Bernhard Vechtel Explained

Bernhard Vechtel
Birth Date:	31 July 1920
Birth Place:	Vohren near Warendorf
Death Place:	Speyer
Rank:	Oberleutnant (first lieutenant)
Unit:	JG 51
Commands:	14./JG 51
Battles:	World War II
Awards:	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Bernhard Vechtel (31 July 1920 – 21 August 1975) was a fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Vechtel was credited with 108 aerial victories in a total of 860 combat missions, all on the Eastern Front.

Career

Vechtel was born on 31 July 1920 in Vohren, present-day part of Warendorf, at the time in the Province of Westphalia in the Weimar Republic. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) on 2 May 1942. There, he was assigned to the 10. Staffel (10th squadron) which was subordinated to the IV. Gruppe (4th group) of JG 51. At the time, 10. Staffel was headed by Leutnant Horst Haase while IV. Gruppe was commanded by Hauptmann Johann Knauth and based at an airfield in Vyazma on the Eastern Front. During May, the Gruppe was briefly withdrawn from combat for a period of maintenance and equipment overhaul at Smolensk. They were then sent to Dugino where it was tasked with providing fighter cover over the left flank of Army Group Center in vicinity of the 9th Army.

On 30 July 1942, the Soviet Kalinin Front launched the First Rzhev–Sychyovka Offensive Operation with the objective to crush the Rzhev salient held by the 9th Army. Vechtel claimed his first aerial victory on 2 August 1942 over an Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft northeast of Rzhev.

He claimed JG 51s 8000th aerial victory of the war on 1 May 1944. He was awarded the Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (German: Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 3 January 1944, the German Cross in Gold (German: Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 28 January 1944, and later received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 27 July 1944. On 28 August, IV. Gruppe moved to Modlin Airfield located approximately 35abbr=offNaNabbr=off northwest of Warsaw. Here, the Gruppe predominately flew combat missions to the area north and northeast of Warsaw. On 1 September, Vechtel was shot down and wounded by anti-aircraft artillery in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 163631—factory number) 6abbr=offNaNabbr=off northwest of Wyszków.

Squadron leader

On 11 December 1944, Vechtel was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 14. Staffel of JG 51, also a squadron of IV. Gruppe. He replaced Oberleutnant Horst Walther who was transferred. At the time, the Gruppe was commanded by Major Heinz Lange and was based at Modlin. Soviet forces launched the Vistula–Oder Offensive on 12 January 1945. Two days later, Soviet forces reached Modlin, forcing VI. Gruppe to move to Danzig-Langfuhr, present-day Wrzeszcz, Poland. On 25 March 1945, Vechtel was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 99th Luftwaffe pilot to have shot down 100 aircraft. On 1 May, JG 51 received the order to relocate to Flensburg in northern Germany. Some of the pilots decided for themselves that the war was lost and deserted, including Vechtel. On 2 May, he refused to fly to Flensburg and led a Schwarm close to his hometown Warendorf near Münster. There, he arrived with two other pilots, a third pilot was shot down and captured by British forces.

Later life

Vechtel died on 21 August 1975 at the age of in Speyer, West Germany.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Vechtel was credited with 108 aerial victories. Spick also lists Vechtel with 108 aerial victories claimed in 860 combat missions, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and also state that he claimed 108 aerial victories, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front. However, not all of his claims can be verified through the archives.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 47682". The Luftwaffe grid map (German: 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 360sqmi. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3x in size.

Chronicle of aerial victories
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 – Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943
1	2 August 1942	09:52	Il-2	PQ 47682 15km (09miles) northeast of Rzhev	4	6 December 1942	09:22	Il-2	PQ 07732
2	3 September 1942	14:36	MiG-3	east of Sychyovka	5	16 December 1942	08:15	MiG-3	15km (09miles) southeast of Velikiye Luki
3	3 December 1942	13:05	MiG-3	5km (03miles) west of Tuleblja 5km (03miles) west of Velikiye Luki	6	17 December 1942	11:45	Il-2	7km (04miles) east of Ischewosew
– 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 – Eastern Front — 4 February – 28 October 1943
7	18 March 1943	15:45	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 45522 10km (10miles) northeast of Utrikowo	25	21 September 1943	09:01	Yak-9	northeast of Nowo Stepjanka
8	7 May 1943	04:25	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 63279 20km (10miles) south of Zalegoshch	26	24 September 1943	13:28	Yak-9	northwest of Kremenchuk
9	7 May 1943	04:29	MiG-3	PQ 35 Ost 63281 20km (10miles) south-southeast of Zalegoshch	27	24 September 1943	13:30	Yak-9	west of Khmilnyk
10	8 June 1943	19:16	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 64843 20km (10miles) south of Mtsensk	28	26 September 1943	13:25	Yak-1	south of Wassilijewka
11	8 June 1943	19:19	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 64853 20km (10miles) southeast of Mtsensk	29	27 September 1943	10:32	Il-2 m.H.	south of Gorodajewka
12	2 August 1943	08:32	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 53453 10km (10miles) southwest of Kromy	30	27 September 1943	10:33	Il-2 m.H.	northeast of Ssusslowka
13	2 August 1943	08:39	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 53474 20km (10miles) southwest of Kromy	31	27 September 1943	14:30	Pe-2	west of Schulgowka
14	2 August 1943	12:00	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 53654 20km (10miles) southwest of Kromy	32	29 September 1943	11:55	Yak-1	west of Sloschenkowo
15	7 August 1943	11:40	P-40	west of Peschkowa	33	29 September 1943	12:10	Il-2 m.H.	north of Waldorf
16	15 August 1943	05:05	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 60152 10km (10miles) south of Kharkiv	34	4 October 1943	06:55	Yak-1	east of Tarassowka
17	16 August 1943	18:25	La-5	east of Kulakovka	35	6 October 1943	12:46	Yak-9	southwest of Schulgowka
18	17 August 1943	05:06	Yak-1	east of Gurinowka	36	7 October 1943	15:03	P-39	west of Orlik
19	19 August 1943	15:00	La-5	southeast of Dergatschevka	37	12 October 1943	08:15	Yak-9	north of Lake Sennitza
20	19 August 1943	15:05	La-5	southwest of Ulitschewka	38	21 October 1943	08:55	Yak-9	northeast of Sselenoye
21	21 August 1943	16:25	Il-2	south of Guty	39	22 October 1943	08:55	Il-2 m.H.	southwest of Sybkoye
22	1 September 1943	12:10	Yak-9	north of Borodino	40	26 October 1943	14:38	P-39	northwest of Chervonaya Znamenka
23	1 September 1943	18:11	Il-2 m.H.	northeast of Berniki	41	28 October 1943	06:23	P-39	southwest of Michailovka
24	20 September 1943	06:39	Il-2 m.H.	southeast of Igun
– 12. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 – Eastern Front — 29 October 1943 – 22 November 1943
42	29 October 1943	11:06	Pe-2	northeast of Pogelnastoje	46	20 November 1943	11:34	Il-2 m.H.	west of Salbachowka
43	30 October 1943	12:28	Il-2 m.H.	west of Annowka	47	20 November 1943	13:05	Yak-9	southwest of Huliaipole
44	5 November 1943	13:51	La-5	Rameropol	48	22 November 1943	12:30	P-39	2km (01miles) northwest of Sybkoje
45	20 November 1943	11:30	Yak-1	southeast of Mirnaja	49	22 November 1943	12:40	P-39	2km (01miles) east of Trudowka
– 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 – Eastern Front — 28 November 1943 – 31 May 1944
50	28 November 1943	11:12	Il-2 m.H.	Petrowka	65	30 April 1944	08:56	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 25 Ost 50543 15km (09miles) southeast of Berezhany
51	30 November 1943	08:25	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 49796 55km (34miles) north of Nikopol	66	1 May 1944	10:02	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 24 Ost 59315 20km (10miles) north of Kolomea
52	30 November 1943	08:27	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 49815 30km (20miles) south-southwest of Dnepropetrovsk	67	1 May 1944	10:06	Yak-9	PQ 24 Ost 59318 20km (10miles) north of Kolomea
53	27 February 1944	09:38	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 14567 vicinity of Krasnopillia	68	3 May 1944	09:07	Yak-9	PQ 24 Ost 59358 20km (10miles) northeast of Kolomea
54	27 March 1944	10:55	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 05693 vicinity of Gorki	69	3 May 1944	18:35?	La-5	PQ 24 Ost 59378 vicinity of Kolomea
55	9 April 1944	18:22	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 50763 45km (28miles) south-southwest of Ternopil	70	4 May 1944	18:54?	Yak-9?	PQ 25 Ost 50474 vicinity of Ternopil
56	10 April 1944	11:48	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 50734 30km (20miles) south-southwest of Ternopil	71	5 May 1944	11:18?	Yak-1	PQ 25 Ost 50563 20km (10miles) south-southwest of Ternopil
57	15 April 1944	16:24	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 50522 25km (16miles) east of Berezhany	72	5 May 1944	18:31?	Yak-1	PQ 25 Ost 50562 20km (10miles) south-southwest of Ternopil
58	18 April 1944	11:55	La-5	PQ 24 Ost 59151 40km (30miles) north-northeast of Kolomea	73	15 May 1944	18:47	La-5	PQ 25 Ost 50431
59	19 April 1944	16:42	Yak-9	PQ 24 Ost 59122 40km (30miles) east of Stanislau	74	24 May 1944	05:44	Yak-9	PQ 25 Ost 50616 10km (10miles) south of Ternopil
60	22 April 1944	16:42?	Yak-1?	PQ 25 Ost 50871 25km (16miles) south of Ternopil	75	28 May 1944	06:34	La-5	PQ 25 Ost 50534 15km (09miles) southwest of Ternopil
61	23 April 1944	10:57	Il-2	PQ 25 Ost 50582 25km (16miles) southeast of Berezhany	76	29 May 1944	06:47	La-5	PQ 24 Ost 59376 vicinity of Kolomea
62	27 April 1944	15:52	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 24 Ost 59311 20km (10miles) north of Kolomea	77	31 May 1944	11:16?	La-5	PQ 24 Ost 59375 vicinity of Kolomea
63	27 April 1944	18:22	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 24 Ost 59314 20km (10miles) north of Kolomea	78	31 May 1944	14:32	La-5	PQ 24 Ost 49498 5km (03miles) west of Kolomea
64	30 April 1944	08:54	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 25 Ost 40661 10km (10miles) south of Berezhany	79	31 May 1944	14:43	Yak-9	PQ 24 Ost 59375 10km (10miles) south of Kolomea
– 11. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 – Eastern Front — August 1944
80	13 August 1944	16:32	Yak-9	PQ 24 Ost 25644 40km (30miles) northeast of Łomża	82	13 August 1944	18:01	Yak-9	PQ 24 Ost 24625 45km (28miles) north-northwest of Białystok
81	13 August 1944	16:33	La-5	PQ 24 Ost 24627 45km (28miles) north-northwest of Białystok
– 14. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 – Eastern Front — August 1944 – May 1945
83	15 August 1944	18:13	La-5	PQ 25 Ost 25491 25km (16miles) east of Trakehnen	88	22 August 1944	10:37	Yak-9	PQ 25 Ost 36215 15km (09miles) east of Schaulen
84	15 August 1944	18:25	La-5	20km (10miles) west-northwest of Marijampolė	PQ 25 Ost 35342 style="border-left: 3px solid grey;"	89	24 August 1944	08:53	Yak-9	PQ 25 Ost 37543 55km (34miles) north-northwest of Schaulen
85	17 August 1944	11:12	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 25 Ost 36374 20km (10miles) northeast of Nemakščiai	90	24 August 1944	11:22	P-39	PQ 25 Ost 37385 25km (16miles) southwest of Mitau
86	17 August 1944	11:13	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 25 Ost 36375 20km (10miles) east-southeast of Nemakščiai	91	24 August 1944	15:22	La-5	PQ 25 Ost 27665 60km (40miles) northeast of Telsche
87	17 August 1944	16:35	Yak-9	10km (10miles) south of Nemakščiai
According to Mathews and Foreman, aerial victories 92 to 99 were not documented. The author Prien, Stemmer, Balke and Bock state that the aerial victory records of IV. Gruppe dated later than November 1944 are incomplete.
100	25 March 1945		unknown
According to Mathews and Foreman, aerial victories 101 to 108 were not documented.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 3 April 1944 as Feldwebel and pilot
• German Cross in Gold on 28 January 1944 as Feldwebel in the 10./Jagdgeschwader 51
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 as pilot and Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel in the 10./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"

References

Bibliography

• Book: Aders . Gebhard . Held . Werner . 1993 . Jagdgeschwader 51 'Mölders' Eine Chronik – Berichte – Erlebnisse – Dokumente . Fighter Wing 51 'Mölders' A Chronicle – Reports – Experiences – Documents . de . Stuttgart, Germany . Motorbuch Verlag . 978-3-613-01045-1.
• Web site: Bergström . Christer .

  sv:Christer Bergström

  . Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat . Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website . 16 December 2020 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20181222042030/http://www.bergstrombooks.elknet.pl/bc-rs/planquadrat.htm . 22 December 2018 . dead.
• Book: Bergström . Christer .

  sv:Christer Bergström

  . Antipov . Vlad . Sundin . Claes . 2003 . Graf & Grislawski – A Pair of Aces . Hamilton MT . Eagle Editions . 978-0-9721060-4-7.
• Book: Dixon , Jeremy . 2023 . Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1943–1945 . Barnsley . . 978-1-39903-073-1.
• Book: Fellgiebel , Walther-Peer .

  de:Walther-Peer Fellgiebel

  . 2000 . 1986 . Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile . The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches . de . Friedberg, Germany . Podzun-Pallas . 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Book: Mathews . Andrew Johannes . Foreman . John . 2015 . Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 4 S–Z . Walton on Thames . Red Kite . 978-1-906592-21-9.
• Book: Obermaier , Ernst . 1989 . Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 . The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945 . de . Mainz, Germany . Verlag Dieter Hoffmann . 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Book: Patzwall . Klaus D. . Scherzer . Veit . 2001 . Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II . The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2 . de . Norderstedt, Germany . Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall . 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Book: Patzwall . Klaus D. . 2008 . Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg . The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War . de . Norderstedt, Germany . Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall . 978-3-931533-08-3.
• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2006 . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/II—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1.5.1942 bis 3.2.1943 . The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/II—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943 . de . Eutin, Germany . Struve-Druck . 978-3-923457-77-9.
• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Rodeike . Peter . Bock . Winfried . 2012 . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/II—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 . The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/II—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943 . de . Eutin, Germany . Buchverlag Rogge . 978-3-942943-05-5.
• Book: Prien . Jochen . Stemmer . Gerhard . Balke . Ulf . Bock . Winfried . 2022 . Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 15/I—Einsatz im Osten—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 . The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 15/I—Action in the East—1 January to 31 December 1944 . de . Eutin, Germany . Buchverlag Rogge . 978-3-942943-26-0.
• Book: 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 . The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives . de . Jena, Germany . Scherzers Militaer-Verlag . 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Book: Spick , Mike . 1996 . Luftwaffe Fighter Aces . New York . . 978-0-8041-1696-1 . registration .
• Book: Zabecki . David T. . David T. Zabecki . 2019 . The German War Machine in World War II . Santa Barbara, California . . 978-1-44-086918-1.