Georg-Peter Eder
Encyclopedia
Georg-Peter Schorsch Eder (born 8 March 1921 in Oberdachstetten
, died 11 March 1986 in Wiesbaden
) was a German
World War II
fighter ace
who served in the Luftwaffe
from 1938 until the end of World War II
in 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Eder flew 572 combat missions claiming 78 enemy aircraft shot down.
as Fahnenjunker at the age of 17 in 1938. In the beginning of April 1939 Eder enrolled in the aviation academy at Berlin
-Gatow
. His first combat appointment was to 1 Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 51
(JG 51) on 1 September 1940. He flew all through the Battle of Britain
but did not claim any victories.
In May 1941 he joined 4./JG 51 and claimed his first aircraft, a Spitfire, on 7 May. Eder then flew with JG 51 in the opening months of the campaign on the Eastern Front
, destroying two Russian aircraft on 22 June. However, on 24 July he was shot down and slightly wounded.
On 22 August, after 10 victories, Eder fighter collided with a Junkers Ju 52
on the ground at Ponjatowska, suffering a skull fracture.
After recovery, Eder served as a flight instructor with Jagdfliegerschule
2 at Zerbst
from November 1941 to November 1942.
(JG 2) in France, and participated in the battle against the American 8th Air Force day bombing offensive. With Hauptmann Egon Mayer
of III./JG 2, Eder developed the head-on attack strategy to combat the formations of B-17s and B-24s.
In February 1943 Eder became Staffelkapitän of 12./JG 2. On 28 March after downing a B-17, he was wounded when his Bf 109 G-4 somersaulted on landing at Beaumont-le-Roger
.
Eder destroyed his 20th aircraft on 29 May 1943. On 5 September 1943, Eder was transferred to 5./JG 2. On 5 November, Eder was again forced to bail out of his Bf 109 and was again injured.
In March 1944 Oberleutnant Eder was transferred to 6./Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1) in Northern Germany. He bailed out of his Fw 190 A-7 during combat with a P-47 over Göttingen
on 19 April.
On 8 May, he claimed a B-24 but made an emergency landing at Vechta.
On 11 August 1944 Eder took command of 6 Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 26
(JG 26). Attacking Allied armour near Dreux
on 17 August Eder shot down a Spitfire at low level; it crashed between two M4 Sherman
tanks, destroying them. Shortly after that he shot down another Spitfire, which crashed on another tank, setting it on fire.
On 4 September Hauptmann Eder became Gruppenkommandeur
II./JG 26, after the unit's Kommandeur Hauptmann Emil Lang
was killed in action against USAAF Thunderbolts over St Trond. In September Hauptmann
Eder was transferred to Erprobungskommando 262 and appointed Staffelkapitän, 1./Kommando Nowotny
. On 19 November, following the redesignation of the unit to Jagdgeschwader 7
(JG 7), he commanded 9 Staffel, flying the Me 262 in combat.
During the Ardennes offensive, Eder claimed 40 P-47s destroyed on the ground. He was awarded the Oakleaves on 25 November 1944 for some 60 victories. On 22 January he was shot down near Parchim
by P-51s while trying to land. He broke both legs and spent the rest of the war in hospital at Wismar
and Bad Wiessee
, where he was captured by the US Army.
. On the Eastern Front
he scored 10 victories and on the Western Front
68, of which no less than 36 were four-engined bombers. With the Me 262 he scored at least 12 victories, at least one sources indicate that this number could be as high or even higher than 24 kills.For a list of Luftwaffe jet aces see List of German World War II Jet aces He was the leading scorer against the four-engined bombers, and leading air ace against the USAAF, claiming some 56 US flown aircraft. Eder himself was shot down 17 times, bailing out 9 times, and was wounded 14 times.
Oberdachstetten
Oberdachstetten is a municipality in the district of Ansbach in Bavaria in Germany....
, died 11 March 1986 in Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
) was a German
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...
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...
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...
who served in the 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....
from 1938 until the end of 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...
in 1945. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
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...
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Eder flew 572 combat missions claiming 78 enemy aircraft shot down.
World War II
Georg-Peter Eder joined the LuftwaffeLuftwaffe
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....
as Fahnenjunker at the age of 17 in 1938. In the beginning of April 1939 Eder enrolled in the aviation academy at Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
-Gatow
Gatow
Gatow, a district of south-western Berlin is located west of the Havelsee lake and has forested areas within its boundaries. It is within the borough of Spandau. On 31 December 2002, it had 5,532 inhabitants.-History:...
. His first combat appointment was to 1 Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 51
Jagdgeschwader 51
Jagdgeschwader 51 Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders in 1942. JG 51's pilots won more Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes than any other Jagdgeschwader, and flew combat from 1939 in all major theatres of war. Flying Bf 109s and then...
(JG 51) on 1 September 1940. He flew all through 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...
but did not claim any victories.
In May 1941 he joined 4./JG 51 and claimed his first aircraft, a Spitfire, on 7 May. Eder then flew with JG 51 in the opening months of the campaign on 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...
, destroying two Russian aircraft on 22 June. However, on 24 July he was shot down and slightly wounded.
On 22 August, after 10 victories, Eder fighter collided with a Junkers Ju 52
Junkers Ju 52
The Junkers Ju 52 was a German transport aircraft manufactured from 1932 to 1945. It saw both civilian and military service during the 1930s and 1940s. In a civilian role, it flew with over 12 air carriers including Swissair and Deutsche Luft Hansa as an airliner and freight hauler...
on the ground at Ponjatowska, suffering a skull fracture.
After recovery, Eder served as a flight instructor with Jagdfliegerschule
Jagdfliegerschule
The German Luftwaffe of the Wehrmacht had seven Jagdfliegerschulen or Fighter Pilot Schools.- Jagdfliegerschule Werneuchen or Jagdfliegerschule 1 :...
2 at Zerbst
Zerbst
Zerbst is a town in the district of Anhalt-Bitterfeld, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Until the administrative reform of 2007, Zerbst was the capital of the Anhalt-Zerbst district. Since the 1 January 2010 local government reform, Zerbst has about 24,000 inhabitants.It is not clear when was it founded;...
from November 1941 to November 1942.
The Western Front 1942-44
In November 1942 Eder was sent to 7./Jagdgeschwader 2Jagdgeschwader 2
Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" was a World War II Luftwaffe wing. It was named after World War I fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen.-History:...
(JG 2) in France, and participated in the battle against the American 8th Air Force day bombing offensive. With Hauptmann Egon Mayer
Egon Mayer
Egon Mayer was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1937 until his death in 1944. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords...
of III./JG 2, Eder developed the head-on attack strategy to combat the formations of B-17s and B-24s.
In February 1943 Eder became Staffelkapitän of 12./JG 2. On 28 March after downing a B-17, he was wounded when his Bf 109 G-4 somersaulted on landing at Beaumont-le-Roger
Beaumont-le-Roger
Beaumont-le-Roger is a commune in the department of Eure in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.-Geography:The commune is located in the valley of the Risle on the edge of the forest with which it shares its name. It is crossed by the Paris-Cherbourg railway line...
.
Eder destroyed his 20th aircraft on 29 May 1943. On 5 September 1943, Eder was transferred to 5./JG 2. On 5 November, Eder was again forced to bail out of his Bf 109 and was again injured.
In March 1944 Oberleutnant Eder was transferred to 6./Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1) in Northern Germany. He bailed out of his Fw 190 A-7 during combat with a P-47 over Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
on 19 April.
On 8 May, he claimed a B-24 but made an emergency landing at Vechta.
Normandy and the Me 262 1944–45
By the end of May he had a total of 49 victories. As Gruppenkommandeur II./JG 1 he fought in the aerial battles over Normandy during the Allied invasion, and on 21 June 1944 recorded his 50th victory. On 24 June Eder received the Ritterkreuz.On 11 August 1944 Eder took command of 6 Staffel, 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). Attacking Allied armour near Dreux
Dreux
Dreux is a commune in the Eure-et-Loir department in northern France.-History:Dreux was known in ancient times as Durocassium, the capital of the Durocasses Celtic tribe. Despite the legend, its name was not related with Druids. The Romans established here a fortified camp known as Castrum...
on 17 August Eder shot down a Spitfire at low level; it crashed between two M4 Sherman
M4 Sherman
The M4 Sherman, formally Medium Tank, M4, was the primary tank used by the United States during World War II. Thousands were also distributed to the Allies, including the British Commonwealth and Soviet armies, via lend-lease...
tanks, destroying them. Shortly after that he shot down another Spitfire, which crashed on another tank, setting it on fire.
On 4 September Hauptmann Eder became 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...
II./JG 26, after the unit's Kommandeur Hauptmann Emil Lang
Emil Lang (fighter ace)
Emil "Bully" Lang was a Luftwaffe Flying ace 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...
was killed in action against USAAF Thunderbolts over St Trond. In September 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...
Eder was transferred to Erprobungskommando 262 and appointed Staffelkapitän, 1./Kommando Nowotny
Kommando Nowotny
Kommando Nowotny was a Luftwaffe fighter Gruppe formed during the last months of World War II for testing and establishing tactics for the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter, and was created and first commanded by Walter Nowotny, from whom it drew its name....
. On 19 November, following the redesignation of the unit to Jagdgeschwader 7
Jagdgeschwader 7
Jagdgeschwader 7 Nowotny was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II and the first operational jet fighter wing in the world.It was created late in 1944 and served until the end of the war in May 1945, and it operated the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter exclusively.JG 7 was formed under the...
(JG 7), he commanded 9 Staffel, flying the Me 262 in combat.
During the Ardennes offensive, Eder claimed 40 P-47s destroyed on the ground. He was awarded the Oakleaves on 25 November 1944 for some 60 victories. On 22 January he was shot down near Parchim
Parchim
Parchim is a town in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is the capital of the Ludwigslust-Parchim district. It was the birthplace of Moltke, to whom a monument was erected in 1876. Founded about 1210, one branch of the family of the duke of Mecklenburg residence in Parchim during part of the 14th...
by P-51s while trying to land. He broke both legs and spent the rest of the war in hospital at Wismar
Wismar
Wismar , is a small port and Hanseatic League town in northern Germany on the Baltic Sea, in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern,about 45 km due east of Lübeck, and 30 km due north of Schwerin. Its natural harbour, located in the Bay of Wismar is well-protected by a promontory. The...
and Bad Wiessee
Bad Wiessee
Bad Wiessee is a spa town on Lake Tegernsee, Bavaria, Germany. The name "Bad" means for "spa" or "baths", while "Wiessee" derives from "West See", meaning "western part of the lake"....
, where he was captured by the US Army.
Career Summary
Georg-Peter Eder flew 572 combat missions of which 150 were with the Messerschmitt Me 262Messerschmitt Me 262
The Messerschmitt Me 262 Schwalbe was the world's first operational jet-powered fighter aircraft. Design work started before World War II began, but engine problems prevented the aircraft from attaining operational status with the Luftwaffe until mid-1944...
. On 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...
he scored 10 victories and on the Western Front
Western Front (World War II)
The Western Front of the European Theatre of World War II encompassed, Denmark, Norway, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and West Germany. The Western Front was marked by two phases of large-scale ground combat operations...
68, of which no less than 36 were four-engined bombers. With the Me 262 he scored at least 12 victories, at least one sources indicate that this number could be as high or even higher than 24 kills.For a list of Luftwaffe jet aces see List of German World War II Jet aces He was the leading scorer against the four-engined bombers, and leading air ace against the USAAF, claiming some 56 US flown aircraft. Eder himself was shot down 17 times, bailing out 9 times, and was wounded 14 times.
Awards
- 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...
(16 June 1943) - 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 31 August 1943 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...
in the 12./JG 2 - 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 - 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 24 June 1944 as Oberleutnant and StaffelkapitänStaffelkapitänStaffelkapitän 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 6./JG 1 - 663rd Oak Leaves on 25 November 1944 as HauptmannHauptmannHauptmann 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...
and Staffelkapitän of the 6./JG 1
- Knight's Cross on 24 June 1944 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän