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Franz Götz (28 January 1913 – 4 May 1980) was a German
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 ...
military aviator and
wing commander Wing commander (Wg Cdr in the RAF, the IAF, and the PAF, WGCDR in the RNZAF and RAAF, formerly sometimes W/C in all services) is a senior commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and air forces of many countries which have historica ...
during World War II. As a
fighter 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 ...
, he is credited with 63 enemy aircraft shot down in 766 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Western Front, including five four-engined bombers, with nineteen claims over the Eastern Front. Born in Obertsrot, Götz grew up in the
Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is al ...
and
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
and volunteered for military service in the ''
Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...
''. In 1935, he transferred to the Luftwaffe (Air Force). Following flight training, he was transferred to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing). Following the outbreak of World War II, he claimed his first aerial victory on 14 May 1940 during the
Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second Wor ...
. In September 1940, during the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended ...
, he was appointed ''
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 '' ...
'' (squadron leader) of the 9. '' Staffel'' (7th squadron) of JG 53. Götz then fought in the aerial battles of
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 afte ...
, the German invasion of the
Soviet Union The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
and in September 1941, he relocated with his group to the Mediterranean Theater. Fighting in this theater of operations, he was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 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' ...
on 4 September 1942 and was appointed '' Gruppenkommandeur'' (group commander) of the III. '' Gruppe'' (3rd group) of JG 53 in October 1942. In January 1945, Götz became the last ''
Geschwaderkommodore {{unreferenced, date=May 2019 ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (short also ''Kommodore'') is a ''Luftwaffe'' position or appointment (not rank), originating during World War II. A ''Geschwaderkommodore'' is usually an OF5-rank of ''Oberst'' (colonel) or ...
'' (wing commander) of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 26 "Schlageter". Following World War II, he reentered military service in the ''
Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
'' and became an officer in the '' Bundesluftwaffe''. He died on 4 May 1980 in
Aschaffenburg Aschaffenburg (; South Franconian: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative seat. Aschaffenburg belonged to the Archbishopric ...
.


Early life and career

Götz was born on 28 January 1913 in Obertsrot, present-day part of
Gernsbach Gernsbach () is a town in the district of Rastatt, in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the river Murg, east of Baden-Baden in the Black Forest. Twin towns are Baccarat in France and Pergola, Marche in Italy. The town is the histo ...
, at the time in the
Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden (german: Großherzogtum Baden) was a state in the southwest German Empire on the east bank of the Rhine. It existed between 1806 and 1918. It came into existence in the 12th century as the Margraviate of Baden and sub ...
of the German Empire. In 1935, he transferred from the ''
Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshaped ...
'' to the newly emerging
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 ...
where he was trained as a fighter pilot. On 26 September 1939, ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) was ordered to form its III. '' Gruppe'' (3rd group). Leadership of the ''Gruppe'' was given to ''Hauptmann''
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 ...
at Wiesbaden–Erbenheim Airfield. Formation of the 7. '' Staffel'' (7th squadron) was headed by ''Oberleutnant'' Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke and Götz was assigned to this squadron holding the rank of ''
Oberfeldwebel (OFw or OF) is the fourth-lowest non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in German Army and German Air Force. History The rank was introduced first by the German Reichswehr in 1920. Preferable most experienced Protégée-NCO of the old army ...
'' (master sergeant). At the time, the ''Gruppe'' was equipped with the
Messerschmitt Bf 109 The Messerschmitt Bf 109 is a German World War II fighter aircraft that was, along with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, the backbone of the Luftwaffe's fighter force. The Bf 109 first saw operational service in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War a ...
 E.


World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. From 2–16 January 1940, Götz and other pilots from III. ''Gruppe'' went on a
ski A ski is a narrow strip of semi-rigid material worn underfoot to glide over snow. Substantially longer than wide and characteristically employed in pairs, skis are attached to ski boots with ski bindings, with either a free, lockable, or partia ...
vacation to the
Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label= Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area after Vienna and, although it also has the second-smallest population, it is the state with the ...
. On 11 March 1940, he became witness to Wilcke's second aerial victory which was claimed near the " three-nations-corner" north of
Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand Es ...
during the "
Phoney War The Phoney War (french: Drôle de guerre; german: Sitzkrieg) was an eight-month period at the start of World War II, during which there was only one limited military land operation on the Western Front, when French troops invaded Germ ...
" period of World War II. The
Battle of France The Battle of France (french: bataille de France) (10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign ('), the French Campaign (german: Frankreichfeldzug, ) and the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France during the Second Wor ...
, the German invasion of France and the
Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...
, began on 10 May 1940. On 14 May, he engaged in aerial combat with French
Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 Aéroplanes Morane-Saulnier was a French aircraft manufacturing company formed in October 1911 by Raymond Saulnier (1881–1964) and the Morane brothers, Léon (1885–1918) and Robert (1886–1968). The company was taken over and diversified ...
fighters and claimed one of the aircraft shot down. On 26 May, III. ''Gruppe'' moved to an airfield at Lor. The next day, Götz claimed an aerial victory over a M.S.406 shot down south of
Creil Creil is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. The Creil station is an important railway junction. History Archaeological remains in the area include a Neolithic site as well as a late Iron Age necropolis, perhaps belonging to ...
. His wingman ''Unteroffizier'' Ernst Poschenrieder also filed claim for this French aircraft but the claim was later credited to Götz. On 5 June, German forced launched '' Fall Rot'' (Case Red), the second phase of the conquest of France. That day, Götz claimed his fourth aerial victory, a Potez 63 destroyed over the
Noyon Noyon (; pcd, Noéyon; la, Noviomagus Veromanduorum, Noviomagus of the Veromandui, then ) is a commune in the Oise department, northern France. Geography Noyon lies on the river Oise, about northeast of Paris. The Oise Canal and the Canal ...
-
Compiègne Compiègne (; pcd, Compiène) is a commune in the Oise department in northern France. It is located on the river Oise. Its inhabitants are called ''Compiégnois''. Administration Compiègne is the seat of two cantons: * Compiègne-1 (with 1 ...
combat area. The following day, III. ''Gruppe'' engaged in combat with twelve French Bloch MB.152 fighters near
Soissons Soissons () is a commune in the northern French department of Aisne, in the region of Hauts-de-France. Located on the river Aisne, about northeast of Paris, it is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of ...
. For the loss of one pilot taken prisoner of war, four aerial victories were claimed by III. ''Gruppe'' pilots, including one of which credited to Götz. On 9 June,
Army Group A Army Group A (Heeresgruppe A) was the name of several German Army Groups during World War II. During the Battle of France, the army group named Army Group A was composed of 45½ divisions, including 7 armored panzer divisions. It was responsibl ...
began its attack on
Rethel Rethel () is a commune in the Ardennes department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture and third-most important city and economic center in the department. It is situated on the river Aisne, near the northern border of Champagne and 37&n ...
and Soissons in an attempt to cross the
Aisne Aisne ( , ; ; pcd, Ainne) is a French department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. It is named after the river Aisne. In 2019, it had a population of 531,345.Curtiss P-36 Hawk The Curtiss P-36 Hawk, also known as the Curtiss Hawk Model 75, is an American-designed and built fighter aircraft of the 1930s and 40s. A contemporary of the Hawker Hurricane and Messerschmitt Bf 109, it was one of the first of a new generation ...
fighter shot down near Rethel and Attigny. On 10 and 11 June, JG 53 flew multiple combat missions in the combat area of the Aisne near
Reims Reims ( , , ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French department of Marne, and the 12th most populous city in France. The city lies northeast of Paris on the Vesle river, a tributary of the Aisne. Founded by ...
. There on 11 June, Götz claimed his last aerial victory during the Battle of France when he shot down a MB.152 fighter aircraft. During the
Battle of Britain The Battle of Britain, also known as the Air Battle for England (german: die Luftschlacht um England), was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Fleet Air Arm (FAA) of the Royal Navy defended ...
, Götze claimed his seventh aerial victory on 8 September 1940 after he was promoted to ''
Oberleutnant () is the highest lieutenant officer rank in the German-speaking armed forces of Germany ( Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. Austria Germany In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Tra ...
'' (first lieutenant) and assigned to the 9. ''Staffel''. That day, JG 53 escorted bombers to London and he was credited with shooting down a
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) a ...
(RAF)
Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness by ...
fighter. At the time, 9. ''Staffel'' was under the command of ''Oberleutnant'' Jakob Stoll. On 15 September, also known as the
Battle of Britain Day Battle of Britain Day, 15 September 1940, is the day on which a large-scale aerial battle in the Battle of Britain took place.Mason 1969, p. 386.Price 1990, p. 128. In June 1940, the ''Wehrmacht'' had conquered most of Western Europe and Scan ...
, Götz shot down another Hurricane during III. ''Gruppe''s second mission of the day when they encountered approximately 25 to 30 RAF fighters near
Tonbridge Tonbridge ( ) is a market town in Kent, England, on the River Medway, north of Royal Tunbridge Wells, south west of Maidstone and south east of London. In the administrative borough of Tonbridge and Malling, it had an estimated populati ...
. Two days later, II. and III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 53 flew missions over southeast England where they engaged in combat with RAF fighters from No. 501, No. 41 and No. 611 Squadron. During this encounter, Stoll was shot down and posted as
missing in action Missing in action (MIA) is a casualty classification assigned to combatants, military chaplains, combat medics, and prisoners of war who are reported missing during wartime or ceasefire. They may have been killed, wounded, captured, exec ...
. In consequence, Götz was appointed ''Staffelkapitän'' of 9. ''Staffel''. The next day, JG 53 flew three bomber escort missions to London. That day, Götz was credited with his ninth aerial victory when he shot down a
Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allies of World War II, Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 ...
fighter. On 14 November, Götz was awarded the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (). III. ''Gruppe'' was withdrawn from the Channel Front on 19 December and moved to
Mönchengladbach Mönchengladbach (, li, Jlabbach ) is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located west of the Rhine, halfway between Düsseldorf and the Dutch border. Geography Municipal subdivisions Since 2009, the territory of Mönchengladbac ...
. There, the ''Gruppe'' was replenished while the pilots were sent on a skiing holiday until late January 1941. They then received a full complement of Bf 109 F-2 aircraft. The pilots continued to train and familiarize themselves with this new aircraft before on 18 March, III. ''Gruppe'' was again ordered to the
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" ( Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kan ...
where they were based at
Berck-sur-Mer Berck (), sometimes referred to as Berck-sur-Mer (, literally ''Berck on Sea''), is a commune in the northern French department of Pas-de-Calais. It lies within the Marquenterre regional park, an ornithological nature reserve. Geography Situa ...
. On 7 May, Götz claimed a Spitfire shot down near
Dover Dover () is a town and major ferry port in Kent, South East England. It faces France across the Strait of Dover, the narrowest part of the English Channel at from Cap Gris Nez in France. It lies south-east of Canterbury and east of Maidsto ...
during an afternoon mission. This was his last claim at the English Channel.


Operation Barbarossa

On 8 June 1941, the bulk of JG 53's air elements moved via
Jever Jever () is the capital of the district of Friesland in Lower Saxony, Germany. The name Jever is usually associated with a major brand of beer, Jever Pilsener, which is produced there. The city is also a popular holiday resort. Jever was granted c ...
, in northern Germany, to Mannheim-Sandhofen. There the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul prior to moving east. On 12 June, III. ''Gruppe'' was ordered to transfer to a forward airfield at Sobolewo. On 21 June, the ''
Geschwaderkommodore {{unreferenced, date=May 2019 ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (short also ''Kommodore'') is a ''Luftwaffe'' position or appointment (not rank), originating during World War II. A ''Geschwaderkommodore'' is usually an OF5-rank of ''Oberst'' (colonel) or ...
'' (wing commander) of JG 53 and its ''Gruppenkommandeure'' were summoned to nearby
Suwałki Suwałki ( lt, Suvalkai; yi, סואוואַלק) is a city in northeastern Poland with a population of 69,206 (2021). It is the capital of Suwałki County and one of the most important centers of commerce in the Podlaskie Voivodeship. Suwałki ...
, where ''
Generalfeldmarschall ''Generalfeldmarschall'' (from Old High German ''marahscalc'', "marshal, stable master, groom"; en, general field marshal, field marshal general, or field marshal; ; often abbreviated to ''Feldmarschall'') was a rank in the armies of several ...
'' (field marshal)
Albert Kesselring Albert Kesselring (30 November 1885 – 16 July 1960) was a German ''Generalfeldmarschall'' of the Luftwaffe during World War II who was subsequently convicted of war crimes. In a military career that spanned both world wars, Kesselring bec ...
gave the final instructions for the upcoming attack. Wilcke, who had been appointed ''Gruppenkommandeur'' of III. ''Gruppe'' on 12 August 1940, briefed his pilots that evening. On 22 June, the ''Geschwader'' crossed into Soviet airspace in support of
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 afte ...
, the invasion of the Soviet Union, which opened the Eastern Front. That late afternoon, Götz claimed a Kochyerigin DI-6 shot down. On 25 June, III. ''Gruppe'' had moved to
Vilna Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...
and Götz claimed the destruction of a
Tupolev SB The Tupolev ANT-40, also known by its service name Tupolev SB (russian: Скоростной бомбардировщик – ''Skorostnoi Bombardirovschik'' – high speed bomber) and development co-name TsAGI-40, was a high speed twin-engined ...
bomber. By 25 July, III. ''Gruppe'' had moved to a forward airfield at Wjardina. The next day, Götz was credited with four aerial victories, a
Petlyakov Pe-2 The Petlyakov Pe-2 (russian: Петляков Пе-2) was a Soviet twin-engine dive bomber used during World War II. One of the outstanding tactical attack aircraft of the war,Ethell 1996, p. 152. it also proved successful as a heavy fighter, as ...
and three
Ilyushin DB-3 The Ilyushin DB-3, where "DB" stands for ''Dalniy Bombardirovschik'' ( Russian: Дальний бомбардировщик) meaning "long-range bomber", was a Soviet bomber aircraft of World War II. It was a twin-engined, low-wing monoplane that ...
bombers. III. ''Gruppe'' began returning to Germany in early October 1941. The air elements left the Soviet Union on 4 October, while the ground units were transported back by train to Mannheim on 13 October. Since 22 June 1941, III. ''Gruppe'' had claimed 769 aerial victories for the loss of 6 pilots killed, 7 missing in action, 2 captured and 12 wounded. Following the return, he received the
German Cross The War Order of the German Cross (german: Der Kriegsorden Deutsches Kreuz), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repe ...
in Gold (), awarded on 15 October 1941.


North Africa, Malta and Italy

Götz then served with JG 53 in the Mediterranean Theater. On 20 May 1942, III. ''Gruppe'' was transferred from Sicily to North Africa where the ''Gruppe'' was initially based at Martuba Airbase and placed under the command of ''Major'' Erich Gerlitz. Götz claimed his first aerial victory in this theater on 10 June when he shot down a Spitfire in area of
Bir Hakeim Bir Hakeim ( ar, بئر حكيم, translit=biʾr ḥakīm, lit=Wise Well ; sometimes written ''Bir Hacheim'') is in the Libyan desert at and is the site of a former Ottoman Empire fort built around the site of an ancient Roman well, dating to ...
. He was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 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' ...
() on 4 September 1942 after 40 aerial victories. On 27 October 1942, while the
Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa had prevented th ...
was still raging, III. ''Gruppe'' was withdrawn from North Africa and flown out to Taranto. In the timeframe from 20 May to 27 October, the Gruppe had claimed 113 aerial victories for the loss of eleven pilots killed in action, two missing in action, four taken
prisoner of war A prisoner of war (POW) is a person who is held captive by a belligerent power during or immediately after an armed conflict. The earliest recorded usage of the phrase "prisoner of war" dates back to 1610. Belligerents hold prisoners of w ...
, and ten pilots wounded. Following the return from North Africa, III. ''Gruppe'' received 42 factory new Bf 109 G-4 trop, the first ''Gruppe'' of JG 53 to receive this aircraft. The ''Gruppe'' then moved to Sicily where they were based at Santo Pietro. There on 1 November, Götz claimed a Spitfire shot down east of
Gozo Gozo (, ), Maltese: ''Għawdex'' () and in antiquity known as Gaulos ( xpu, 𐤂𐤅𐤋, ; grc, Γαῦλος, Gaúlos), is an island in the Maltese archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea. The island is part of the Republic of Malta. After ...
Sometime in November 1942, he then replaced Gerlitz as '' Gruppenkommandeur'' (group commander) of III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 53. On 22 January 1944, Allied forces launched
Operation Shingle The Battle of Anzio was a battle of the Italian Campaign of World War II that took place from January 22, 1944 (beginning with the Allied amphibious landing known as Operation Shingle) to June 5, 1944 (ending with the capture of Rome). The op ...
, the amphibious landing in the area of
Anzio Anzio (, also , ) is a town and ''comune'' on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome. Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Island ...
and
Nettuno Nettuno is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Rome in the Lazio region of central Italy, south of Rome. A resort city and agricultural center on the Tyrrhenian Sea, it has a population of approximately 50,000. Economy It has a ...
. In defense of this attack, III. ''Gruppe'' was ordered to move from
Villorba Villorba is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Treviso in the Italian region Veneto, located about north of Venice and about north of Treviso. Villorba borders the following municipalities: Arcade, Carbonera, Ponzano Veneto, Po ...
in northern Italy to
Orvieto Orvieto () is a city and ''comune'' in the Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy, situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff. The city rises dramatically above the almost-vertical faces of tuff cliffs that are comp ...
closer to the combat area. Götz claimed his last aerial victories in Italy on 26 May. On a reconnaissance mission north of Anzio, he was credited with two Spitfire fighters shot down near
Marta Marta may refer to: People * Marta (given name), a feminine given name * Märta, a feminine given name * Marta (surname) : István Márta composer * Marta (footballer) (born 1986), Brazilian professional footballer Places * Marta (river), ...
. Three days later, III. ''Gruppe'' began its withdrawal from the Anzio combat area, arriving in
Maniago Maniago ( fur, Manià) is a town and ''comune'' located in Friuli Venezia Giulia (north-eastern Italy), in Friuli Friuli ( fur, Friûl, sl, Furlanija, german: Friaul) is an area of Northeast Italy with its own particular cultural and historic ...
on 2 June.


Defense of the Reich

On 28 June 1944, III. ''Gruppe'' arrived by train in
Bad Lippspringe Bad Lippspringe () is a town in the district of Paderborn, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Geography Bad Lippspringe is situated on the western slope of the Teutoburger Wald, approximately north-east of Paderborn. The river Lippe has its sou ...
where they would be based for flying missions in
Defense of the Reich The Defence of the Reich (german: Reichsverteidigung) is the name given to the strategic defensive aerial campaign fought by the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany over German-occupied Europe and Germany during World War II. Its aim was to prevent th ...
. There, the ''Gruppe'' was assigned a number of inexperienced pilots directly coming from the ''Ergänungsgruppe'', the supplementary training unit of JG 53. Over the next weeks, Götz and his squadron leaders further trained and prepared these pilots for their first combat missions. The ''Gruppe'' received a full complement of Bf 109 G-6 aircraft, most of them equipped with the 20 mm
MG 151/20 The MG 151 (MG 151/15) was a German 15 mm aircraft-mounted autocannon produced by Waffenfabrik Mauser during World War II. Its 20mm variant, the 20 mm MG 151/20 cannon, was widely used on German Luftwaffe fighters, night fighters, fi ...
underwing
gun pod A gun pod is a detachable pod or pack containing machine guns, autocannons, revolver cannons, or rotary cannons and ancillaries, mounted externally on a vehicle such as a military aircraft which may or may not also have its own guns. Descripti ...
. Götz ordered these gun pods removed as the additional weight had an adverse effect on the handling qualities, reducing the Bf 109s performance in fighter-versus-fighter combat. He claimed a
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress The Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress is a four-engined heavy bomber developed in the 1930s for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC). Relatively fast and high-flying for a bomber of its era, the B-17 was used primarily in the European Theater ...
bomber on 24 August 1944 over the Lüneburger Heide. In preparation for
Operation Bodenplatte Operation Bodenplatte (; "Baseplate"), launched on 1 January 1945, was an attempt by the Luftwaffe to cripple Allied air forces in the Low Countries during the Second World War. The goal of ''Bodenplatte'' was to gain air superiority during th ...
, a failed attempt to gain
air superiority Aerial supremacy (also air superiority) is the degree to which a side in a conflict holds control of air power over opposing forces. There are levels of control of the air in aerial warfare. Control of the air is the aerial equivalent of com ...
during the stagnant stage of the
Battle of the Bulge The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive, was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. The battle lasted from 16 December 1944 to 28 January 1945, towards the end of the war in ...
, the bulk of JG 53, with exception of III. ''Gruppe'', was tasked with attacking the USAAF airfield at Metz-Frescaty Air Base. III. ''Gruppe'' was given the objective to attack the Étain Airfield, an airfield located approximately northwest of Metz. Götz briefed his pilots at the airfield in Kirrlach of the upcoming mission and its objectives on the evening 31 December 1944. Every pilot had to sign a "contract" stating that they would make at least three
strafing Strafing is the military practice of attacking ground targets from low-flying aircraft using aircraft-mounted automatic weapons. Less commonly, the term is used by extension to describe high-speed firing runs by any land or naval craft such ...
attacks on the target. III. ''Gruppe'' took off at Kirrlach at 08:30 on 1 January 1945 with a
Junkers Ju 88 The Junkers Ju 88 is a German World War II ''Luftwaffe'' twin-engined multirole combat aircraft. Junkers Aircraft and Motor Works (JFM) designed the plane in the mid-1930s as a so-called '' Schnellbomber'' ("fast bomber") that would be too fas ...
guiding them to target. In the vicinity of
Kaiserslautern Kaiserslautern (; Palatinate German: ''Lautre'') is a city in southwest Germany, located in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate Forest. The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfur ...
, the ''Gruppe'' came under attack by
Republic P-47 Thunderbolt The Republic P-47 Thunderbolt is a World War II-era fighter aircraft produced by the American company Republic Aviation from 1941 through 1945. It was a successful high-altitude fighter and it also served as the foremost American fighter-bombe ...
fighters which shot down, or significantly damaged, twelve aircraft so that they had to make a
forced landing A forced landing is a landing by an aircraft made under factors outside the pilot's control, such as the failure of engines, systems, components, or weather which makes continued flight impossible. For a full description of these, see article on ' ...
, none of the pilots were killed in the encounter. In return, III. ''Gruppe'' pilots claimed one of the P-47 fighters shot down, plus a further probable destruction was filed. On 17 January 1945, Götz transferred command of III. ''Gruppe'' to ''Hauptmann'' Siegfried Luckenbach.


Wing commander of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 26

On 28 January 1945, Götz was appointed ''Geschwaderkommodore'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 26 (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing), based at Fürstenau. He replaced ''Oberst''
Josef Priller Josef "Pips" Priller (; 27 July 1915 – 20 May 1961) was a German military aviator and wing commander in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 101 enemy aircraft shot down in 307 combat missions. All of his v ...
who was transferred to a staff position with the Inspector of Fighters. According to Weal, Götz claimed seven aerial victories while flying with JG 26. Due to the deteriorating war situation, on 25 March, Götz was forced to disband III. ''Gruppe'' of JG 26 at
Delmenhorst Delmenhorst (; Northern Low Saxon: ''Demost'') is an urban district ('' Kreisfreie Stadt'') in Lower Saxony, Germany. It has a population of 74,500 and is located west of downtown Bremen with which it forms a contiguous urban area, whereas t ...
, the aircraft and pilots were split among the three remaining groups. Less than three weeks later, VI. ''Gruppe'' was ordered to disband at
Stade Stade (), officially the Hanseatic City of Stade (german: Hansestadt Stade, nds, Hansestadt Stood) is a city in Lower Saxony in northern Germany. First mentioned in records in 934, it is the seat of the district () which bears its name. It is l ...
on 9 April, the remaining operational aircraft were transferred to I. and II. ''Gruppe''. On 3 May 1945, the '' Geschwaderstab'' (headquarters unit) moved to Flensburg Airfield. The next day, the
German surrender at Lüneburg Heath On 4 May 1945, at 18:30 British Double Summer Time, at Lüneburg Heath, south of Hamburg, Field Marshal Sir Bernard Law Montgomery accepted the unconditional surrender of the German forces in the Netherlands, northwest Germany including a ...
, the
unconditional surrender An unconditional surrender is a surrender in which no guarantees are given to the surrendering party. It is often demanded with the threat of complete destruction, extermination or annihilation. In modern times, unconditional surrenders most oft ...
of the German forces in the
Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Neth ...
, northwest Germany including all islands, in
Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark ...
and all naval ships in those areas was signed. That evening, at 23:50, ''Generalfeldmarschall''
Robert Ritter von Greim Robert ''Ritter'' von Greim (born Robert Greim; 22 June 1892 – 24 May 1945) was a German field marshal and First World War flying ace. In April 1945, in the last days of World War II, Adolf Hitler appointed Greim commander-in-chief of the ''L ...
, the newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe, ordered Götz to relocate JG 26 to either
Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a tempera ...
or
Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and th ...
, in order to continue fighting against the Soviet Union. On 4 May, II. ''Gruppe'' was based at
Husum Husum (, frr, Hüsem) is the capital of the ''Kreis'' (district) Nordfriesland in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. The town was the birthplace of the novelist Theodor Storm, who coined the epithet "the grey town by the sea". It is also the home of ...
. The ''Gruppe'' was already without its commander, ''Haupmann'' Paul Schauder had been taken prisoner of war on 1 May. The pilots debated over von Greim's order. While half of them chose to remain at Husum and surrendered to the British, approximately ten pilots attempted to fly to Norway. However, most of them only reached Denmark due to lack of fuel. I. ''Gruppe'', under the command of ''Major''
Karl Borris Karl Borris (3 January 1916 – 18 August 1981) was a World War II Luftwaffe military aviator and test pilot. As a flying ace, he is credited with 43 victories, all of them over the Western Front, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of ...
, surrendered on 6 May at Flensburg. Sometime in March 1945, Götz was assigned
Focke Wulf Fw 190 The Focke-Wulf Fw 190, nicknamed ''Würger'' ("Shrike") is a German single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank at Focke-Wulf in the late 1930s and widely used during World War II. Along with its well-known counterpart, th ...
 D-13/R11 "Yellow 10" (''Werknummer'' 836017—factory number). This aircraft was surrendered to the British at Flensburg, in Northern Germany. Shortly after the war the British became interested in the performance and evaluation of the advanced German Fw 190 D-13. While at
Flensburg Flensburg (; Danish, Low Saxon: ''Flensborg''; North Frisian: ''Flansborj''; South Jutlandic: ''Flensborre'') is an independent town (''kreisfreie Stadt'') in the north of the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. Flensburg is the centre of ...
the British Disarmament Wing wanted to see how this fighter would perform against one of their best, a
Hawker Tempest The Hawker Tempest is a British fighter aircraft that was primarily used by the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War. The Tempest, originally known as the ''Typhoon II'', was an improved derivative of the Hawker Typhoon, intended to a ...
. Squadron Leader Evans approached ''Major'' Heinz Lange and asked him to fly a
mock combat Mock combat involves the execution of combative actions without intent to harm. Participants can engage in such sparring for ritual, training, recreational or performance reasons. The nature of mock combat can vary from realistic to symbolic. ...
against one of their pilots. Lange accepted, even though he had only 10 flights in a D-9. The mock dogfight was conducted at an altitude of , with only enough fuel for the flight and no ammunition. In the end the machines were evenly matched. Lange assessed that the outcome of such a contest greatly depended on the skills of the individual pilot. At the time Lange was not aware that he was flying a D-13 but rather assumed a D-9. "Yellow 10" was further subjected to mock combat when on 25 June 1945 ''Oberleutnant'' Günther Josten was asked to fly a comparison flight against another Tempest. This very rare Fw 190 D-13/R11 is now on display at the
Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum The Flying Heritage & Combat Armor Museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the display and preservation of rare military aircraft, tanks and other military equipment. The plan is for the museum to reopen in 2023. On rotation in t ...
in
Everett, Washington Everett is the county seat and largest city of Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is north of Seattle and is one of the main cities in the metropolitan area and the Puget Sound region. Everett is the seventh-largest city in the st ...
, which recently had its
Junkers Jumo 213 The Junkers Jumo 213 was a World War II-era V-12 liquid-cooled aircraft engine, a development of Junkers Motoren's earlier design, the Jumo 211. The design added two features, a pressurized cooling system that required considerably less cooli ...
engine made operable once more. However, it will not be flown again.


Later life

Following World War II, Götz reentered military service in the ''
Bundeswehr The ''Bundeswehr'' (, meaning literally: ''Federal Defence'') is the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. The ''Bundeswehr'' is divided into a military part (armed forces or ''Streitkräfte'') and a civil part, the military part con ...
'' and became an officer in the '' Bundesluftwaffe''. On 26 October 1963, ''Oberstleutnant'' Götz was part of a German delegation headed by the Bishop of Essen,
Cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...
Franz Hengsbach, who attended a private audience held by
Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augu ...
. He retired from the ''Bundeswehr'' with the rank of ''
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 Swedi ...
'' (colonel) and died on 4 May 1980 in
Aschaffenburg Aschaffenburg (; South Franconian: ''Aschebersch'') is a town in northwest Bavaria, Germany. The town of Aschaffenburg is not part of the district of Aschaffenburg, but is its administrative seat. Aschaffenburg belonged to the Archbishopric ...
.


Summary of career


Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Götz was credited with 63 aerial victories. Obermaier also lists him with 63 aerial victories, claimed in 766 combat missions, 19 on the Eastern Front and 44 on the Western Front, including five four-engined bombers. Mathews and Foreman, authors of ''Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims'', researched the
German Federal Archives , type = Archive , seal = , seal_size = , seal_caption = , seal_alt = , logo = Bundesarchiv-Logo.svg , logo_size = , logo_caption = , lo ...
and state that he claimed more than 55 aerial victories, plus two further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 21 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and over 34 on the Western Front, including at least three four-engined bombers. The alleged seven aerial victories claimed by Götz whilst flying with JG 26 cannot be verified via the German Federal Archives. Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = ''Planquadrat''), for example "PQ AO". The Luftwaffe grid map () covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15
minutes Minutes, also known as minutes of meeting (abbreviation MoM), protocols or, informally, notes, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting and may include a list of attendees, a state ...
of
latitude In geography, latitude is a coordinate that specifies the north– south position of a point on the surface of the Earth or another celestial body. Latitude is given as an angle that ranges from –90° at the south pole to 90° at the north ...
by 30 minutes of
longitude Longitude (, ) is a geographic coordinate that specifies the east– west position of a point on the surface of the Earth, or another celestial body. It is an angular measurement, usually expressed in degrees and denoted by the Greek lette ...
, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 × 4 km in size.


Awards

* Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (14 November 1940) *
German Cross The War Order of the German Cross (german: Der Kriegsorden Deutsches Kreuz), normally abbreviated to the German Cross or ''Deutsches Kreuz'', was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 28 September 1941. It was awarded in two divisions: in gold for repe ...
in Gold on 15 October 1941 as ''
Oberleutnant () is the highest lieutenant officer rank in the German-speaking armed forces of Germany ( Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. Austria Germany In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Tra ...
'' in the 9./''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 *
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 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' ...
on 4 September 1942 as ''Oberleutnant'' and ''
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 '' ...
'' of the 9./''Jagdgeschwader'' 53


Notes


References


Citations


Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Gotz, Franz 1913 births 1980 deaths Luftwaffe pilots German World War II flying aces Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross People from Rastatt (district) Military personnel from Baden-Württemberg