August-Albert Ploch

August-Albert Ploch
Dipl.-Ing. Major Ploch
Birth date	2 August 1894 (1894-08-02)
Place of birth	Brandenburg, Landkreis Heiligenbeil, Regierungsbezirk Königsberg, Province of East Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Death date	27 August 1967 (1967-08-28) (aged 73)
Place of death	Lörrach, Baden-Württemberg, FRG
Allegiance	German Empire Weimar Republic National Socialist Germany
Service/branch	Imperial German Army Reichswehr Luftwaffe
Years of service	1914–1918 1919–1935 1935–1945
Rank	Generalmajor
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Iron Cross House Order of Hohenzollern

August-Albert Ploch (2 August 1894 – 27 August 1967) was a German officer of the Imperial German Army, the Reichswehr and the Wehrmacht, finally Generalmajor of the Luftwaffe in WWII.

Military career (chronology)

Ernst Udet (right) with Erhard Milch (left) on 26 April 1941 (birthday celebration organized by Ploch)

• Entered the Army as a War Volunteer, Officer-Aspirant, Company, then Battery Officer in the 44th Reserve-Field-Artillery-Regiment, in the 4th then 6th Foot-Artillery-Regiments (02 Aug 1914-14 Nov 1916)
  • Reserve-Feldartillerie-Regiment Nr. 44 and Schlesisches Fußartillerie-Regiment „von Dieskau“ Nr. 6, since 2 September 1916 Batterieoffizier
• Flying-Training with the 11th Flying-Replacement-Battalion / Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung 11 (15 Nov 1916-26 Mar 1917)
• Pilot with the 202nd Flying-Battalion / Flieger-Abteilung 202 (27 Mar 1917-27 Apr 1918)
• With the 5th Flying-Replacement-Battalion / Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung 5 of the Fliegertruppe (28 Apr 1918-09 Jun 1919)
• With the Air-Bases Hannover, Cottbus and Paderborn (10 Jun 1919-01 May 1920)
• With the 6th Motor-Transport-Column / 1. Kraftfahr-Kolonne 6 (02 May 1920-26 Sep 1920)
• Battery-Officer in the 6th Artillery-Regiment / 6. (Preußisches) Artillerie-Regiment (27 Sep 1920-31 Mar 1921)
• Placed to the Disposal of the 1st Artillery-Regiment / 1. (Preußisches) Artillerie-Regiment in Allenstein (01 Apr 1921-31 Mar 1928)
  • 1922 completed training as a Bild-Offizier (photo officer)
• Studying at the Technical College / Technische Universität in Charlottenburg (1922-1927)
  • At the beginning of 1927, he received his diploma as an engineer (Dipl.-Ing.)
• With the Staff of the 3rd Artillery-Regiment / 3. (Preußisches) Artillerie-Regiment in Potsdam (01 Apr 1928-31 Mar 1929)
  • 1929 flight training, including in Lipezk/Russia at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school
• Advisor in the Army Weapons Office / Heeres-Waffen-Amt (WaA), Reichswehrministerium in Berlin (01 Apr 1929-31 Aug 1933)
  • After the restructuring of his higher-level office, he was assigned to the Statistical Group (Wa Prw 8) from spring 1931 at the latest.
  • In 1932, he also took part in the Rhön gliding competition
• Transferred into the Luftwaffe as Advisor (Referent) in the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (01 Sep 1933-30 Jun 1934)
• Squadron-Captain (Staffelkapitän) in Bomber-Wing 252 / Kampfgeschwader 252 (01 Jul 1934-31 Mar 1935)
• Commander of Flying-Group Tutow / Fliegergruppe Tutow (01 Apr 1935-31 Jan 1936)
• Department-Chief in the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (01 Feb 1936-31 Jul 1938)
  • On 1 March 1937, he was transferred into the General Staff of the Luftwaffe, although he had not attended the Luftkriegsakademie under Otto Edwin von Stülpnagel.
• Chief of Staff of the General-Air-Equipment-Master, RLM (01 Aug 1938-30 Sep 1941)
  • Chef des Stabes (Chef der Chefgruppe) des Generalluftzeugmeisters
    • On 21 August 1940, he was ordered to temporary duty to Gruppe Luftwaffe/Waffenstillstandskommission Wiesbaden (Armistice Commission after the Battle of France)
    • On 26 April 1941, he was the organizer and one of many guests (among them Generalstabsingenieur Roluf Lucht, Raven von Barnekow, Dr. Brühl, Walter Angermünd and Lieutenant Colonel Max Pendele) at Ernst Udet's 45th birthday celebration.
      • With the congratulators was also a messenger from the University of Munich, presenting Generalluftzeugmeister Udet with a honorary doctorate (Dr.-Ing. h. c.).
• Chief of Staff (Chef des Stabes) of Air-Region-Command II / Luftgau-Kommando II in Posen under Generalleutnant Hellmuth Bieneck (01 Oct 1941-30 Nov 1942)
• Retired after having differences with Erhard Milch (30 Nov 1942)

Promotions

• 2 August 1914 War Volunteer
  • Offizieranwärter (Officer Candidate)
• Vizefeldwebel (27 January 1916)
• Leutnant (2 September 1916)
  • on 1 April 1922 received Rank Seniority (RDA) from 1 April 1914
• Oberleutnant (1 September 1923)
• Hauptmann / Captain (1 April 1928)
• Major (1 March 1934)
• Oberstleutnant / Lieutenant Colonel (1 March 1936)
• Oberst / Colonel (1 June 1938)
• Generalmajor (1 August 1940)

Awards and decorations (excerpt)

• Iron Cross (1914), 2nd and 1st Class
• German Military Pilot’s Badge (Militär-Flugzeugführer-Abzeichen)
• House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight's Cross with Swords (HOH3⚔)
• Wound Badge (Verwundetenabzeichen 1918) in Silver (Mattweiß)
• Aviator Commemorative Badge (Flieger-Erinnerungsabzeichen)
• Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer (FEK)
• Combined Pilots-Observation Badge (Gemeinsames Flugzeugführer- und Beobachterabzeichen)
• Wehrmacht Long Service Awards (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th to 1st Class
• Grand Imperial Order of the Red Arrows, Grand Officer Nr. 175 on 12 Mai 1941