Jürgen Brocke
Jürgen Brocke | |
|---|---|
 Jürgen Brocke | |
| Born | 4 February 1922 Bad Harzburg |
| Died | 15 September 1942 (aged 20) Voronezh, Russia |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/ |  Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1939–42 |
| Rank | Leutnant |
| Unit | JG 77 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Jürgen Brocke (4 February 1922 – 15 September 1942) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Brocke claimed 42 victories in 150 missions. He was shot down on 15 September 1942 and was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 9 December 1942.
Career
On 15 September 1942, Brocke was shot down and killed in action by anti-aircraft artillery in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 7623—factory number) southwest of Devitsa, located approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) west of Voronezh.[1]
Summary of career
Aerial victory claims
According to Obermaier, Brocke was credited with 42 aerial victories claimed in approximately 150 combat mission on the Eastern Front.[2] Spick also lists him with 42 aerial victories and a mission-to-claim ratio of 3.57.[3] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 39 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed over the Eastern Front.[4]
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 82133". 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.[5]
| 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 |
| – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 –[6] Eastern Front — 17 March – 30 April 1942 | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 April 1942 | 11:00 | I-16[7] | Kerch | 3 | 10 April 1942 | 10:20 | I-153[8] | |
| 2 | 9 April 1942 | 15:50 | I-153[8] | 4 | 22 April 1942 | 16:55 | I-153[8] | ||
| – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 –[4] Eastern Front — 1 May – 15 September 1942 | |||||||||
| 5 | 13 May 1942 | 07:56 | I-180 (Yak-7)[9] | 24 | 6 August 1942 | 18:09 | Boston | PQ 82133[10] 60 km (37 mi) northwest of Voronezh | |
| 6 | 16 May 1942 | 09:40 | Yak-1[11] | 25 | 9 August 1942 | 18:54 | LaGG-3 | PQ 92184[10] 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Voronezh | |
| 7 | 21 May 1942 | 17:50 | Yak-1 | PQ 35383[11] | 26 | 12 August 1942 | 14:48 | LaGG-3 | PQ 83674[12] 60 km (37 mi) south-southwest of Yelets |
| 8 | 12 June 1942 | 12:03 | LaGG-3[13] | 27 | 13 August 1942 | 06:12 | Yak-1 | PQ 92163[12] 25 km (16 mi) northeast of Voronezh | |
| 9 | 14 June 1942 | 14:53 | I-16[13] | 28 | 13 August 1942 | 18:20 | LaGG-3 | PQ 93714[12] 50 km (31 mi) north of Voronezh | |
| 10 | 10 July 1942 | 03:45 | Yak-1[14] | 29 | 13 August 1942 | 18:22 | LaGG-3 | PQ 92112[12] 30 km (19 mi) north-northwest of Voronezh | |
| 11 | 11 July 1942 | 05:32 | LaGG-3[15] | 30?[Note 1] | 14 August 1942 | 09:18 | Pe-2[17] | ||
| 12 | 14 July 1942 | 06:47 | P-39[18] | 31?[Note 1] | 14 August 1942 | 09:28 | Pe-2[17] | ||
| 13 | 14 July 1942 | 19:33 | DB-3[18] | 32 | 17 August 1942 | 04:18 | Boston | PQ 92312[17] vicinity of Devitsa | |
| 14 | 16 July 1942 | 13:15 | LaGG-3[18] | 33 | 5 September 1942 | 17:17 | Il-2 | PQ 82162[17] 55 km (34 mi) northwest of Voronezh | |
| 15 | 18 July 1942 | 18:36 | Yak-1[19] | 34 | 5 September 1942 | 17:22 | LaGG-3 | PQ 83851[17] 60 km (37 mi) north-northwest of Voronezh | |
| 16 | 21 July 1942 | 15:00 | P-40[19] | 35 | 5 September 1942 | 17:28 | Il-2 | PQ 83822[20] 50 km (31 mi) south-southeast of Yelets | |
| 17 | 24 July 1942 | 18:41 | LaGG-3[21] | 36 | 13 September 1942 | 10:18 | Il-2 | PQ 92731[20] 25 km (16 mi) north-northwest of Sloboda | |
| 18 | 26 July 1942 | 17:52 | Pe-2[21] | 37 | 13 September 1942 | 10:24 | Hurricane | PQ 92644 45 km (28 mi) north of Sloboda | |
| 19 | 26 July 1942 | 17:54 | Pe-2[21] | 38 | 15 September 1942 | 10:30 | Il-2 | PQ 92192[22] vicinity of Devitsa | |
| 20 | 26 July 1942 | 18:02 | Pe-2[23] | 39 | 15 September 1942 | 10:39 | Pe-2 | PQ 92383[22] vicinity of Devitsa | |
| 21 | 27 July 1942 | 11:39 | LaGG-3[23] | 40 | 15 September 1942 | 10:40 | Pe-2 | PQ 92384[22] vicinity of Devitsa | |
| 22 | 28 July 1942 | 07:42 | Il-2 | PQ 83872[23] 60 km (37 mi) northwest of Voronezh |
41 | 15 September 1942 | 10:41 | Pe-2 | PQ 92512[22] vicinity of Devitsa |
| 23 | 28 July 1942 | 18:58 | LaGG-3 | PQ 93783[23] 50 km (31 mi) north of Voronezh |
|||||
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class[24]
- German Cross in Gold on 8 October 1942 as Leutnant in the II/Jagdgeschwader 77[26]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 December 1942 as Leutnant and pilot in the 4./Jagdgeschwader 77[27][28]
Notes
References
Citations
- ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 320.
- ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 95.
- ^ Spick 1996, p. 249.
- ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 159–160.
- ^ Planquadrat.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 159.
- ^ Prien et al. 2005, p. 300.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2005, p. 301.
- ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 297.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 309.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 299.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2006, p. 310.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 301.
- ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 303.
- ^ Prien et al. 2006, p. 304.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 160.
- ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2006, p. 311.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2006, p. 305.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 306.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2006, p. 312.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2006, p. 307.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2006, p. 313.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2006, p. 308.
- ^ Dixon 2023, p. 292.
- ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 58.
- ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 61.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 124.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 245.
Bibliography
- Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
- Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1939–1942. ISBN 978-1-52677-864-2.
- Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2014). Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims – Volume 1 A–F. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-18-9.
- 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.
- ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- 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; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2005). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/I—Winterkampf im Osten—6 December 1941 bis 30 April 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/I—Winter War in the East—6 December 1941 to 30 April 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-76-2.
- Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/III—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1.5.1942 bis 3.2.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/III—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-78-6.
- 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: ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
