Franz Götz (pilot)

Franz Götz (28 January 1913 – 4 May 1980) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. A fighter ace, he was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross of Nazi Germany. Götz was the last commander of the Jagdgeschwader 26.

Franz Götz
Born(1913-01-28)28 January 1913
Obertsrot in the district of Rastatt, Germany
Died4 May 1980(1980-05-04) (aged 67)
Aschaffenburg
Allegiance Nazi Germany
 West Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service1939–45, –1969
RankMajor (Wehrmacht)
Oberst (Bundeswehr)
UnitJG 53, JG 26
Commands held9./JG 53, III./JG 53, JG 26
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career
Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-13/R11, "Yellow 10," Wk. Nr. 836017 from the Champlin Fighter Museum, Phoenix, Arizona, c. 1995.

Franz Götz enlisted as a fighter pilot in the pre-war Luftwaffe and began the war with III./Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) "Pik-As". Holding the rank of Oberfeldwebel he gained his first victory in May 1940 during the Battle of France. Götz served with JG 53 through successive European, Soviet, Mediterranean, and Reich Defence campaigns. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) and became Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III./JG 53 from October 1942 until early 1945. He claimed his first of three B-17 Flying Fortress on 24 August 1944 over the Lüneburger Heide.[1]

On 28 January 1945, (Götz's 32nd birthday) he was posted as Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing), based at Fürstenau. His final tally was 63 victories, including 3 heavy bombers.

At war's end Götz's Fw 190 D-13 was surrendered to the British at Flensburg, in Northern Germany. The very rare Focke Wulf Fw 190 D-13/R11 (Werknummer 836017—factory number) is now on display at the Flying Heritage Collection in Everett, Washington, which recently had its Junkers Jumo 213 engine made operable on YouTube once more, to prepare it for flight in the 21st century.

Awards

References

Citations
  1. Weal 2006, p. 80.
  2. Obermaier 1989, p. 119.
  3. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 143.
  4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 198.
  5. Scherzer 2007, p. 340.

Bibliography
  • Crandall, Jerry (2000). Yellow 10 The story of the ultra-rare Fw 190 D-13. Hamilton, MT: Eagle Edition. ISBN 978-0-9660706-3-7.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Weal, John (2006). Bf 109 Defence of the Reich Aces. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-879-3.
Military offices
Preceded by
Oberst Josef Priller		 Commander of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"
28 January 1945 – 7 May 1945		 Succeeded by
none
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