Eberhard von Boremski

Eberhard von Boremski (24 September 1914 – 16 December 1963) was a fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II. A flying ace, he was credited with 104 aerial victories—that is, 104 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in roughly 630 combat missions. Boremski was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He was killed in an accident in Hamburg on 16 December 1963.

Eberhard von Boremski
Eberhard von Boremski, photo taken during World War 2
Born(1914-09-24)24 September 1914
Conow near Ludwigslust
Died16 December 1963(1963-12-16) (aged 49)
Hamburg-Altona
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service1939–45
RankHauptmann (captain)
Commands held12./JG 3
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Early life and career

Von Boremski was born 24 September 1914 in Conow, present-day part of Malliß, near Ludwigslust in the German Empire.[1] He joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 and served initially in 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of Trägergruppe 186,[2] which became II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing).[Note 1] On 1 March 1940, holding the rank of Unteroffizier (corporal), he was transferred to the newly created 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing), a squadron of III. Gruppe.[3] On 1 March 1940, III. Gruppe of JG 3 was formed at Jena under the command of Hauptmann Walter Kienitz. 7. Staffel was headed by Oberleutnant Erwin Neuerburg, also a former member of JG 77. The Gruppe was initially equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1 and E-3 variant.[4]

World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 28 March 1940, III. Gruppe of JG 3 was considered operationally ready and transferred to Detmold Airfield where it was tasked with defending Germanys western border during the "Phoney War".[5] On 10 April, the Gruppe relocated to Hopsten Airfield.[6] In preparation for the Battle of France, III. Gruppe was subordinated to Luftflotte 2, supporting Army Group Bs attack into the Netherlands.[6] Von Boremski claimed his first aerial victory on 29 May during the Battle of Dunkirk when he shot down a Royal Air Force (RAF) Supermarine Spitfire fighter on an early evening mission to the combat area. On 5 June, German forced launched Fall Rot (Case Red), the second phase of the conquest of France. Two days later, III. Gruppe fought in the vicinity of Beauvais where von Boremski claimed a French Bréguet 693 ground-attack aircraft shot down.[7] Following the Armistice of 22 June 1940, III. Gruppe was ordered to Dieppe on 29 June where the unit was tasked with patrolling the French coast at the English Channel.[8]

On 30 June, III. Gruppe flew two fighter intercept missions against RAF forces attacking various targets near Lille. Defending against these attacks, von Boremski, flying with 7. Staffel, claimed a Hawker Hurricane fighter shot down which was not confirmed.[9] On 1 September, during the Battle of Britain, command of III. Gruppe was transferred to Hauptmann Wilhelm Balthasar when the former commander Kienitz had fallen ill.[10] Von Boremski shot down the Bristol Blenheim bomber T1794 of No. 139 Squadron RAF on 24 September 1940. The Blenheim was on a mission against E-boats and fell into the English Channel. Squadron Leader M. F. Hendry, Sergeant P. M. Davidson and Sergeant V. Arrowsmith were killed in action.[11] On 15 February 1941, III. Gruppe was ordered to Gütersloh Airfield in Germany for a period of rest and replenishment.[12] At Gütersloh, the Gruppe received a full complement of the then new Bf 109 F-2 variant. On 3 May, III. Gruppe moved back to the English Channel front where it was based at Lillers.[13] There, von Boremski claimed his last aerial victory over the RAF on 25 May 1941.[14] On 9 June, III. Gruppe was withdrawn from the west and ordered to transfer to Breslau.[15]

Eastern Front

By the start of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, Boremski had accumulated four aerial victories claimed in 120 combat missions. Over the Soviet Union in 1941, von Boremski was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 3 May 1942 for achieving 43 victories.[16] After serving as an instructor in mid 1942, he returned to JG 3. In February 1943 he was made Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 7. Staffel of JG 3, serving in this role until 30 May 1943, when he was wounded.[17] In early 1944 he was made commanding officer of Deutsch-Königlich Rumänischen Jagdverband (German Royal Romanian Fighter Unit) of Luftflotte 4, in collaboration with the Royal Romanian Air Force.[18] On 24 February 1944, Oberleutnant Herbert Kutscha, the commander of 12. Staffel of JG 3 was wounded in combat. In consequence, von Boremski took command of the Staffel the following day.[19] On 11 April, von Boremski flying Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 162585—factory number) was wounded following a mid-air collision west of Anklam with Gefreiter Horst Witzler from 10. Staffel. Although both pilots bailed out, command of 12. Staffel was transferred to Leutnant Hans Rachner.[20]

From September 1944 to November 1944 von Boremski led 1. Staffel of Jagdgruppe Ost and then 9. Staffel of Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 1 (EJG 1—1st Supplementary Fighter Wing). In January 1945, von Boremski was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 97th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[21] By the end of the war, von Boremski had been credited with 104 victories, with all but four of his victories claimed over the Soviet Air Forces in about 630 combat missions.

After the German surrender, von Boremski was handed over by U.S. troops in Czechoslovakia to the Soviet armed forces, and he remained a Prisoner of War until 1955. He died in an accident in Hamburg on 16 December 1963.[22]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, von Boremski was credited with 104 aerial victories claimed on 630 combat missions. This figure includes 100 claims on the Eastern Front, and four on the Western Front.[1] Author Spick lists von Boremski with 90 aerial victories.[23] Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that he claimed at least 88 aerial victories, plus two unconfirmed claims. Four of his aerial victories were claimed on the Western Front, the others on the Eastern Front. The authors indicate that he probably claimed further aerial victories with EJG 1 which cannot be verified through the archives.[24]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 4932". 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.[25]

Awards

Notes
  1. For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
  2. According to Matthews and Foremann, with 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3.[3]
  3. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 07:45.[3]
  4. According to Matthews and Foreman a DB-3.[3]
  5. This claim is not listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, and Bock.[35][36]
  6. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 13:15.[39]
  7. According to Matthews and Foreman claimed at 10:30.[39]
  8. The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
  9. According to Scherzer as pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet".[22]

References

Citations
  1. Obermaier 1989, p. 92.
  2. Prien 1992, p. 119.
  3. Matthews & Foreman 2014, p. 128.
  4. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 1.
  5. Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 1, 3.
  6. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 3.
  7. Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 24–25, 474.
  8. Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 25, 36.
  9. Prien & Stemmer 1996, pp. 36, 474.
  10. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 41.
  11. Donnelly 2004, p. 165.
  12. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 49.
  13. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 91.
  14. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 476.
  15. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 93.
  16. Weal 2013, p. 37.
  17. Prien & Stemmer 1996, p. 442.
  18. Bérnad 2012, p. 28.
  19. Prien 1996, pp. 71, 331.
  20. Prien 1996, pp. 99–100, 338.
  21. Obermaier 1989, p. 243.
  22. Scherzer 2007, p. 235.
  23. Spick 1996, p. 235.
  24. Matthews & Foreman 2014, pp. 128–130.
  25. Planquadrat.
  26. Prien et al. 2000, p. 175.
  27. Prien et al. 2002, p. 244.
  28. Prien et al. 2002, p. 247.
  29. Prien et al. 2003, p. 137.
  30. Prien et al. 2003, p. 141.
  31. Prien et al. 2003, p. 142.
  32. Prien et al. 2003, p. 138.
  33. Prien et al. 2003, p. 146.
  34. Prien et al. 2003, p. 140.
  35. Prien et al. 2003, p. 147.
  36. Prien et al. 2005, p. 35.
  37. Matthews & Foreman 2014, pp. 128–129.
  38. Prien et al. 2005, p. 33.
  39. Matthews & Foreman 2014, p. 129.
  40. Prien et al. 2005, p. 34.
  41. Prien et al. 2005, p. 36.
  42. Prien et al. 2006, p. 214.
  43. Prien et al. 2006, p. 216.
  44. Prien et al. 2006, p. 217.
  45. Prien et al. 2006, p. 218.
  46. Prien et al. 2006, p. 215.
  47. Matthews & Foreman 2014, pp. 129–130.
  48. Prien et al. 2006, p. 227.
  49. Matthews & Foreman 2014, p. 130.
  50. Prien et al. 2012, p. 127.
  51. Prien et al. 2012, p. 134.
  52. Prien et al. 2012, p. 128.
  53. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 140.
  54. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 52.

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