Karl-Heinz Bendert Explained

Karl-Heinz Bendert
Birth Date:	9 September 1914
Birth Place:	Schwiebus, Province of Brandenburg
Death Place:	Oldenburg
Serviceyears:	1937–1945
Rank:	Oberleutnant (first lieutenant)
Unit:	JG 27 JG 104
Battles:	World War II Battle of France Battle of Britain North African Campaign First Battle of El Alamein Second Battle of El Alamein Defense of the Reich
Awards:	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Karl-Heinz Bendert (9 September 1914 – 16 July 1983) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Karl-Heinz Bendert claimed 55 victories in 610 missions. During his time with JG 27 in Africa he was involved in scandal with falsifying claims; his victories were mostly false because he would claim to have shot down enemy aircraft during missions in which other squadron members did shoot down aircraft to save face. Despite this, he was given credit to the victories. After a confrontation with his squadron leader, Gustav Roedel, who did not interfere with his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross nomination, he did not score any more victories.

Career

Bendert was born on 9 September 1914 in Schwiebus, present-day Świebodzin in western Poland, at the time in the Province of Brandenburg within the German Empire.

In North Africa, Bendert flew in the Schwarm made up of Oberleutnant Ferdinand Vögl, the commander of 4. Staffel, Oberfeldwebel Franz Stigler, Oberfeldwebel Erwin Sawallisch and Bendert. At the time, most of the aerial victories claimed by II. Gruppe were allegedly achieved by pilots of 4. Staffel, of which 63 out 66 claims were attributed to these four pilots alone. In comparison, the claims filed by Vögl, Stigler, Sawallisch and Bendert far exceeded the number of aerial victories claimed by other units of JG 27 and raised significant doubt within the Luftwaffe. This Schwarm of JG 27 was prevented from flying together after fellow pilot Hans-Arnold Stahlschmidt reported that he saw them shooting into the dunes of the desert during a mission in which they claimed 12 aerial victories.

On 1 December 1943, Bendert was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing). He succeeded Oberleutnant Herbert Schramm who was killed in action. On 25 April 1944, Bendert was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 104 (JG 104—104th Fighter Wing) where he was given command of 2. Staffel. Command of 5. Staffel of JG 27 was passed to Hauptmann Eberhard Bock.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Bendert was credited with 55 aerial victories claimed in 610 combat mission over the Western Front and North Africa, including ten four-engined heavy bombers. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 44 aerial victory claims, plus eight further unconfirmed claims. All of his aerial victories were claimed over the Western Allies on the Western Front or in North Africa and includes two four-engined heavy bombers.

Chronicle of aerial victories
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Unit	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Unit
– Claims with II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 – Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
1	12 May 1940	08:54	Blenheim	north of Rotterdam	4./JG 27	2	9 June 1940	13:40	M.S.406	Fort de Villers	4./JG 27
– Claims with II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 – At the Channel and over England — 26 June – 5 November 1940
3	11 August 1940	11:50	Curtiss??	west of Portland	4./JG 27	5	3 September 1940	11:45?	Spitfire	Rochester	4./JG 27
4?	3 September 1940	11:40?	Spitfire	Thames Estuary	4./JG 27	6	6 September 1940	10:10	Spitfire	Tunbridge Wells	4./JG 27
– Claims with II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 – In North Africa — 22 September 1941 – 6 December 1942
7	22 November 1941	16:46	P-40	southeast of Bir Hakeim	Stab II./JG 27	26	7 August 1942	09:21?	Hurricane	5km (03miles) northwest of El Alamein	4./JG 27
8	13 December 1941	16:55?	Blenheim	10km (10miles) northeast of Timimi	Stab II./JG 27	27	7 August 1942	09:23	P-40	south of El Hamam	4./JG 27
9	22 May 1942	07:33	P-40	30km (20miles) east of Timimi	4./JG 27	28	10 August 1942	11:04	P-40	southeast of El Alamein	4./JG 27
10	22 May 1942	07:45	P-40	3km (02miles) north of Ain el Gazala	4./JG 27	29	10 August 1942	11:05	P-40	south-southeast of El Alamein	4./JG 27
11	23 May 1942	10:05	P-40	5km (03miles) south of Ain el Gazala	4./JG 27	30♠	12 August 1942	06:43	Hurricane	southeast of El Alamein	4./JG 27
12	30 May 1942	16:03	P-40	east of Fort Acroma	4./JG 27	31♠	12 August 1942	06:50	Hurricane	west of Alam-el-Kadim	4./JG 27
13	8 June 1942	06:03	P-40	east of Bir Hakeim	4./JG 27	32♠	12 August 1942	06:52	Hurricane	east of Alam-el-Kadim	4./JG 27
14	8 June 1942	06:25?	P-40	8km (05miles) southeast of Bir Hakeim	4./JG 27	33♠	12 August 1942	07:02	P-40	southwest of Alam-el-Halfa	4./JG 27
15	9 June 1942	08:25	P-40	southeast of El Adem	4./JG 27	34♠	12 August 1942	07:04	P-40	southwest of Alam-el-Halfa	4./JG 27
16	27 June 1942	18:55	P-40	southeast of Mersa Matruh	4./JG 27	35	16 August 1942	08:28	P-40	south of Alam-el-Kadim	4./JG 27
17	27 June 1942	19:00	P-40	southeast of Mersa Matruh	4./JG 27	36	16 August 1942	08:35	P-40	east of Alam-el-Kadim	4./JG 27
18	23 July 1942	18:10	Spitfire	south of El Alamein	4./JG 27	37	16 August 1942	08:40	P-40	south of El Hamam	4./JG 27
19	3 August 1942	18:12	Spitfire	northwest of El Hamam	4./JG 27	38	19 August 1942	09:01	Spitfire	west of El Hamam	4./JG 27
20	4 August 1942	08:10	P-40	southeast of El Alamein	4./JG 27	39	19 August 1942	09:05	Spitfire	west-southwest of El Hamam	4./JG 27
21	4 August 1942	13:30	Spitfire	northwest of El Hamam	4./JG 27	40	22 August 1942	07:28	Spitfire	south of El Hamam	4./JG 27
22	5 August 1942	10:08	P-40	Alam-el-Halfa	4./JG 27	41	22 August 1942	07:30	Spitfire	south of Alam Uzeiligh	4./JG 27
23	6 August 1942	12:05	P-40	east of Deir-el-Abaid	4./JG 27	42	2 September 1942	09:22	Spitfire	south-southwest of Imayid	4./JG 27
24	6 August 1942	12:08	P-40	southwest of El Alamein	4./JG 27	?	3 September 1942	11:40	Spitfire		Stab II./JG 27
25	7 August 1942	09:13	Hurricane	southeast of Alam-el-Kadim	4./JG 27
– Claims with II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 – Defense of the Reich — 1 August – 31 December 1943
	14 October 1943		B-17	Kirn, west of Bad Kreuznach	Stab II./JG 27	44?	11 December 1943	13:25	B-17*	east of Groningen	5./JG 27
43?	14 October 1943	15:00	B-17	Avricourt, southwest of Sarrebourg	Stab II./JG 27
– Claims with II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 – Defense of the Reich — 1 January – 25 April 1944
45?	11 January 1944	12:40~	P-47	south of Meppel	5./JG 27	48	8 March 1944	13:35	B-17	3km (02miles) west of Leitzkau 10km (10miles) northeast of Magdeburg	5./JG 27
46?	11 January 1944	12:55~	B-24	north of Lhee	5./JG 27	49	8 March 1944	14:10~	B-17	west of Coburg, 35km (22miles) north of Bamberg	5./JG 27
47	29 January 1944	10:52	B-17*	south of Seemoos	5./JG 27	50?	8 April 1944	14:15~	B-24*	northeast of Braunschweig	5./JG 27

Awards

• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (8 June 1940)
  • 1st Class
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 28 September 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot
• German Cross in Gold on 15 October 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the 4./Jagdgeschwader 27
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 December 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 27

References

Bibliography

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  de:Walther-Peer Fellgiebel

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