Kurt Brändle Explained

Kurt Brändle
Birth Date:19 January 1912
Birth Place:Ludwigsburg, Duchy of Baden, German Empire
Death Place:North Sea, off Amsterdam, German-occupied Netherlands
Child:yes
Death Cause:Killed in action
Placeofburial:Ysselsteyn German war cemetery, Netherlands
Serviceyears:1935–1943
Rank:Major (major)
Commands:5./JG 3, II./JG 3
Unit:JG 134, JG 53, JG 3
Awards:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Kurt-Werner Brändle (19 January 1912 – 3 November 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 180 enemy aircraft shot down in over 700 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, with 25 claims over the Western Front. He was "ace-in-a-day" three times, shooting down five or more aircraft on a single day.

Born in Ludwigsburg, Brändle, who already was a civilian motor-powered aircraft and glider pilot, volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe of Nazy Germany in 1935. He was posted to Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) in 1939 and claimed 14 aerial victories on the Western Front. In May 1942 he was given command of II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing). Fighting on the Eastern Front, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 July 1942 after 49 aerial victories. In July and August 1942, he claimed a further 50 aerial victories in the southern sector of the Eastern Front. After claiming his 100th aerial victory he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 27 August 1942.

On 5 July 1943 during the Battle of Kursk, Brändle achieved his 150th aerial victory and in August 1943 was transferred to the Western Front fighting in Defense of the Reich. There Brändle was killed in action on 3 November 1943 west of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. His body was washed ashore near Zandvoort on 30 December 1943.

Early life and career

Brändle was born on 19 January 1912 in Ludwigsburg in the Kingdom of Württemberg, a federated state of the German Empire. His father was a Meister, a master craftsman, in the field of precision mechanics. Following school, Brändle learned the trade of a surgical instrument maker and worked in his father's firm.

Since his early youth he was very enthusiastic about flying and volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe of the Third Reich on 10 December 1935. There he participated in a number of exercises and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) of the Reserves on 1 December 1936. In his civilian life, Brändle attained a pilot license and worked as a flight instructor. As an instructor, he trained roughly 150 students and logged more than 6,000 starts and 8,000 flight hours before he became a military aviator. In addition to his passion for motor power flight, he also was a glider pilot.

In early 1937 Brändle passed his Meister examination in aircraft construction and in the same year was trained as a fighter pilot with Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel" (JG 134—134th Fighter Wing), named after the martyr of the Nazi movement Horst Wessel.[1] As of 1 February 1939, Brändle served with Flieger-Ausbildungs-Regiment 22 (22nd Flight Training Regiment) in Güstrow. There, he transferred from the reserve force to active service and was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) on 1 June 1939. He was then transferred to the 4. Staffel (4th Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing).

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. Brändle received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 20 April 1940. He claimed his first aerial victory on 10 May 1940 during the Battle of France, shooting down an Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 south of Sedan. In total Brändle claimed two victories over France before he was wounded on 26 May 1940. During takeoff on a maintenance test flight he crashed into a Dornier Do 17 injuring himself in the head. He spent the next few weeks in the military hospital at Heidelberg.

After recovering from the hospital, Brändle claimed his second victory during the Battle of Britain over the Royal Air Force (RAF) on 11 August 1940. On 26 August 1940, he was tasked with the leadership of 5. Staffel (5th Squadron) of JG 53. Following his fourth aerial victory, he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class on 3 September 1940. He was officially appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel on 15 September 1940. On 11 November 1940, he claimed his 6th and 7th aerial victories and was awarded the Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Fighter Pilots in Silver on 5 May 1941 and in Gold on 7 June 1941.

The bulk of the Geschwaders air elements were moved via Jever, in northern Germany, to Mannheim-Sandhofen on 8 June 1941. There the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul prior to moving east. The II. Gruppe was transferred to Neusiedel in East Prussia, present-day Malomožaiskojė in Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia, between 12–14 June. On 22 June the Geschwader crossed into Soviet airspace in support of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union which opened the Eastern Front. There, Brändle claimed further victories and by the end of October 1941 was credited with 28 aerial victories.

Brändle's unit was then relocated to the Western Front again in October 1941 where it was based at Leeuwarden in the Netherlands before it was moved to the Mediterranean theater in December 1941. Based at Comiso airfield, Brändle flew combat missions against the RAF during the siege of Malta. There he was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 25 February 1942 and four days later, on 1 March, he was promoted to Hauptmann (captain).

Group commander

On 1 May 1942, Brändle was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing), named after the World War I fighter ace Ernst Udet. Its former Gruppenkommandeur, Hauptmann Karl-Heinz Krahl, had been killed in action over Malta on 14 April 1942. At the time, the Gruppe was stationed at Plzeň for rest and refit before it was relocated to the Eastern Front on 18 May 1942. Too late to participate in the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula, it was located on the left wing of Army Group South, assigned to an airfield at Chuguyev in the Kharkov area where they arrived on 19 May. Brändle scored the Gruppes first victory after the relocation, claiming a Polikarpov R-5 reconnaissance bomber aircraft at 3:49 am on 20 May 1942. By this date, Brändle had accumulated 36 victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 July 1942 for 49 aerial victories. On this day, he claimed his 53rd aerial victory, after he shot down an Ilyushin Il-2 "Sturmovik".

Brändle often claimed multiple victories per day, three victories on 8 July 1942 took his tally to 58 and further three claims made on 10 July took his score to 61. On 16 July 1942 he filed four claims, numbers 64–67. He became an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time on 26 July 1942 when he shot down five enemy aircraft, aerial victories 73–77, and again five on 7 August 1942, 89 in total.

In July and August 1942, he claimed 50 aerial victories in the southern sector of the Eastern Front, among them his 100th to 102nd victory on 23 August 1942. He was the 17th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. For this achievement he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 27 August 1942, the 114th officer or soldier of the Wehrmacht so honored. The presentation was made by Adolf Hitler personally.

Brändle was promoted to Major on 1 March 1943. On 29 April 1943, he claimed his 135th to 138th aerial victories. On 5 July 1943, the first day of the Battle of Kursk (German: Unternehmen Zitadelle), he claimed five victories taking his total to 151. His II. Gruppe claimed 77 aircraft shot down on 12 July which included its 2,000 aerial victory of the war.

Defense of the Reich and death

In early August 1943, Brändle's II. Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front for service in Defense of the Reich on the Western Front. The Gruppe spent one-month training in northern Germany before they arrived at the Schiphol airfield near Amsterdam in the Netherlands on 12 September. While based at Uetersen Airfield, the Gruppe received the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 which was equipped with Y-Control for fighters, a system used to control groups of fighters intercepting United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) bomber formations.

On 3 November 1943, Brändle shot down two Republic P-47 Thunderbolts fighters escorting a formation of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses on a mission targeting Wilhelmshaven. Later that day, he was killed in action west of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Following an attack by a group of Martin B-26 Marauders on Schiphol airfield, II. Gruppe scrambled to counter the attack. It is assumed that he was shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 26058—factory number) by Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) fighters under the command of Wing Commander Lloyd Chadburn. His body was later washed ashore near Zandvoort on 30 December 1943 and was buried at the Heroes Cemetery in Amsterdam (field 74, grave 405) one day later. His remains were moved in January 1944 before they were reinterred for a last time on 2 December 1947, this time at the cemetery Ysselsteyn (block CW, row 1, grave 25).

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Brändle was credited with 180 aerial victories. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 170 aerial victory claims, plus five further unconfirmed claims. This number includes 16 aerial victory claims on the Western Front, and 154 Soviet Air Forces piloted aircraft on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 18274". 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
ClaimClaim#DateTimeTypeLocationClaimClaim#DateTimeTypeLocation
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –
1113 May 194012:05M.S.406south of Sedan3316 August 194018:15Spitfirewest-southwest of Isle of Wight
22?11 August 194011:45Spitfirewest of Portland4411 September 194017:40Spitfire
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –
At the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 21 June 1941
5526 September 194017:38Spitfire10km (10miles) west of Isle of Wight7711 November 194013:15Spitfire
6611 November 194013:07Spitfire
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 5 December 1941
8822 June 194118:03SB-3north of Tauroggen191826 July 194111:26SB-3
991 July 194119:50SB-3201930 August 194118:07R-5
10106 July 194119:46SB-3212011 September 194114:22I-16
11116 July 194119:51SB-3222116 September 194106:47I-16
127 July 194103:57I-153232217 September 194111:38I-18 (MiG-1)
13129 July 194105:01Li-6242321 September 194110:38I-18 (MiG-1)
141312 July 194119:51SB-3252422 September 194115:51I-18 (MiG-1)
151415 July 194119:14DB-3262522 September 194115:53I-18 (MiG-1)
161524 July 194118:26I-153272627 September 194116:39I-18 (MiG-1)
171625 July 194120:21Pe-228273 October 194110:00I-18 (MiG-1)
181726 July 194111:23SB-229284 October 194112:09Pe-2
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –
Mediterranean Theater — 15 December 1941 – 31 December 1942
302924 December 194113:08Hurricane343324 March 194215:08Spitfire
31304 January 194210:28Hurricane353421 April 194212:37Spitfire
323119 January 194213:54Hurricane363521 April 194217:39Spitfire1km (01miles) south of Bubaqra
333215 February 194210:14Hurricane
Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 –
Eastern Front — 29 April 1942 – 31 December 1943
373620 May 194203:49R-510410315 September 194209:44Il-26km (04miles) north of Zubtsov
383723 May 194207:26I-61 (MiG-3)10510421 September 194211:06Pe-210km (10miles) north of Rzhev
393823 May 194212:17I-61 (MiG-3)10610521 September 194211:07MiG-115km (09miles) northeast of Rzhev
403926 May 194208:57MiG-110710629 September 194208:59LaGG-3PQ 18274, southeast of Staraya Russa
414026 May 194217:10MiG-1east of Savyntsi10810729 September 194209:08I-16PQ 18252, east-southeast of Staraya Russa
424126 May 194217:20MiG-17km (04miles) south of Savyntsi1091087 November 194212:29LaGG-3PQ 17862
434229 May 194215:49Pe-211010910 November 194212:27LaGG-324km (15miles) southwest of Zapadnaya
44432 June 194213:14MiG-111111011 November 194214:17La-5PQ 27731
45442 June 194213:23MiG-111211117 December 194210:55Il-2?PQ 29452
464510 June 194217:32LaGG-33km (02miles) north of Buganjewka11311217 December 194213:10Yak-18km (05miles) north of Abganerowo
474611 June 194206:35Il-211411317 December 194213:17Il-26km (04miles) southwest of Petrapawlowskoje
10km (10miles) south of Shutow
484711 June 194206:42Il-211511417 December 194213:23Il-2PQ 39670
20km (10miles) northwest of Shutow
494812 June 194210:54Su-2 (Seversky)11611517 December 194213:30Il-23km (02miles) southeast of Nestarkin
504913 June 194210:18Il-211711627 December 194211:55MiG-1PQ 29394
515024 June 194211:38LaGG-3south of Wilschana11811727 December 194212:05Il-23km (02miles) southeast of Nestarkin
10km (10miles) west of Obliwskaja
525129 June 194218:42Pe-211911831 December 194207:06Il-23km (02miles) south of Michailowka
535230 June 194211:38LaGG-312011931 December 194207:30Il-2PQ 19431
54531 July 194216:17Il-23km (02miles) southeast of Alissowo
Gorscheschnoje
1211203 January 194307:52Il-2PQ 09391
55543 July 194215:10Il-212212126 January 194311:47MiG-1?PQ 09562
56554 July 194216:58LaGG-312312228 January 194309:25Yak-4PQ 09713
57568 July 194219:24Pe-21241231 February 194311:05MiG-1PQ 99461
40km (30miles) east-northeast of Voroshilovgrad
58578 July 194219:27Pe-21251241 February 194311:15Yak-1PQ 09513, west of Klimovo
59588 July 194219:32Pe-21261251 February 194311:22Yak-4PQ 99861
40km (30miles) east of Ravenki
605910 July 194209:30Pe-21271262 February 194309:21Il-2PQ 99614
20km (10miles) southeast of Voroshilovgrad
616010 July 194209:50MiG-11281272 February 194309:23Il-2PQ 99623
35km (22miles) southeast of Voroshilovgrad
626110 July 194209:52MiG-11291282 February 194309:25Il-2PQ 99642
25km (16miles) southeast of Voroshilovgrad
636211 July 194208:55R-513012910 February 194309:10La-5PQ 34 Ost 99452, east of Voroshilovgrad
25km (16miles) east-northeast of Voroshilovgrad
646313 July 194209:07MiG-313113020 April 194311:56LaGG-3PQ 34 Ost 75423, Novorossiysk
Kabardinka area
656416 July 194211:45LaGG-313213120 April 194311:58Il-2PQ 34 Ost 75464, southeast of Novorossiysk
Kabardinka area
666516 July 194217:17Pe-213322 April 194317:30P-39
676616 July 194217:20Pe-213413223 April 194309:45LaGG-3PQ 34 Ost 85328, east of Novorossiysk
Krassnyj area
686716 July 194217:23Pe-213513323 April 194317:12LaGG-3PQ 34 Ost 75433, south of Novorossiysk
10km (10miles) north of Kabardinka
696820 July 194215:44Il-213613429 April 194307:47Yak-4PQ 34 Ost 85154, 3km (02miles) southwest of Abinskaja
Abinskaja-Achtyrskaja
706921 July 194209:05Il-2Konstantinowskoje13713529 April 194307:56Yak-4PQ 34 Ost 85181, southwest of Achtyrskaja
south of Achtyrskaja
717023 July 194213:01Il-213813629 April 194307:57Yak-4PQ 34 Ost 85181, southwest of Achtyrskaja
south of Achtyrskaja
727123 July 194213:03Il-21391377 May 194316:26I-16PQ 34 Ost 86774, south of Troizkaja
Kijewskoje
737224 July 194211:41Yak-11401388 May 194311:31I-153PQ 34 Ost 75262, south of Krymskaja
Krymsk area
74♠7326 July 194212:04Il-25km (03miles) north of Kalach1411398 May 194311:33I-153PQ 34 Ost 85114, west of Mertschanskaja
Mertschskaja area
75♠7426 July 194212:09MiG-12km (01miles) northwest of Kalach1421408 May 194315:23LaGG-3PQ 34 Ost 85123, southwest of Mingrelskaja
Sswobodnyj area
76♠7526 July 194216:05Pe-214314111 May 194311:56LaGG-3PQ 34 Ost 85144, southeast of Krymskaja
west of Abinsk
77♠7626 July 194216:07Pe-214414231 May 194306:02La-5PQ 35 Ost 71794, south of Bolshoj Burluk
25km (16miles) south of Novy Oskol
78♠7726 July 194216:11Yak-114514319 June 194308:55La-5PQ 35 Ost 62813, west of Prilepy
20km (10miles) east of Oboyan
797827 July 194209:11LaGG-3Kalach14614420 June 194309:57BostonPQ 35 Ost 70161, near train station Shipowatoje
20km (10miles) northwest of Valuyki
807927 July 194209:12LaGG-3Kalach147♠1455 July 194303:50Il-2PQ 35 Ost 60122, north of Kharkov-Roganj
Kharkov area
81803 August 194214:55Yak-1south of Peskowatka148♠1465 July 194303:57Il-2PQ 35 Ost 60284, Malinovka
5km (03miles) south of Malinovka
82815 August 194207:12Yak-1northwest of Dubowy Ostrog149♠1475 July 194304:07Yak-1PQ 35 Ost 6046, west of Petschenegi
20km (10miles) east-southeast of Malinovka
83826 August 194211:25Pe-2?northeast of Aksaj150♠1485 July 194310:22Il-2PQ 35 Ost 61172, northwest of Belgorod
15km (09miles) northeast of Kharkov
84836 August 194211:26Pe-2?southeast of Iwanowka151♠1495 July 194310:24Il-2PQ 35 Ost 61244, 2km (01miles) south of Lutschky
10km (10miles) south of Prokhorovka
85846 August 194211:35Pe-2?east of Tschapurniki1521506 July 194314:04Il-2PQ 35 Ost 61112, west of Werchopenje
15km (09miles) south of Belgorod
86♠857 August 194214:09Pe-2?southwest of Klischewskij1531516 July 194314:07Il-2PQ 35 Ost 61112, west of Werchopenje
15km (09miles) south of Belgorod
87♠867 August 194214:10Pe-2?south of Klischewskij1541527 July 194307:33La-5PQ 35 Ost 61462, east of Belgorod
25km (16miles) east-northeast of Belgorod
88♠877 August 194214:11Pe-2?Klischewskij1551537 July 194307:55La-5PQ 35 Ost 61211, east of Werchopenje
Prokhorovka area
89♠887 August 194217:46Pe-2?west-northwest of Flodowitoje1561547 July 194308:03Il-2PQ 35 Ost 61162, southeast of Werchopenje
15km (09miles) southwest of Prokhorovka
90♠897 August 194217:46Pe-2?south of Ssolenyi15715514 July 194308:35La-5PQ 35 Ost 61253, Oskotchnoje
15km (09miles) southeast of Prokhorovka
91908 August 194209:46Su-2 (Seversky)east of Nischnij Mity15815614 July 194308:41La-5PQ 35 Ost 61281, northeast of Belgorod
20km (10miles) southeast of Prokhorovka
92918 August 194209:48Su-2 (Seversky)west of Popow15915717 July 194308:13Yak-4PQ 35 Ost 61131, Werchopenje
10km (10miles) west of Prokhorovka
93928 August 194209:50Su-2 (Seversky)southwest of Leonowo16015817 July 194314:16BostonPQ 35 Ost 61164, Jakowlewo
94939 August 194214:40R-5east of Mostrowskij16115921 July 194310:12Yak-1PQ 34 Ost 88144, west of Kuteinikowo
20km (10miles) east of Jalisawehino
959410 August 194207:07I-180 (Yak-7)southwest of Businowka
southwest of Kalach
16216021 July 194310:14La-5PQ 34 Ost 88263, northeast of Kuybyshev
Jalisawehino area
969511 August 194212:06MiG-1southwest of Stalingrad16316122 July 194304:26Il-2PQ 34 Ost 88212, south of Krasny Luzk
20km (10miles) southwest of Jalisawehino
979619 August 194211:28ER-2southwest of Penyschino16416222 July 194310:44Il-2PQ 34 Ost 88291, west of Marijewka
15km (09miles) southeast of Jalisawehino
989719 August 194211:31ER-2northwest of Alayew16516322 July 194310:47Il-2PQ 34 Ost 88174, west of Kuteinikowo
20km (10miles) east-southeast of Jalisawehino
999822 August 194209:45LaGG-3Satow16616422 July 194310:50Il-2PQ 34 Ost 88181, 45km (28miles) east of Kuybyshev
west of Domizza
1009922 August 194209:47Il-2northeast of Gratschij16716523 July 194309:33Il-2PQ 34 Ost 88194, south of Kuteinikowo
5km (03miles) south of Kuteinkowo
10110023 August 194205:43ER-2southwest of Karpovka16816623 July 194309:35Il-2PQ 34 Ost 88182, west of Kuteinikowo
vicinity of Kuteinkowo
10210123 August 194208:42LaGG-3northwest of Stalingrad16916727 July 194318:15La-5PQ 35 Ost 61184, southeast of Sawidowka
10310223 August 194208:44LaGG-3Kotluban17016830 July 194312:22Il-2PQ 34 Ost 88233, east of Dimitrijewka
20km (10miles) northeast of Jalisawehino
Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 –
Western Front — 1 September – 31 December 1943
1711693 November 194312:30P-47PQ 05 Ost S/EK-4
northwest of Schagen
1721703 November 194312:31P-47PQ 05 Ost S/FK-4
1km (01miles) west of Egmond

Awards

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations, see Organization of the Luftwaffe during World War II.