Franz Beyer (pilot)

Franz Beyer (22 April 1918 – 11 February 1944) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot during World War II and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Beyer was killed on 11 February near Venlo, the Netherlands after dog-fighting with British Spitfires. During his career he was credited with 83 aerial victories, 6 on the Western Front and 77 on the Eastern Front. On 1 June 1943, Beyer was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3.[1]

Franz Beyer
Born22 April 1918
Berlin-Grunewald
Died11 February 1944(1944-02-11) (aged 25)
south of Liège, Belgium
Buried
Ysselsteyn German war cemetery
Plot L-row 11-grave 263
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service1940–44
RankMajor (major)
UnitJG 3
Battles/wars
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Beyer was born on 22 April 1918 in Berlin-Grunewald at the time the capital of the German Empire.[2] On 12 July 1941, Beyer was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing). He replaced Oberleutnant Winfried Schmidt who had been wounded the day before.[3] On 1 April 1943, Beyer claimed his 80th aerial victory over a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter.[4]

Group commander and death

German War Cemetery Ysselsteyn - Franz Beyer

On 31 May 1943, Beyer was transferred and command of 8. Staffel was passed on to Oberleutnant Emil Bitsch.[5] As part of the Luftwaffe plan to expand its fighter force, a fourth Gruppe was to be added to every Geschwader. This was achieved by transferring some of the other Gruppen's personnel and equipment. This created the nucleus of a newly formed Gruppe. IV. Gruppe of JG 3 was officially created on 1 June 1943 at Neubiberg Airfield and Beyer was selected as its first Gruppenkommandeur (group commander).[6] The Gruppe was initially equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6, some carrying a pair of 20 mm MG 151/20 cannons installed in conformal gun pods under the wings. Beyer was not given much time to prepare his pilots for combat, already in mid-June, the Gruppe was ordered to Italy to fight in the Mediterranean theater.[7]

On 11 July, IV. Gruppe was ordered to an airfield at Ramacca, Sicily. There, the Gruppe supported German forces defending against the Allied invasion of Sicily.[8] Due to the advancing Allied forces, the airfield had to be abandoned on 15 July, forcing the Gruppe to retreat to Leverano.[9] Beyer claimed his first aerial victory in this theater of operations on 19 July when he shot down a Supermarine Spitfire fighter.[10] On 23 July, the airfield at Leverona came under a heavy attack, killing one pilot and injuring six. The ground personnel suffered 30 killed and further 31 men were wounded. In the attack, the Gruppe lost 40 Bf 109s destroyed. In consequence, the airfield was abandoned by IV. Gruppe on 26 July, relocating to San Severo Airfield.[11] On 21 August, approximately 50 to 60 Consolidated B-24 Liberator bombers without fighter escort were intercepted by Luftwaffe fighters from IV. Gruppe of JG 3 and I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Bomber Wing) in the vicinity of Naples. Luftwaffe fighter pilots claimed four bombers shot down, including one by Beyer who was credited with his 82nd aerial victory.[12]

IV. Gruppe was ordered back to Germany on 24 September where it was initially again based at Neubiberg Airfield.[13] Over the following weeks, the Gruppe was assigned new pilots and aircraft and trained for Defense of the Reich missions. The head on attack was practiced in mock combat against Heinkel He 111 bombers from III. Gruppe of Kampfgeschwader 53 (KG 53—53rd Bomber Wing).[14] The Gruppe flew its first combat mission against United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 19 December. The day the USAAF Fifteenth Air Force attacked Innsbruck and the Messerschmitt factory at Augsburg. Defending against this attack, Beyer claimed a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber shot down.[15]

On 28 January 1944, IV. Gruppe relocated to Venlo Airfield.[16] On 11 February, the USAAF Eighth Air Force targeted the German railroad infrastructure at Frankfurt. In parallel to this attack, a formation of Martin B-26 Marauder bombers, escorted by Spitfire fighters, attacked various targets in Belgium. IV. Gruppe intercepted this formation in the vicinity of Liège. In this encounter, IV. Gruppe claimed two aerial victories but lost Beyer.[17] Flying Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 411036—factory number), he was chased by Spitfire fighters and collided with a tree south of Liège.[18] Beyer was buried with military honors at Venlo on 17 February and later reinterred at the Ysselsteyn German war cemetery.[19] Command of IV. Gruppe was temporarily passed to Hauptmann Heinz Lang before command was officially handed to Major Friedrich-Karl "Tutti" Müller on 26 February.[20]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Beyer was credited with 83 aerial victories.[21] Spick lists Beyer with 81 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions. This figure includes 70 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and eleven over the Western Allies.[22] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 84 aerial victory claims. This figure includes 78 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and six on the Western Front, including two four-engined bombers.[23]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 3936". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[24]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 –[25]
At the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 9 June 1941
1 14 August 1940 13:50 Hurricane[26] 3 7 September 1940 18:10 Hurricane[27]
2 5 September 1940 11:10 Spitfire[27]
Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[25]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 11 July 1941
4 22 June 1941 07:29 I-16[28] 11 2 July 1941 09:30 I-153[29]
5 22 June 1941 18:55 I-153[28] 12 2 July 1941 11:30 V-11 (Il-2) 15 km (9.3 mi) north of Klevan[29]
6 23 June 1941 09:58 SB-2 Wojnica-Zaturcze[28] 13?[Note 1] 7 July 1941 18:54 I-16 west of Vinnytsia airfield[30]
7 25 June 1941 08:55 SB-2[28] 14 7 July 1941 18:55 I-16 Vinnytsia airfield[30]
8 25 June 1941 09:12 DB-3[31] 15 10 July 1941 19:31 TB-3(ANT-6)[30]
9 28 June 1941 18:15 SB-2 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Zdolbernow[31] 16 10 July 1941 19:35 TB-3 (ANT-6)[30]
10 2 July 1941 06:05 I-16[31]
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[25]
Operation Barbarossa — 12 July – 6 November 1941
17 13 July 1941 06:10 ZKB-19 (DB-3) west of Kiev[32] 30 27 July 1941 18:40 I-15[33]
18 13 July 1941 06:10 ZKB-19 northeast of Kiev[32] 31 27 July 1941 18:41 I-15[33]
19 15 July 1941 15:00 I-153[32] 32 7 September 1941 18:00 I-16[34]
20 15 July 1941 15:07 I-153 70 km (43 mi) southeast of Berdychiv[32] 33 20 September 1941 16:18 DB-3[34]
21 17 July 1941 16:03 SB-3[33] 34 24 September 1941 09:46 SB-3[35]
22 17 July 1941 16:05 SB-3[33] 35 3 October 1941 16:35 Il-2[35]
23 17 July 1941 19:10 DB-3[33] 36 5 October 1941 16:07 Il-2[35]
24 20 July 1941 18:45 I-17 (MiG-1)[33] 37 6 October 1941 15:57 I-16[35]
25 21 July 1941 10:47 I-16 15 km (9.3 mi) northeast of Bila Tserkva[33] 38 11 October 1941 13:20 Il-2[35]
26 23 July 1941 12:45 DB-3[33] 39 11 October 1941 13:25 Il-2[35]
27 23 July 1941 13:47 SB-3[33] 40 12 October 1941 09:40 Il-2 15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Mtsensk[36]
28 24 July 1941 18:45 I-17 (MiG-1)[33] 41 18 October 1941 07:00 Pe-2[36]
29 24 July 1941 18:48 I-17 (MiG-1)[33] 42 25 October 1941 13:48 I-16[36]
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[23]
Eastern Front – 10 February 1942 – 14 April 1942
43 13 February 1942 09:57 Il-2[37] 49 28 February 1942 10:30 I-301 (LaGG-3) southeast of Staraya Russa[38]
44 16 February 1942 12:02 R-5[37]  ?[Note 2] 12 March 1942 13:08 BB-22 (Seversky) 35 km (22 mi) southeast of Soltsy[39]
45 22 February 1942 16:04 R-5 20 km (12 mi) north-northeast of Staraya Russa[37] 50 12 March 1942 13:58 Yak-4 25 km (16 mi) southeast of Soltsy[38]
46 23 February 1942 08:55 R-5 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Kresttsy[37]
15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Staraya Russa
51 17 March 1942 16:22 I-61 (MiG-3) 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Mury[40]
47?[Note 1] 26 February 1942 08:55 R-5[37] 52 31 March 1942 12:57 I-61 (MiG-3) 30 km (19 mi) east of Staraya Russa[41]
48 26 February 1942 17:07 R-5 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Konjuchowo[37]
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[39]
Eastern Front – 14 April 1942 – 3 February 1943
53 20 May 1942 05:15 Il-2 north-northeast of Kharkiv[42] 66 9 August 1942 18:30 Il-2 northeast of Kalach[43]
54 20 May 1942 15:42 MiG-1 10 km (6.2 mi) east-northeast of Vovchansk[42]  ?[Note 3] 20 August 1942 16:23 Pe-2 west of Lake Sweyliya[39]
55 26 May 1942 06:20 Il-2 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Chuhuiv[42]  ?[Note 3] 2 September 1942 06:38 LaGG-3 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Hrebinka[39]
56 29 May 1942 16:13 Yak-4 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Chuhuiv[45]  ?[Note 3] 7 September 1942 16:41 Il-2 5 km (3.1 mi) northeast of Orlowka[39]
57 29 May 1942 16:15 Yak-4 25 km (16 mi) east-northeast of Chuhuiv[45] 67 10 December 1942 07:40 Il-2 north of Pitomnik Airfield[46]
58 26 June 1942 08:54 Il-2[45] 68 10 December 1942 08:44 MiG-3 4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of Pitomnik Airfield[46]
59 1 July 1942 12:32 MiG-3[47] 69 10 December 1942 08:50 Il-2 4 km (2.5 mi) east of Kriwomusginskaja[46]
60 5 July 1942 18:27 Boston[48] 70 11 December 1942 09:40 MiG-3 30 km (19 mi) north-northwest of Pitomnik Airfield[46]
61 5 July 1942 18:30 Boston[48] 71 11 December 1942 10:45 La-5 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Pitomik Airfield[46]
62 11 July 1942 03:23 Boston Nishne Kisljay[48] 72 11 December 1942 11:53 MiG-3 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Pitomik Airfield[46]
63 28 July 1942 09:03 LaGG-3 northeast of Kalach[49] 73 19 December 1942 11:10 Boston 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Bokorskaja[50]
64 3 August 1942 11:40 MiG-3 east of Kalach[43] 74 28 December 1942 10:40 Yak-1 north of Chernyshkovsky[50]
65 9 August 1942 18:27 Il-2 PQ 3936[43] 75 28 December 1942 14:05 Il-2 12 km (7.5 mi) north-northeast of Morozovskaya[50]
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[39]
Eastern Front – 4 February – 31 May 1943
76 12 February 1943 11:18 Il-2 east of Sloviansk[51] 79 22 March 1943 12:13 LaGG-3 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Rostov[51]
77 12 February 1943 11:20 Il-2 east of Sloviansk[51] 80?[Note 1] 1 April 1943 08:32 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 91321, Menshulin[52]
78 6 March 1943 10:05 Il-2 7 km (4.3 mi) north of Andreyevka[51]
Stab VI. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[39]
Mediterranean theater – 1 July – 28 September 1943
81 19 July 1943 15:10 Spitfire Troina[53]
Sicily
82 21 August 1943 14:14 B-24 5 km (3.1 mi) east of Marcianise[53]
4 km (2.5 mi) east of Pomigliano d'Arco
Stab VI. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[39]
Defense of the Reich – 28 September – 31 December 1943
83 19 December 1943 12:24?[Note 4] B-17 south of Innsbruck[54]

Awards

Notes

  1. This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[23]
  2. This claim is not listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock.[38]
  3. Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock attributed this claim to Leutnant Hans-Georg Beyer from 9. Staffel.[44]
  4. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 12:04.[39]
  5. According to Scherzer as pilot in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 3.[56]

References

Citations

  1. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 442.
  2. Obermaier 1989, p. 88.
  3. Prien et al. 2003, p. 135.
  4. Weal 2013, Chptr. 5.
  5. Prien et al. 2012, p. 124.
  6. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 1.
  7. Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 4–5.
  8. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 7.
  9. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 9.
  10. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 352.
  11. Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 12–15.
  12. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 18.
  13. Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 42, 46.
  14. Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 46–47.
  15. Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 49, 354.
  16. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 52.
  17. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 60.
  18. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 336.
  19. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 61.
  20. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 330.
  21. Zabecki 2014, p. 1614.
  22. Spick 1996, p. 236.
  23. Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 98–99.
  24. Planquadrat.
  25. Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 98.
  26. Prien et al. 2002, p. 244.
  27. Prien et al. 2002, p. 245.
  28. Prien et al. 2003, p. 107.
  29. Prien et al. 2003, p. 109.
  30. Prien et al. 2003, p. 110.
  31. Prien et al. 2003, p. 108.
  32. Prien et al. 2003, p. 142.
  33. Prien et al. 2003, p. 144.
  34. Prien et al. 2003, p. 147.
  35. Prien et al. 2003, p. 148.
  36. Prien et al. 2003, p. 149.
  37. Prien et al. 2005, p. 33.
  38. Prien et al. 2005, p. 34.
  39. Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 99.
  40. Prien et al. 2005, p. 35.
  41. Prien et al. 2005, p. 36.
  42. Prien et al. 2006, p. 214.
  43. Prien et al. 2006, p. 220.
  44. Prien et al. 2006, pp. 220, 222–223.
  45. Prien et al. 2006, p. 215.
  46. Prien et al. 2006, p. 227.
  47. Prien et al. 2006, p. 216.
  48. Prien et al. 2006, p. 217.
  49. Prien et al. 2006, p. 219.
  50. Prien et al. 2006, p. 228.
  51. Prien et al. 2012, p. 127.
  52. Prien et al. 2012, p. 128.
  53. Prien et al. 2010, p. 136.
  54. Prien et al. 2008, p. 342.
  55. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 112.
  56. Scherzer 2007, p. 220.
  57. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 41.

Bibliography

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