Franz Woidich

Franz-Walter Woidich (2 January 1921 – 5 July 2004) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. Wernitz was credited with 110 aerial victories claimed in roughly 1000 combat missions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

Early life and career

Woidich was born on 2 January 1921 in Znojmo (Znaim), present-day in the Czech Republic, at the time in the bilingual region of southern Moravia of the First Czechoslovak Republic. He joined the Luftwaffe in early 1940 and following flight and fighter pilot training, Woidich was posted to 5. Staffel (5th Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27–27th Fighter Wing) on 11 July 1941. In July 1941, 5. Staffel was commanded by Hauptmann Ernst Düllberg and subordinated to II. Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 27 headed by Hauptmann Wolfgang Lippert. The Gruppe had just been withdrawn from combat operations on the Eastern Front and was based at Vilna. On 24 July, the Gruppe arrived at Döberitz, located approximately 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) west of Staaken, for a period of rest and replenishment.

World War II

On Friday 1 September 1939 German forces had invaded Poland which marked the beginning of World War II. Based at Döberitz, II. Gruppe began conversion training to the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 on 18 August and prepared for combat in North Africa to support a German contingent, the Deutsche Afrika Korps under the command of Erwin Rommel. On 24 September, 5. Staffel under command of Düllberg began the relocation, arriving at Ayn al-Ġazāla on 1 October. On 21 November during the Siege of Tobruk, Woidich filed his first aerial victory claim which was not approved. In combat with the Royal Air Force (RAF) No. 250 Squadron, each side claimed one victory but no aircraft were lost in this engagement. Woidich had claimed a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk fighter shot down 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) south of Ain el Gazala.

The next day, he was credited with his aerial victory when he shot down a Royal Australian Air Force P-40 northwest of Bir Hakeim. On 12 December, Woidich lost his Bf 109 F-4 trop (Werknummer 8427—factory number) when the engine caught fire during start procedure. The aircraft was severely damaged and had to be blown up at Derna. On 12 February 1942, Woidich engaged in combat with Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk fighters from No. 73 and No. 274 Squadron from the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the vicinity of Tobruk on a Junkers Ju 87 dive-bomber escort mission. In this aerial encounter, he claimed a P-40 shot down 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) southwest of Fort Acroma. On 15 March 1942, Woidich claimed a P-40 shot down in combat with No. 450 Squadron RAAF, No. 260 Squadron RAF and 2 Squadron SAAF. The combat occurred 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Ain el Gazala. This was his second confirmed aerial victory.

Eastern Front

Woidich was transferred to the 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52–52nd Fighter Wing) on 1 April 1942. The Staffel was under command of Oberleutnant Helmut Bennemann and subordinated to I. Gruppe of JG 52 led by Hauptmann Karl-Heinz Leesmann. The Gruppe had been withdrawn from combat operations on 1 February 1942, and following a period of recuperation and replenishment at Jesau near Königsberg, present-day Kaliningrad in Russia, had moved to Olmütz, present-day Olomouc in Czech Republic, on 11 April. On 17 May, I. Gruppe was ordered back to the Eastern Front and relocated to Artyomovsk, present-day Bakhmut.

Here he claimed seven aerial victories by the end of 1942. On 11 June 1943, Woidich succeeded Oberleutnant Rudolf Miethig who was killed in action the day before as Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 52. At the time his score had increased to 16 aerial victories. On 13 July 1943 during the Battle of Kursk, Woidich, accompanied by his wingman Leutnant Franz Schall, claimed two Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft shot down.

His score of enemy aircraft shot down had increased to 56 by the end of 1943. He had claimed four aircraft shot down on both 7 and 13 July 1943. Following his 80th aerial victory, Woidich was awarded with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 11 June 1944. A noteworthy achievement was made on 11 January 1944 when he claimed his 57th to 60th aerial victory. He became an "ace-in-a-day" on 17 January 1944 when he shot down his 62nd to 66th enemy aircraft. He again claimed four aircraft shot down on 16 April 1944 for victories 72 to 75. His most successful month was July 1944 with 29 aircraft shot down. In July 1944, Woidich was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 84th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. On 10 August, he transferred command of 3. Staffel to Leutnant Leonhard Färber.

Woidich was transferred to Ergänzungsstaffel (Training/Supplement Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 400 (JG 400–400th Fighter Wing) for conversion training to the Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket powered aircraft on 11 August 1944. On 12 November, he was appointed the first Staffelkapitän of the 7. Staffel of JG 400. On 22 April 1945, Woidich claimed one of the very rare aerial victories while flying the Me 163 rocket fighter.

Later life

After World War II in 1953, Ing.-grad. Woidich together with Dipl.-Ing. Karl Thress opened the Ingenieurbüro Woidich (Engineering Office Woidich), an automotive technical engineering bureau, in Mainz-Kastel. Woidich's son, Dipl.-Bw. Gerd Woidich, joined the firm in 1981. Woidich died on 27 July 1984 at the age of 83 in Mainz, Germany.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Woidich was credited with 110 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 110 aerial victories claimed in approximately 1,000 combat missions and a mission-to-claim ratio of 9.09. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 82 aerial victory claims, plus thirty further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 78 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and three on the Western Front, including one four-engined bomber flying the Me 163 rocket fighter.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 82191". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) 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 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 13 September 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot
• German Cross in Gold on 17 October 1943 as Oberfeldwebel in the 3./Jagdgeschwader 52
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 11 June 1944 as pilot and Leutnant of the Reserves in the 3./Jagdgeschwader 52

Notes

Citations

Bibliography