Siddhesh Joshi (Editor)

Franz Eisenach

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Years of service
  
1937–45, 1956–74

Name
  
Franz Eisenach

Commands held
  
3./JG 54


Born
  
11 August 1918 Reetz, Province of Brandenburg (
1918-08-11
)

Allegiance
  
Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany

Service/branch
  
Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht) Luftwaffe (Bundeswehr)

Rank
  
Major (Wehrmacht) Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)

Battles/wars
  
World War II Eastern Front North African Campaign

Died
  
August 21, 1998, Ottobrunn, Germany

Awards
  
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Battles and wars
  
Eastern Front, North African Campaign, World War II

Unit
  
Zerstorergeschwader 76, Jagdgeschwader 1, Jagdgeschwader 5, Jagdgeschwader 54

Franz Eisenach (11 August 1918 – 21 August 1998) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Eisenach was credited with 129 aerial victories—that is, 129 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in 319 combat missions.

Contents

Career

Eisenach entered the Luftwaffe in 1937 and became an officer cadet in 1937. By 1939 he attained the rank of Leutnant. From 1940 Eisenach flew with various Groups, until joining 9./Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) on the Eastern Front in October 1942. He became Staffelkapitan (Squadron Leader) of 3./JG 54 with prominent success, but was badly wounded in December 1943. On 1 May 1944, he was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann. In June 1944, he was serving with I./JG 54, based in Courland on the Eastern Front, he became Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 54 but in September 1944 he was wounded again, this time after an encounter with a bomber. Awarded the Knights Cross, he returned to combat until the war's end. His final tally was 129 victories claimed in 317 combat missions.

On 8 November, during his 21st combat mission, Eisenach claimed his first victory by shooting down a P-40 fighter on the Eastern Front. On 8 July, he shot down a Russian A-20 Boston twin-engine bomber, achieving his 21st victory but in a subsequent dogfight his aircraft was damaged necessitating an emergency landing. He required immediate hospitalisation. Eisenach claimed his 100th victory on 14 September 1944 by shooting down an IL-2 Sturmovik. That day he shot down 9 planes, include 5 Il-2 and 4 Pe-2. He was the 90th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. His last victory was on 19 March over a Pe-2, reaching 129 victories. He also claimed 25 unconfirmed victories.

After the war he was confined as a British POW. Major Franz Eisenach re-joined the military service of the Bundeswehr in 1956. He left the service in 1974 with the rank of Oberstleutnant.

Awards

  • Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
  • Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (31 August 1943)
  • German Cross in Gold on 16 January 1944 as Oberleutnant in the I./JG 54
  • Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 10 October 1944 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitan of the 3./JG 54
  • References

    Franz Eisenach Wikipedia