Otto Gaiser

Otto Gaiser (5 October 1919 – 22 January 1944) was a Luftwaffe ace with 66 confirmed kills, and he was the 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.

Career

In 1942, Gaiser was assigned to Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) where he served as Rudolf Wagner's wingman. Wagner went on to become a Luftwaffe ace as well.^[1] Gaiser claimed his first kill on 16 March 1943. That day, he shot down a Soviet Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter near Vyazma.^[2] Gaiser served with 10. Staffel of JG 51 which at the time was under the command of Oberleutnant Horst-Günther von Fassong.^[3] He achieved his 10th victory on 11 July, when he claimed another LaGG-3 shot down. Gaiser claimed 17 victories in August, including five Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft shot down on 14 August, making him an "ace-in-a-day".^[4]

On 22 January 1944, Gaiser was last seen in combat with Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft near Berdychiv, Ukraine. He has remained missing to this day.^[5] It is thought he became a victim of the Soviet ground defences. Posthumously, Gaiser was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 9 June 1944 for 74 aerial victories claimed.^[6] He was also posthumously promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant).^[7]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Gaiser was credited with 66 aerial victories.^[8] Obermaier also states that he was credited with 66 victories claimed in 380 combat missions. Spick however lists him with 74 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions.^[9] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 66 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.^[10]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 36624". 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.^[11]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class^[22]
• German Cross in Gold on 28 January 1944 as Feldwebel in the 10./Jagdgeschwader 51^[23]
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 3 April 1944 as Feldwebel and pilot^[24]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 June 1944 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in 10./Jagdgeschwader 51^[25][26]

Notes

1. ^ The "m.H." refers to an Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).

References

Citations

1. ^ Page 2020, p. 45.
2. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 147.
3. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 143.
4. ^ Prien et al. 2012, pp. 151–153.
5. ^ Weal 2001, p. 7.
6. ^ Weal 2006, p. 123.
7. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 116.
8. ^ Zabecki 2014, p. 1617.
9. ^ Spick 1996, p. 237.
10. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 361–362.
11. ^ Planquadrat.
12. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 153.
13. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 154.
14. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 148.
15. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 150.
16. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 151.
17. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 155.
18. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 152.
19. ^ Prien et al. 2012, p. 156.
20. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 1305.
21. ^ Prien et al. 2022, p. 481.
22. ^ Dixon 2023, p. 117.
23. ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 128.
24. ^ Patzwall 2008, p. 82.
25. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 190.
26. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 325.

Bibliography

• Bergström, Christer. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 26 July 2022.
• 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 2 G–L. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-19-6.
• 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 1943-1945. United Kingdom: Casemate Publishers. ISBN 978-1-61200-879-0. Retrieved 22 October 2021.
• 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.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
• 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/I—Einsatz im Osten—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 15/I—Action in the East—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN 978-3-942943-26-0.
• 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.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
• Weal, John (2001). Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Vol. 37. Aircraft of the Aces. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-084-1.
• Weal, John (2006). Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders". Vol. 22. Aviation Elite Units. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-045-1.
• Zabecki, David T. (ed.) (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.

External links

• TracesOfWar.com
• Aces of the Luftwaffe Archived 2007-06-14 at the Wayback Machine

1. ^ Il-2 m.H.