Friedrich Körner

German general and fighter pilot during World War II

Friedrich Körner (24 January 1921 – 3 September 1998) was a World War II Luftwaffe Flying ace. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Körner was credited with 36 victories in over 250 missions.^[1] All of his victories were scored whilst flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109.

Military career

Körner joined the Luftwaffe on 15 November 1939 and after completion of his pilot training joined I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) in North Africa on 4 July 1941.^[2] Körner claimed his first victory on 12 October 1941 near Sallum. In June 1942 he scored 20 kills, five on the 26 June making him an "ace-in-a-day", Körner's most successful day.^[3] On 4 July 1942, a year to the day of his arrival, he was shot down whilst scrambling to intercept a Royal Air Force (RAF) bomber formation over the front line near El Alamein in his Bf 109 F-4/Trop (Werknummer 8696—factory number) "Red 11".^[4][5] His victor was Lieutenant Lawrence Waugh of 1 Squadron SAAF.^[6] Körner was captured and sent to a prisoner of war camp in Canada, and released in 1947.^[7]

After the war

In January 1956, Körner joined the West German Air Force, at the time referred to as the Bundesluftwaffe, holding the rank of Oberleutnant. Initially serving as a flight instructor, he later received general staff training. He retired from military service on 30 June 1979, having reached the rank of Brigadegeneral. Following his retirement, Körner and his wife lived in Paris. He died on 3 September 1998 at the age of 77 in Bailly north-central France.^[8]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Körner was credited with 36 aerial victories claimed in approximately 250 combat missions, all of which over North Africa.^[9] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 36 aerial victory claims, all of which over North Africa.^[10]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class^[21]
• German Cross in Gold on 21 August 1942 as Leutnant in the I./Jagdgeschwader 27^[22]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 September 1942 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 2./Jagdgeschwader 27^{[23][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as pilot in the I./Jagdgeschwader 27.^[24]

References

Citations

1. Weal 2003, p. 84.
2. Shores & Ring 1969, p. 228.
3. Scutts 1994, p. 23.
4. Prien et al. 2004, p. 193.
5. Roba 2019, p. 73.
6. Hammond 2012.
7. Heaton & Lewis 2012, p. 132.
8. Dixon 2023, p. 250.
9. Obermaier 1989, p. 148.
10. Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 672–673.
11. Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 672.
12. Prien et al. 2003, p. 372.
13. Prien et al. 2003, p. 373.
14. Prien et al. 2004, p. 176.
15. Prien et al. 2004, p. 181.
16. Prien et al. 2004, p. 177.
17. Prien et al. 2004, p. 182.
18. Prien et al. 2004, p. 178.
19. Prien et al. 2004, p. 179.
20. Prien et al. 2004, p. 180.
21. Dixon 2023, p. 249.
22. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 247.
23. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 266.
24. Scherzer 2007, p. 461.

Bibliography

• Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1939–1942. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-52677-864-2.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (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.
• Hammond, Bryn (2012). El Alamein: The Battle that Turned the Tide of the Second World War. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78096-453-9.
• Heaton, Colin; Lewis, Anne-Marie (2012). The Star of Africa: The Story of Hans Marseille, the Rogue Luftwaffe Ace. London, UK: Zenith Press. ISBN 978-0-7603-4393-7.
• Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 2 G–L. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-19-6.
• 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.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 5—Heimatverteidigung—10. Mai 1940 bis 31 Dezember 1941—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—Oktober 1940 bis November 1941—Einsatz im Westen—22. Juni bis 31. Dezember 1941—Die Ergänzungsjagdgruppen—Einsatz 1941 bis zur Auflösung Anfang 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 5—Defense of the Reich—10 May 1940 to 31 December 1941—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—October 1940 to November 1941—Action in the West—22 June to 31 December 1941—The Supplementary Fighter Groups—Action from 1941 until their Breakup in Early 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-68-7.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2004). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 8/I—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—November 1941 bis December 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 8/I—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—November 1941 to December 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-74-8.
• Roba, Jean-Louis (2019). The Luftwaffe in Africa, 1941-1943. London: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61200-745-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Scutts, Jerry (1994). Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 2. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-85532-448-0.
• Shores, Christopher; Ring, Hans (1969). Fighters over the desert: the air battles in the Western Desert, June 1940 to December 1942. London, UK: Neville Spearman. ISBN 978-0-85435-060-5.
• Weal, John (2003). Jagdgeschwader 27 "Afrika". Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 12. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-538-9.