PQ 26 Ost 60381[36]
30 km (19 mi) west-southwest of Wesenberg 		73 3 August 1944 11:02?[Note 8] Yak-9 PQ 26 Ost 70661[36]
10 km (6.2 mi) west-southwest of Hungerburg
63 26 July 1944 16:55 Pe-2 PQ 26 Ost 60575[36]
southwest of Kunda 		74 3 August 1944 11:11 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 70613[36]
Baltic Sea, 25 km (16 mi) west of Hungerburg
64 26 July 1944 16:57 Pe-2 PQ 26 Ost 60581[36]
southwest of Kunda 		75 3 August 1944 11:21 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 70653[36]
in the vicinity of 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Hungerburg
65 27 July 1944 16:52 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 70692[36]
15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Narva 		76 3 August 1944 20:08 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 70694[36]
Baltic Sea, 25 km (16 mi) west of Hungerburg
66 28 July 1944 04:48 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 60393[36]
northwest of Kunda 		77 4 August 1944 09:18 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 70692[36]
15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Narva
67 30 July 1944 08:20 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 70682[36]
30 km (19 mi) southwest of Narva 		78 5 August 1944 12:50?[Note 9] Pe-2 PQ 26 Ost 50433[36]
Gulf of Finland
68 30 July 1944 19:49 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 60482[36]
northeast of Kunda 		79 5 August 1944 13:07 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 50263[36]
in the middle of the Gulf of Finland
69 30 July 1944 19:51 Il-2 PQ 26 Ost 70397[36]
Gulf of Finland, north-northwest of Reval
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 –[38]
Eastern Front — 8 August 1944 – 19 March 1945
80 15 August 1944 11:19 Il-2 PQ LJ-8/7[39] 105 17 September 1944 12:40 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 47356[40]
40 km (25 mi) south-southeast of Riga
81 15 August 1944 17:40 P-39 PQ LJ-5/3[39]
35 km (22 mi) north-northwest of Pasewalk 		106 17 September 1944 12:50 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 47365[40]
40 km (25 mi) southeast of Riga
82 23 August 1944 11:05 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 57267[39]
40 km (25 mi) north of Kreuzburg 		107 19 September 1944 16:01 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 47148[40]
10 km (6.2 mi) south of Riga
83 24 August 1944 18:55 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 37395[39]
20 km (12 mi) southwest of Mitau 		108 14 December 1944 12:11?[Note 10] Il-2[41] Gulf of Riga
84 26 August 1944 11:05 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 37366[42]
15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Mitau 		109 14 December 1944 12:15?[Note 11] Il-2[41] Gulf of Riga
85 27 August 1944 14:54 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 58897[42]
45 km (28 mi) southeast of Wenden 		110 15 December 1944 11:01 Pe-2[41]
86 27 August 1944 14:56 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 57235[42]
50 km (31 mi) north of Kreuzburg 		111 15 December 1944 11:04 Pe-2[41] 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Libau
87?[Note 12] 28 August 1944 11:26 Il-2 50 km (31 mi) north of Kreuzburg 112 15 December 1944 11:05 Pe-2[41] 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Libau[37]
88 29 August 1944 18:55?[Note 13] Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 37525[42]
30 km (19 mi) southwest of Mitau 		113 15 December 1944 11:08 Pe-2[41]
89 12 September 1944 16:20 Pe-2 PQ 25 Ost 47553[42]
35 km (22 mi) north-northwest of Pasewalk 		114 23 December 1944 08:45 Il-2[41]
90 12 September 1944 16:23 P-39 PQ 25 Ost 47572[42]
30 km (19 mi) northwest of Pasewalk 		115 23 December 1944 08:47 Il-2[43] 40 km (25 mi) south-southeast of Goldingen
91 12 September 1944 16:26 Pe-2 PQ 25 Ost 47587[42]
25 km (16 mi) north-northwest of Pasewalk 		116 26 December 1944 10:02 Pe-2[43] 55 km (34 mi) east-southeast of Libau
92♠ 14 September 1944 11:52 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 57215[42]
45 km (28 mi) east-southeast of Mālpils 		117 29 December 1944 10:55 Yak-9[43]
93♠ 14 September 1944 11:59 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 57251[42]
40 km (25 mi) north-northwest of Kreuzburg 		118 6 January 1945 11:31 Il-2 north of Doblin
94♠ 14 September 1944 16:34 Il-2?[Note 14] PQ 25 Ost 37264[44]
15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Riga 		119 6 January 1945 11:33 Yak-9 north of Doblin
95♠ 14 September 1944 16:36 Pe-2 PQ 25 Ost 37239[44]
15 km (9.3 mi) west of Riga 		120 6 January 1945 11:46 Pe-2 north of Doblin
96♠ 14 September 1944 16:36 Pe-2 PQ 25 Ost 37263[44]
15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Riga 		121 21 February 1945 13:40 Pe-2 55 km (34 mi) east-southeast of Libau
97♠ 14 September 1944 16:40 Pe-2 PQ 25 Ost 47555[44]
35 km (22 mi) north-northwest of Pasewalk 		122 23 February 1945 16:30 Pe-2 vicinity of Courland
98♠ 14 September 1944 18:18 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 47376[44]
45 km (28 mi) south of Riga 		123 23 February 1945 16:31 Pe-2 vicinity of Courland
99♠ 14 September 1944 18:20 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 47394[44]
55 km (34 mi) south-southeast of Riga 		124 5 March 1945 09:06 Pe-2 vicinity of Courland
100♠ 14 September 1944 18:21 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 47531[44]
40 km (25 mi) north of Pasewalk 		125 5 March 1945 09:07 Pe-2 vicinity of Courland
101 15 September 1944 09:51 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 47372[44]
45 km (28 mi) south of Riga 		126 5 March 1945 14:12 Yak-3 vicinity of Courland
102 15 September 1944 10:00 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 47346[44]
35 km (22 mi) south-southeast of Riga 		127 6 March 1945 15:52 Yak-3 vicinity of Courland
103 15 September 1944 13:40 P-39 PQ 25 Ost 47397[44]
55 km (34 mi) south-southeast of Riga 		128 19 March 1945 12:17 Pe-2 vicinity of Courland
104 17 September 1944 09:40 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 47451[40]
45 km (28 mi) southwest of Mālpils 		129 19 March 1945 12:27 Pe-2 vicinity of Courland

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 12:01.[8]
  2. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 19:38.[8]
  3. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 14:46.[30]
  4. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Yakovlev Yak-9.[30]
  5. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 18:17.[30]
  6. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 08:05.[30]
  7. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as an Ilyushin Il-2.[30]
  8. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 11:07.[37]
  9. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 12:00.[37]
  10. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 18:11.[37]
  11. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 18:15.[37]
  12. ^ This claim is not listed by Prien, Stemmer, Balke, Bock. However, the last aerial victory claimed by Eisenach on 27 August 1944 is listed as his 86th aerial victory while the first aerial victory claimed on 29 August is his 89th claim.[42]
  13. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 18:53.[37]
  14. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Petlyakov Pe-2.[37]
  15. ^ According to Obermaier on 31 August 1943.[47]
  16. ^ According to Scherzer as pilot in the II./Jagdgeschwader 54.[50]

References

Citations

  1. ^ Prien & Rodeike 1994, p. 99.
  2. ^ Prien & Rodeike 1994, pp. 99, 105, 585.
  3. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 165.
  4. ^ Prien et al. 2012, pp. 165, 191.
  5. ^ Weal 2001, p. 84.
  6. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 194.
  7. ^ a b Prien et al. 2022, p. 471.
  8. ^ a b c d e Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 276.
  9. ^ Weal 2001, p. 118.
  10. ^ Weal 2001, p. 112.
  11. ^ Bergström 2008, p. 84.
  12. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 243.
  13. ^ Weal 2001, p. 113.
  14. ^ Eriksson 2019, Chapter 1, The Balkan Campaign, April–May 1941.
  15. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 154.
  16. ^ Zabecki 2019, p. 330.
  17. ^ Spick 1996, p. 230.
  18. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 276–279.
  19. ^ Planquadrat.
  20. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 226.
  21. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2006, p. 228.
  22. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2006, p. 230.
  23. ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 229.
  24. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 276–277.
  25. ^ a b Prien et al. 2012, p. 174.
  26. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2012, p. 186.
  27. ^ a b Prien et al. 2012, p. 175.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Prien et al. 2012, p. 187.
  29. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2012, p. 176.
  30. ^ a b c d e f Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 277.
  31. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2012, p. 177.
  32. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2012, p. 185.
  33. ^ a b c d e f g Prien et al. 2012, p. 188.
  34. ^ a b c d e f g h i Prien et al. 2022, p. 309.
  35. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 277–278.
  36. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u Prien et al. 2022, p. 481.
  37. ^ a b c d e f g Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 278.
  38. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 278–279.
  39. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2022, p. 386.
  40. ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2022, p. 389.
  41. ^ a b c d e f g Prien et al. 2022, p. 391.
  42. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Prien et al. 2022, p. 387.
  43. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2022, p. 392.
  44. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Prien et al. 2022, p. 388.
  45. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 153.
  46. ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 72.
  47. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 107.
  48. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 101.
  49. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 171.
  50. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 292.

Bibliography
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