Friedrich Geisshardt
Encyclopedia
Friedrich "Fritz" Geißhardt (22 January 1919 – 6 April 1943) was a German
former Luftwaffe
fighter ace
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
with Oak Leaves during World War II
. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator
credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft
during aerial combat. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, with its higher grade Oak Leaves, was awarded to recognise exceptional battlefield bravery or military leadership.
"Fritz" Geißhardt is credited with 102 victories in 642 combat missions, including 37 close air support
missions. He achieved 63 of his victories over the Eastern front. In his total are at least seventeen Spitfires
. Geißhardt was mortally wounded in combat with US bombers on 5 April 1943 and succumbed to his injuries the next day.
, near Coburg
in Oberfranken. He joined the military service of the Luftwaffe in 1937 and was transferred to the 2./Lehrgeschwader 2
(LG 2—2nd Squadron of the 2nd Demonstration Wing) on 1 July 1939.For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
During the opening phase of the German invasion of Poland, I.(Jagd)/LG 2 (1st Fighter Group of the 2nd Demonstration Wing) relocated to Lauenburg (now Lębork
), near Bromberg, in support of the 4. Armee (4th Army). Unteroffizier
(a non-commissioned officer) Geißhard claimed his first aerial victory, a PWS-26
biplane, that day. The following day, flying his Messerschmitt Bf 109
, Geißhardt had to make an emergency landing behind Polish lines. After several hours in Polish captivity, he escaped during the confusion caused by a German Stuka (Dive Bomber) attack. He reached German lines after walking for five days.
Geißhardt was transferred to the 1./LG 2 (1st Squadron of the 2nd Demonstration Wing) on 27 February 1940. By the end of 1940, he claimed six Royal Air Force
(RAF) aircraft shot down during the Battle of Britain
, followed by six more claims in early 1941. He achieved four victories on 6 April 1941 in the aerial battles of the Balkans Campaign, and two Hawker Hurricane
s in the German Invasion of Crete.
He was posted as an adjutant of the Stab
to the I.(Jagd)/LG 2 at the end of April 1941. He achieved his 20th aerial victory on 23 June 1941 and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
(Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 30 August 1941, after 27 aerial victories. He shot down further enemy aircraft in quick succession in the early part of 1942. On 3 and 4 February 1942 Geißhardt and Oberleutnant Erwin Clausen
shot down three Polikarpov R-5
s or Polikarpov R-Z
s of 622 LBAP (Legkii Bombardirovochnyy Aviatsionyy Polk—Light Bomber Aviation Regiment) and 672 LBAP. He claimed his 40th victory on 1 March 1942, his 50th on 19 April 1942, 52nd–56th on 20 April 1942, 61st–67th on 25 April 1942. He was appointed Staffelkapitän
of the 3./Jagdgeschwader 77
(JG 77—3rd Squadron of the 77th Fighter Wing).
Oberleutnant
(First Lieutenant) Geißhardt was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 23 June 1942 for 79 aerial victories. The award was presented at the Führerhauptquartier at Rastenburg on 28 and 29 June 1942. By this date, he had claimed three more victories for an accumulated number of 82 victories.
Shortly after the Oak Leaves presentation, the Gruppe transferred from the Eastern front
to Sicily
in Italy. Geißhardt destroyed nine enemy aircraft in the aerial battles of Malta
by the end of October 1942 (83–91). He added nine more victories in the North African Campaign
, among them his century on 10 November 1942.
Hauptmann
(Captain) Geißhardt arrived at Wevelgem
on 11 January 1943 to take over command as Gruppenkommandeur
(group commander) of the III. Gruppe (3rd group) of Jagdgeschwader 26
(JG 26) from Major
Josef Priller
. Geißhardt's arrogance grated on some of the pilots, who felt that he treated his fellow pilots who had not yet earned the Knight's Cross with too much disdain.
Hauptmann Geißhardt, who was flying Fw 190 A-4
(Werknummer 7051—factory number) in Major Priller's Schwarm, was severely wounded in combat with United States Army Air Forces
(USAAF) B-17 Flying Fortress of the 306th Bomb Group on 5 April 1943. He had been hit by the defensive fire from the bombers. He was bleeding profusely from a wound in the abdomen but managed to make a smooth landing on the airfield at Sint-Denijs-Westrem
, Belgium. He succumbed to his injuries early the next morning on 6 April 1943.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
former Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
fighter ace
Fighter Ace
Fighter Ace was a massively multiplayer online computer game in which one flies World War II fighter and bomber planes in combat against other players and virtual pilots...
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
with Oak Leaves during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator
Military aviation
Military aviation is the use of aircraft and other flying machines for the purposes of conducting or enabling warfare, including national airlift capacity to provide logistical supply to forces stationed in a theater or along a front. Air power includes the national means of conducting such...
credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
during aerial combat. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, with its higher grade Oak Leaves, was awarded to recognise exceptional battlefield bravery or military leadership.
"Fritz" Geißhardt is credited with 102 victories in 642 combat missions, including 37 close air support
Close air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
missions. He achieved 63 of his victories over the Eastern front. In his total are at least seventeen Spitfires
Supermarine Spitfire
The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
. Geißhardt was mortally wounded in combat with US bombers on 5 April 1943 and succumbed to his injuries the next day.
Military career
Friedrich "Fritz" Geißhardt was born on 22 January 1919 in SonnefeldSonnefeld
Sonnefeld is a municipality in the district of Coburg in Bavaria in Germany.-Notable residents:*Friedrich Geißhardt , a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace...
, near Coburg
Coburg
Coburg is a town located on the Itz River in Bavaria, Germany. Its 2005 population was 42,015. Long one of the Thuringian states of the Wettin line, it joined with Bavaria by popular vote in 1920...
in Oberfranken. He joined the military service of the Luftwaffe in 1937 and was transferred to the 2./Lehrgeschwader 2
Lehrgeschwader 2
Lehrgeschwader 2 was a Luftwaffe unit during World War II, operating three fighter, night fighter, reconnaissance and ground support Gruppen ....
(LG 2—2nd Squadron of the 2nd Demonstration Wing) on 1 July 1939.For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
Luftwaffe Organization
Between 1933 and 1945, the organization of the Luftwaffe underwent several changes. Originally, the German military high command decided to use an organizational structure similar to the army and navy, treating the branch as a strategic weapon of war...
During the opening phase of the German invasion of Poland, I.(Jagd)/LG 2 (1st Fighter Group of the 2nd Demonstration Wing) relocated to Lauenburg (now Lębork
Lebork
Lębork is a town on the Łeba and Okalica rivers in Middle Pomerania region, north-western Poland with some 37,000 inhabitants.Lębork is also the capital of Lębork County in Pomeranian Voivodeship since 1999, formerly in Słupsk Voivodeship ....
), near Bromberg, in support of the 4. Armee (4th Army). Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier
Unteroffizier is both a specific military rank as well as a collective term for non-commissioned officers of the German military that has existed since the 19th century. The rank existed as a title as early as the 17th century with the first widespread usage occurring in the Bavarian Army of the...
(a non-commissioned officer) Geißhard claimed his first aerial victory, a PWS-26
PWS-26
-References:*Andrzej Glass: "Polskie konstrukcje lotnicze 1893-1939" , WKiŁ, Warsaw 1977 -See also:...
biplane, that day. The following day, flying his Messerschmitt Bf 109
Messerschmitt Bf 109
The Messerschmitt Bf 109, often called Me 109, was a German World War II fighter aircraft designed by Willy Messerschmitt and Robert Lusser during the early to mid 1930s...
, Geißhardt had to make an emergency landing behind Polish lines. After several hours in Polish captivity, he escaped during the confusion caused by a German Stuka (Dive Bomber) attack. He reached German lines after walking for five days.
Geißhardt was transferred to the 1./LG 2 (1st Squadron of the 2nd Demonstration Wing) on 27 February 1940. By the end of 1940, he claimed six Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) aircraft shot down during the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
, followed by six more claims in early 1941. He achieved four victories on 6 April 1941 in the aerial battles of the Balkans Campaign, and two Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s in the German Invasion of Crete.
He was posted as an adjutant of the Stab
Stab (Luftwaffe designation)
During World War II, the suffix Stab was used in the German Luftwaffe to designate a headquarters unit. This applied to subordinate units in each Gruppe or Geschwader — the equivalent units to wings and groups in other air forces.These command units used the green colour of their aircraft...
to the I.(Jagd)/LG 2 at the end of April 1941. He achieved his 20th aerial victory on 23 June 1941 and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
(Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 30 August 1941, after 27 aerial victories. He shot down further enemy aircraft in quick succession in the early part of 1942. On 3 and 4 February 1942 Geißhardt and Oberleutnant Erwin Clausen
Erwin Clausen
Erwin Clausen was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II...
shot down three Polikarpov R-5
Polikarpov R-5
The Polikarpov R-5 was a Soviet reconnaissance bomber aircraft of the 1930s. It was the standard light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft with the Soviet Air Force for much of the 1930s, while also being used heavily as a civilian light transport, in the order of 7,000 being built in...
s or Polikarpov R-Z
Polikarpov R-Z
|-See also:-External links:* * *...
s of 622 LBAP (Legkii Bombardirovochnyy Aviatsionyy Polk—Light Bomber Aviation Regiment) and 672 LBAP. He claimed his 40th victory on 1 March 1942, his 50th on 19 April 1942, 52nd–56th on 20 April 1942, 61st–67th on 25 April 1942. He was appointed Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän
Staffelkapitän is a position in flying units of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a Staffelkapitän is of Oberstleutnant or Major rank....
of the 3./Jagdgeschwader 77
Jagdgeschwader 77
Jagdgeschwader 77 Herz As was a Luftwaffe fighter Geschwader during World War II. It served in all the German theaters of war, from Western Europe to the Eastern Front, and from the high north in Norway to the Mediterranean.All three gruppen within the Geschwader operated variants of the...
(JG 77—3rd Squadron of the 77th Fighter Wing).
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant
Oberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
(First Lieutenant) Geißhardt was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 23 June 1942 for 79 aerial victories. The award was presented at the Führerhauptquartier at Rastenburg on 28 and 29 June 1942. By this date, he had claimed three more victories for an accumulated number of 82 victories.
Shortly after the Oak Leaves presentation, the Gruppe transferred from the Eastern front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
to Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
in Italy. Geißhardt destroyed nine enemy aircraft in the aerial battles of Malta
Siege of Malta
Siege of Malta may refer to:* The Siege of Malta , in which the Ottoman Empire failed to dislodge the Knights Hospitaller** Siege of Malta, 1570 work of the Cretan writer Antonios Achelis, about the above...
by the end of October 1942 (83–91). He added nine more victories in the North African Campaign
North African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
, among them his century on 10 November 1942.
Hauptmann
Hauptmann
Hauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
(Captain) Geißhardt arrived at Wevelgem
Wevelgem
Wevelgem is a municipality located in the Belgian province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the towns of Gullegem, Moorsele and Wevelgem proper. On January 1, 2006 Wevelgem had a total population of 31,020...
on 11 January 1943 to take over command as Gruppenkommandeur
Gruppenkommandeur
Gruppenkommandeur is a Luftwaffe position , that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air forces. Gruppenkommandeur usually has the rank of Hauptmann or Major, and commands a Gruppe, which is a sub-division of a Geschwader. A Gruppe usually consists of three or four...
(group commander) of the III. Gruppe (3rd group) of Jagdgeschwader 26
Jagdgeschwader 26
Jagdgeschwader 26 Schlageter was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. It operated mainly in Western Europe against Great Britain, France the United States but also saw service against Russia. It was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a World War I veteran and Freikorps member arrested and...
(JG 26) from Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Josef Priller
Josef Priller
Josef "Pips" Priller was a German World War II fighter ace. He has become famous because of the publicity regarding his Focke-Wulf's Fw 190A-8's single strafing pass attack on Sword Beach on June 6, 1944 , accompanied by his wingman Herbert Huppertz...
. Geißhardt's arrogance grated on some of the pilots, who felt that he treated his fellow pilots who had not yet earned the Knight's Cross with too much disdain.
Hauptmann Geißhardt, who was flying Fw 190 A-4
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
(Werknummer 7051—factory number) in Major Priller's Schwarm, was severely wounded in combat with United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF) B-17 Flying Fortress of the 306th Bomb Group on 5 April 1943. He had been hit by the defensive fire from the bombers. He was bleeding profusely from a wound in the abdomen but managed to make a smooth landing on the airfield at Sint-Denijs-Westrem
Sint-Denijs-Westrem
Sint-Denijs-Westrem is a village in the Belgian province of East Flanders. It is part of the city of Ghent, lying to the southwest of the city center, between Sint-Martens-Latem, De Pinte, Zwijnaarde and Afsnee.-History:...
, Belgium. He succumbed to his injuries early the next morning on 6 April 1943.
Awards
- Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1939) 2nd and 1st Class - Front Flying Clasp of the LuftwaffeFront Flying Clasp of the LuftwaffeThe Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe was awarded in Bronze, Silver, and Gold with upgrade possible to include diamonds. Pennants suspended from the clasp indicated the number of missions obtained in a given type of aircraft...
for fighter pilots - Ehrenpokal der LuftwaffeEhrenpokal der LuftwaffeThe Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe was a Luftwaffe award established on February 27, 1940 by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, the Reich Minister of Aviation and Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe. It was officially known as the Ehrenpokal "für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg", or Honor Goblet "For...
(13 July 1941) - German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold on 24 April 1942 as Leutnant in the I./JG 77 - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak LeavesKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
- Knight's Cross on 30 August 1941 as Leutnant (war officer) and pilot in the I./JG 77
- 101st Oak Leaves on 23 June 1942 as OberleutnantOberleutnantOberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
(war officer), pilot and adjutant in the Stab I./JG 77
- Mentioned three times in the WehrmachtberichtWehrmachtberichtThe Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday, 29 June 1941 | Leutnant Geißhardt in einem Jagdgeschwader erzielte am 23. Juni seinen 19. und 20. Abschuß. | Leutnant Geißhardt in a fighter wing achieved on 23 June his 19th and 20th victory. |
| Tuesday, 21 April 1942 | Hauptmann Ihlefeld errang gestern an der Ostfront seinen 89. bis 95., Oberleutnant Geißhardt der gleichen Jagdfliegergruppe seinen 52. bis 56. Luftsieg. | Hauptmann Ihlefeld Herbert Ihlefeld Herbert Ihlefeld was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1936 until the very end of World War II in May 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords... achieved yesterday on the Eastern front his 89th to 95th, Oberleutnant Geißhardt of the same fighter group his 52nd to 56th aerial victory. |
| Thursday, 14 May 1942 | Oberleutnant Geißhardt errang gestern seinen an der Ostfront seinen 61. bis 67. Luftsieg. | Oberleutnant Geißhardt achieved on the Eastern front his 61st to 67th aerial victory yesterday. |