Otto Gaiser
Encyclopedia
Otto Gaiser was a German
Luftwaffe
ace
and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
during World War II
. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Gaiser claimed his first kill on 16 March 1943. That day, he shot down a Russian LaGG-3 fighter near Vyazma
. He achieved his 10th victory on 11 July, when he claimed another LaGG-3 shot down. Gaiser claimed 17 victories in August, including five Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft shot down on 14 August (his 24th through 28th victories).
On 22 January 1944, Otto Gaiser was last seen in combat with Il-2 Sturmovik
fighters near Berditschew, Ukraine
.
He has remained missing to this day. It is thought he became a victim of the Russian ground defences. Gaiser was posthumously awarded the Ritterkreuz and received promotion to the rank of Leutnant.
On 9 June 1944 he was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross and promoted to Leutnant. Before his death, Gaiser was credited with 66 victories in 380 missions.
All his air victories were achieved over the Eastern front and included 21 Il-2 Sturmoviks. In addition he claimed eight unconfirmed victories.
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...
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....
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...
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 was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Gaiser claimed his first kill on 16 March 1943. That day, he shot down a Russian LaGG-3 fighter near Vyazma
Vyazma
Vyazma is a town and the administrative center of Vyazemsky District of Smolensk Oblast, Russia, located on the Vyazma River, about halfway between Smolensk and Mozhaysk. Throughout its turbulent history, the city defended western approaches to the city of Moscow...
. He achieved his 10th victory on 11 July, when he claimed another LaGG-3 shot down. Gaiser claimed 17 victories in August, including five Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft shot down on 14 August (his 24th through 28th victories).
On 22 January 1944, Otto Gaiser was last seen in combat with Il-2 Sturmovik
Ilyushin Il-2
The Ilyushin Il-2 was a ground-attack aircraft in the Second World War, produced by the Soviet Union in very large numbers...
fighters near Berditschew, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
He has remained missing to this day. It is thought he became a victim of the Russian ground defences. Gaiser was posthumously awarded the Ritterkreuz and received promotion to the rank of Leutnant.
On 9 June 1944 he was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross and promoted to Leutnant. Before his death, Gaiser was credited with 66 victories in 380 missions.
All his air victories were achieved over the Eastern front and included 21 Il-2 Sturmoviks. In addition he claimed eight unconfirmed victories.
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...
(3 April 1944) - 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...
- 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 Class
- 1st Class
- 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 (28 January 1944) - 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...
- Knight's Cross on 9 June 1944 as OberfeldwebelFeldwebelFeldwebel 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...
and Flugzeugführer 10. / Jagdgeschwader 51
- Knight's Cross on 9 June 1944 as Oberfeldwebel