Peter Kalden
Peter Kalden | |
|---|---|
| Born | 17 August 1923 Wittenberge |
| Died | 11 June 1996 (aged 72) Friedrichsdorf |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/ |  Luftwaffe |
| Unit | JG 51 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Peter Kalden (17 August 1923 – 11 June 1996) was a German
Career
Kalden was born on 17 August 1923 in Wittenberge in the Province of Brandenburg of the Weimar Republic.[1]
On 1 August 1944, Kalden was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). He replaced Oberleutnant Heinz Venth who had been reported as missing in action on 16 July.[2] On 15 August, as part of the group expansion from three Staffeln per Gruppe to four Staffeln per Gruppe, 10. Staffel was re-designated and became the 13. Staffel while 11. Staffel became the 14. Staffel of JG 51. Consequently, Kalden then commanded 13. Staffel.[3]
Kalden was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 6 December 1944. The presentation was 11 days later by Generalmajor Robert Fuchs.[4]
Later life
Kalden died on 11 June 1996 at the age of 72 in Friedrichsdorf, Germany.[5]
Summary of career
Aerial victory claims
According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Kalden was credited with 69 aerial victories.[6] Spick lists him with 84 aerial victories claimed in 538 combat missions.[7] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 69 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.[8]
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 63251". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15
| Chronicle of aerial victories | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
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 |
| – 11. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –[10] Eastern Front — 4 February – 31 December 1943 | |||||||||
| 1 | 13 July 1943 | 13:38 | Yak-1 | PQ 35 Ost 63251[11] 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Zalegoshch |
7 | 3 October 1943 | 08:48 | La-5 | northeast of Orlik[12] |
| 2 | 14 July 1943 | 15:52 | Il-2 m.H.[Note 1] | PQ 35 Ost 54412[11] 30 km (19 mi) northeast of Dudorovskiy |
8 | 3 October 1943 | 08:50 | La-5 | north of Orlik[12] |
| 3 | 17 July 1943 | 04:14 | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 63214[11] vicinity of Zalegoshch |
9 | 24 October 1943 | 11:28 | Yak-9 | southeast of Petrovo[12] |
| 4 | 31 July 1943 | 09:31?[Note 2] | LaGG-3 | PQ 35 Ost 54488[11] 20 km (12 mi) west-northwest of Bolchov |
10 | 30 November 1943 | 12:04 | P-39 | 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Malaya-Wolaska[13] |
| 5 | 14 September 1943 | 14:32 | Yak-1 | north of Pologi[14] | 11 | 11 December 1943 | 11:06 | Il-2 m.H.[Note 1] | PQ 34 Ost 39511[13] 35 km (22 mi) west of Borovichi |
| 6 | 20 September 1943 | 13:30 | La-5 | northeast of Dnipropetrovsk[14] | 12 | 17 December 1943 | 11:22 | P-39 | PQ 34 Ost 29825[13] |
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class[5]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 December 1944 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 13./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"[16][Note 3]
- German Cross in Gold on 1 January 1945 as Leutnant in the 10./Jagdgeschwader 51[18]
Notes
References
Citations
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 142.
- ^ Prien et al. 2022, pp. 477, 489.
- ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 464.
- ^ Weal 2007, p. 77.
- ^ a b Dixon 2023, p. 186.
- ^ Zabecki 2014, p. 1616.
- ^ Spick 1996, p. 235.
- ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 605–607.
- ^ Planquadrat.
- ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 606.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2012, p. 151.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2012, p. 155.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2012, p. 156.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2012, p. 154.
- ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 113.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 249.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 429.
- ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 217.
Bibliography
- Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
- Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1943–1945. Barnsley: ISBN 978-1-39903-073-1.
- 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.
- 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 (2012). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/II—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/II—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-05-5.
- Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Balke, Ulf; Bock, Winfried (2022). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 15/I—Einsatz im Osten—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 15/I—Action in the East—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-26-0.
- 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: ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
- Weal, John (2007). More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 76. Oxford, UK: ISBN 978-1-84603-177-9.
- ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.
