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Franz-Josef Beerenbrock
Franz-Josef Beerenbrock (9 April 1920 – 13 December 2004) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Beerenbrock was credited with 117 aerial victories in approximately 400 combat missions, all on the Eastern Front. In November 1942 he became a prisoner of war for the rest of the war. World War II Beerenbrock, the son of a Russian mother, joined a flak artillery unit on 1 October 1938 and in 1939 was trained as a pilot. In March 1941, Beerenbrock was transferred to 12. '' Staffel'' (12th squadron) of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing), a squadron of IV. '' Gruppe'' (4th group). At the time, IV. ''Gruppe'' of JG 51 was based in Le Touquet, France on the English Channel fighting the Royal Air Force. During this period, the ''Gruppe'' was being reequipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F series. Beerenbock's commanding officers were, ''Major'' Friedrich Beckh as ''Gruppe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Datteln
Datteln is a town in the Recklinghausen (district), district of Recklinghausen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on a crossroads of four canals (Datteln-Hamm Canal, Wesel-Datteln Canal, Dortmund-Ems Canal and Rhein-Herne Canal), which makes it the biggest canal junction in the World, approx. 10 km north-east of Recklinghausen and 20 km north-west of Dortmund. Katja Seizinger, retired Alpine skiing, ski racing champion and triple Alpine skiing at the Winter Olympics, Olympic gold medalist, was born in Datteln. Notable people * Horst Niggemeier (1929–2000), politician, mayor of Datteln * Reinhard Lettmann (1933–2013), bishop of Münster (1980–2008) * Egon Ramms (born 1948), General, 2007–2010 commander at NATO * Klaus Eberhard (tennis), Klaus Eberhard (born 1957), director of Sport of German Tennis Federation and former tennis player * Ingo Anderbrügge (born 1964), football player and coach * Katja Seizinger (born 1972), FIS Alpine Ski World Cu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Staffelkapitän
''Staffelkapitän'' is a position (not a rank) in flying units ( ''Staffel'') of the German Luftwaffe that is the equivalent of RAF/USAF Squadron Commander. Usually today a ''Staffelkapitän'' is of ''Oberstleutnant'' or ''Major'' rank. In the ''Luftwaffe'' of the Wehrmacht the ''Staffelkapitän'' usually held the rank of an ''Oberleutnant'' or ''Hauptmann''. For the first weeks of his assignment he was known as a ''Staffelführer'' (Squadron Leader), until he was confirmed in this position. If a Non-commissioned officer was tasked with this role, he was also referred to as a ''Staffelführer''. This title is not to be confused with ''Staffelführer'', a rank in the SS. See also *Organization of the Luftwaffe (1933–1945) Between 1933 and 1945, the organization of the Luftwaffe underwent several changes. Originally, the German military high command, for their air warfare forces, decided to use an organizational structure similar to the army and navy, treating the ... Refere ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
4th Army (Wehrmacht)
The 4th Army () was a field army of the Wehrmacht during World War II. Invasions of Poland and France The 4th Army was activated on 1 August 1939 with General Günther von Kluge in command. It took part in the Invasion of Poland of September 1939 as part of Army Group North, which was under Field Marshal Feodor von Bock. The 4th Army contained the II Corps and III Corps, each with two infantry divisions, the XIX Corps with two motorized and one panzer divisions, and three other divisions, including two in reserve. Its objective was to capture the Polish Corridor, thus linking mainland Germany with East Prussia. During the attack on the Low Countries and France, the 4th Army, as part of Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt's Army Group A, invaded Belgium from the Rhineland. Along with other German armies, the 4th Army penetrated the Dyle Line and completed the trapping of the Allied forces in France. The then Major-General Erwin Rommel, who was under Kluge, contributed immensely ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2nd Panzer Army
The 2nd Panzer Army (german: 2. Panzerarmee) was a German armoured formation during World War II, formed from the 2nd Panzer Group on October 5, 1941. Organisation Panzer Group Guderian (german: Panzergruppe Guderian) was formed on 5 June 1940 and named after its commander, general Heinz Guderian. In early June 1940, after reaching the English Channel following the breakthrough in the Ardennes, the ''Panzergruppe Guderian'' was formed from the XIX Army Corps, and thrust deep into France, cutting off the Maginot Line. In November 1940, it was upgraded into ''Panzergruppe 2''. The 2nd Panzer Group (german: Panzergruppe 2) was formed in November 1940 from Panzer Group Guderian. In October 1941 it was renamed the 2nd Panzer Army. Panzer Group 2 played a significant role in the early stages of the German invasion of the Soviet Union during Operation Barbarossa in 1941 when it was a constituent part of Army Group Centre. Operational history 2nd Panzer Group was part of the Army ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Army Group Center
Army Group Centre (german: Heeresgruppe Mitte) was the name of two distinct strategic German Army Groups that fought on the Eastern Front in World War II. The first Army Group Centre was created on 22 June 1941, as one of three German Army formations assigned to the invasion of the Soviet Union (Operation Barbarossa). On 25 January 1945, after it was encircled in the Königsberg pocket, Army Group Centre was renamed Army Group North (), and Army Group A () became Army Group Centre. The latter formation retained its name until the end of the war in Europe on 11 May after VE Day. Formation The commander in chief on the formation of the Army Group Centre (22 June 1941) was Fedor von Bock. Order of battle at formation Campaign and operational history Operation Barbarossa On 22 June 1941, Nazi Germany and its Axis allies launched their surprise offensive into the Soviet Union. Their armies, totaling over three million men, were to advance in three geographical directi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Luftflotte 2
__NOTOC__ ''Luftflotte'' 2For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet 2) was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed 1 February 1939 in Braunschweig and transferred to Italy on 15 November 1941. The Luftflotte was disbanded on 27 September 1944. Commanding officers *General Hellmuth Felmy, 1 February 1939 – 12 January 1940 *Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring, 12 January 1940 – 11 June 1943 *Generalfeldmarschall Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen, 12 June 1943 – 27 September 1944 ;Chief of staff *Oberst Josef Kammhuber, 1 October 1939 – 19 December 1939 *Generalmajor Wilhelm Speidel, 19 December 1939 – 30 January 1940 *Oberst Gerhard Bassenge, 30 January 1940 – 31 July 1940 *Oberst Hans Seidemann, 5 October 1940 – 11 August 1942 *Generalmajor Paul Deichmann, 25 August 1942 – 25 June 1943 *Generalleutnant Ernst Müller, 1 October 1943 – September 1944 Subordina ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2nd Air Corps (Germany)
2nd Air Corps (''II. Fliegerkorps'') was formed on 11 October 1939 in Frankfurt am Main from the 2. Flieger-Division. During Operation Barbarossa and from 22 June to 12 November 1941, the Corps flew over 40,000 day and night sorties, dropping 23,150 tons of bombs and claiming 3,826 Soviet aircraft destroyed as well as 789 tanks, 614 artillery pieces, 14,339 vehicles, 240 enemy field positions, 33 bunkers, 159 trains and 304 locomotives along with relentless attacks on enemy troop concentrations and logistical choke-points. The Corps was relocated to the Mediterranean theatre of operations on 15 November 1941. The Corps was merged with the Feldluftgau XXX on 29 August 1944 and renamed ''Kommandierender General der Deutschen Luftwaffe Nordbalkan'' (commanding general of the German Luftwaffe northern Balkans). In November 1944 the corps was again renamed II. Fliegerkorps and redesignated Luftwaffenkommando Nordost on 2 April 1945. Commanding officers *Generaloberst Bruno Loerzer, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Werner Mölders
Werner Mölders (18 March 1913 – 22 November 1941) was a World War II German Luftwaffe pilot, wing commander, and the leading German fighter ace in the Spanish Civil War. He became the first pilot in aviation history to shoot down 100 enemy aircraft and was highly decorated for his achievements. Mölders developed fighter tactics that led to the finger-four formation. He died in a plane crash as a passenger. Mölders joined the Luftwaffe, the air force of Nazi Germany, in 1934. In 1938 he volunteered for service in Germany's Condor Legion, then supporting General Francisco Franco's Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War) , Nationalist side in the Spanish Civil War, and shot down 14 aircraft. Following the start of World War II in 1939, he took part in the "Phoney War" of 1939–1940, the Battle of France of May to June 1940, and the Battle of Britain (July 1940 onwards). With his tally standing at 68 victories, Mölders and his unit, the Jagdgeschwader 51, ''Jagdgeschw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oberstleutnant
() is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to Lieutenant colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swedish rank is a direct translation, as is the Finnish rank . Austria Austria's armed forces, the ''Bundesheer'', uses the rank Oberstleutnant as its sixth-highest officer rank. Like in Germany and Switzerland, Oberstleutnants are above Majors and below Obersts. The term also finds usage with the Austrian Bundespolizei (federal police force) and Justizwache (prison guards corps). These two organizations are civilian in nature, but their ranks are nonetheless structured in a military fashion. Belgium File:Army-BEL-OF-04.svg, nl-BE, Luitenant-kolonelgerman: Oberstleutnant Denmark The Danish rank of is based around the German term. Ranked OF-4 within NATO and having the paygrade of M401, it is used in the Royal Danish Army and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa (german: link=no, Unternehmen Barbarossa; ) was the invasion of the Soviet Union by Nazi Germany and many of its Axis allies, starting on Sunday, 22 June 1941, during the Second World War. The operation, code-named after Frederick Barbarossa ("red beard"), a 12th-century Holy Roman emperor and German king, put into action Nazi Germany's ideological goal of conquering the western Soviet Union to repopulate it with Germans. The German aimed to use some of the conquered people as forced labour for the Axis war effort while acquiring the oil reserves of the Caucasus as well as the agricultural resources of various Soviet territories. Their ultimate goal was to create more (living space) for Germany, and the eventual extermination of the indigenous Slavic peoples by mass deportation to Siberia, Germanisation, enslavement, and genocide. In the two years leading up to the invasion, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed political and economic pacts for st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bug River
uk, Західний Буг be, Захо́дні Буг , name_etymology = , image = Wyszkow_Bug.jpg , image_size = 250 , image_caption = Bug River in the vicinity of Wyszków, Poland , map = Vistula river map.png , map_size = 250px , map_caption = Bug River through Ukraine, Belarus and Poland , pushpin_map = , pushpin_map_size = 250px , pushpin_map_caption= , subdivision_type1 = Country , subdivision_name1 = Poland, Belarus, Ukraine , subdivision_type2 = , subdivision_name2 = , subdivision_type3 = VoivodeshipVoblastOblast , subdivision_name3 = Podlaskie, Mazovian, Lublin, Brest, Lviv , subdivision_type4 = , subdivision_name4 = , subdivision_type5 = , subdivision_name5 = , length = , width_min = , width_avg = , width_max = , depth_min = , depth_avg = , depth_max = , discharge1_location= Se ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brest, Belarus
Brest ( be, Брэст / Берасьце, Bieraście, ; russian: Брест, ; uk, Берестя, Berestia; lt, Brasta; pl, Brześć; yi, בריסק, Brisk), formerly Brest-Litovsk (russian: Брест-Литовск, lit=Lithuanian Brest; be, links=no, translit=Berastze Litouski (Berastze), Берасце Літоўскі (Берасце); lt, links=no, Lietuvos Brasta; pl, links=no, Brześć Litewski, ), Brest-on-the-Bug ( pl, links=no, Brześć nad Bugiem), is a city (population 350,616 in 2019) in Belarus at the border with Poland opposite the Polish city of Terespol, where the Bug (river), Bug and Mukhavets rivers meet, making it a border town. It is the capital city of the Brest Region. Brest is a historical site for many cultures, as it hosted important historical events, such as the Union of Brest and Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. Furthermore, the Brest Fortress was recognized by the Soviet Union as a Hero Fortress in honour of the defense of Brest Fortress in Jun ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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