Kurt Plenzat
Encyclopedia
Kurt Plenzat was a German
Hauptmann
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
with Oak Leaves 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.
, East Prussia
. On 1 April 1933, he joined the 10th company of the 2nd Infantry
-Regiment. In 1935, he transferred to the 11th company of the 44th Infantry-Regiment only to join the Luftwaffe
in July 1938. He was trained as a Stuka
pilot and was transferred via the Ergänzungsgruppe of the 2nd Stuka-Geschwader StG 2 to the 2nd Staffel of the Geschwader.For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
Plenzat flew his first combat sortie in 1940 over the English Channel
. In the spring of 1941 he participated in the Balkans Campaign and the Battle of Crete
.
From June 1941 on, Plenzat fought on the Eastern front
over Russia
. On 14 October, he was awarded the Ehrenpokal of the Luftwaffe. On 20 April 1942, after 652 combat sorties, he received the German Cross
in Gold. After 652 combat sorties on 19 September 1943 as Oberfeldwebel, Plenzat received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
. Since the end of 1943, after being promoted to Leutnant, he led the 2nd Staffel of the now renamed Schlachtgeschwader 2
Immelmann. On 18 October 1944, Plenzat flew his 1,000th mission over Hungary
. After his 1,100th mission, he was decorated with the 712th Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves on 24 January 1945.
By the end of the war, Plenzat had flown 1,234 combat sorties and is listed fourth on the list of Stuka-Aces.For a list of Luftwaffe ground attack aces see List of German World War II Ground Attack aces He was shot down seven times, claimed four aerial victories, and destroyed approximately 80 tanks, which ranks him 12th of all German ground attack pilots.
and in 1957 he joined the Bundeswehr
. In 1971, he retired holding the rank of Hauptmann
. He died in Cologne
.
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...
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...
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...
. 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.
Early life
Plenzat was born in InsterburgChernyakhovsk
Chernyakhovsk is a town and the administrative center of Chernyakhovsky District of Kaliningrad Oblast, Russia, located at the confluence of the Instruch and the Angrapa Rivers, forming the Pregolya...
, East Prussia
Province of East Prussia
The Province of East Prussia was a province of Prussia from 1773–1829 and 1878-1945. Composed of the historical region East Prussia, the province's capital was Königsberg ....
. On 1 April 1933, he joined the 10th company of the 2nd Infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
-Regiment. In 1935, he transferred to the 11th company of the 44th Infantry-Regiment only to join 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....
in July 1938. He was trained as a Stuka
Junkers Ju 87
The Junkers Ju 87 or Stuka was a two-man German ground-attack aircraft...
pilot and was transferred via the Ergänzungsgruppe of the 2nd Stuka-Geschwader StG 2 to the 2nd Staffel of the Geschwader.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...
World War II
FeldwebelFeldwebel
Feldwebel is a German military rank which has existed since at least the 18th century with usage as a title dating to the Middle Ages. The word Feldwebel is usually translated as sergeant being rated OR-6 in the NATO rank comparison scale, equivalent to the British Army Sergeant and the US Army...
Plenzat flew his first combat sortie in 1940 over the English Channel
English Channel
The English Channel , often referred to simply as the Channel, is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates southern England from northern France, and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. It is about long and varies in width from at its widest to in the Strait of Dover...
. In the spring of 1941 he participated in the Balkans Campaign and the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
.
From June 1941 on, Plenzat fought 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...
over Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. On 14 October, he was awarded the Ehrenpokal of the Luftwaffe. On 20 April 1942, after 652 combat sorties, he received the German Cross
German Cross
The 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. After 652 combat sorties on 19 September 1943 as Oberfeldwebel, Plenzat 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...
. Since the end of 1943, after being promoted to Leutnant, he led the 2nd Staffel of the now renamed Schlachtgeschwader 2
Schlachtgeschwader 2
Schlachtgeschwader 2 Immelmann was a Luftwaffe Dive bomber-wing of World War II. It was named after Max Immelmann,the first German pilot to earn the Pour le Mérite....
Immelmann. On 18 October 1944, Plenzat flew his 1,000th mission over Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. After his 1,100th mission, he was decorated with the 712th Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves on 24 January 1945.
By the end of the war, Plenzat had flown 1,234 combat sorties and is listed fourth on the list of Stuka-Aces.For a list of Luftwaffe ground attack aces see List of German World War II Ground Attack aces He was shot down seven times, claimed four aerial victories, and destroyed approximately 80 tanks, which ranks him 12th of all German ground attack pilots.
After the war
After the take-over of eastern Germany by the Soviet Union, Plenzart found refuge in West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and in 1957 he joined the Bundeswehr
Bundeswehr
The Bundeswehr consists of the unified armed forces of Germany and their civil administration and procurement authorities...
. In 1971, he retired holding the rank of 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...
. He died in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
.
Awards
- Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (14 October 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 9 April 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the II./Sturzkampfgeschwader 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 CrossKnight'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...
with Oak Leaves- Knight's Cross on 19 September 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 2./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"
- 712nd Oak Leaves on 24 January 1945 as Leutnant and pilot in the 2./Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"