Ernst Bormann (5 November 1897 – 1 August 1960) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Luftstreitkräfte The ''Deutsche Luftstreitkräfte'' (, German Air Force)—known before October 1916 as (Flyer Troops)—was the air arm of the Imperial German Army. In English-language sources it is usually referred to as the Imperial German Air Service, alth ...

flying ace A flying ace, fighter ace or air ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The exact number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an ace is varied, but is usually co ...

and a '' Generalmajor '' of the ''

Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...

'' during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. He was also a recipient of the

Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. The Knight' ...

. He surrendered to the Soviet forces on 10 May 1945 and was released on 9 October 1955.

Career

Ernst Bormann was born on 5 November 1897 in

Kirchbrak Kirchbrak is a municipality in the district of Holzminden, in Lower Saxony, Germany. The municipality lies only a few kilometers east of Bodenwerder. Through Kirchbrak flows a small river called Lenne, a tributary of the Weser. It consists ...

. He joined Reserve Infantry Regiment No. 82 on 17 August 1915 as a

cadet A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...

.Franks et al 1993, p. 82. Bormann transferred to aviation, being sent to ''Fliegerersatz-Abteilung 7'' ("Replacement Detachment 7") on 7 March 1917. He moved on to FEA 12 on 24 October 1917. He was at ''Armee-Flug-Park'' (Army Flight Park) 9 when he received his first operational assignment; on 8 January 1918, he was posted to ''

Feldflieger Abteilung Feldflieger Abteilung (''FFA'', Field Flying Company) was the title of the pioneering field aviation units of what became the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' (German air service) by October 1916, during World War I. Composition The use of aircraft as a tact ...

'' (Field Flier Detachment) 42. On 4 May 1918,

Leutnant () is the lowest Junior officer rank in the armed forces the German (language), German-speaking of Germany (Bundeswehr), Austrian Armed Forces, and military of Switzerland. History The German noun (with the meaning "" (in English "deputy") fro ...

Bormann was posted to a prestigious fighter squadron, Carl Bolle's

Jagdstaffel 2 Jasta 2 (Jagdstaffel Zwei in full and also known as ''Jasta Boelcke'') was one of the best-known German Luftstreitkräfte Squadrons in World War I. Its first commanding officer was the great aerial tactician Oswald Boelcke, and it was the incubator ...

, which was equipped with Germany's best fighter of the war, the

Fokker D.VII The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the second half of 1918. In service with the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the D.VII qui ...

. Beginning 3 July 1918, Bormann was credited with downing 17 enemy aircraft, most of them

fighters Fighter(s) or The Fighter(s) may refer to: Combat and warfare * Combatant, an individual legally entitled to engage in hostilities during an international armed conflict * Fighter aircraft, a warplane designed to destroy or damage enemy warplan ...

, by 4 November 1918.Ernest Bormann biography at The Aerodrome Forum
/ref> Ernst Bormann was a flying instructor from 1 August 1925 to 30 September 1930, at the nascent

's covert aviation training center at

Lipetsk Lipetsk ( rus, links=no, Липецк, p=ˈlʲipʲɪtsk), also romanized as Lipeck, is a city and the administrative center of Lipetsk Oblast, Russia, located on the banks of the Voronezh River in the Don basin, southeast of Moscow. Populat ...

, the

Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...

. He returned to Germany to instruct there. In 1934, after

Hitler's Adolf Hitler (; 20 April 188930 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was dictator of Nazi Germany, Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his death in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the le ...

rise to power, Bormann was commissioned as a captain in the Luftwaffe. From 1 April 1935 to 31 May 1938, he was a

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 ...

for Kampfgeschwader Boelcke. From 1 July to 31 October 1938, he commanded III. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 132. His next assignment was the command of ''Lehrgeschwader'' (Advanced Training Wing) 1; this posting lasted until July 1940. During

, Bormann succeeded to command of ''

Kampfgeschwader 76 ''Kampfgeschwader 76'' (KG 76) (Battle Wing) was a Luftwaffe bomber Group during World War II. It was one of the few bomber groups that operated throughout the war. In 1933 Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in Germany. To meet the ...

''. As a major general, he was the ''Fliegerführer Crimea'' from February to June 1943. He was taken prisoner by the Soviet forces on 10 May 1945. Bormann returned from imprisonment in the Soviet Union in October 1955. He earned a Doctorate before dying in

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

on 1 August 1960.

Awards

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (german: link=no, Eisernes Kreuz, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). King Frederick William III of Prussia est ...

(1914) ** 2nd Class (24 July 1916) ** 1st Class (13 August 1918) *

Clasp to the Iron Cross The Clasp to the Iron Cross (Spange zum Eisernen Kreuz) was a white metal medal clasp displayed on the uniforms of German Wehrmacht personnel who had been awarded the Iron Cross in World War I, and who again qualified for the decoration in World W ...

(1939) ** 2nd Class (22 September 1939) ** 1st Class (10 October 1939) * ''Bild des Reichsmarschalls im Silberrahmen'' (15 September 1941) *

** Knight's Cross on 5 October 1941 as ''

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 Swedi ...

'' and '' Geschwaderkommodore '' of ''Kampfgeschwader'' 76 ** 119th Oak Leaves on 3 September 1942 as ''

Oberst ''Oberst'' () is a senior field officer rank in several German-speaking and Scandinavian countries, equivalent to colonel. It is currently used by both the ground and air forces of Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, and Norway. The Swedish ...

'' and commander of the ''Gefechtsverband Bormann'', augmenting ''Kampfgeschwader'' 76

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell. ''Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918''. Grub Street, 1993. . * Schumann, Ralf (2007). ''Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 des LG 1'' (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. . {{DEFAULTSORT:Bormann, Ernst 1897 births 1960 deaths German prisoners of war in World War II held by the Soviet Union German World War I flying aces Luftwaffe pilots Major generals of the Luftwaffe People from Holzminden (district) Military personnel from the Province of Hanover Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Military personnel from Lower Saxony