Jürgen Brocke Explained

Jürgen Brocke
Birth Date:	4 February 1922
Birth Place:	Bad Harzburg
Death Place:	Voronezh, Russia Child: yes Death Cause: Killed in action
Serviceyears:	1939–1942
Rank:	Leutnant (second lieutenant)
Battles:	World War II
Awards:	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Jürgen Brocke (4 February 1922 – 15 September 1942) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Brocke claimed 42 victories in 150 missions. He was shot down on 15 September 1942 and was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 9 December 1942.

Career

Brocke was born on 4 February 1922 in Bad Harzburg in the Free State of Brunswick with the Weimar Republic. Following the outbreak of World War II in Europe on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland, Brocke joined the Army of the Wehrmacht, initially serving in the artillery. In 1940, he transferred to the Luftwaffe. Following flight training, Brocke was posted to the 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) in early 1942. The Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Heinrich Setz and subordinated to II. Gruppe of JG 77 headed by Hauptmann Anton Mader. At the time, the Gruppe was stationed at Vienna-Aspern for a period of rest re-equipment with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F series.

Eastern Front

On 11 March 1942, II. Gruppe began relocating back to the Eastern Front, at first to Proskuriv where it stayed for a few days, and then to Sarabuz on the Crimea, arriving on 17 March 1942.

On 5 July 1942, II. Gruppe moved to an airfield Kastornoje, approximately 75abbr=offNaNabbr=off west of Voronezh, where it fought in the Battle of Voronezh.

On 15 September 1942, Brocke was shot down and killed in action by anti-aircraft artillery in his Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 7623—factory number) southwest of Devitsa, located approximately 15abbr=offNaNabbr=off west of Voronezh. Posthumously, Brocke was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 December 1942.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Brocke was credited with 42 aerial victories claimed in approximately 150 combat mission on the Eastern Front. Spick also lists him with 42 aerial victories and a mission-to-claim ratio of 3.57. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 39 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed over the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 82133". 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
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 – Eastern Front — 17 March – 30 April 1942
1	7 April 1942	11:00	I-16	Kerch	3	10 April 1942	10:20	I-153
2	9 April 1942	15:50	I-153		4	22 April 1942	16:55	I-153
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 – Eastern Front — 1 May – 15 September 1942
5	13 May 1942	07:56	I-180 (Yak-7)		24	6 August 1942	18:09	Boston	PQ 82133 60km (40miles) northwest of Voronezh
6	16 May 1942	09:40	Yak-1		25	9 August 1942	18:54	LaGG-3	PQ 92184 15km (09miles) north of Voronezh
7	21 May 1942	17:50	Yak-1	PQ 35383	26	12 August 1942	14:48	LaGG-3	PQ 83674 60km (40miles) south-southwest of Yelets
8	12 June 1942	12:03	LaGG-3		27	13 August 1942	06:12	Yak-1	PQ 92163 25km (16miles) northeast of Voronezh
9	14 June 1942	14:53	I-16		28	13 August 1942	18:20	LaGG-3	PQ 93714 50km (30miles) north of Voronezh
10	10 July 1942	03:45	Yak-1		29	13 August 1942	18:22	LaGG-3	PQ 92112 30km (20miles) north-northwest of Voronezh
11	11 July 1942	05:32	LaGG-3		30?	14 August 1942	09:18	Pe-2
12	14 July 1942	06:47	P-39		31?	14 August 1942	09:28	Pe-2
13	14 July 1942	19:33	DB-3		32	17 August 1942	04:18	Boston	PQ 92312 vicinity of Devitsa
14	16 July 1942	13:15	LaGG-3		33	5 September 1942	17:17	Il-2	PQ 82162 55km (34miles) northwest of Voronezh
15	18 July 1942	18:36	Yak-1		34	5 September 1942	17:22	LaGG-3	PQ 83851 60km (40miles) north-northwest of Voronezh
16	21 July 1942	15:00	P-40		35	5 September 1942	17:28	Il-2	PQ 83822 50km (30miles) south-southeast of Yelets
17	24 July 1942	18:41	LaGG-3		36	13 September 1942	10:18	Il-2	PQ 92731 25km (16miles) north-northwest of Sloboda
18	26 July 1942	17:52	Pe-2		37	13 September 1942	10:24	Hurricane	PQ 92644 45km (28miles) north of Sloboda
19	26 July 1942	17:54	Pe-2		38	15 September 1942	10:30	Il-2	PQ 92192 vicinity of Devitsa
20	26 July 1942	18:02	Pe-2		39	15 September 1942	10:39	Pe-2	PQ 92383 vicinity of Devitsa
21	27 July 1942	11:39	LaGG-3		40	15 September 1942	10:40	Pe-2	PQ 92384 vicinity of Devitsa
22	28 July 1942	07:42	Il-2	PQ 83872 60km (40miles) northwest of Voronezh	41	15 September 1942	10:41	Pe-2	PQ 92512 vicinity of Devitsa
23	28 July 1942	18:58	LaGG-3	PQ 93783 50km (30miles) north of Voronezh

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 13 September 1942 as Leutnant and pilot
• German Cross in Gold on 8 October 1942 as Leutnant in the II/Jagdgeschwader 77
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 December 1942 as Leutnant and pilot in the 4./Jagdgeschwader 77

References

Bibliography

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