Anton Resch

Anton Resch (26 November 1921 – 16 July 1975) was a former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Resch was credited with 91 victories, becoming an "ace-in-a-day" on three separate occasions.

Early life and career

Resch was born 26 November 1921 in Stolberg, at the time in the Rhine Province the westernmost province of the Free State of Prussia, which at the time was in the British occupied territory of the Rhineland.^[1] In mid-1943, Resch who had previously served as transport aviator, was posted to 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing). This Staffel was part of I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 52 headed by Hauptmann Helmut Bennemann and then by Major Johannes Wiese.^[2]

World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. Germany had launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. On 11 October 1943, I. Gruppe of JG 52 moved to an airfield at Nove Zaporizhzhya located approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) west of Zaporizhzhia on the western bank of the Dnieper of the Eastern Front. The Gruppe supported the 1st Panzer Army fighting in the Battle of the Dnieper on the Eastern Front.^[3] Resch claimed his first aerial victory on 21 October over an Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft. That day the Gruppe operated over the left wing of the 1st Panzer Army up to Dnipropetrovsk and on the right wing to Bolschoj Tokmak.^[4] While based at Nove Zaporizhzhya, Resch claimed four further aerial victories, making him a flying ace. On 23 October, he claimed two Yakovlev Yak-1 fighters, the next day an Il-2 ground-attack aircraft and a Douglas A-20 Havoc, also referred to as a Boston, on 27 October.^[5]

On 27 January 1944, Resch and his wingman Leutnant Franz Schall flew a combat air patrol in the area of Kerch. On this mission, they engaged in aerial combat with six Bell P-39 Airacobra fighters and Resch was shot down in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 20581—factory number).^[6] Severely wounded, he did not return until May 1944.^[1][7] At the time of his return to combat, I. Gruppe at the time was based at Leipzig, present-day Serpneve.^[8] Resch claimed two P-39s from 16th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (16 GvIAP—Gvardeyskiy Istrebitelny Aviatsionny Polk) on 31 May.^[9] On 22 June, Soviet forces launched Operation Bagration, attacking Army Group Centre in Byelorussia, with the objective of encircling and destroying its main component armies.^[10] On 24 June, the Gruppe transferred to Galați and again to Peloniczna.^[11] The Gruppe reached Grabowiec in eastern Poland on 27 July and Kraków on 1 August. On 12 August they were again relocated and moved to Mzurowa.^[12]

The Gruppe reached Grabowiec in eastern Poland on 27 July and Kraków on 1 August. On 12 August they were again relocated and moved to Mzurowa.^[12] Here on 26 August, Resch became an "ace-in-a-day" for the second time when he claimed seven aerial victories, taking his total to 44.^[13] On 31 August, he again claimed seven aerial victories, his third "ace-in-a-day" achievement.^[14] On 10 September 1944, he was again wounded when he was shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 166490) by anti-aircraft artillery 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Altsohl, present-day Zvolen.^[15] At the time, Resch was credited with 63 aerial victories, making him the fourth most successful active fighter pilot of I. Gruppe.^[16]

With the headquarters unit of JG 52

In late 1944, Resch and Oberleutnant Heinrich Füllgrabe were transferred to the Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) of JG 52. The request was made by Oberst Hermann Graf who had been appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 52 in September 1944. At the time, the Geschwaderstab was based at Krakau, present-day Kraków.^[17] Here on 1 January 1945, Resch was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold).^[18] On 6 February 1945, the Geschwaderstab moved to an airfield at Weidengut, present-day Wierzbie. Here Resch claimed four aircraft of unknown type taking his total to 72.^[19] On 7 April, Resch was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for 91 aerial victories.^[20][21]

On 1 May, the Geschwaderstab deployed to Deutsch Brod, present-day Havlíčkův Brod, approximately halfway between Brno and Prague, where they were united with I. and III. Gruppe. Resch and other soldiers of JG 52 surrendered to the 90th US Infantry Division near Písek on 8 May 1945 and became a prisoner of war (POW). The soldiers were initially interned at a POW camp at Strakonice. On 16 May, Resch and most of the JG 52 personnel were handed over by the American forces to the Soviet Union.^[22]

Later life

Resch was released from Soviet captivity in the mid-1950s. Returning to West Germany, Resch died on 16 July 1975 at the age of 53 in his hometown Stolberg.^[23]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Resch was credited with 91 aerial victories.^[24] Spick also lists him with 91 aerial victories claimed in 210 combat missions.^[25] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and also state that he was credited with 91 aerial victories, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.^[26]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 34 Ost 58739". The Luftwaffe grid map (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 360 square miles (930 km²). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 by 4 km (1.9 by 2.5 mi) in size.^[27]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class^[40]
• German Cross in Gold on 1 January 1945 as Leutnant in the 3./Jagdgeschwader 52^[41]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 7 April 1945 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 3./Jagdgeschwader 52^[42][43]

Notes

1. ^ The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
2. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 07:53.^[18]
3. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 17:33.^[18]
4. ^ This claim is not listed by Barbas.^[38] According to Mathews and Foreman this claim is listed as his 76th aerial victory.^[37]
5. ^ This claim is not listed by Barbas.^[39] According to Mathews and Foreman, Resch claimed four aerial victories on 25 March 1945.^[37]

References

Citations

1. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 185.
2. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 278.
3. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 266.
4. ^ Prien et al. 2012, pp. 266, 291.
5. ^ Barbas 2006, pp. 214, 410–411.
6. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 82.
7. ^ Page 2020, p. 89.
8. ^ Barbas 2006, p. 247.
9. ^ Bergström 2008, p. 56.
10. ^ Schreier 1990, pp. 137–138.
11. ^ Schreier 1990, p. 141.
12. ^ Schreier 1990, pp. 142, 144.
13. ^ Page 2020, p. 94.
14. ^ Bergström 2008, p. 82.
15. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 85.
16. ^ Barbas 2006, p. 260.
17. ^ Barbas 2016, p. 49.
18. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1030.
19. ^ Barbas 2016, pp. 49, 75.
20. ^ Schreier 1990, p. 173.
21. ^ Weal 2004, p. 118.
22. ^ Barbas 2016, pp. 49, 52.
23. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 215.
24. ^ Zabecki 2014, p. 1614.
25. ^ Spick 1996, p. 234.
26. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1030–1031.
27. ^ Planquadrat.
28. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 291.
29. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 292.
30. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 293.
31. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 71.
32. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 78.
33. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 75.
34. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 76.
35. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 77.
36. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 79.
37. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1031.
38. ^ Barbas 2016, p. 75.
39. ^ Barbas 2016, p. 76.
40. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 214.
41. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 374.
42. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 624.
43. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 355.

Bibliography

• Barbas, Bernd (2006). Die Geschichte der I. Gruppe des Jagdgeschwaders 52 [The History of 1st Group of Fighter Wing 52] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-79-3.
• Barbas, Bernd (2016). Die Geschichte des Stabes, der 13. und 15. Staffel und der Ersatzeinheit des Jagdgeschwaders 52 [The History of Headquarters Unit, the 13th and 15th Squadrons and the Replacement Unit of Fighter Wing 52] (in German). Nickel Zweibrücken. ISBN 978-3-86619-128-0.
• Bergström, Christer (2008). Bagration to Berlin – The Final Air Battles in the East: 1944–1945. Ian Allan. ISBN 978-1-903223-91-8.
• Bergström, Christer. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
• Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1943–1945. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-39903-073-1.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (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] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Mathews, Andrew Johannes & Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 3 M–R. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-20-2.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Page, Neil (2020). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe 1943–45. Philadelphia, PA: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61200-879-0.
• 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] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• 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] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-05-5.
• Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Balke, Ulf; Bock, Winfried (2022). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 15/II—Einsatz im Osten—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 15/II—Action in the East—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-28-4.
• 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] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Schreier, Hans (1990). JG 52 Das erfolgreichste Jagdgeschwader des 2. Weltkriegs [JG 52 The Most Successful Fighter Wing of World War II] (in German). Berg am See: K. Vowinckel. ISBN 978-3-921655-66-5.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
• Weal, John (2004). Jagdgeschwader 52: The Experten. Vol. 15. Aviation Elite Units. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-786-4.
• Zabecki, David T. (ed.) (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.

1. ^ Il-2 m.H.