Jump to content

Heinrich Ehrler

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 91.12.116.212 (talk) at 14:17, 26 June 2011. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Heinrich Ehrler
Heinrich Ehrler
AllegianceNazi Germany Nazi Germany
Service / branch Luftwaffe
Years of service1940–1945
RankMajor
UnitJG 77, JG 5 and JG 7
CommandsJG 5 Eismeer
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Heinrich Ehrler (14 September 1917 – 4 April 1945) was a German World War II fighter ace whose distinguished Luftwaffe combat career ended in tragic controversy. Along with Theodor Weissenberger, Ehrler shared the honors of "top-ace" in Jagdgeschwader 5, amassing 208 kills - including eight in the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter (while flying with Jagdgeschwader 7).[1] Scapegoated for the loss of the German battleship Tirpitz, Ehrler - who had been nominated for the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords prior to the disaster - was court-marshalled, stripped of his command and sentenced to three years and two months Festungshaft.[2] Ehrler's sentence was later commuted and his loss of rank rescinded, and in February 1945 he was was transferred to JG 7. According to comrades, Ehrler flew thereafter without the purpose and dedication that had previously elevated him to the ranks of the Luftwaffe's most successful aces.[3] Nevertheless, Ehrler ended his life on a high note on April 4, 1945, when he shot-down two Allied bombers for his final two victories, before allegedly ramming a third after having run out of ammunition.[4]

World War II

Heinrich Ehrler started his career in the Luftwaffe in early 1940, when he started his Pilot training after transferring from a Flak-artillery unit. Ehrler joined 4./Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77)[Notes 1] on his first operational posting and achieved his first victory in May 1940. JG 77 was based in Norway and he spent most of the war on the Northfront. JG 77 was restructured as JG 5 Eismeer in January 1942.[5] JG 5 operated from bases in northern Norway and Finland, and they mostly engaged Russian aircraft, but were also given the task of intercepting British raids on Norway.

Ehrler did not achieve his second victory until 19 February 1942. He was promoted to Leutnant and made Staffelkapitän(Squadron Leader) in 6./Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5) after his 11th victory on 20 July.[Notes 2] On 4 September, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knights Cross) for 64 aerial victories. By 1 June 1943 he was promoted to Hauptmann and appointed Gruppenkommandeur (Group Commander) for II./JG 5. During this period he was also awarded the Eichenlaub (Oak Leaves) to his Ritterkreuz. On 25 May 1944 he achieved nine victories in one day, bringing his tally up to 155. On 1 August he was appointed to Geschwaderkommodore (Wing Commander) of JG 5 and at the same time was promoted to Major.

Sinking of the Tirpitz

On 12 November 1944 the RAF launched its final raid against KMS Tirpitz. Avro Lancaster bombers from 617 and 9 squadrons were sent to Håkøya a little west of Tromsø where the Tirpitz was based.

Ehrler was at this time stationed at Fliegerhorst Bardufoss with 9./JG 5, and had 12 operational Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-3s. The Staffel was at 10 minutes' readiness status due to the continuing pressure of British bombers in the Tromsø area. As Ehrler led his men into the air, he received conflicting messages as to where the enemy aircraft were. Some reports claimed Alta was the target area, others said Bodø.[6] When it was finally clear that the target was the Tirpitz, it was too late, as the fighters were a long way from the target area and could do nothing to prevent the Allies from sinking her.

After this unsuccessful action, Ehrler faced a court martial hearing on the grounds of his not having understood the seriousness of the attack, and having been too preoccupied with reaching his 200th victory. He was relieved of his command but continued to fly.

Later investigations and testimonies exonerated Ehrler and concluded that the reason for the failure was poor communication, especially between the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe.[7] Apparently the aircrews did not know that the Tirpitz had been moved to the new location at Håkøya a couple of weeks earlier, and Heinrich Ehrler was a convenient scapegoat for the failure to protect Tirpitz.[8]

Ehrler had been recommended for the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords prior to the disaster, but the award was not approved.[9]

Ehrler's sentence was commuted and his loss of rank rescinded, however, after one of his junior officers, Walter Schuck, appealed to Reichskommissar for the occupied Norwegian territories Josef Terboven.[10] Terboven hand-delivered Schuck's affidavit in support of Ehrler to Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, on 12 January 1945. Shortly afterward, the Fürhrer HQ announced Ehrler's release and return to front-line service, where he would have the chance to "rehabilitate himself."[11]

Transfer to Germany

Ehrler was transferred to JG 7 on 27 February 1945. JG 7 was equipped with the Messerschmitt Me 262 Jet Fighter, and was given the task of Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich). During the next five weeks Ehrler scored a further 8 kills,[Notes 3] bringing his total tally to 208.

On the morning of 4 April 1945, Ehrler flew his last sortie and achieved the last two of his 208 recorded victories. Major Ehrler, flying out of the JG 7 Airfield at Brandenburg-Briest accompanied by his wingman, was in the skies 50 kilometers east of Hamburg when B-24 Liberators from the 448th BG began forming their bombing run of Parchim. Ehrler attacked the lead 714th squadron, downing two B-24 bombers—Lt. Shafter’s “Miss-B-Havin,” and Lt. Mains’ “Red Bow.” At the time of the attack, two P-51s were pursuing Ehrler, and he was being fired upon by squadron bombers, taking hits from the tail and waist gunners of B-24, “My Buddie” (piloted by Lt. Gordon Brock), who reported pieces of fuselage flying off the jet. The attack took place over Buchen at grid points 53°31N, 10°38E.

Minutes later, as the 448th Bomb Group circled back towards their Group RP at Stendal, Ehrler engaged a third B-24 Liberator, “Trouble in Mind,” piloted by Captain John Ray, over Kyritz, at 52°57N, 12°23E. A reference is made by surviving crew members to a cannon hit in the fuselage that destroyed the Liberator, but Ehrler had, only moments before, radioed Major Theodor Weissenberger that he was running out of ammunition and intended to ram the bomber. In any case, both planes were destroyed in the ensuing explosion. The B-24 crashed at Krullenkempe, near Havelberg, as Ehrler’s jet fell to earth in the woods of Scharlibbe, where he was killed. His body was recovered the following day at Scharlibbe, near Stendal, where he was buried. Ehrler’s grave at Stendal confirms the date of death as 4 April 1945.

Quotations

"Theo. I have run out of ammunition. I'm going to ram this one. Good bye. We'll see each other in Valhalla." - Heinrich Ehrlers last transmission over the Squadron Radio Network before he rammed a B-24 bomber, destroying both aircraft and killing himself. "Theo" is the nickname of Theodor Weissenberger.

Awards

Recovered BF 109 G2

A BF 109, number 13605 of the 6./JG 5 was found in Russia, and was later purchased and recovered by warplane restorer Jim Pearce on November 2003. The aircraft was the one flown by Ehrler on his 200th kill. Afterward he transferred to JG 7 to fly the Me 262. The airframe was later shot down by Russian Flak over northwestern Russia and was forced to land in the tundra, and had sat there until it was recovered. It is currently being restored.[15]

Notes

  1. ^ For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
  2. ^ There is some doubt as to when this happen. [1] says 22 August, [2] says 20 July. The latter is more probable, as the former would mean Ehrler got 56 victories in 13 days.
  3. ^ For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see List of German World War II jet aces

References

Citations
  1. ^ Toliver,Luftwaffe Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe, p. 238
  2. ^ Toliver,Luftwaffe Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe, p. 311
  3. ^ Toliver,Luftwaffe Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe, p. 312
  4. ^ Toliver,Luftwaffe Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe, p. 312
  5. ^ Hafsten[et al.], Flyalarm - Luftkrigen over Norge 1939-1945, p. 145
  6. ^ Hafsten[et al.], Flyalarm - Luftkrigen over Norge 1939-1945, p. 220
  7. ^ Schuck,Luftwaffe Eagle - From the Me109 to the Me262, p. 177
  8. ^ Hafsten[et al.], Flyalarm - Luftkrigen over Norge 1939-1945, p. 221
  9. ^ Berger 2000, p. 392.
  10. ^ Schuck,Luftwaffe Eagle - From the Me109 to the Me262, p. 183
  11. ^ Schuck,Luftwaffe Eagle - From the Me109 to the Me262, p. 183
  12. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 57.
  13. ^ Patzwall and Scherzer 2001, p. 99.
  14. ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 290.
  15. ^ http://www.warbirdfinders.co.uk/aircraft_BF109G_wn13605.htm
Bibliography
  • Bjørn Hafsten[et al.](1991). Flyalarm - Luftkrigen over Norge 1939-1945, Sem & Stenersen AS. (ISBN 82-7046-058-3).
  • Berger, Florian (2000), Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945 (in German). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 - 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
  • Schaulen, Fritjof (2005), Eichenlaubträger 1940-1940 Band I Abraham-Huppertz. Pour le Mérite. ISBN 3-932381-20-3.
  • 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Schuck, Walter (2007), Abschuss! Von der Me 109 zur Me 262 Erinnerungen an die Luftkämpfe beim Jagdgeschwader 5 und 7. Helios Verlags- und Buchvertriebsgesellschaft. ISBN 978-3-938208-44-1.
  • Schuck, Walter (2009), Luftwaffe Eagle - From the Me109 to the Me262. Hikoki Publications. ISBN 9-781902-109060.
  • Toliver, Raymond F. & Trevor J. Constable (1996), Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe. Schiffer Publishing Ltd. ISBN 0-88740-909-1.
  1. Luftwaffe.cz - Ehrler biography (English)
  2. Pilotenbunker - Ehrler biography (German w/ english translation)
  3. Ehrler biography (French)
  4. Lexicon der Wehrmacht - Ehrler biography (German)
Military offices
Preceded by
Oberstlt. Günther Scholz
 Commander of Jagdgeschwader 5 Eismeer
1 August 1944 – 27 February 1945 		Succeeded by
Oberstlt. Günther Scholz

Template:KCwithOL

Template:German World War II jet aces

Template:Persondata

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Heinrich_Ehrler&oldid=436338674"