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|placeofdeath=[[Breslau]]
|placeofdeath=[[Breslau]]
|placeofburial=[[Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery|Invalidenfriedhof]] [[Berlin]]
|placeofburial=[[Invalidenfriedhof Cemetery|Invalidenfriedhof]] [[Berlin]]
|image=[[Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L09694, Werner Mölders.jpg|250px|alt=Black-and-white photograph showing the head and shoulders of a young man in semi-profile, his face pointing in a direction to the left of the camera. The top of his head is covered by a field cap with an eagle emblem and a small concentric-circles motif at the front. He wears a pilot's leather jacket with a fur collar resting on his shoulders, with the central front zip closed to within 2 or 3 inches of his shirt collar, and a cross-shaped pendant with dark centre and light outline visible above the zip at the front of his shirt collar. His hair is dark and short, his nose is long and straight, and his facial expression is a determined and confident smile; his eyes gaze into the distance to the left of the camera.]]
|image=[[Image:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-L09694, Werner Mölders.jpg|250px|alt=The head and shoulders of a young man in semi-profile. He wears a field cap and a pilot's leather jacket with a fur collar, and an Iron Cross at the front of his shirt collar. His hair is dark and short, his nose is long and straight, and his facial expression is a determined and confident smile; his eyes gaze into the distance.]]
|caption=Werner Mölders
|caption=Werner Mölders
|nickname=''Vati'' ("Pappy" or "Daddy")
|nickname=''Vati'' ("Pappy" or "Daddy")

Revision as of 14:30, 22 August 2009

Werner Mölders
The head and shoulders of a young man in semi-profile. He wears a field cap and a pilot's leather jacket with a fur collar, and an Iron Cross at the front of his shirt collar. His hair is dark and short, his nose is long and straight, and his facial expression is a determined and confident smile; his eyes gaze into the distance.
Werner Mölders
Nickname(s)Vati ("Pappy" or "Daddy")
Buried
Invalidenfriedhof Berlin
AllegianceNazi Germany Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service1935 – 1941
RankOberst (Colonel)
UnitCondor Legion, JG 53, JG 51
Commands heldIII./JG 53, JG 51
Battles/warsSpanish Civil War
World War II
AwardsSpanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds

Werner Mölders (18 March 1913 – 22 November 1941) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace. Mölders became the leading German flying ace of the Spanish Civil War and the first pilot in aviation history to claim 100 aerial victories. The highly decorated Mölders was also instrumental in the development of new fighter tactics leading to the finger-four formation.

Mölders joined the Luftwaffe in 1934 at the age of 21 years. In 1938, he volunteered for service in the Condor Legion, which supported General Francisco Franco's Nationalist Falange in the Spanish Civil War. During the Battle of Britain, he was the first pilot to claim 40 victories.[1]

With his tally standing at 68 aerial victories, Mölders and the JG 51 were transferred to the Eastern front for the opening of Operation Barbarossa in the spring of 1941. By 22 June 1941, he had 72 aerial victories; a week later, he surpassed Manfred von Richthofen's 1918 record of 80 aerial victories set in World War I. Although banned from further combat missions for propaganda reasons, he was promoted to Oberst and appointed as Inspector General of Fighters. He was only 28. Mölders was inspecting the Luftwaffe units in the Crimea when he was ordered to Berlin to attend the state funeral of Ernst Udet, the WWI flying ace. On the flight to Berlin, the Heinkel He 111 in which he was travelling as a passenger encountered a heavy thunderstorm. One of the aircraft's engines failed. While attempting to land, the Henkel crashed at Breslau, killing Mölders and two others on 22 November 1941. The German Wehrmacht of the Third Reich and the Bundeswehr of the Federal Republic of Germany honoured him by naming two fighter wings, a destroyer and barracks after Werner Mölders.[2]

Early life and education

Mölders was born on 18 March 1913 in Gelsenkirchen, the son of teacher Viktor Mölders and his wife Annemarie Mölders, née Riedel. He was the third of four children, with an older sister, Annemarie, an older brother, Hans, and a younger brother, Victor.[3] His father, a Leutnant of the Reserves in the Königsinfanterie-Regiment Nr. 145, was killed in action on 2 March 1915 in the Forest of Argonne, France; his mother moved the family into her parents' house in Brandenburg an der Havel.[4] In Brandenburg Mölders found a father figure in Chaplain Erich Klawitter, who instilled firm religious beliefs in him.[5] From 1919 to 1931, Mölders attended the Grundschule (Elementary school) and "Saldria-Gymnasium" in Brandenburg an der Havel. At school he discovered his love for water sports, especially rowing. He joined two rowing clubs, first the "Saldria-Brandenburg" and later the "Brandenburger Ruderclub", and enjoyed success at rowing-regattas. He was also a member of the Bund Neudeutschland in der katholischen Jugendbewegung, a Catholic youth organisation.[5] Mölders graduated from school in early 1931 with the Abitur and expressed a desire to become an officer.[4]

Mölders joined the II./Infanterie-Regiment 2 of the Reichswehr in Allenstein, Eastern Prussia on 1 April 1931, serving as an officer cadet in the infantry. He attained the rank of Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter on 1 October 1931, rising to Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier on 1 April 1932.[4] After completing his basic military training in October 1932 he was transferred to the Kriegsschule Dresden. On 1 June 1933 he successfully completed his training in Dresden and was promoted to Fähnrich.[4] He again was transferred, this time to the 1. Preußisches Pionier-Bataillon (Infanterie-Regiment 2) at the Pioneer School in Munich. During his Fähnrich training years, Mölders made his first attempt to fulfil his dream of flying and volunteered for pilot training, but was declared unfit for flying. He tried again and was given conditional permission (bedingt tauglich — with constraints) to begin flight training.[6]

After his promotion to Oberfähnrich on 1 February 1934 Mölders began his pilot training at the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule (German transport flying school) in Cottbus (6 February 1934–31 December 1934).[7] On 1 March 1934, he was promoted to Leutnant and officially assigned to the recently established Luftwaffe. In the early stages of his pilot training, he suffered continuously from nausea and vomiting, but he eventually overcame the problem and completed the course at the top of his class. When he completed the next phase of his military pilot's training, from 1 January 1935 to 30 June 1935 at the Kampffliegerschule (combat flying school) in Tutow and at the Jagdfliegerschule (fighter pilot school) at Schleißheim near Munich, he received the newly created Pilot's Badge of the Luftwaffe on 21 May 1935.[8]

On 1 July 1935 Leutnant Mölders was posted to Fliegergruppe Schwerin (I./JG 162 "Immelmann") and participated in the Remilitarisation of the Rhineland on 7 March 1936. Mölders and his Staffel flew from Lippstadt across the Ruhrgebiet; his unit was the first to arrive in Düsseldorf. During this period, Mölders met Luise Baldauf, whom he eventually married a few years later. On 20 April 1936, Adolf Hitler's birthday, numerous promotions were handed out, including Mölders' promotion to Oberleutnant, effective as of 1 April 1936. At the same time, he became leader of the Jagdschulstaffel (fighter training squadron) of the II. Gruppe (2nd Group) of the Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel". This group was under the command of Major Theo Osterkamp, who would become one of Mölders' early mentors. Mölders was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./Jagdgeschwader 334 on 15 March 1937 and served as an instructor in Wiesbaden.[9]

Condor Legion

The flight paths of four aircraft travelling in an asymmetrical V formation: the leading plane at the tip of the V-shape is plane 1, followed by plane 2 on its left, and plane 3 and 4 on its right. For the entire formation to execute a 90-degree right-hand turn, plane 2 is the first plane to make the turn, rising and passing over the flight paths of planes 1, 3 and 4. The flight path of plane 1 is next to curve right, passing over the flight paths of planes 3 and 4. Then the flight path of plane 3 curves right at a 90° angle, passing over the path of plane 4, which is the last to turn right. Once all four planes have completed the turn, plane 2 is to the right of plane 1, which has plane 3 on its left, followed by plane 4 on the far left of the formation.
Schwarm formation and cross-over turn[10]

In 1936 the Spanish Civil War began and the Germans sent a Luftwaffe force, the Condor Legion, to assist the Falangists. In 1938 Mölders volunteered for the Condor Legion and arrived by sea in Cadiz on 14 April 1938. He was assigned to the 3rd Staffel of Jagdgruppe 88 (J 88) commanded by Oberleutnant Adolf Galland.[Notes 1] The unit was stationed at the Valencia-Ebro front. Mölders took over command of the Staffel on 24 May 1938 when Galland returned to Germany. Initially the Staffel flew the Heinkel He 51 A-2, before switching to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 B-2. The He 51s were turned over to the 4th Staffel, commanded by Hauptmann Eberhard d'Elsa, and continued in service until the end of the Spanish Civil War. Mölders claimed his first aerial victory, a Polikarpov I-15 "Curtiss" near Algar, on 15 July 1938. Over the remaining months of the year, Mölders became the leading ace of the Condor Legion, claiming fifteen aircraft shot down in Spain: two I-15 "Chato" ("Curtiss" to the Germans), twelve I-16 "Rata" and one Tupolev SB-2 (one "Rata" claimed on 23 September 1938 was not confirmed).[Notes 2]

Together with other airmen in Spain, Mölders developed the technique known as the "finger-four" formation. This improved the all-round vision and combat flexibility of a flight (Schwarm), enhanced mutual protection and encouraged pilot initiative. The fighters flew in two elements (Rotten) of two aircraft each. All four made up a Schwarm. Mölders is often credited with inventing the cross-over turn.[11] An early version of the manoeuvre, as used by a "Vic" of five aircraft (a tight formation forming the letter "V"), appeared in the Royal Air Force (RAF) Training Manual of 1922, and the manoeuvre may even date back to 1918. However, it had fallen into disuse due to the difficulty of performing it in a multi-aircraft formation with the contemporary spacing of less than 100 feet (30 m) between aircraft. The wide lateral separation of 1,800 feet (550 m) introduced by J 88 made it a practical proposition.[12]

In recognition of his exceptional performance as a commander and fighter pilot, Mölders was promoted to Hauptmann on 18 October 1938, effective as of 1 October 1938. Those under Mölders' command gave him the nickname Vati (Daddy) on account of his caring manner and the educative effect he had on his men. He claimed his 14th and final confirmed aerial victory of the conflict by downing a Polikarpov I-16 "Rata" near Mola on 3 November 1938[13] and returned to Germany on 5 December 1938.[14] From 6 December 1938 until March 1939 Mölders served in a staff position with the Inspector of Fighters at the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (Reich Air Ministry) in Berlin. His task was to devise new fighter pilot tactics. However, officially he was a member of the I. Gruppe Jagdgeschwader 133 (JG 133). In March 1939 he was given command as Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 133, taking over command from Oberleutnant Hubertus von Bonin. JG 133 was later renamed Jagdgeschwader 53 "Pik As".[Notes 3][15][16]

For his achievements in Spain Mölders was honoured with the Spanish Medalla de la Campaña and Medalla Militar on 4 May 1939 and the German Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds (Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten) on 6 June 1939.[17] The Legion Condor officially returned to Germany on 6 June 1939. The troops marched through Berlin to the Lustgarten, where the fallen were honoured. A formal state banquet for the most highly decorated soldiers was held in the marble gallery of the Reichskanzlei. Mölders was seated at table 1, along with General der Flieger Hugo Sperrle, General Don Antonio Aranda, General Gonzalo Queipo de Llano, Oberst Walter Warlimont, Oberstleutnant von Donat, Leutnant Reinhard Seiler and Oberfeldwebel Ignatz Prestele.[18]

World War II

Phoney War and the Battle of France

At the outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1939, Mölders' Staffel was stationed in the west protecting Germany's border in the Mosel-Saar-Pfalz region.[19] On 8 September 1939, Mölders' plane suffered an engine failure; he crash-landed, flipping the aircraft over and injuring his back. The injury kept him out of combat for several days.[20] On 19 September Mölders was able to fly his first sortie after his back injury. The following day, he shot down his first aircraft of the war, a Curtiss P-36 over the three borders area, earning the Iron Cross 2nd Class.[15][21]

On 26 September 1939JG 53 was ordered to form its III. Gruppe, thus establishing its authorised strength of three Gruppen. Mölders was tasked with forming the new Gruppe after handing over command of 1./JG 53 to Oberleutnant Hans-Karl Mayer. The formation of III./JG 53 took place at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim; within two weeks, Gruppenkommandeur Mölders was able to report that the Gruppe was conditionally operational with 40 pilots and 48 aircraft.[22]

By the time the Phoney War ended and Operation Case Yellow (Fall Gelb, the invasion of France and the Low Countries on 10 May 1940) initiated the Battle of France, Mölders' tally of aerial victories had increased to nine (excluding the victories claimed in Spain). This number included one Bristol Blenheim, two "Curtiss" P-36 Hawks, two Morane-Saulnier M.S.406s and four Hawker Hurricanes.[23] On 14 May, while engaging enemy bombers over Sedan, Mölders was shot down, but bailed out to safety.[24] He claimed his 19th and 20th aerial victories on 27 May 1940, downing two "Curtiss" 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) southwest of Amiens. As a result, he became the first fighter pilot to be awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and on 29 May 1940 was honourably mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht radio report, the first of eleven such mentions.[25]

On 5 June 1940, while engaging in aerial combat for the 32nd time, Mölders was shot down near Compiègne at about 18:40 h by Sous lieutenant René Pomier-Layrargues flying a French Air Force Dewoitine D.520; this was his 133rd combat mission of the war.[26] Mölders was taken prisoner and liberated three weeks later on 30 June 1940 upon the armistice with France.[15] While in French captivity, Mölders asked to shake hands with the pilot who had shot him down, and learned that Pomier-Layrargues had been killed in action 30 minutes after their encounter. His initial experience in French captivity was harsh; he sustained abrasions to his face and his Knight's Cross was stolen from him. A French officer, Capitaine Giron, intervened, ensured he was treated fairly, and returned the stolen medal. When Giron was later sentenced to death by the Germans, Mölders took his case up with Hermann Göring and requested clemency, which was granted.[27]

Battle of Britain

Black-and-white photograph of four men wearing uniforms sitting on wooden chairs around a table in a living room. The table is oriented from left to right, with the front right corner of the table pointing towards the camera position. The room is lit from the right. An older man is sitting at the head of the table on the left; a piece of furniture with a lamp on it is visible behind him. Two younger men are sitting along the table's side, with their backs towards a tiled fireplace on the room's far wall. A fourth man is sitting at the head of the table on the right, leaning back, his left leg folded over his right. The table is covered by a white table cloth that is creased and bunched in several places. The right-hand side of the table is mostly empty, except for a large dark ashtray, a spoon and an empty glass; the left and centre of the table is covered by an untidy assortment of empty plates, coffee cups and other dishes; there is also a bowl of fruit. The man second from left, who has a moustache, has his hands raised, their palms facing the camera, and the fingers of both hands pointing to the left of the image. The heads of the three other men are turned towards him.
Theo Osterkamp's birthday party on 15 April 1941 at Le Touquet on the Channel front.
From left to right: Major Dr. Wenzel (Mölders' aide), Adolf Galland, Werner Mölders and Theo Osterkamp[28]

Returning to Germany, Mölders was promoted to Major on 19 July 1940 and took command of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51) from the recently promoted Generalmajor Theo Osterkamp the following day.[29] Mölders flew his first combat sortie with JG 51 on 28 July, attacking a Supermarine Spitfire flown by Flying Officer Lovell. Lovell crash-landed his aircraft and was hospitalised.[30] On this mission, according to legend, Mölders was hit in a dogfight over Dover by the South African ace Sailor Malan, sustaining three splinter wounds in the lower leg, one in the knee and one in the left foot. Oberleutnant Richard Leppla shot down the pursuing Spitfire, and Mölders was able to make an emergency landing at Wissant, France.[31][32] Recent research suggests Mölders was actually wounded in combat by Flight Lieutenant J.L. Webster—who was killed in action on 5 September 1940—in a Spitfire of 41 Squadron.[30][33] His wounds, although not serious, kept Mölders from further operational flying for a month. Generalmajor Osterkamp briefly led the Geschwader again during Mölders' convalescence. Mölders returned to the Geschwader on 7 August 1940, without medical clearance for combat, to participate in Operation Eagle Attack (code name Adlertag). Adolf Hitler had issued Führer Directive no. 17 (Weisung Nr. 17) on 1 August 1940; the strategic objective was to engage and defeat the Royal Air Force (RAF), gaining air superiority in preparation for Operation Sealion (Unternehmen Seelöwe), the proposed amphibious assault and invasion of Great Britain.[31]

Mölders returned to approved operational flying status and flew his next two combat missions on 28 August 1940. His aide and wingman, Oberleutnant Kircheis, was shot down and taken prisoner of war during one of these missions; Oberleutnant Georg Claus took his place.[34] Mölders claimed two Hurricanes on 31 August and was mentioned again in the Wehrmachtbericht.[30] Oberleutnant Victor Mölders, his younger brother, who had been appointed Staffelkapitän of the 2./JG 51 on 11 September, was shot down and taken prisoner of war on 5 October 1940.[35] Two Spitfires of the No. 92 Squadron RAF shot down near Dungeness on 20 September increased Mölders' tally of aerial victories to 40. He was the first fighter pilot to reach this number and was awarded the 2nd Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) of the war on 21 September 1941. The award was presented by Adolf Hitler on 23 September in the new Reichskanzlei in Berlin.[36]

Black-and-white photograph of two men outdoors standing next to each other, showing heads and upper bodies. The young man on the left, facing a point just to the left of the camera, is wearing a field cap and a pilot's leather jacket with fur collar, with a cross-shaped decoration visible at the front of his shirt collar. The middle-aged man on the right is shown in three-quarter profile, his smiling face pointing left; he is also wearing a field cap, and a jacket with various military symbols applied to it.
Mölders with Arthur Laumann in September 1940

After the award ceremony, Mölders was invited by Hermann Göring to his hunting lodge in the Rominter Heide. Mölders returned to his unit by the end of September and continued to win aerial victories. On 11 October Mölders claimed his 43rd victory. The No. 66 Squadron RAF Spitfire I X4562 was flown by Pilot Officer J. H. T. Pickering, who bailed out wounded over Canterbury.[37] Three Hurricanes on 22 October brought his tally to 51 aerial victories, and he received a preferential promotion to Oberstleutnant in recognition of his 50 aerial victories on 25 October 1940.[1] While a severe bout of influenza then kept him grounded for a few weeks, his wingman in over 60 aerial combats, Oberleutnant Georg Claus, was killed over the Thames.[38] On 1 December, Mölders claimed his last and 55th aerial victory of 1940—25 of which occurred in the Battle of France and 30 in the Battle of Britain.[39]

Mölders and members of JG 53 spent a couple of weeks skiing in the Vorarlberg before continuing operations against the RAF over the Channel and occupied France during early 1941.[40] His new wingman from January 1941 was Oberleutnant Hartmann Grasser.[41] Mölders claimed his first aerial victory after the lengthy vacation on 26 February 1941; his tally reached 60 on 26 February and stood at 68 when the Geschwader was recalled from the Channel front. His logbook showed 238 combat missions plus an additional 71 reconnaissance flights; he had engaged in aerial combat 70 times.[42]

Coloured drawing of a fighter aircraft, shown in profile, viewed from the left. The aircraft is grey, with predominantly yellow nose and a yellow rudder at the rear. Decorations include black lines, black and white crosses on the body and on top of the wing, and a black swastika on the tail; the yellow rudder bears approximately 70 small vertical black lines arranged in five blocks of varying length.
Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2, Stab/JG 51, Geschwaderkommodore Oberstleutnant Werner Mölders, June 1941.

Eastern Front

Black-and-white photograph of the face and upper body of a young man in uniform, his hands behind his back, standing in a featureless landscape. His cap and the front right of his jacket bear eagle-and-swastika emblems; the front left of his jacket and the front of his shirt collar bear Iron Cross decorations, black with light outline. He is shown in semi-profile, gazing at a point in the distance to the left of the camera, his facial expression confident.
Oberst Werner Mölders

In June 1941, JG 51 and the majority of the Luftwaffe were transferred to the Eastern front in preparation of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. The first day of combat operations on 22 June 1941 resulted in Mölders shooting down three Tupolev SB bombers and one "Curtis" Hawk, earning him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern). Mölders was only the second German soldier to receive this award: Adolf Galland, Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 26, had received the same award just the day before.[43] The award was presented by Adolf Hitler on 3 July 1941 in the Wolfsschanze Führerhauptquartier in Rastenburg. On 30 June, Mölders had become the highest-scoring fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare after downing five Soviet bombers[44] and bringing his tally to 82, two more than the record set in World War I by the "Red Baron", Manfred von Richthofen.[45]

On 12 July 1941, JG 51 under the leadership of Mölders reported that it had destroyed 500 Soviet aircraft since the beginning of hostilities on 22 June. In return, JG 51 had suffered 3 casualties. JG 51 also reported its 1,200th aerial victory of the war that day, the credit going to Hauptmann Leppla.[46] Three days later, on 15 July 1941, Mölders surpassed the C mark, claiming aerial victories number 100 and 101.[47] Mölders celebrated his achievement by performing a victory roll over the airfield. The following day he received news that he had been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillanten).[48] Mölders was the first of 27 German soldiers to receive this award. The diamonds added to the Knight's Cross were introduced officially on 28 September 1941, more than two months after Mölders earned the award. Mölders was promoted to Oberst on 20 July 1941, effective immediately, and banned from further combat flying. Surrendering command of JG 51 to Major Friedrich Beckh he was transferred to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium, a stopgap position he held until 6 August 1941. Mölders was summoned to the Wolfsschanze again, where he received the Diamonds from Adolf Hitler on 26 July 1941. On 7 August 1941 he was appointed Inspector of Fighters (Inspekteur der Jagdflieger).[49]

High Command

An Oberst at 28, Mölders was appointed Inspector General of Fighters, a post responsible for deciding the ongoing tactical and operational doctrine of the Luftwaffe's fighter strategies. Returning to Russia in September 1941, he set up a command post at Chaplinka airfield, from where he flew in his personal Fieseler Fi 156 Storch on tours of the Jagdwaffe and personally directed German fighter operations.[50]

Mölders also flew unofficially on missions, and actively commanded JG 51 for several more months. On 9 August 1941 he took Herbert Kaiser on a mission against a formation of Il-2 Stormoviks. Mölders showed Kaiser how to shoot them down, hitting one behind the cockpit, where a fuel tank was located. The machine crashed. Kaiser then repeated what he had seen, and shot down two more.[51] Within the next two months it is suggested Mölders unofficially shot down around another 30 Soviet aircraft. At least six victories are recorded in his fellow pilots' private log books.[52]

Mölders was a devoutly religious individual who demanded that all Allied aviators captured by those under his command be treated civilly, and often would invite captured pilots to dine with him.[53]

Death

Black-and-white photograph of a wooden cross on a grave, bearing the inscription "Oberst Werner Mölders, 18. 3. 1913 – 22. 11. 1944." The name Werner Mölders is in large letters. Trees are seen in the background; the area in front of the cross is covered with low-growing plants bearing flowers.
Werner Mölders' original grave marker, 1941

On 22 November 1941 Mölders was flying as a passenger in a Heinkel He 111 of Kampfgeschwader 27 "Boelcke" from the Crimea to Germany to attend the funeral of his superior, Ernst Udet. Attempting to land at Breslau during a thunderstorm, the aircraft crashed. Mölders, pilot Oberleutnant Kolbe and flight engineer Oberfeldwebel Hobbie were killed. Major Dr. Wenzel and radio operator Oberfeldwebel Tenz survived the crash landing. Dr. Wenzel sustained a broken arm and leg as well as a concussion and Tenz, a broken ankle. Mölders' fatal injuries included a broken back and a crushed ribcage. Accident investigators then and since have speculated whether Mölders would have survived the crash if he had used his seat belt.[54]

Mölders was given a state funeral in Berlin on 28 November 1941. His coffin was laid out in the honour court of the Reichsluftfahrtministerium. The guard of honour consisted of Johannes Schalk, Günther Lützow, Walter Oesau, Joachim Müncheberg, Adolf Galland, Wolfgang Falck, Herbert Kaminski and Karl-Gottfried Nordmann. Mölders was buried next to Ernst Udet and Manfred von Richthofen at the Invalidenfriedhof in Berlin. The 8.8 cm flak in Berlin Tiergarten fired a salute; Hermann Göring gave the eulogy.[55]

Personal Life

Mölders married Luise Baldauf, née Thurner, on 13 September 1941. Luise Baldauf was the widow of a friend who had been killed in active service.[56] The wedding ceremony was performed by Mölders' childhood mentor, Erich Klawitter, in Falkenstein, Taunus. Witnesses to the wedding included Leutnant Erwin Fleig and Oberleutnant Hartmann Grasser. The marriage produced a posthumous daughter, Verena.[57]

Mölders' wedding was strongly disapproved of by the officials of the Third Reich. The Catholic marriage stood in strong opposition to the principles of the Third Reich. In 1936 a prosecution against Klawitter was initiated for his breach of the Kanzelparagraph (Pulpit Law). In 1941 the German officials declared Klawitter politically unreliable and denied him access to the Reichsschrifttumskammer (Reich Literature Chamber). In September 1933 the regime had passed the Reichskulturkammergesetz (Reich Culture Chamber Law), which required that anyone working in the arts belong to the Reichskulturkammer (Reich Culture Chamber).[58]

Legacy

Colour photograph of a marbled-grey stone slab, lying flat on the ground, surrounded by grass and weeds, bearing the golden inscription "Oberst Werner Mölders 18.3.1913 22.11.1944" just below the centre of the slab. Above the inscription, there is a small Christian cross carved from similar, but slightly lighter stone, and a terracotta bowl with flowers near the right-hand edge of the slab.
Werner Mölders re-established grave site (1991) in the Invalidenfriedhofalt Berlin

Mölders' distinction during military service led to naming units and military installations in his honor. His unit, Jagdgeschwader 51, was christened "Mölders" on 22 November 1941, only hours after Mölders' death. Its members were entitled to wear the "Mölders" cuffband.[59] After the war, on 13 April 1968, a destroyer of the Bundesmarine (Federal German Navy) was christened Mölders in Bath, Maine (USA). It was in service between 1969 and 2003. As of 24 June 2005, it is the central attraction at the Navy Museum in Wilhelmshaven.[59] On 9 November 1972 a base of a Battalion of the 34th Signal Regiment of the Federal German Army in Visselhövede received the name "Mölders".[60] Most recently, the Fighter Wing 74 (Jagdgeschwader 74), stationed in Neuburg an der Donau, received the name "Mölders" in 1973. Fighter Ace Generalleutnant Günther Rall presented the cuffbands.

The Invalidenfriedhof, where Mölders is buried, lay in East Berlin and in 1975 East German officials ordered all the graves leveled, including that of Werner Mölders. After the 1990 German reunification, the grave was rebuilt and rechristened by Mölders' school friend and Domherr of the St. Hedwig's Cathedral, Heribert Rosal on 11 October 1991. The ceremony was witnessed by guests from the United States, Great Britain, Austria, Spain and Hungary.[61][62]

In 2005, the German Ministry of Defence (Bundesministerium der Verteidigung) decided to remove the name "Mölders" from the JG 74. The decision was confirmed on 11 March 2005 by the Federal Minister of Defence Peter Struck, and at 10:00 hour the flags and cufftitles were removed.[63] The move reflected a 1998 decision by the German Parliament, made on the occasion of the 61st Anniversary of the bombing of the Spanish town of Guernica, during the Spanish Civil War. Parliament decided that members of the Condor Legion, such as Mölders, should "no longer be honoured".[60][64] Despite doubts as to Mölders' participation in the Bombing of Guernica (codename Übung Rügen) (en: Practice contest), as well as his political stance towards National Socialism, petitions from politicians and high-ranking active and retired servicemen, among them Günther Rall and Jörg Kuebart, the Office for Military History (Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt) concluded that it was questionable whether Mölders had distanced himself enough from National Socialism, and the decision remained.[65][66]

Summary of career

Awards

References in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
Wednesday, 29 May 1940 Hauptmann Mölders errang seinen 20. Luftsieg.[70] Hauptmann Mölders achieved his 20th aerial victory.
Friday, 6 September 1940 Außer vier bereits genannten Offizieren haben in den Luftkämpfen der letzten Wochen drei weitere Jagdflieger 20 oder mehr Luftsiege errungen und zwar: Hauptmann Mayer, Hauptmann Oesau und Hauptmann Tietzen. An der Spitze der Sieger in Luftkämpfen steht Major Mölders mit 32 Abschüssen.[71] In addition to four officers previously mentioned, a further three fighter pilots have achieved 20 or more victories in aerial combat over the past few weeks. They are: Hauptmann Mayer, Hauptmann Oesau und Hauptmann Tietzen. The overall leader in aerial combat victories is Major Mölders with 32 aerial victories.
Wednesday, 25 September 1940 Major Mölders und Major Galland errangen ihren 40. Luftsieg.[72] Major Mölders and Major Galland achieved their 40th aerial victories.
Tuesday, 23 October 1940 Major Mölders schoß, wie schon bekanntgegeben, in einem Luftkampf gegen zahlenmäßig überlegene feindliche Jäger seinen 49. 50. und 51. Gegner ab.[73] As already announced, Major Mölders shot down his 49th, 50th and 51st opponents in aerial combat against numerically superior enemy fighter forces.
Sunday, 26 October 1940 Im Laufe der gestrigen Luftkämpfe schossen unsere Jagdflugzeuge 17 feindliche Jäger ab. Dabei errang Oberstleutnant Mölders seinen 52. und 53. Luftsieg.[74] Our fighter force shot down 17 enemy fighters in yesterday's aerial combat. Oberstleutnant Mölders achieved his 52nd and 53rd aerial victories in the course of the action.
Tuesday, 11 February 1941 Oberstleutnant Mölders errang seinen 56. Luftsieg.[75] Oberstleutnant Mölders achieved his 56th aerial victory.
Wednesday, 27 February 1941 Oberstleutnant Mölders errang gestern seinen 60. Luftsieg.[76] Oberstleutnant Mölders achieved his 60th aerial victory yesterday.
Friday, 18 April 1941 Oberstleutnant Mölders errang am 16. April seinen 64. und 65., Oberstleutnant Galland am 15. April seinen 59. und 60. Luftsieg.[77] Oberstleutnant Mölders achieved his 64th and 65th aerial victories on 16 April, while Oberstleutnant Galland achieved his 59th and 60th on 15 April.
Tuesday, 24 June 1941 Das Jagdgeschwader unter Führung von Oberstleutnant Mölders errang am 22. Juni seinen 750. Luftsieg.[78] The fighter wing under the leadership of Oberstleutnant Mölders achieved its 750th aerial victory on 22 June.
Tuesday, 1 July 1941 ... Oberstleutnant Mölders errang hierbei seinen 82., Hauptmann Joppien seinen 52. Luftsieg.[79] ... in the process, Oberstleutnant Mölders achieved his 82nd, and Hauptmann Joppien, his 52nd aerial victory.
Wednesday, 16 July 1941 (So.) Bei den Kämpfen an der Ostfront schoß Oberstleutnant Mölders, Kommodore eines Jagdgeschwaders, gestern fünf Sowjetflugzeuge ab. Er hat damit in diesem Kriege insgesamt 101 Abschüsse erzielt und einschließlich seiner 14 Abschüsse im Spanienfeldzug insgesamt 115 Luftsiege errungen.
Der Führer und Oberste Befehlshaber der Wehrmacht hat diesem heldenhaften Vorbild der Luftwaffe und erfolgreichsten Jagdflieger der Welt als erstem Offizier der deutschen Wehrmacht die höchste deutsche Tapferkeitsauszeichnung, das Eichenlaub mit Schwertern und Brillanten zum Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes verliehen.[80]		 (Extra) Oberstleutnant Mölders, commodore of a fighter wing, shot down five Soviet aircraft yesterday in combat on the eastern front. This means he has achieved a total of 101 aerial victories in this war and, combined with his 14 aerial victories in the Spanish campaign, a grand total of 115 aerial victories.
The Führer and commander-in-chief of the Wehrmacht has chosen this heroic Luftwaffe exemplar, the world's most successful fighter pilot, to be the first Wehrmacht officer to receive the highest German award for bravery, the Oak Leaves with Swords and Diamonds to the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Dates of rank

1 October 1931: Fahnenjunker-Gefreiter[4]
1 April 1932: Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier[4]
1 June 1933: Fähnrich[4]
1 February 1934: Oberfähnrich[4]
1 March 1934: Leutnant (Second Lieutenant)[81]
20 April 1936: Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant), effective as of 1 April 1936[81]
18 October 1938: Hauptmann (Captain), effective as of 1 October 1938[81]
19 July 1940: Major (Major)[1]
25 October 1940: Oberstleutnant (Lieutenant Colonel)[1]
20 July 1941: Oberst (Colonel)[59]

Notes

Footnotes

  1. ^ Jagdgruppe 88, four squadrons equipped with the Heinkel He 51.
  2. ^ For a list of Spanish Civil War air aces see List of Spanish Civil War air aces.
  3. ^ For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II.

Citations

  1. ^ a b c d e Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 34.
  2. ^ Hagena 2008, pp. 7–12.
  3. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 44.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 31.
  5. ^ a b Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 10.
  6. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 11.
  7. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 11, 32.
  8. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 11, 32, 66.
  9. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 11–12, 32.
  10. ^ Spick 1996, p. 18.
  11. ^ Spick 1996, p. 15.
  12. ^ Spick 1996, p. 15.
  13. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 12, 32.
  14. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 14, 33, 40.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 33.
  16. ^ Prien 1997, p. 30.
  17. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 33, 89.
  18. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 88–92.
  19. ^ Obermaier and Held, p. 14.
  20. ^ Prien 1997, p. 40.
  21. ^ Prien 1997, p. 44.
  22. ^ Prien 1997, pp. 50–51
  23. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 40.
  24. ^ Hooton 2007, p. 65.
  25. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 16.
  26. ^ Hooton 2007, p. 65
  27. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 16–18, 33.
  28. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p.149.
  29. ^ Aders and Held 1993, p. 62.
  30. ^ a b c Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 19.
  31. ^ a b Aders and Held 1993, p. 63.
  32. ^ Kaplan 2007, p. 56.
  33. ^ Shores and Williams, p. 622.
  34. ^ Aders and Held 1993, p. 67.
  35. ^ Aders and Held 1993, pp. 69, 71.
  36. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 19–20, 34, 122.
  37. ^ Weal 1999, p. 7.
  38. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 20, 124–125.
  39. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 41.
  40. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 21, 137–141.
  41. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 147.
  42. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 21, 40–41.
  43. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 21, 41.
  44. ^ Bergström 2007, p. 27.
  45. ^ Weal 2001, p. 22.
  46. ^ Aders and Held 1993, p. 91.
  47. ^ Weal 2001, p. 18.
  48. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 21, 35.
  49. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 35.
  50. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 188–189
  51. ^ Weal 2001, p. 29.
  52. ^ Weal 2007, p. 11.
  53. ^ Weal 2006, p. 120.
  54. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 23.
  55. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 200–206.
  56. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 22.
  57. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, pp. 35, 180–182, 209.
  58. ^ Hagena 2008, p. 54.
  59. ^ a b c Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 35.
  60. ^ a b Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 36.
  61. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 206.
  62. ^ Hagena 2008, p. 119.
  63. ^ Hagena 2008, p. 132.
  64. ^ Hagena 2008, p. 8.
  65. ^ Hagena 2008, p. 138.
  66. ^ Kaplan 2007, p. 51.
  67. ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 75.
  68. ^ a b Berger 2000, p. 228.
  69. ^ a b c d Scherzer 2007, p. 548.
  70. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, p. 174.
  71. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, p. 296.
  72. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, p. 311.
  73. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, p. 339.
  74. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, p. 341.
  75. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, p. 420.
  76. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, p. 433.
  77. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, p. 494.
  78. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, p. 587.
  79. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, p. 598.
  80. ^ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, p. 617.
  81. ^ a b c Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 32.

References

  • Aders, Gebhard and Held, Werner (1993). Jagdgeschwader 51 'Mölders' Eine Chronik - Berichte - Erlebnisse - Dokumente (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-613-01045-3.
  • Berger, Florian (2000). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges (in German). Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5. (popular science)
  • Bergström, Christer and Mikhailov, Andrey (2000), Black Cross / Red Star Air War Over the Eastern Front, Volume I, Operation Barbarossa 1941, California: Pacifica Military History. ISBN 0-935553-48-7.
  • Bergström, Christer (2007). Barbarossa - The Air Battle: July-December 1941. London: Chervron/Ian Allen. ISBN 978-1-85780-270-2.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945 (in German). Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5. (popular science)
  • Fraschka, Günther (1994). Knights of the Reich. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military/Aviation History. ISBN 0-88740-580-0.
  • Hagena, Hermann (2008). Jagdflieger Werner Mölders - Die Würde des Menschen reicht über den Tod hinaus (in German). Aachen, Germany: Helios Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938208-66-3.
  • Hooton, E.R (2007). Luftwaffe at War; Gathering Storm 1933–39: Volume 1. London: Chervron/Ian Allen. ISBN 978-1-903223-71-7.
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939–1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
  • Obermaier, Ernst and Held, Werner (1996). Jagdflieger Oberst Werner Mölders - Bilder und Dokumente (in German). Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 4. Edition. ISBN 3-87943-869-2. (popular science)
  • Prien, Jochen (1997). Jagdgeschwader 53 A History of the "Pik As" Geschwader March 1937–May 1942. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 0-7643-0175-6.
  • Schaulen, Fritjof (2004). Eichenlaubträger 1940–1945 Zeitgeschichte in Farbe II Ihlefeld - Primozic (in German). Selent, Germany: Pour le Mérite. ISBN 3-932381-21-1.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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.
  • Shores, Christopher and Clive Williams (1994). Aces High. London: Grub Street. ISBN 1-898697-00-0.
  • Sims, Edward H (1982). Jagdflieger Die großen Gegner von einst (in German). Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN 3-87943-115-9.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2.
  • Toliver, Raymond F. and Trevor J. Constable (1998). Die deutschen Jagdflieger-Asse 1939–1945 (in German). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch Verlag, 1977. ISBN 3-87943-193-0.
  • Weal, John (1999). Bf 109F/G/K Aces of the Western Front. Oxford, UK: Ospery. ISBN 1-85532-905-0.
  • Weal, John (2001). Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford, UK: Ospery. ISBN 1-84176-084-6.
  • Weal, John (2006). Jagdgeschwader 51 ‘Mölders’. Oxford, UK: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84603-045-1.
  • Weal, John (2007). More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford, UK: Ospery. ISBN 978-1-84603-177-9.
  • Williamson, Gordon (2006). Knight's Cross with Diamonds Recipients 1941–45. Osprey Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-84176-644-5.
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
  • Helden der Wehrmacht - Unsterbliche deutsche Soldaten (in German). München, Germany: FZ-Verlag GmbH, 2004. ISBN 3-924309-53-1.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Werner Mölders.
Military offices
Preceded by Commander of Jagdgeschwader 51 Mölders
27 July 1940 – 19 July 1941 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Inspekteur der Jagdflieger
7 August 1941 – 22 November 1941 		Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Adolf Galland

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