Английская Википедия:Herbert Kutscha

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Herbert Kutscha (24 April 1917 – 19 September 2003 ) was a German 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. He was one of few Luftwaffe pilots to survive the whole war, serving from 1939 until 1945. During his career he was credited with 47 aerial victories in more than 900 missions.

Career

Kutscha was born on 24 April 1917 in Ratibor, present-day Racibórz in southern Poland, at the time in the Province of Silesia of the Kingdom of Prussia.Шаблон:Sfn He began his military career as an Unteroffizier within 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing). He claimed his first victory during the "Phoney War" by shooting down a Royal Air Force (RAF) Vickers Wellington bomber on 14 December 1939. The bombers from No. 99 Squadron were on a mission to attack the Kriegsmarine cruisers Nürnberg and Leipzig which were returning to port after they were hit by torpedoes fired from the Royal Navy submarine Шаблон:HMS the day before.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn This was followed by a Lockheed Hudson on 24 February 1940. In March 1940, Kutscha was transferred to 5./Zerstörergeschwader 1. With this unit he took part in the campaign in the West. This unit was changed to 8./ZG 1 on 26 June 1940. With this unit he participated in Battle of Britain. The unit was finally transformed on 24 April 1941 to Schnellkampfgeschwader 210. With this unit Kutscha entered the war on the Eastern Front and received the German Cross in Gold (Шаблон:Lang) on 14 February 1942 and Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Шаблон:Lang) on 24 September 1942.Шаблон:Sfn

With Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"

In 1943, the Luftwaffe planned to expand the authorized strength of every Jagdgeschwader from three to four Gruppen. On 1 June 1943, Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) was among the first units expanded. At Neubiberg Airfield near Munich, VI. Gruppe of JG 3, under the command of Hauptmann Franz Beyer, was created by spawning elements of I., II. and III. Gruppe of JG 3. The three Staffeln of VI. Gruppe were headed by Oberleutnant Franz Daspelgruber, as commander of 10. Staffel, Oberleutnant Gustav Frielinghaus, commanding 11. Staffel, and Kutscha, who was given command of 12. Staffel.Шаблон:Sfn The Gruppe was equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 and was sent to southern Italy to fight in the Mediterranean front.Шаблон:Sfn In early July 1943, all elements of VI. Gruppe were based at Lecce Airfield until they were transferred to Sicily on 11 July.Шаблон:Sfn

Defense of the Reich

On 24 September, VI. Gruppe was ordered back to Germany, where the unit was initially based at Neubiberg Airfield again.Шаблон:Sfn The increasing success of the Allied Combined Bomber Offensive had forced the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL—High Command of the Air Force) to relocate its forces.Шаблон:Sfn In total, five Gruppen were withdrawn from other theaters of operations and redeployed to Defense of the Reich in August and September 1943.Шаблон:Sfn At Neubiberg, the Gruppe received a new complement of Bf 109 G-6 aircraft while the pilots were trained in formation flying and tactics in fighting the combat box, a tactical formation used by heavy bombers of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF).Шаблон:Sfn On 18 December, the Gruppe was ordered to Grimbergen. Before this order was executed, on 19 December, the Fifteenth Air Force attacked railroading targets at Innsbruck and the Messerschmitt factories at Augsburg.Шаблон:Sfn Defending against this attack, Kutscha claimed the destruction of a B-24 bomber.Шаблон:Sfn

On 24 February 1944, during Big Week, Kutscha was shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 411048—factory number) by a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt in aerial combat near Quakenbrück. The following day, Hauptmann Eberhard von Boremski succeeded Kutscha as command of 12. Staffel.Шаблон:Sfn In July 1944, he returned to the front in Normandy and succeeded Leutnant Franz Ruhl as Staffelkapitän of 4. Staffel of JG 3, a squadron of II. Gruppe. Ruhl was hospitalized due to physical and mental exhaustion.Шаблон:Sfn On 20 July, Kutscha became Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of JG 3, succeeding Hauptmann Hans-Ekkehard Bob in this command position. Command of 4. Staffel returned to Ruhl after his return from the hospital.Шаблон:Sfn On 25 November 1944, II. Gruppe was detached from JG 3. The Gruppe was converted to fly the Messerschmitt Me 262 "Stormbird" jet fighter and became the I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing), the first operational jet fighter wing.Шаблон:Sfn

With Jagdgeschwader 27 and 11

Kutscha did not convert to the Me 262, he was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) and appointed Staffelkapitän of the 15. Staffel of JG 27 on 14 December 1944. He replaced Hauptmann Ernst Laube who was transferred.Шаблон:Sfn On 17 December 1944, Hauptmann Fritz Keller, the Gruppenkommandeur of II. Gruppe of JG 27, was shot down and wounded in combat. In consequence, Kutscha was transferred and tasked with the leadership of II. Gruppe.Шаблон:Sfn On 25 December 1944, during the Ardennes offensive, Kutscha claimed two North American P-51 Mustang fighters shot down west of the Nürburgring. The mission was to provide ground support for German troops fighting around St. Vith. Kutscha led his fighters from Hopsten to the Schnee Eifel area where they were intercepted by USAAF fighters returning from a fighter escort mission near Adenau and the Nürburgring. In this encounter, German fighters claimed four aerial victories for the loss of eight Bf 109s.Шаблон:Sfn Kutscha was shot down and slightly wounded Шаблон:Convert west of Bad Neuenahr in his Bf 109 G-10 (Werknummer 490664).Шаблон:Sfn His victor may have been Captain Bertrum Edwin Ellingson from the 356th Fighter Group.Шаблон:Sfn

On 23 February 1945, he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of the III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing), succeeding Oberleutnant Paul-Heinrich Dähne, who was transferred.Шаблон:Sfn

Kutscha flew more than 900 missions. He was credited with 47 victories in air combat—44 of which were on the Western Front (at least six were four-engine bombers)—plus at least 44 aircraft destroyed on the ground. He successfully targeted dozens of different objectives, including 41 tanks, 15 locomotives, 11 artillery positions, and 157 vehicles.Шаблон:Sfn Kutscha died 19 September 2003 in Kempten at the age of 86.Шаблон:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Kutscha was credited with 47 aerial victories claimed in over 900 combat missions. This figure includes 18 claims on the Eastern Front, and 29 on the Western Front, including six four-engine bombers.Шаблон:Sfn Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that he claimed at least 39 aerial victories, potentially 45 claims. He claimed approximately 18 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, and 21 on the Western Front which includes six four-engine bombers.Шаблон:Sfn

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 14 Ost 51331". The Luftwaffe grid map (Шаблон:Lang) 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 Шаблон:Convert. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area Шаблон:Convert in size.Шаблон:Sfn

Chronicle of aerial victories
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 –Шаблон:Sfn "Phoney War" — 1 September 1939 – 6 April 1940
1	14 December 1939	15:50	Wellington	north of WangeroogeШаблон:Sfn	2?Шаблон:Refn	24 February 1940	09:11	Hudson	Шаблон:Convert north of AmelandШаблон:Sfn
– 5. Staffel of Zerstörergeschwader 1 –Шаблон:Sfn Battle of France — May 1940
	10 May 1940	Шаблон:Center	Douglas	vicinity of Ypenburg		10 May 1940	Шаблон:Center	Douglas	vicinity of Ypenburg
– 8. Staffel of Zerstörergeschwader 76 –Шаблон:Sfn Battle of France — June 1940
	4 June 1940?Шаблон:Refn	Шаблон:Center	Bf 109	vicinity of BoécourtШаблон:Sfn
– 5. Staffel of Schnellkampfgeschwader 210 –Шаблон:Sfn Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
	30 June 1941	04:15	I-15	Buschow airfield		6 October 1941	07:50	R-5
	26 July 1941	19:45	MiG-1	Roslavl
– 6. Staffel of Zerstörergeschwader 1 –Шаблон:Sfn Eastern Front — June – July 1942
	30 June 1942	15:10	Il-2			26 July 1942	16:21	I-153
– II. Gruppe of Zerstörergeschwader 1 –Шаблон:Sfn Eastern Front — August 1942
	9 August 1942	15:52	I-153		23	30 August 1942	13:22	I-16
– 12. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Шаблон:Sfn Mediterranean Theater — 1 July – 28 September 1943
25	12 July 1943	11:12	Spitfire	Шаблон:Convert south of LicataШаблон:Sfn	29	25 August 1943	10:50	B-17	PQ 14 Ost 51331Шаблон:Sfn vicinity of Naples
26	16 August 1943	12:51	B-24	Шаблон:Convert south of San MatteoШаблон:Sfn	30	28 August 1943	15:55	P-38	PQ 14 Ost 31223Шаблон:Sfn
27	19 August 1943	12:37	B-17	south of Punta LicosaШаблон:Sfn	31	30 August 1943	12:20	P-38	PQ 14 Ost 31273Шаблон:Sfn vicinity of Ischia
28	20 August 1943	13:28	P-38	PQ 14 Ost 41273Шаблон:Sfn	32	9 September 1943	13:55	B-24	PQ 14 Ost 5138Шаблон:Sfn vicinity of Calabria
– 12. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –Шаблон:Sfn Defense of the Reich — October 1943 – 24 February 1944
33	19 December 1943	11:52	B-24	southeast of InnsbruckШаблон:Sfn	35?	10 February 1944	11:00	B-17Шаблон:Sfn	Zwolle/Hardenberg
34	31 January 1944	15:20	P-38Шаблон:Sfn		36	21 February 1944	14:35	B-17*Шаблон:Sfn	vicinity of Holzminden
– 15. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 –Шаблон:Sfn Defense of the Reich — 15–17 December 1944
39	17 December 1944	11:02	P-47	east of MalmedyШаблон:Sfn
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 –Шаблон:Sfn Defense of the Reich — 17 December 1944 – 20 January 1945
40	25 December 1944	11:57	P-51	west of NürburgringШаблон:Sfn	41	25 December 1944	12:00	P-51	west of NürburgringШаблон:Sfn

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "500"
• Wound Badge in Black (25 December 1944)
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 3 November 1941 as Oberfeldwebel and pilotШаблон:Sfn
• German Cross in Gold on 14 February 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the 5./Kampfgeschwader 210 (S)Шаблон:Sfn
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 September 1942 as Leutnant of the Reserves and pilot in the II./Schnellkampfgeschwader 210Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Refn

References

Bibliography

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