Josef Kraft Explained

Josef Kraft
Birth Date:8 February 1921
Birth Place:Vienna, Austria
Death Place:Fürstenfeldbruck, Germany
Allegiance: (1940–45)
(1956–80)
Serviceyears:1940–45
1956–80
Rank:Hauptmann(Wehrmacht)
Oberst (Bundeswehr)
Unit:NJG 4, NJG 5, NJG 6, NJG 1
Commands:7./NJG 6, 12./NJG 1
Luftwaffenversorgungsregiment 2
Battles:
Awards:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Josef Kraft (8 February 1921 – 16 October 1994) was a German military aviator in the Luftwaffe during World War II and an officer in the postwar German Air Force. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 56 aerial victories claimed in 129 combat missions, making him the thirteenth, a shared distinction, most successful night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare. All of his victories were claimed in Defense of the Reich missions, the majority against the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Bomber Command and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on the Western Front and four against the Soviet Air Forces on the Eastern Front.

Born in Vienna, Kraft grew up in the First Austrian Republic, the Federal State of Austria and Nazi Germany. Following graduation from school, he joined the military service in 1940, initially serving with an anti-aircraft artillery he was later trained as a pilot. In 1942, he was posted to Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 (NJG 4—4th Night Fighter Wing) and to Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5—5th Night Fighter Wing) in 1943. Kraft claimed his first aerial victory on the night of 27/28 August 1943. In May 1944, his Gruppe was subordinated to Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 (NJG 6—6th Night Fighter Wing) based in Hungary. Following his 44th aerial victory, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 September 1944, shortly after, he was appointed squadron leader of 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of NJG 6. Kraft claimed his last aerial victories on 22/23 March 1945 and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves 17 April.

Following the rearmament of the Federal Republic of Germany, Kraft joined the German Air Force in July 1956. He died on 16 October 1994 in Fürstenfeldbruck.

Early life and career

Kraft, the son of a tram driver, was born on 8 February 1921 in Vienna, the capital of First Austrian Republic. He joined the military service of the Wehrmacht on 11 April 1940, initially serving with Flak-Regiment 42 (42nd anti-aircraft artillery regiment) of the Luftwaffe. Kraft volunteered for flight service and was promoted to Oberfähnrich (officer candidate) on 1 July 1941. Following night fighter flight training, [1] he was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 November 1941 and continued to serve with a Luftwaffe training unit 16 August 1942.

World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, Royal Air Force (RAF) attacks shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign. By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector named a Himmelbett (canopy bed) would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942.

Night fighter career

In October 1942, Kraft was posted to II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 (NJG 4—4th Night Fighter Wing).[2] In January 1943, he was again transferred then serving with II. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5—5th Night Fighter Wing). Kraft claimed his first air victory on 27/28 August 1943, an Avro Lancaster bomber shot down 22km (14miles) west of Nuremberg For this, he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (German: Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse) on 1 September and the Iron Cross 1st Class (German: Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse) on 15 November.

Kraft was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) on 1 February 1944 and received the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (German: Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 31 March. In May, II. Gruppe was subordinated to Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 (NJG 6—6th Night Fighter Wing) and moved Hungary on the southern sector of the Eastern Front. He was awarded the German Cross in Gold (German: Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 23 July 1944. By September 1944, his number of aerial victories had increased to 44 for which he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 30 September.

In February and March 1945, he claimed his last aerial victories, increasing his total to 56. For which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 17 April, the 838th officer or soldier of the Wehrmacht so honored. At the end of war he was taken prisoner of war by British forces and was released in August 1945.

Later life

Following the Wiederbewaffnung (rearmament) of the Federal Republic of Germany, Kraft joined the German Air Force in 1956. From 1 October 1 to 31 March 1980, he commanded the Luftwaffenversorgungsregiment 2 and retired holding the rank of Oberst (colonel). Kraft died on 16 October 1994 in Fürstenfeldbruck.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Kraft was credited with 56 aerial victories. Obermaier lists Kraft with 56 nocturnal aerial victories, four of which on the Eastern Front, claimed in 129 combat missions. Foreman, Parry and Mathews, authors of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 56 nocturnal victory claims Mathews and Foreman also published Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, listing Kraft with 51 claims, plus five further unconfirmed claims.

Chronicle of aerial victories
ClaimDateTimeTypeLocationSerial No./Squadron No.
– 6. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 –
1?28 August 194301:20Lancaster22km (14miles) west of Nuremberg
21 September 194300:47Lancaster25km (16miles) south-southwest of BerlinLancaster JA848/No. 619 Squadron RAF
3?1 September 194300:55Stirlingeast of Berlin
427 September 194323:26LancasterHannoverHalifax JB968/No. 428 Squadron RAF
59 October 194301:32Stirling40- north of Bremen
6?26 November 194321:52LancasterBerlin
72 December 194320:32LancasterBerlin
– 5. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 –
86 January 194403:33LancasterStettin
96 January 194403:45Lancasternorthwest of Stettin
106 January 194404:01Lancasternorthwest of Stettin
11?14 January 194420:20LancasterBerlin
1220 January 194419:45LancasterBerlin
1321 January 194423:15HalifaxMagdeburgHalifax DK237/No. 428 (Ghost) Squadron RCAF
1421 January 194423:20HalifaxMagdeburg
1529 January 194403:28LancasterBerlin
1630 January 194420:09LancasterBerlin
1730 January 194420:16LancasterBerlin
18?30 January 194420:28LancasterBerlin
– 4. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 –
1915 February 194420:46Lancastersouthwest of Rostock
2015 February 194421:13HalifaxNeuruppin
2120 February 194403:17four-engined bombervicinity of BrandenburgHalifax LK905/No. 431 (Iroquois) Squadron RCAF
2224 March 194422:23four-engined bomber5km (03miles) south of Berlin
2324 March 194422:58four-engined bomberWertheim
2427 April 194401:24Lancaster10- south of Strasbourg
2527 April 194401:45Lancastervicinity of Strasbourg
2628 April 194402:24HalifaxFriedrichshafen
– 7. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 –
2725 May 194402:18LancasterListigLancaster DV389/No. 101 Squadron RAF
2825 May 194402:24HalifaxEifel PN-3Lancaster ND624/No. 103 Squadron RAF
2626 June 194400:40HalifaxTamási
307 July 194401:20Wellingtonsouth of Sankt Pölten
317 July 194401:27Wellingtonsouth of Sankt Pölten
3221 July 194423:40Wellingtonwest of Brod
338 August 194401:27WellingtonKörmend
3420 August 194423:10Wellingtoneast of Steyr
3520 August 194423:18Wellington
3621 August 194423:14WellingtonKomárom
3722 August 194423:14WellingtonGyöngyös
3822 August 194423:23B-24Tiszafüred
3914 September 194422:00Il-420km (10miles) north of Budapest
4018 September 194421:40PS-84Tokaj
4119 September 194421:04PS-84Nyíregyháza
4219 September 194421:20PS-84Nyíregyháza
4320 September 194423:08WellingtonSzombathely
4420 September 194423:12WellingtonSzombathely
4513 October 194420:36B-24Tamási
4613 October 194420:46Wellingtonsoutheast of Barcs
4720 October 194421:43WellingtonSzombathely
4820 October 194422:10B-24Szombathely
4920 October 194422:15WellingtonSzombathely
– 8. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 –
5021 February 194501:05HalifaxDuisburg
5121 February 194501:09HalifaxDuisburg
5224 February 194522:07HalifaxDuisburgHalifax MZ448/No. 462 Squadron RAF
533 March 194521:59Lancasterwest of Münster
543 March 194522:07Lancasterwest of Münster
5523 March 194504:14LancasterBochum
5623 March 194504:00B-17

Awards

Promotions

Wehrmacht
1 July 1941: Oberfähnrich (officer candidate)
1 November 1941: Leutnant (second lieutenant)
1 February 1944: Oberleutnant (first lieutenant)
1 January 1945: Hauptmann (captain)
Bundeswehr
? Oberst (colonel)

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations. For pilots destined to fly multi-engine aircraft, the training was completed with the Luftwaffe Advanced Pilot's Certificate (Erweiterter Luftwaffen-Flugzeugführerschein), also known as the C-Certificate.
  2. For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II.