Hermann Fischer (1913)
Hermann Fischer | |
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![]() 1st Lieutenant Fischer, military aircraft pilot's license[1] (Militär-Flugzeugführerschein): "The holder previously had the military aircraft pilot's license 'Land' No. 96/I, issued by Air District Command I Königsberg on 1 February 1937"[2] | |
Birth date | 13 March 1913 |
Place of birth | Danzig, Province of West Prussia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire |
Allegiance | ![]() ![]() |
Service/branch | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Rank | Major (Wehrmacht) Lieutenant Colonel (Bundeswehr) |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Iron Cross German Cross in Gold |
Relations | ∞ 1938 Ilse von Platen |
Hermann Fischer was a German NCO of the Reichswehr as well as officer of the Wehrmacht as reconnaissance pilot of the Luftwaffe in WWII. As such, he flew 381 combat missions (Feindflüge) with the Henschel Hs 126, Junkers Ju 52, Dornier Do 17, Junkers Ju 88, Messerschmitt Me 110, Junkers Ju 188, Messerschmitt Me 410, and Junkers Ju 290. From 1957 to the end of 1958, he was an officer of the Bundeswehr.
Contents
Life
After his Abitur and service with the Freiwilliger Arbeitsdienst (voluntary work service; FAD), forerunner of the Reich Labour Service (RAD), he joined the Reichswehr with the 3. (Preußisches) Infanterie-Regiment in Deutsch Eylau (south-east of Danzig, south-west of Königsberg). It can be assumed, that he attended the War School (Kriegsschule) in Dresden. In 1935, after the unmasking of the Luftwaffe, he was trained as a reconnaissance pilot, promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on 1 April 1936 and received his military aircraft pilot's license on 1 February 1937, serving in the area of the Luftgau Command I Königsberg as pilot of the Aufklärungsgruppe 111 and the Aufklärungsgruppe 11, both in Insterburg (East Prussia).
On 1 November 1938 in Neuhausen, the staff of the Aufklärungsgruppe 11 established the Aufklärungsgruppe 10, where Fischer was appointed adjutant. At the same time, he was promoted to 1st Lieutenant with rank seniority (RDA) from 1 January 1939. In the spring of 1939, Fischer was commanded to the instrument flight school or Blindflugschule in Celle (BFS Celle), an absolute necessity for long-range reconnaissance aircraft crews. Fischer received his license on 15 June 1939.
WWII
At the beginning of the Poland Campaign in September 1939, Fischer was serving in the 2. (H) Staffel/Aufklärungsgruppe 13. The "H" meant it was a a Heer or army squadron serving as short-range reconnaissance. He served with the Aufklärungsgruppe 13 until March 1940 (stationed in the west in the area of the Luftgau Command XI Hannover) and was eventually transferred to the Aufklärungsgruppe 22 and served in the 3. (F) Staffel. The "F" for Fern meant it was a long-range reconnaissance squadron. At the beginning of 1940, the squadron was converted to the Do 17 P and the Do 17 M, and given some Bf 109 for short-range reconnaissance. During the Western Campaign, the group flew reconnaissance missions for the 16th Army.
After France surrendered, the squadron moved to southern France and from here flew missions over the Mediterranean. In April 1941, it was used during the Balkan campaign and from June 1941 in Russia. Here the group flew reconnaissance missions for the 16th Army in northern Russia after being converted to the Ju 88 before the start of Operation Barbarossa. In January 1942, Fischer was appointed commander (Staffelkapitän) of the 3. (F) Staffel/Aufklärungsgruppe 22. On 30 January 1942, Staka 1st Lieutenant Fischer and three others were wounded and another man killed during a strafing attack on Dno by Russian fighters. On 1 February 1942 (date of rank seniority), Fischer was promoted to Hauptmann (captain). He returned to the Aufklärungsgruppe 22 and served until 15 May 1942 (in total 90 combat missions).
On 6 May 1942, he was appointed as consultant (Referent) with the General of the Reconnaissance Corps (Gen. Lw. b. OB d. H. und General der Aufklärer; L. In. 1). Only weeks later, in July 1942, he was appointed commander (Staffelkapitän) of the 3. (F) Staffel/Aufklärungsgruppe 122 and flew reconnaissance for Air Fleet 2 in the central sector of the Eastern Front. On 2 July 1943, Captain Fischer was appointed acting commander of the Fernaufklärungsgruppe 5 (FAGr. 5) which was formed in June 1943 in Mont-de-Marsan and equipped with the Junkers Ju 290. On 19 March 1944, he was appointed permanent commander and promoted to major on 1 April 1944. The long-range reconnaissance group flew operations in the Atlantic area from 15 November 1943 to 12 August 1944.
On 6 March 1945, Major Fischer was once again appointed commander (Staffelkapitän) of the 3. (F) Staffel/Aufklärungsgruppe 122, now with Junkers Ju 188, subordinated to the Fernaufklärungsgruppe 1 in Quakenbrück. In April 1945, it is claimed, he was appointed commander of the Fernaufklärungsgruppe 1, although some sources believe this was rescinded before it became effective. His last Wehrpaß, issued at the end of the war in May 1945 by "Bataillon 163", shows "last assignment commander of a tank hunting battalion of the Luftwaffe and battalion commander". Like so many, it seems, when the skies belonged to the enemy and planes as well as fuel were in short supply, Major Fischer was commanded to the ground combat troops of the Luftwaffe.
Post-war
After being a prisoner of war and years in the private sector, Fischer joined the Luftwaffe of the Bundeswehr in 1957, was promoted to Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel) in 1958 and retired at the end of 1968.
Family
On 17 Dezember 1938 at the estate Adliges (Adl.) Gut Raschung in East Prussia, Fischer married his fiancée Ilse von Platen (b. 5 August 1911). Ilse was the adopted daughter of retired Rittmeister (later Major of the Reserves of the Luftwaffe) und SA-Oberführer Benno Christoph Hans Claus von Platen (1891–1964), Knight of Honour (Ehrenritter) of the Johanniter-Orden and member of the Reichstag for the NSDAP from 1933 to 1936. Ilse's mother was Elfriede Meyer, née Bönsch (b. 3 June 1886 in Hirschberg), As a widow, she married von Platen who adopted Ilse and her younger sister Compina Ingeborg (b. 15 December 1915).[3]
Awards and decorations
- Reich Sports Badge (Deutsches Reichssportabzeichen) in Bronze
- DLRG badge of the German Life Saving Association (Abzeichnen der Deutschen Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft)
- Pilot Badge (Flugzeugführerabzeichen) on 1 February 1937
- Wehrmacht Long Service Award (Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung), 4th Class
- Sudetenland Medal (Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 1. Oktober 1938)
- Medal to Commemorate the Homecoming of the Memelland
- Combined Pilots and Observation Badge (Gemeinsames Flugzeugführer- und Beobachterabzeichen)
- Iron Cross (1939), 2nd and 1st Class
- 1st Class on on 21 July 1941
- Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg) on 28 February 1942[4]
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for reconnaissance pilots (Aufklärer) in Bronze, Silver and Gold
- Bronze on 17 July 1941
- Gold on 23 April 1942
- Three Certificates of Recognition from the General of the Air Force (General der Flieger Rudolf Bogatsch) with the Commander-in-Chief of the Army on 18 October 1941, 22 October 1941 and 20 November 1941
- Winter Battle in the East 1941–42 Medal
- Wound Badge (Verwundetenabzeichen 1939) in Bronze and Silver
- German Cross in Gold on 27 July 1942 as Captain Hauptmann and Commander of the 3. (Fern-)Staffel/Aufklärungsgruppe 122
- Honour Roll Clasp of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenblattspange der Luftwaffe) in 1944
- Pilot Badge of the Bundeswehr (Luftfahrzeugführergrad 3 – Standard Pilot)
- Plaque of the “Inspection of Air Force Combat Units” (Plakette "Inspektion Kampfverbände der Luftwaffe")
Gallery
See also
- Hermann Fischer (disambiguation page)
References
- ↑ Source: https://crainsmilitaria.com/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=1658
- ↑ "Inhaber hatte bisher den Militärflugzeugführerschein Land Nr. 96/ I, ausgestellt vom Luftkreiskommando I Königsberg am 1. Febr. 1937"
- ↑ Gothaisches Genealogisches Taschenbuch der Adeligen Häuser, Teil A, 1940, p. 520
- ↑ Luftwaffe - großer Ordens- und Urkunden Nachlass mit Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistungen im Luftkrieg für Major Hermann Fischer, Gruppenkommandeur Fernaufklärungsgruppe 5, weitze.net