Wolfgang Falck
| Wolfgang Falck | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 19 August 1910 |
| Died | 13 March 2007 (aged 96) |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
| Service/ | Luftwaffe |
| Rank | Oberst |
| Commands held | NJG 1 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Wolfgang Falck (19 August 1910 in Berlin – 13 March 2007) was a German officer during World War II. He was one of the key organisers of the German night fighter defences of the Luftwaffe.
Falck was commander of the first dedicated night fighter unit Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 in June 1940. He commanded the NJG 1 for three years and in partnership with General Josef Kammhuber developed a highly effective night fighter force.
In July 1943, Falck was promoted to Oberst and transferred to the Generalstab as Kammhuber's representative at the Luftwaffenführungsstab. Falck was then sent to Berlin and appointed within the Luftwaffenbefehlshaber Mitte, as overall responsible for the day and night fighter defence of the Reich.
He was then appointed Jagdfliegerführer Balkan based at Pančevo from June 1944. Falck then became General Flieger-Ausbildung, responsible for all Luftwaffe training schools, shortly after. In March 1945 he was given command of fighters based in the Rhineland, but did not take up the role, becoming a prisoner of the American Forces on 3 May 1945 in Bavaria.
In 1997, Falck appeared in the last episode of the documentary The Nazis: A Warning from History, named Fighting to the end. Falck was amongst several German war veterans who explained what motivated them to continue fighting late in the war. Falck served as president of the German veterans organization Gemeinschaft der Jagdflieger from 18 October 1975 to 8 October 1977.[1]
Awards
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 October 1940 as Major and Geschwaderkommodore of NJG 1[2]
References
- ↑ "Namhafte Persönlichkeiten". Gemeinschaft der Flieger deutscher Streitkräfte e.V. (in German). Retrieved 7 February 2014.
- ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 302.
- 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.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by none |
Commander of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 26 June 1940 – 1 July 1943 |
Succeeded by Oberst Werner Streib |
| Preceded by Oberstleutnant Bernhard Woldenga |
Commander of Jagdfliegerführer Rumänien June 1944 – 7 October 1944 |
Succeeded by disbanded |
Authority control  |
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