Franz Beyer (pilot)
Franz Beyer | |
---|---|
Born | 22 April 1918 Berlin |
Died | 11 February 1944 near Venlo, Netherlands | (aged 25)
Buried | Ysselsteyn German war cemetery Plot L-row 11-grave 263 |
Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
Service/ | Template:Luftwaffe |
Years of service | 1940–44 |
Rank | Major (major) |
Unit | JG 3 |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Franz Beyer (22 April 1918 – 11 February 1944) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Beyer was killed on 11 February near Venlo, the Netherlands after dog-fighting with British Spitfires. During his career he was credited with 81 aerial victories, 4 on the Western Front and 77 on the Eastern Front. On 1 June 1943, Beyer was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3.[1]
Career
On 12 July 1941, Beyer was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing). He replaced Oberleutnant Winfried Schmidt who had been wounded the day before.[2]
As part of the Luftwaffe plan to expand its fighter force, a fourth Gruppe was to be added to every Geschwader. This was achieved by transferring some of the other Gruppen's personnel and equipment. This created the nucleus of a newly formed Gruppe. IV. Gruppe of JG 3 was officially created on 1 June 1943 at Neubiberg Airfield and Beyer was selected as its first Gruppenkommandeur (group commander).[3] The Gruppe was initially equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6, some carrying a pair of 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons installed in conformal gun pods under the wings. Beyer was not given much time to prepare his pilots for combat, already in mid-June, the Gruppe was ordered to Italy to fight in the Mediterranean theater.[4]
Summary of career
Aerial victory claims
According to Spick, Beyer was credited with 81 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions. This figure includes 70 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and eleven over the Western Allies.[5] Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 84 aerial victory claims. This figure includes 78 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and six on the Western Front, including two four-engined bombers.[6]
Chronicle of aerial victories | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Matthews and Foreman. | |||||||||
Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 –[7] At the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 9 June 1941 | |||||||||
1 | 14 August 1940 | 13:50 | Hurricane[8] | 3 | 7 September 1940 | 18:10 | Hurricane[9] | ||
2 | 5 September 1940 | 11:10 | Spitfire[9] | ||||||
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[7] Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 11 July 1941 | |||||||||
4 | 22 June 1941 | 07:29 | I-16[10] | 11 | 2 July 1941 | 09:30 | I-153[11] | ||
5 | 22 June 1941 | 18:55 | I-153[10] | 12 | 2 July 1941 | 11:30 | V-11 (Il-2) | 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Klevan[11] | |
6 | 23 June 1941 | 09:58 | SB-2 | Wojnica-Zaturcze[10] | 13?[Note 1] | 7 July 1941 | 18:54 | I-16 | west of Vinnytsia airfield[12] |
7 | 25 June 1941 | 08:55 | SB-2[10] | 14 | 7 July 1941 | 18:55 | I-16 | Vinnytsia airfield[12] | |
8 | 25 June 1941 | 09:12 | DB-3[13] | 15 | 10 July 1941 | 19:31 | TB-3(ANT-6)[12] | ||
9 | 28 June 1941 | 18:15 | SB-2 | 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Zdolbernow[13] | 16 | 10 July 1941 | 19:35 | TB-3 (ANT-6)[12] | |
10 | 2 July 1941 | 06:05 | I-16[13] | ||||||
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[7] Operation Barbarossa — 12 July – 6 November 1941 | |||||||||
17 | 13 July 1941 | 06:10 | ZKB-19 (DB-3) | west of Kiev[14] | 30 | 27 July 1941 | 18:40 | I-15[15] | |
18 | 13 July 1941 | 06:10 | ZKB-19 | northeast of Kiev[14] | 31 | 27 July 1941 | 18:41 | I-15[15] | |
19 | 15 July 1941 | 15:00 | I-153[14] | 32 | 7 September 1941 | 18:00 | I-16[16] | ||
20 | 15 July 1941 | 15:07 | I-153 | 70 km (43 mi) southeast of Berdychiv[14] | 33 | 20 September 1941 | 16:18 | DB-3[16] | |
21 | 17 July 1941 | 16:03 | SB-3[15] | 34 | 24 September 1941 | 09:46 | SB-3[17] | ||
22 | 17 July 1941 | 16:05 | SB-3[15] | 35 | 3 October 1941 | 16:35 | Il-2[17] | ||
23 | 17 July 1941 | 19:10 | DB-3[15] | 36 | 5 October 1941 | 16:07 | Il-2[17] | ||
24 | 20 July 1941 | 18:45 | I-17 (MiG-1)[15] | 37 | 6 October 1941 | 15:57 | I-16[17] | ||
25 | 21 July 1941 | 10:47 | I-16 | 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Bila Tserkva[15] | 38 | 11 October 1941 | 13:20 | Il-2[17] | |
26 | 23 July 1941 | 12:45 | DB-3[15] | 39 | 11 October 1941 | 13:25 | Il-2[17] | ||
27 | 23 July 1941 | 13:47 | SB-3[15] | 40 | 12 October 1941 | 09:40 | Il-2 | 15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Mtsensk[18] | |
28 | 24 July 1941 | 18:45 | I-17 (MiG-1)[15] | 41 | 18 October 1941 | 07:00 | Pe-2[18] | ||
29 | 24 July 1941 | 18:48 | I-17 (MiG-1)[15] | 42 | 25 October 1941 | 13:48 | I-16[18] |
Awards
- Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 August 1941 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 8./Jagdgeschwader 3.[19][Note 2]
- German Cross in Gold on 19 September 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 3[21]
Notes
References
Citations
- ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 442.
- ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 135.
- ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 1.
- ^ Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 4–5.
- ^ Spick 1996, p. 236.
- ^ Matthews & Foreman 2014, pp. 98–99.
- ^ a b c d Matthews & Foreman 2014, p. 98.
- ^ Prien et al. 2002, p. 244.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2002, p. 245.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003, p. 107.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 109.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003, p. 110.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003, p. 108.
- ^ a b c d Prien et al. 2003, p. 142.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Prien et al. 2003, p. 144.
- ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 147.
- ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2003, p. 148.
- ^ a b c Prien et al. 2003, p. 149.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 112.
- ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 220.
- ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 41.
Bibliography
- 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.
- Matthews, 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.
- 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 (1996). Messerschmitt BF 109 im Einsatz bei der III./Jagdgeschwader 3 in 1940 – 1945 [Messerschmidt Bf 109 in Action with the III./Jagdgeschwader 3 in 1940 – 1945] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-33-5.
- Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/I—Einsatz am Kanal und über England—26.6.1940 bis 21.6.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 4/I—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-63-2.
- Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/I—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/I—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-69-4.
- 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.
- 1918 births
- 1944 deaths
- Military personnel from Berlin
- People from the Province of Brandenburg
- German World War II flying aces
- Luftwaffe pilots
- Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
- Recipients of the Gold German Cross
- Aviators killed by being shot down
- German military personnel killed in World War II
- Burials at Ysselsteyn German war cemetery