Английская Википедия:Horst-Günther von Fassong

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Шаблон:Short description Шаблон:Use dmy dates Шаблон:Use American English Шаблон:Infobox military person Horst-Günther von Fassong (27 April 1919 – 1 January 1945) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. Depending on source, he is credited between 63 and 136 aerial victories achieved in an unknown number of combat missions. This figure includes up to 90 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, and potentially further 46 victories over the Western Allies, including up to four four-engined bombers.

Born in Kassel, Fassong grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. A pre-war member of the German Army, he transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1940. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) in 1941. Flying with this wing, Fassong claimed his first aerial victory on 3 July 1941 during Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. He was made Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 10. Staffel (10th squadron) of JG 51 in February 1943. In May 1944, he was transferred and appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11st Fighter Wing) fighting in Defense of the Reich. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 and killed in action on 1 January 1945 during Operation Bodenplatte.

Career

Fassong was born on 27 April 1919 in Kassel, at the time in the Province of Hesse-Nassau, a Free State of Prussia within the Weimar Republic.Шаблон:Sfn His military career began with Aufklärungsabteilung 7, a reconnaissance battalion of the 4th Panzer Division. In May 1940, Fassong transferred to the Luftwaffe where he was trained as a fighter pilot.Шаблон:Refn In early 1941, he was posted to 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing).Шаблон:Sfn At the time, 3. Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Heinrich Krafft while I. Gruppe, to which the Staffel was subordinated, was headed by Hauptmann Hermann-Friedrich Joppien.Шаблон:Sfn The Gruppe was based on the English Channel, fighting the Royal Air Force (RAF). On 25 May, I. Gruppe was withdrawn from the Channel Front and moved to Krefeld Airfield for preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union.Шаблон:Sfn

Eastern Front

JG 51 area of operation during Operation Barbarossa was over the right flank of Army Group Center in the combat area of the 2nd Panzer Group as well as the 4th Army.Шаблон:Sfn In support of the Army crossing the Berezina, I. Gruppe was moved to an airfield at Babruysk on 2 July.Шаблон:Sfn The following day Fassong claimed his first two aerial victories in the vicinity of Rahachow when he shot down two Polikarpov I-16 fighters.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn German forces breached the Stalin Line and II. Gruppe was moved to an airfield at Stara Bychow, approximately Шаблон:Convert south of Mogilev on the Dnieper on 12 July where it stayed until 20 August.Шаблон:Sfn Fassong was severely injured, sustaining heavy burns, on 28 July when his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 9650—factory number) burst into flames during takeoff.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

On 12 February 1943, Fassong was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 10. Staffel of JG 51. The Staffel was subordinated to IV. Gruppe of JG 51, initially commanded by Hauptmann Hans Knauth and as of 1 March, by Major Rudolf Resch.Шаблон:Sfn The Gruppe had just completed conversion from the Bf 109 F-2 to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4 and was based at Smolensk. In that combat area, Army Group Centre had launched Operation Büffel, a series of retreats eliminating the Rzhev salient.Шаблон:Sfn On 10 June, during a Soviet attack on the Seshchinskaya and Bryansk Air Field, Fassong claimed three aerial victories in nine minutes.Шаблон:Sfn

Operation Citadel

On 5 July, German forces launched Operation Citadel in a failed attempt to eliminate the Kursk salient that initiated the Battle of Kursk. In preparation of this operation, IV. Gruppe was ordered to an airfield named Oryol-West and supported Generaloberst Walter Model's 9th Army on the northern pincer. That day, pilots of the Gruppe flew up to five combat missions in the combat area near Maloarkhangelsk. The Gruppe escorted bombers from Kampfgeschwader 4 (KG 4—4th Bomber Wing), KG 51 and KG 53 as well as Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers from Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (StG 1—1st Dive Bomber Wing).Шаблон:Sfn The Gruppe claimed 36 aerial victories that day, including two Lavochkin La-5, an Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft, and a Douglas A-20 Havoc bomber also known as a Boston, by Fassong.Шаблон:Sfn The following day, Fassong for the first time became an "ace-in-a-day", claiming three Il-2 ground attack aircraft, two La-5 fighters and a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter.Шаблон:Sfn

On 11 July, IV. Gruppe lost its commanding officer, Resch, who was killed in action. He was replaced by Major Hans-Ekkehard Bob who had to be transferred and took command of the Gruppe on 1 August.Шаблон:Sfn On 14 August, Fassong again became an "ace-in-a-day", and was credited with five Il-2 ground attack aircraft shot down west of Kharkov during the Soviet Belgorod–Kharkov offensive operation.Шаблон:Sfn Fassong was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Шаблон:Lang) on 17 October 1943,Шаблон:Sfn and after 62 aerial victories was transferred to the Western Front.Шаблон:Sfn

Group commander

In early May 1944, Fassong was transferred to III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing), initially serving as Staffelkapitän of 7. Staffel after his predecessor had been killed in action. The Gruppe was based at Oldenburg Airfield and was fighting in Defence of the Reich.Шаблон:Sfn On 8 May, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) attacked Berlin and Braunschweig with 807 four-engined heavy bombers escorted by 855 fighter aircraft.Шаблон:Sfn JG 11 intercepted the bombers of the 1st and 3rd Bombardment Division on its way to Berlin in the vicinity of Verden an der Aller. In the resulting aerial combat, Fassong shot down a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber.Шаблон:Sfn Four days later on 12 May, the Eighth Army Air Force targeted the German fuel industry.Шаблон:Sfn In total 886 four-engined bombers, escorted by 980 fighter aircraft, headed for the five main synthetic fuel factories in middle Germany in area of Leuna, Merseburg, Böhlen and Zeitz, and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia and Brüx.Шаблон:Sfn Defending against this attack, Fassong claimed a B-17 bomber shot down in a frontal attack on the bombers near Wiesbaden.Шаблон:Sfn

On 13 May, III. Gruppe moved from Oldenburg to Reinsehlen Airfield near Schneverdingen.Шаблон:Sfn On 22 May, 342 four-engined bombers 1st and 3rd Bombardment Division attacked Kiel.Шаблон:Sfn JG 11 fighters intercepted the USAAF bombers west of Neumünster. In this encounter Fassong claimed a B-17 bomber destroyed.Шаблон:Sfn In late May, Fassong succeeded Major Anton Hackl as Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe of JG 11.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn On 6 June, the Allies launched Operation Overlord, the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe, on 6 June. To defend against this invasion, the Luftwaffe relocated many of its fighter and bomber units to France. III. Gruppe was one of the few units not sent to France but at the time remained in Reinsehlen. In early June, the Gruppe was augmented by 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) led by Oberleutnant Paul-Heinrich Dähne. The Staffel then was redesignated and became the 12. Staffel of JG 11 and was subordinated to Fassong's command.Шаблон:Sfn When on 22 June Soviet forces launched Operation Bagration, III. Gruppe was ordered to relocate to the Eastern Front where it was to be deployed in the combat area of Minsk and fought in the Minsk Offensive.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn On 27 July, Fassong was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Шаблон:Lang).Шаблон:Sfn

The Gruppe flew its last combat missions on the Eastern Front on 1 September.Шаблон:Sfn During its ten-week tenure in the east, III. Gruppe pilots claimed approximately 125 aerial victories, including nine by Fassong,Шаблон:Sfn for the loss of twelve pilots killed or missing and further eleven injured or wounded in combat.Шаблон:Sfn The Gruppe then moved to an airfield at Riesa-Leutewitz for a brief period of rest and replenishment.Шаблон:Sfn On 17 September 1944 Allied forces launched Operation Market Garden, the operation to cross the Rhine at Arnhem.Шаблон:Sfn The following day, III. Gruppe was ordered to Achmer Airfiled to support the German defense.Шаблон:Sfn

Operation Bodenplatte and death

In preparation for Operation Bodenplatte, III. Gruppe was moved to an airfield at Großostheim, near Aschaffenburg on 17 December 1944. Fassong had learned of the planned operation on 5 December at a meeting held at the headquarters of the II. Jagdkorps (2nd Fighter Corps) commanded by Generalmajor Dietrich Peltz, on 5 December.Шаблон:Sfn Fassong informed his Staffelkapitäne of the upcoming operation on 15 December without going into the specifics of the target and date.Шаблон:Sfn At 06:30 on 1 January, Fassong briefed his pilots of the operation and that their target would be the Asch Airfield (Designated: Y-29) located north-west of Maastricht.Шаблон:Sfn At 08:18, Fassong led a flight of 31 Fw 190 A-8 fighter aircraft to Frankfurt where they were joined by other Luftwaffe fighters.Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

Fassong was last seen in aerial combat near Maastricht. Unteroffizier Armin Mehling, Fassong's wingman, reported that Fassong was shot down by two P-47 Thunderbolts over Asch flying a Fw 190 A-8 (Werknummer 682 792—factory number).Шаблон:Sfn The flight was flying at a height of Шаблон:Convert when they were pounced upon by six P-47s. Fassong's aircraft was hit and burned immediately. The aircraft crashed in a big ball of flames near Opglabbeek.Шаблон:Sfn Following his death, command of III. Gruppe was given to Oberleutnant Paul-Heinrich Dähne.Шаблон:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Spick, Fassong was credited with 136 aerial victories, 90 of which claimed over the Eastern Front and 46 in the western theater of operations, including four heavy bombers.Шаблон:Sfn Obermaier lists him with 75, potentially about 80, aerial victories, among them 10 claimed over the Western Front, including four heavy bombers.Шаблон:Sfn Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 63 aerial victory claims. This figure includes 61 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and two heavy bombers over the Western Allies.Шаблон:Sfn

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 46443". 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
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Шаблон:Sfn Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 28 July 1941
1	3 July 1941	10:30	I-16	southeast of RahachowШаблон:Sfn	2	3 July 1941	10:35	I-16	Шаблон:Convert southeast of RahachowШаблон:Sfn
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Шаблон:Sfn Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
3	3 May 1942	09:25	MiG-3Шаблон:Sfn		4	13 July 1942	08:06	MiG-3Шаблон:Sfn
According to Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, Fassong claimed one undocumented aerial victory between 30 May and 15 September 1942.Шаблон:Sfn This claim is not documented by Mathews and Foreman.Шаблон:Sfn
– 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Шаблон:Sfn Eastern Front — 12 February 1943 – April 1944
6	8 March 1943	09:27	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 46443Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert east-southeast of Dugino	35	5 August 1943	07:39	Boston	east of TrifonovkaШаблон:Sfn
7	9 May 1943	07:55	P-39	PQ 35 Ost 63581Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert southwest of Maloarkhangelsk	36♠	14 August 1943	18:15	Il-2 m.H.Шаблон:Refn	south of RakitnoyeШаблон:Sfn
8	2 June 1943	03:56	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63774Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert east-southeast of Fatezh	37♠	14 August 1943	18:16	Il-2 m.H.	east of BodowkaШаблон:Sfn
9	2 June 1943	10:30	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 62322Шаблон:Sfn vicinity of Kursk	38♠	14 August 1943	18:17	Il-2 m.H.	southeast of Belunow-GorbШаблон:Sfn
10	10 June 1943	19:11	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 34281Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert east-northeast of Seshchinskaya	39♠	14 August 1943	18:21	Il-2 m.H.	south of BurinovkaШаблон:Sfn
11	10 June 1943	19:16	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 34232Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert southeast of Kirov	40♠	14 August 1943	18:24	Il-2 m.H.	north of DobropolyeШаблон:Sfn
12	10 June 1943	19:20	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 35833Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert southwest of Utrikowo	41	18 August 1943	06:14	Yak-1	south of Krassnoye-YarШаблон:Sfn
13	5 July 1943	10:06	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63564Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert southwest of Maloarkhangelsk	42	18 August 1943	17:42	Il-2 m.H.	south of JelisawetinskiШаблон:Sfn
14	5 July 1943	10:22	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63653Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert east-southeast of Maloarkhangelsk	43	18 August 1943	17:54	Boston	southeast of DmitriyevkaШаблон:Sfn
15	5 July 1943	12:35	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 63573Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert south-southeast of Trosna	44	22 August 1943	17:38	Pe-2	south of BolgarШаблон:Sfn
16	5 July 1943	13:24	Boston	PQ 35 Ost 63653Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert east-southeast of Maloarkhangelsk	45	27 October 1943	07:34	Yak-1	north of Krivoj-RogШаблон:Sfn
17♠	6 July 1943	04:24	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 63572Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert south-southeast of Trosna	46	29 October 1943	06:03	Il-2 m.H.	northeast of PokrowskojeШаблон:Sfn
18♠	6 July 1943	04:28	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 63544Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert south-southeast of Trosna	47	29 October 1943	06:05	Il-2 m.H.	southeast of MitrofanowkaШаблон:Sfn
19♠	6 July 1943	04:32	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 63553Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert west of Maloarkhangelsk	48	29 October 1943	06:06	Il-2 m.H.	south-southwest of Nova PrahaШаблон:Sfn
20♠	6 July 1943	10:55	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 63652Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert east-southeast of Maloarkhangelsk	49	29 October 1943	06:08	Il-2 m.H.	southeast of Nova PrahaШаблон:Sfn
21♠	6 July 1943	11:09	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63712Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert east of Fatezh	50	13 November 1943	10:35	Yak-1	Шаблон:Convert north of PetronowoШаблон:Sfn
22♠Шаблон:Refn	6 July 1943	11:37	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63363Шаблон:Sfn	51	27 November 1943	09:15	Il-2 m.H.	Шаблон:Convert northeast of KapustjanaШаблон:Sfn
23	9 July 1943	08:31	MiG-3	PQ 35 Ost 63591Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert south-southwest of Maloarkhangelsk	52	29 November 1943	12:02	Il-2	Шаблон:Convert south-east of AnnowojewkaШаблон:Sfn
24	9 July 1943	08:36	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 63594Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert south-southwest of Maloarkhangelsk	53	29 November 1943	12:04	Il-2	Шаблон:Convert south of DnjeprowkaШаблон:Sfn
25	13 July 1943	07:16	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 74773Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert south-southwest of Verkhovye	54	11 January 1944	14:42	Il-2 m.H.	Шаблон:Convert south-southwest of Koziatyn
26	13 July 1943	07:19	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 74772Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert south-southwest of Verkhovye	55	11 January 1944	14:45	Il-2 m.H.	Шаблон:Convert southwest of Koziatyn
27	13 July 1943	07:53	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 64813Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert south of Mtsensk	56	11 January 1944	14:46	Il-2 m.H.	Шаблон:Convert south-southwest of Koziatyn
28	17 July 1943	12:01	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 63634Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert east-northeast of Maloarkhangelsk	57	15 January 1944	14:33	Il-2 m.H.	Шаблон:Convert east-northeast of Vinnytsia
29	17 July 1943	12:03	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 63631Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert east-northeast of Maloarkhangelsk	58	15 January 1944	14:35	Il-2 m.H.	Шаблон:Convert south-southeast of Koziatyn
30	22 March 1943	19:55	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 44818Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert east-southeast of Bryansk	59	24 January 1944	14:00	Il-2 m.H.	Шаблон:Convert southeast of Koziatyn
31	22 July 1943	19:58	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 44831Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert northwest of Karachev	60	25 January 1944	11:15	Il-2 m.H.	Шаблон:Convert east-northeast of Vinnytsia
32	2 August 1943	12:05	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 53623Шаблон:Sfn Шаблон:Convert west of Trosna	61	25 January 1944	11:18	Il-2 m.H.	Шаблон:Convert south-southeast of Koziatyn
33	3 August 1943	17:55?Шаблон:Refn	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 54552Шаблон:Sfn	62	25 January 1944	11:20	Il-2 m.H.	Шаблон:Convert south-southeast of Koziatyn
34	5 August 1943	07:36	Boston	south of JassenokШаблон:Sfn
– 7. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 11 –Шаблон:Sfn Defense of the Reich — April – May 1944
63	8 May 1944	09:46	B-17	PQ 05 Ost S/ES/FS, southwest of VerdenШаблон:Sfn	65?	22 May 1944	Шаблон:Center	B-17Шаблон:Sfn
64	12 May 1944	12:26	B-17	PQ 05 Ost S/QQ/QR, vicinity of WiesbadenШаблон:Sfn	66?	28 May 1944	Шаблон:Center	B-17Шаблон:Sfn
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 –Шаблон:Sfn Eastern Front — June – September 1944
According to Prien and Rodeike, Fassong claimed nine undocumented aerial victories between June and September 1944.Шаблон:Sfn Only one of these claims is documented by Mathews and Foreman.Шаблон:Sfn
73	22 July 1944	15:19	R-5	PQ 25 Ost N/32591Шаблон:Sfn

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st ClassШаблон:Sfn
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 20 September 1943 as Oberleutnant and pilotШаблон:Sfn
• German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943 as Oberleutnant in the 10./Jagdgeschwader 51Шаблон:Sfn
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Jagdgeschwader 11Шаблон:SfnШаблон:Sfn

References

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