Franz Woidich

Franz-Walter Woidich (2 January 1921 – 5 July 2004) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. Wernitz was credited with 110 aerial victories claimed in roughly 1000 combat missions. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

Franz Woidich
Born(1921-01-02)2 January 1921
Znojmo
Died5 July 2004(2004-07-05) (aged 83)
Mainz
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
RankOberleutnant of the Reserves
UnitJG 27, JG 52, JG 400
Commands held6./JG 400
Battles/wars
See battles

World War II

  • Defense of the Reich
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Other workIngenieurbüro Woidich

Career

Woidich was born on 2 January 1921 in Znaim, present-day Znojmo in the Czech Republic, at the time in the German-speaking region of southern Moravia of the First Czechoslovak Republic. Oberfähnrich (Ensign) Woidich joined the 5. Staffel (5th Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27–27th Fighter Wing) on 11 July 1941, then stationed in North Africa.[Note 1] He was credited with two aerial victories out of four claims filed in the North African theater of operations. The first claim was made on 22 November 1941 over a Royal Australian Air Force Curtiss P-40 during the Siege of Tobruk.[1][2] On 12 February 1942, Woidich engaged in combat with Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk fighters from No. 73 and No. 274 Squadron from the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the vicinity of Tobruk on a Junkers Ju 87 dive-bomber escort mission. In this aerial encounter, he claimed a P-40 shot down 15 kilometres (9.3 miles) southwest of Fort Acroma.[3] On 15 March 1942, Woidich claimed a Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk shot down in combat with No. 450 Squadron RAAF, No. 260 Squadron RAF and 2 Squadron SAAF. The combat occurred 20 kilometres (12 miles) southeast of Ain el Gazala.[4]

Eastern Front

He was transferred to the 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52–52nd Fighter Wing) which fought on the Eastern Front on 1 April 1942. Here he claimed seven aerial victories by the end of 1942. When he took command of the 3./JG 52 on 11 June 1943 his score had increased to 16 aerial victories.[1] On 13 July 1943 during the Battle of Kursk, Woidich, accompanied by his wingman Leutnant Franz Schall, claimed two Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft shot down.[5] His score of enemy aircraft shot down had increased to 56 by the end of 1943. He had claimed four aircraft shot down on both 7 and 13 July 1943. He was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 11 June 1944 following his 80th aerial victory. A noteworthy achievement was made on 11 January 1944 when he claimed his 57th to 60th aerial victory. He became an "ace-in-a-day" on 17 January 1944 when he shot down his 62nd to 66th enemy aircraft. He again claimed four aircraft shot down on 16 April 1944 for victories 72 to 75. His most successful month was July 1944 with 29 aircraft shot down.[1] In July 1944, Woidich was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 84th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[6]

Messerschmitt Me 163 at the Luftwaffenmuseum in Berlin-Gatow

Woidich was transferred to Ergänzungsstaffel (Training/Supplement Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 400 (JG 400–400th Fighter Wing) for conversion training to the Messerschmitt Me 163 rocket powered aircraft on 11 August 1944.[7] As a Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 6./JG 400 he claimed one of the very rare aerial victories while flying the Me 163 rocket fighter on 22 April 1945.[8]

After World War II in 1953, Ing.-grad. Woidich together with Dipl.-Ing. Karl Thress opened the Ingenieurbüro Woidich (Engineering Office Woidich), an automotive technical engineering bureau, in Mainz-Kastel.[Note 2] Woidich's son, Dipl.-Bw. Gerd Woidich, joined the firm in 1981.[9]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Spick, Woidich was credited with 110 aerial victories claimed in approximately 1,000 combat missions.[8] Matthews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 82 aerial victory claims, plus thirty further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 78 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and three on the Western Front, including one four-engined bomber flying the Me 163 rocket fighter.[10]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 82191". 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 × 4 km in size.[11]

Awards

Notes
  1. For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
  2. In German, an engineer's degree is called Diplom-Ingenieur, abbreviated Dipl.-Ing. The depreciated graduate engineering degree, Ing.-grad. (graduierter Ingenieur) are no longer awarded.
  3. The "m.H." refers to a Ilyushin Il-2 with rear gunner (mit Heckschütze).
  4. According to Scherzer as Leutnant.[39]

References

Citations
  1. Obermaier 1989, p. 226.
  2. Bergström 2008, p. 44.
  3. Shores et al. 2012, pp. 36–38.
  4. Shores et al. 2012, pp. 60–62.
  5. Bergström 2007, p. 96.
  6. Obermaier 1989, p. 244.
  7. Ransom & Cammann 2010, p. 97.
  8. Spick 1996, p. 232.
  9. "Wir über uns - Qualität mit Tradition". Ingenieurbüro Woidich (in German). Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  10. Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1436–1438.
  11. Planquadrat.
  12. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 1436.
  13. Prien et al. 2004, p. 259.
  14. Prien et al. 2004, p. 262.
  15. Prien et al. 2004, p. 260.
  16. Prien et al. 2006, p. 431.
  17. Prien et al. 2006, p. 434.
  18. Prien et al. 2006, p. 437.
  19. Prien et al. 2006, p. 439.
  20. Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1436–1437.
  21. Prien et al. 2012, p. 282.
  22. Prien et al. 2012, p. 288.
  23. Prien et al. 2012, p. 283.
  24. Prien et al. 2012, p. 289.
  25. Prien et al. 2012, p. 285.
  26. Prien et al. 2012, p. 286.
  27. Prien et al. 2012, p. 290.
  28. Prien et al. 2012, p. 291.
  29. Prien et al. 2012, p. 287.
  30. Prien et al. 2012, p. 292.
  31. Prien et al. 2012, p. 293.
  32. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 1418.
  33. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 1437.
  34. Matthews & Foreman 2015, pp. 1437–1438.
  35. Matthews & Foreman 2015, p. 1438.
  36. Patzwall 2008, p. 220.
  37. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 520.
  38. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 451.
  39. Scherzer 2007, p. 794.

Bibliography
  • Bergström, Christer. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 21 January 2019.
  • Bergström, Christer (2007). Kursk—The Final Air Battle: July 1943. Hersham, Surrey: Classic Publications. ISBN 978-1-903223-88-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Bergström, Christer (2008). Bagration to Berlin—The Final Air Battles in the East: 1944–1945. Burgess Hill: Classic Publications. ISBN 978-1-903223-91-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Matthews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 4 S–Z. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-21-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2004). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 8/I—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—November 1941 bis December 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 8/I—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—November 1941 to December 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-74-8.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/II—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1.5.1942 bis 3.2.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/II—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-77-9.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Ransom, Stephen; Cammann, Hans-Hermann (2010). Jagdgeschwader 400: Germany's Elite Rocket Fighters. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-975-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Shores, Christopher; Massimello, Giovanni; Guest, Russell; Olynyk, Frank; Bock, Winfried Bock (2012). A History of the Mediterranean Air War 1940–1945: Volume Two: North African Desert February 1942 – March 1943. London, UK: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-909166-12-7.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
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