Franz Eckerle

Following the surrender of the Royal Yugoslav Army on 17 April 1941, while stationed at an airfield at Zemun near Belgrade, the Geschwader received orders on 3 May 1941 to turn over all Bf 109-Es so they could receive the new Bf 109-F variant. Transition training was completed at Airfield Stolp-Reitz in Pomerania. Following intensive training, the Geschwader was moved to airfields in Eastern Prussia. On 18 June, II. Gruppe relocated to Neukuhren, present-day Pionersky, and then to Trakehnen, present-day Yasnaya Polyana, on 20 June. The Wehrmacht launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, on 22 June with II. Gruppe supporting Army Group North in its strategic goal towards Leningrad.[14] Prior, Eckerle was promoted to Hauptmann (captain) on 1 June 1941.[15]

On the first day of the invasion, II. Gruppe flew multiple missions in support of German bombers attacking Soviet airfields near Kowno, present-day Kaunas. That day, Eckerle claimed a Tupolev SB bomber shot down.[16] This was his fifth aerial victory in total.[17] On 25 June, the Gruppe followed the German advance and relocated to an airfield at Kowno. Two days later they moved to Dünaburg, present-day Daugavpils. On 28 June, the 8th Panzer Division had established a bridgehead across the Daugava. Operating from Dünaburg, Eckerle claimed three Ilyushin DB-3 bombers shot down on 30 June over the bridgehead.[18] Following his 30th aerial victory, Eckerle was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 18 September. The presentation was made by General der Flieger Helmuth Förster, commanding general of the I. Fliegerkorps (1st Air Corps).[19]

In early November, the Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front for a period of rest and replenishment where they were based at airfields in Döberitz, and later at Uetersen. By 20 December, the Gruppe had received 40 Focke Wulf Fw 190 A fighter aircraft. The order for conversion to the Fw 190 was recanted and ordered to Jesau near Königsberg, present-day Kaliningrad in Russia, where they received 40 Bf 109-F-4 aircraft.[20] During this period, Eckerle was transferred to the Gruppenstab of I. Gruppe of JG 54. Command of 6. Staffel was then passed to Hauptmann Carl Sattig.[21]

On 5 January 1942, Eckerle was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of JG 54. He succeeded Hauptmann Erich von Selle who was transferred. The Gruppe was based at Krasnogvardeysk, present-day Gatchina and fought in the aerial battles of the Siege of Leningrad.[22] On 7 January, the Soviet Volkhov Front attacked German forces at Volkhov river while the Soviet Northwestern Front attacked south of Lake Ilmen in what became the Battle of Lyuban. That day, Soviet bombers attacked Ziverskaya Airfield, defending against this attack, Eckerle shot down one aircraft.[23] Over thex days, the Gruppe again flew missions in support of the Heer (army) along the Volkhov in the combat area southeast of Leningrad near Tosno. On 13 January, Eckerle was credited with shooting down a SB-2 bomber followed by two Polikarpov I-16 fighters shot down on 19 January.[24]

Eckerle was forced to make an emergency landing in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 (Werknummer 9728—factory number) behind Soviet lines near Woronowo, southeast of Schlüsselburg, on 14 February 1942.[25] He was posted as missing in action and presumed killed. He was posthumously honored with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 12 March 1942 for 59 aerial victories.[26] Eckerle was succeeded by Hauptmann Hans Philipp as commander of I. Gruppe.[27] According to Soviet sources, Eckerle was shot down near Turyshkino, located approximately 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) southeast of Mga. He was likely shot down by Mladshiy Leytenant Petrukhin, Mladshiy Leytenant Markov, and Serzhant Savosin from 71 IAP (Fighter Aviation Regiment—Istrebitelny Aviatsionny Polk) of the KBF (Krasnoznamyonnyy Baltiyskiy Flot), the air force of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet.[28] Page states that he was shot near Velikiye Luki.[29]

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Eckerle was credited with 59 aerial victories.[30] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 59 aerial victory claims, all of which confirmed. This number includes 55 on the Eastern Front and four on the Western Front.[31]

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (13 September 1939)[49]
  • 1st Class (11 August 1940)[49]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 18 September 1941 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 1./Jagdgeschwader 54[50][51]
  • 82nd Oak Leaves on 12 March 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 54[50][52]