Adolf Borchers

Adolf Borchers (10 February 1913 – 9 February 1996) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. He was credited with 132 aerial victories—that is, 132 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in approximately 800 combat missions.

Adolf Borchers
Born(1913-02-10)10 February 1913
Wendhausen near Lüneburg
Died9 February 1996(1996-02-09) (aged 82)
Oberstaufen-Steibis
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchCondor Legion
 Luftwaffe
RankMajor (major)
UnitJagdgruppe 88, JG 51, JG 52
Commands held11./JG 51, I./JG 52, III./JG 52
Battles/wars
See battles

Spanish Civil War

World War II

AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Spouse(s)Christl Cranz
RelationsWalter Borchers
Hermann Borchers
Other workSki school

Biography

Borchers was born on 10 February 1913 in Wendhausen near Lüneburg. He had two brothers who also received the Knight's Cross. Major Walter Borchers was a night fighter pilot and wing commander. A second brother, SS-Hauptsturmführer Hermann Borchers served in the 9th SS Panzer Division Hohenstaufen.

He joined the Condor Legion in the fall of 1938 and participated as an Unteroffizier in the Spanish Civil War. After the Spanish Civil War he was transferred to 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) which later became 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) on 21 November 1940.[Note 1] In this unit he fought in the Invasion of Poland, Battle of France and Battle of Britain, claiming two aerial victories. On 19 May 1940, he claimed his first aerial victory over a Hawker Hurricane in the vicinity of Le Cateau[1]

Following aerial combat on 31 August 1940, Borchers ditched his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1 (Werknummer 5808—factory number) in the Thames Estuary but was rescued. That day, I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 77 lost seven Bf 109s in combat over southeastern England, with one pilot killed in action and five taken prisoner of war.[2]

Eastern Front

During Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he accumulated further victories and by the end of 1941 his score had increased to 23 aerial victories. After being promoted to an Officers rank he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 11. Staffel of JG 51 on 20 August 1942, replacing Leutnant Wolfgang Böwing-Treuding who was transferred to 10. Staffel.[3] By the end of 1942, his number of aerial victories had increased to 38.[4]

In 1943, Borchers married the famed skier Christl Cranz.[5]

For 78 aerial victories Borchers was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes).[6] On 11 June 1944, he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) replacing Hauptmann Johannes Wiese who had been injured in combat on 19 May 1944.[7] He claimed his 100 aerial victory on 24 July 1944. He was the 86th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[8] His 118th victory claimed on 2 September 1944, is also noted for claiming JG 52 10,000th aerial victory.[9][10] Borchers was given command to III. Gruppe of JG 52 on 1 February 1945.[7] Together with his comrades he surrendered to US force only to be turned over to Soviet forces.

Borchers was officially credited with shooting down 132 enemy aircraft in more than 800 combat missions, the majority were claimed on the Eastern Front and two were claimed in the Battle of France and Battle of Britain together.[11]

After World War II he and his wife, Christl Cranz, founded a Ski school which she led until 1987.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that Borchers was credited with 132 aerial victories, including two on the Western Front and the others on the Eastern Front.[12]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ PQ 47764". 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 × 4 km in size.[13]

Awards

Notes
  1. For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
  2. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3.[19]
  3. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as an Ilyushin DB-3.[19]
  4. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed as an Ilyushin Il-2.[19]
  5. The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
  6. According to Obermaier on 13 October 1941.[48]

References

Citations
  1. Prien et al. 2000, p. 390.
  2. Prien et al. 2002, pp. 96, 107.
  3. Prien et al. 2006, p. 350.
  4. Prien et al. 2006, p. 358.
  5. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Christl Cranz". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2020-04-17.
  6. Weal 2006.
  7. Weal2004, p. 121.
  8. Obermaier 1989, p. 243.
  9. Weal 2004, p. 117.
  10. Bergström 2008, p. 79.
  11. Spick 1996, p. 230.
  12. Matthews & Foreman 2014, pp. 124–127.
  13. Planquadrat.
  14. Matthews & Foreman 2014, p. 124.
  15. Prien et al. 2002, p. 106.
  16. Matthews & Foreman 2014, pp. 124–125.
  17. Prien et al. 2003, p. 334.
  18. Prien et al. 2003, p. 343.
  19. Matthews & Foreman 2014, p. 125.
  20. Prien et al. 2003, p. 335.
  21. Prien et al. 2003, p. 345.
  22. Prien et al. 2003, p. 336.
  23. Prien et al. 2003, p. 337.
  24. Prien et al. 2003, p. 339.
  25. Prien et al. 2003, p. 341.
  26. Prien et al. 2005, p. 119.
  27. Prien et al. 2005, p. 120.
  28. Matthews & Foreman 2014, pp. 125–126.
  29. Prien et al. 2006, p. 353.
  30. Prien et al. 2006, p. 354.
  31. Prien et al. 2006, p. 356.
  32. Prien et al. 2006, p. 357.
  33. Prien et al. 2006, p. 359.
  34. Prien et al. 2012, p. 147.
  35. Prien et al. 2012, p. 151.
  36. Prien et al. 2012, p. 148.
  37. Prien et al. 2012, p. 152.
  38. Prien et al. 2012, p. 153.
  39. Prien et al. 2012, p. 149.
  40. Prien et al. 2012, p. 154.
  41. Prien et al. 2012, p. 150.
  42. Prien et al. 2012, p. 155.
  43. Prien et al. 2012, p. 156.
  44. Matthews & Foreman 2014, p. 126.
  45. Matthews & Foreman 2014, pp. 126–127.
  46. Matthews & Foreman 2014, p. 127.
  47. Patzwall 2008, p. 55.
  48. Obermaier 1989, p. 92.
  49. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 52.
  50. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 140.
  51. Scherzer 2007, p. 235.

Bibliography
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  • Bergström, Christer. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 14 February 2019.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
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