Hermann Buchner (pilot)

Hermann Buchner (30 October 1919 – 1 December 2005) was a former Luftwaffe fighter 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. Buchner is credited with 46 tank victories and 58 aerial victories, including 12 while flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter,[1] accumulated in 631 combat missions.

Hermann Buchner
Born(1919-10-30)30 October 1919
Salzburg/Austria
Died1 December 2005(2005-12-01) (aged 86)
Hörsching/Linz
Allegiance First Austrian Republic
 Federal State of Austria
 Nazi Germany
 Austria
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Austrian Air Force
Years of service1937–45, 1955–79
RankLeutnant (Wehrmacht)
Oberst (Bundesheer)
UnitSG 1, SG 2, JG 7
Battles/wars
See battles

World War II

AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Early life and career

Buchner was born on 30 October 1919 in Salzburg, at the time in the First Austrian Republic. In 1937, he joined the Luftstreitkräfte (Austrian Air Force). Following the Anschluss in March 1938, the forced incorporation of Austria into Nazi Germany, Buchner was transferred to the Luftwaffe (the Nazi German Air Force). Trained as a pilot, he then served as an instructor with various Luftwaffe training units.[2][Note 1] He initially served with Fliegerausbildungs-Regiment 22 (22rd Aviators Training Regiment) and then at the Flugzeugführerschule (See) 2 (2nd Sea Pilot School) at Pütnitz, present-day part of Ribnitz-Damgarten. He was then posted to the Jagdfliegerschule (fighter pilot school) at Werneuchen where served with 1. Staffel (1st squadron) from 2 June to 1 November 1941.[Note 2] On 2 November 1941, Buchner was transferred to the Schlacht-Lehr-Ergänzungsgruppe in Lippstadt, a supplementary training unit of Lehrgeschwader 2 (LG 2—2nd Demonstration Wing).[4]

World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. In February 1942, his former training unit was redesignated and became 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of Schlachtgeschwader 1 (SG 1—1st Ground Attack Wing), a front line ground attack unit which was sent to the Eastern Front.[4] Buchner's 8. Staffel was equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109E.[5] On 7 May 1942, Buchner flew his first combat mission in the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula. With this unit, which was redesigned in late 1943 and became part of II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann" (SG 2—2nd Ground Attack Wing), Buchner fought in the Crimean Peninsula, during the Battle of Stalingrad, and in Romania.[4]

Buchner logged his 300 combat mission on 27 August 1943, his 500th on 4 March 1944. Following his 500th combat mission, at the time credited with 13 aerial victories, he was nominated for Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). From 1 June 1944 to 1 August 1944, Buchner was appointed as Staffelführer (acting squadron leader) of 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of SG 2.[4] As a ground attack pilot with 6. Staffel (6th squadron) of SG 2, Buchner was credited with 46 tanks destroyed.[6] On 20 July 1944, Buchner was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. At the time, he had been credited with 46 aerial victories, including a Boeing B-17 bomber over Romania,[7] and 46 tank destroyed, claimed in over 600 combat missions. The presentation was made by Oberst (Colonel) Alfred Druschel.[8]

Buchner then briefly served with Schlachtflieger-Ergänzungsgruppe 154 in Proßnitz, present-day Prostějov in the Czech Republic, before on 15 October 1944 he was transferred to Lechfeld Air Base for conversion training to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter.[4] He flew his first combat mission on the Me 262 on 26 November 1944 and claimed a P-38 Lightning shot down. The P-38 F-5 (work-number 43-28619) belonged to the 22nd Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron and was piloted by Second Lieutenant Irvin J. Rickey who bailed out and became a prisoner of war.[9] He flew further 19 missions with III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing) on the Me 262 and claimed eleven more aircraft shot down.[10] On 18 January 1945, Buchner married the Red Cross nurse Käthe.[11] On 22 February 1945, Buchner, accompanied by his wingman Oberfähnrich Heinz Russel, on a bomber intercept mission, came under attack by P-51 Mustangs of the 352nd, 363rd and 364th Fighter Group. In this encounter, Buchner shot down and killed Lieutenant Francis Radley of the 364th Fighter Group.[12][13] On 20 March and 22 March 1945 each, Buchner claimed one B-17 bomber of the United States Army Air Forces Eighth Air Force.[14] On 31 March 1945, he claimed an Avro Lancaster bomber shot down.[15]

Later life

Buchner, in the two years following World War II, served as an observer in the weather service of the American occupation forces. He helped found the Aero-Club Salzburg and worked as a flight instructor at glider school Zell am See. Austria regained its political autonomy in 1955 and Buchner joined the newly emerging Austrian Air Force as a flight instructor and officer. Buchner was one of the first pilots trained on the British DH 115 "Vampire" and later the Swedish Saab J-29. He served as a technical officer in the Jagdbomber-Schulstaffel (ground attack training squadron) in Graz under command of Major Karl "Charly" Bleckl. Promoted to Oberstleutnant and staff officer in Jagdbombergeschwader 1 and at the same time surrogate of commander Oberst Bleckl he was made commander of the airfield at Linz-Hörsching in 1979. Buchner retired from active service one year later.[10]

Publications
  • Buchner, Hermann (2008) "Stormbird" Manchester, UK: Crecy Classic ISBN 978-0-85979-140-3

Summary of career

During World War II, Buchner logged 631 combat missions, of which 215 on the Messerschmitt Bf 109E, 396 on the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, and 20 on the Messerschmitt Me 262. He was shot down five times, including two bail outs with a parachute, and was wounded twice. Buchner was credited with 58 aerial victories—46 on the Eastern Front and 12 flying the Me 262 in Defence of the Reich. As a ground attack pilot, he was credited with the destruction of 46 tanks and one armoured train.[4]

Aerial victory claims

Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives state that he claimed 58 aerial victories. This figure includes 45 claims on the Eastern Front and 13 claims on the Western Front. Buchner claimed 12 victories flying the Me 262 including more than ten four-engined bombers.[16]

Awards

Hermann Buchner had been nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The nomination was not processed before the end of World War II in Europe.[22]

Notes
  1. Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations.[3]
  2. For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
  3. The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
  4. According to Boehme, Buchner claimed to have damaged a B-17.[20]
  5. According to Obermaier on 2 October 1942.[22]
  6. According to Scherzer in the II./SG 2 "Immmelmann"[25]

References

Citations
  1. Zabecki 2015, p. 574.
  2. Berger & Habisohn 2003, p. 33.
  3. Bergström, Antipov & Sundin 2003, p. 17.
  4. Obermaier 1976, p. 93.
  5. Berger & Habisohn 2003, p. 34.
  6. Forsyth 2008, p. 23.
  7. Stout 2012, p. 290.
  8. Weal 2003.
  9. Heaton 2012, p. 134.
  10. Berger & Habisohn 2003, p. 35.
  11. Bowman 2016, p. 234.
  12. Harvey 2011, p. 315.
  13. Forsyth 2019, p. 81.
  14. Heaton 2012, pp. 144–145.
  15. Heaton 2012, p. 273.
  16. Matthews & Foreman 2014, pp. 167–168.
  17. Matthews & Foreman 2014, p. 167.
  18. Matthews & Foreman 2014, p. 168.
  19. Boehme 1992, p. 104.
  20. Boehme 1992, p. 120.
  21. Patzwall 2008, p. 60.
  22. Obermaier 1989, p. 96.
  23. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 65.
  24. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 148.
  25. Scherzer 2007, p. 249.

Bibliography
  • Berger, Florian; Habisohn, Christian (2003). Ritterkreuzträger im Österreichischen Bundesheer 1955–1985 [Knight's Cross Bearers of the Austrian Armed Forces 1955–1985] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-2-0.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Bergström, Christer; Antipov, Vlad; Sundin, Claes (2003). Graf & Grislawski – A Pair of Aces. Hamilton MT: Eagle Editions. ISBN 978-0-9721060-4-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Boehme, Manfred (1992). JG 7 The World's First Jet Fighter Unit 1944/1945. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-88740-395-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Bowman, Martin (2016). German Night Fighters Versus Bomber Command 1943–1945. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Aviation. ISBN 978-1-4738-4979-2.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Caldwell, Don Caldwell; Muller, Richard (2014). Luftwaffe Over Germany: Defense of the Reich. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Frontline Books. ISBN 978-1-84832-741-2.
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Forsyth, Robert (2008). Jagdgeschwader 7 'Nowotny'. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-320-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Forsyth, Robert (2019). Me 262 vs P-51 Mustang: Europe 1944–45. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-2956-6.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Harvey, James (2011). Sharks of the Air: Willy Messerschmitt and How He Built the World's First Operational Jet Fighter. Havertown, Pa: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61200-023-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Heaton, Colin (2012). The Me 262 Stormbird: From the Pilots Who Flew, Fought, and Survived It. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Zenith Imprint. ISBN 978-0-76034-263-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Keeney, L. Douglas (2014) [2012]. The Pointblank Directive: Three Generals and the Untold Story of the Daring Plan that Saved D-Day. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78200-896-5.
  • Matthews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2014). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 1 A–F. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-18-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Morgan, Hugh; Weal, John (1998). German Jet Aces of World War 2. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-634-5.
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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