Gerhard Vogt (29 November 1919 – 14 January 1945) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and

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 ...

during World War II. He is credited with 48 aerial victories, claimed over the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

and in Defense of the Reich in 174 combat missions. Born in Raudten, Vogt grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. He joined the military service in the Luftwaffe and was trained as a fighter pilot. Following flight training, he was posted to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) in September 1941. Flying with this wing, Vogt claimed his first aerial victory on 6 November 1941 on the Western Front over a

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

fighter aircraft. In August 1944, he was appointed squadron leader of 5. '' Staffel'' (5th squadron) of JG 26 and 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 25 November 1944 for 46 aerial victories claimed. On 14 January 1945, Vogt was killed in action when he was shot down by United States Army Air Forces fighters southeast of Cologne-Eil.

Early life

Vogt was born on 29 November 1919 in Raudten near Lüben, present-day Rudna in south-western Poland, at the time in the Province of Lower Silesia, a Free State of Prussia in the Weimar Republic.

World War II

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. In September 1941, Vogt was transferred from the '' Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe West'', a supplementary training unit for fighter pilots destined to fight on the

, to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing). Vogt was assigned to the 6. '' Staffel'' (6th squadron) on 16 September. His unit was subordinated to II. '' Gruppe'' (2nd group) of JG 26 and had just been equipped with the Focke Wulf Fw 190 A-1. The commanding officers were ''Oberleutnant'' Walter Schneider, '' Staffelkapitän'' (squadron leader), and '' Hauptmann'' Walter Adolph, the ''

Gruppenkommandeur ''Gruppenkommandeur'' is a Luftwaffe position (not rank), that is the equivalent of a commander of a group or wing in other air forces. A ''Gruppenkommandeur'' usually has the rank of Major or ''Oberstleutnant'' (Lieutenant Colonel), and commands ...

'' (group commander). Already two days later, Adolph was killed in action and replaced by ''Hauptmann''

Joachim Müncheberg Joachim Müncheberg (31 December 1918 – 23 March 1943) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot during World War II and an ace credited with 135 air victories. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Western Front, with 33 claims ov ...

. Vogt claimed his first victory when he shot down a

Royal Australian Air Force "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colours = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...

(RAAF)

Supermarine Spitfire The Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and other Allied countries before, during, and after World War II. Many variants of the Spitfire were built, from the Mk 1 to the Rolls-Royce Grif ...

fighter from No. 452 Squadron over

Calais Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's prefecture is its third-largest city of Arras. Th ...

on 6 November 1941. No. 452 Squadron was part of the Kenley Wing on a mission to attack targets of opportunity in northern France. Later that month, on 23 November, he claimed his second aerial victory when he shot down a Spitfire from the

No. 315 Polish Fighter Squadron No. 315 (City of Dęblin) Polish Fighter Squadron ( pl, 315 Dywizjon Myśliwski "Dębliński") was one of several Polish squadrons in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. It was formed as part of an agreement between the Pol ...

west of

Dunkirk Dunkirk (french: Dunkerque ; vls, label=French Flemish, Duunkerke; nl, Duinkerke(n) ; , ;) is a commune in the department of Nord in northern France.forced landing in his Fw 190 A-1 (''Werknummer'' 0013—factory number) at Abbeville-Drucat Airfield following combat with a Spitfire. Vogt, who was wounded in this encounter, was probably shot down by Warrant Officer L.N. Powell from No. 412 Squadron.

Defense of the Reich

On 17 August 1942, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) flew its first heavy bomber mission over Europe. As part of "Circuses" No. 204, 17 USAAF

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 ...

bombers, supported by four Spitfire squadrons from the Biggin Hill Wing and Tangmere Wing, attacked the

Rouen Rouen (, ; or ) is a city on the River Seine in northern France. It is the prefecture of the Regions of France, region of Normandy (administrative region), Normandy and the Departments of France, department of Seine-Maritime. Formerly one of ...

railroad yards. Scrambled to intercept this attackforce, Vogt claimed a Spitfire from either

No. 401 Squadron The numero sign or numero symbol, №, (also represented as Nº, No, No. or no.), is a typographic abbreviation of the word ''number''(''s'') indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, using the numero sign, ...

or No. 402 Squadron shot down in combat north-northwest of Fécamp. He claimed a Spitfire from No. 111 Squadron destroyed on 27 August. The Spitfire was on a fighter escort mission for bombers targeting the Luftwaffe airfield at Abbeville-Drucat and was shot down west of the

Baie de Somme Baie de Somme (''Bay of the Somme'' or ''Somme Bay'') is a large estuary in the Hauts-de-France region of France. The bay drains six rivers into the English Channel, principally the River Somme, and covers a total area of . The bay is noted for ...

. On 2 February 1943, Vogt was shot down in

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 an ...

G-4 (''Werknummer'' 16129) by Spitfires from No. 331 Squadron in combat near Ypres. Forced to

bail out A bailout is the provision of financial help to a corporation or country which otherwise would be on the brink of bankruptcy. A bailout differs from the term ''bail-in'' (coined in 2010) under which the bondholders or depositors of global syst ...

, he was wounded in the encounter. His victor may have been

Flight Lieutenant Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...

Helner Grundt-Spang. He claimed his first heavy bomber in Defense of the Reich on 22 June during the Battle of the Ruhr. That day, the USAAF VIII Bomber Command flew a mission to the Ruhr area. The primary target was the synthetic rubber plant at Hüls. Vogt shot down a B-17 bomber from either

381st Bombardment Group 381st may refer to: * 381st Bombardment Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit * 381st Fighter Squadron or 18th Reconnaissance Squadron, squadron of the United States Air Force *381st Intelligence Squadron, intelligence unit located at Joi ...

384th Bombardment Group 384th may refer to: *384th Air Expeditionary Group, provisional United States Air Force unit assigned to the Air Combat Command *384th Air Expeditionary Wing, inactive unit of the United States Air Force * 384th Air Refueling Squadron (384 ARS) is ...

west of Dunkirk. On 30 July, he was wounded again when he bailed out of his Fw 190 A-5 (''Werknummer'' 410006) following combat with a B-17 bomber northeast of Duisburg. A month later, he made a forced landing at Romilly after his Fw 190 A-4 (''Werknummer'' 42456) sustained combat damage. Vogt shot down Australian Flight Lieutenant

Tony Gaze Frederick Anthony Owen Gaze, (3 February 1920 – 29 July 2013) was an Australian fighter pilot and racing driver. He flew with the Royal Air Force in the Second World War, was a flying ace credited with 12.5 confirmed victories (11 and 3 shar ...

from No. 66 Squadron on 4 September near Le Tréport. Gaze was on a fighter escort mission for American Martin B-26 Marauder bombers and RAF Douglas A-20 Havoc,

Lockheed Ventura The Lockheed Ventura is a twin-engine medium bomber and patrol bomber of World War II. The Ventura first entered combat in Europe as a bomber with the RAF in late 1942. Designated PV-1 by the United States Navy (US Navy), it entered combat in 1 ...

and North American B-25 Mitchell bombers into northern France. Combatbox

On 28 January 1944, Vogt claimed a Spitfire from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) No. 403 Squadron in combat southwest of Albert.

Pilot Officer Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countri ...

Claude Weaver Claude Weaver (March 19, 1867 – May 19, 1954) was an American politician, judge, and U.S. Representative from Oklahoma. Biography Born in Gainesville, Texas, Weaver was the son of W. T. G. and Nancy Wilkin Fletcher Weaver, and attended the publ ...

was critically injured and died shortly after in a hospital. On 8 March, the Eighth Air Force, formerly known as VIII Bomber Command, targeted Berlin with 702 heavy bombers, in particular the ball bearing factory at

Erkner Erkner () is a town in the Oder-Spree District of Brandenburg, Germany, located on the south-eastern edge of the German capital city Berlin. Geography The town is located between the lakes Dämeritzsee, a part of the river Spree, and Flakense ...

. In total, 17 escort fighters and 37 bombers were lost, including two B-17 bombers credited to Vogt. The first B-17, from either 96th Bombardment Group or

388th Bombardment Group 388th may refer to: *388th Electronic Combat Squadron, inactive United States Air Force unit *388th Fighter Squadron or 132nd Fighter Wing (132d W), United States Air Force unit assigned to the Iowa Air National Guard, located at Des Moines Interna ...

was shot down southwest of Gardelegen. The second B-17 from the

452d Bombardment Group 45 may refer to: * 45 (number) * one of the years 45 BC, AD 45, 1945, 2045 Film * ''45'' (film), directed by Peter Coster (2009) * ''.45'' (film), directed by Gary Lennon (2006) Music * ''45'' (Jaguares album), 2008 * ''45'' (Kino album), 1982 * ...

, for which he received credit, was a ''Herausschuss'' (separation shot) claimed east of Nienburg. A ''Herausschuss'' was a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from its combat box which normally was counted as an aerial victory. Vogt was awarded the German Cross in Gold () on 20 March. On 12 April, Vogt was credited with two aerial victories over

Consolidated B-24 Liberator The Consolidated B-24 Liberator is an American heavy bomber, designed by Consolidated Aircraft of San Diego, California. It was known within the company as the Model 32, and some initial production aircraft were laid down as export models des ...

bombers from the 445th Bombardment Group. The next day, he was credited with his fifth aerial victory over a heavy bomber on 13 April 1944. That day, he claimed a ''Herausschuss'' over a B-17 in the vicinity of Trier. In May, he became an officer, attaining the rank of '' Leutnant'' (second lieutenant). After the Allies launched

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...

, the invasion of Normandy on 6 June,

Luftflotte Reich Luftflotte ReichFor an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organisation (Air Fleet ''Reich'') was one of the primary divisions of the German Luftwaffe in World War II. It was formed on February 5, 1944 in Berlin ...

sent additional units to the invasion front. By 8 June, ''Jagdgeschwader'' 1, ''Jagdgeschwader'' 3, ''Jagdgeschwader'' 11 and III. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 54 had arrived in France and were subordinated to ''Fliegerkorps'' II. II. ''Gruppe'' of JG 26 was fully operational at Guyancourt and flew multiple missions to the combat area that day. In the early morning, Vogt claimed a North American P-51 Mustang fighter from the RAF No. 168 Squadron. The P-51 had been on a tactical reconnaissance mission and was shot down north of

Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,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. Trans ...

Waldemar Radener Waldemar Radener (24 January 1921 – 8 January 1957) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 37 aerial victories, all of which claimed over the Western Front and in Defense of the Reich. ...

had been seriously wounded in aerial combat on 15 June. The Eighth Air Force and

Allied Expeditionary Air Force The Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF), also known as the Allied Armies’ Expeditionary Air Force (AAEAF), was the expeditionary warfare component of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF) which controlled the tactical ai ...

(AEAF) sent over a thousand bombers to support the breakout of

Normandy beachhead Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The operat ...

on 22 June. II. ''Gruppe'' of JG 26 was ordered to intercept the bombers and fighter escorts heading for Paris. During this mission, Vogt was credited with a ''Herausschuss'' over a B-17 near Paris. Command of 7. ''Staffel'' was officially handed to ''Leutnant'' Hans Prager on 15 August while Vogt was appointed ''Staffelkapitän'' of 5. ''Staffel'' of JG 26 on 14 August 1944, replacing ''Hauptmann'' Walter Matoni who was transferred. On 21 September, during the Battle of Arnhem, Vogt shot down an unarmed Douglas C-47 Skytrain transport aircraft on a mission to drop reinforcements for the British

1st Airborne Division 1st Division may refer to: Military Airborne divisions *1st Parachute Division (Germany) *1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) *1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine) *1st Guards Airborne Division Armoured divisions *1st Armoured Division (Australi ...

. On 23 September, the Allied flew resupplies to the combat area around Arnhem. The transport aircraft were protected by 519 fighters from the VIII Fighter Command and 40

Lockheed P-38 Lightning The Lockheed P-38 Lightning is an American single-seat, twin piston-engined fighter aircraft that was used during World War II. Developed for the United States Army Air Corps by the Lockheed Corporation, the P-38 incorporated a distinctive twi ...

fighters from the Ninth Air Force. German fighters dispatched by Luftflotte Reich never reached the transports. Over Goch, II. ''Gruppe'' intercepted a flight of P-51 fighters from the 352nd Fighter Group. For the loss of one of their own, II. ''Gruppe'' shot down four P-51 fighters, including two by Vogt. In November II. ''Gruppe'' was ordered to relocate to an airfield at Reinsehlen, south of Hamburg, where the pilots received the Fw 190 D-9, equipped with an inline engine. Vogt claimed his last aerial victory flying a radial engined Fw 190 A on 19 November when he shot down a Spitfire from RCAF No. 412 Squadron. On 25 November, two pilots of JG 26 were awarded the

(), Vogt for 46 aerial victories and ''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 ...

, the commander of I. ''Gruppe'', for 41 aerial victories. He claimed his 48th and last aerial victory on 26 December during the Siege of Bastogne as part of Battle of the Bulge. That day, he was credited with an Auster shot down near Bastogne.

Operation Bodenplatte and death

Vogt led 5. ''Staffel'' during Operation Bodenplatte on 1 January 1945, an attempt at gaining

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 c ...

during the stagnant stage of the Battle of the Bulge. II. ''Gruppe'', under the leadership of ''Major'' Anton Hackl was based at Nordhorn at attacked the Evere Airfield at Brussels. Together with III. ''Gruppe'', which was led by ''Hauptmann'' Walter Krupinski, the attack on Evere was the only successful mission. II. ''Gruppe'' lost 13 Fw 190s destroyed and two damaged. Nine of its pilots were missing; five were killed and four captured. While III. ''Gruppe'' lost six Bf 109s and four pilots, one of them was captured, the others were killed. Allied losses are given at Evere as 32 fighters, 22 twin-engine aircraft and 13 four-engine aircraft destroyed, plus another nine single-, six twin- and one four-engine aircraft damaged. On 14 January, during the retreat of German forces in the Ardennes, Vogt was shot down and killed by USAAF P-51 fighters of the

78th Fighter Group The 78th Fighter Group (78 FG) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the 78th Fighter Wing, at Hamilton Air Force Base, California. It was inactivated on 1 February 1961. During World War II the group was an Eighth ...

in his FW 190 D-9 (''Werknummer'' 210176) southeast of Cologne-Eil. That day, JG 26 lost 13 pilots killed in action, more than on any other day of the war.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Weal, Vogt was credited with 48 aerial victories. Obermaier also lists him with 48 aerial victories, all of which over the Western Allies, claimed in 174 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of ''Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims'', researched the

German Federal Archives The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv (BArch) (german: Bundesarchiv) are the National Archives of Germany. They were established at the current location in Koblenz in 1952. They are subordinated to the Federal Commissioner for Culture and t ...

and found records for 47 aerial victories, plus one further unconfirmed claim. All of his aerial victories were claimed over the Western Allies and includes eight four-engined bombers.

Awards

* Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 17 January 1944 as '' Feldwebel'' and pilot * German Cross in Gold on 20 March 1944 as ''Feldwebel'' in the 7./''Jagdgeschwader'' 26 *

on 25 November 1944 as '' Leutnant'' and ''

Staffelführer ''Staffelführer'' was one of the first paramilitary ranks used by the German ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) in the early years of that group's existence. The later SS rank of ''Staffelführer'' traces its origins to the First World War, where the tit ...

'' of the 5./''Jagdgeschwader'' 26 "Schlageter"

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Vogt, Heinz-Gerhard 1919 births 1945 deaths People from Lubin County People from the Province of Silesia Luftwaffe pilots German World War II flying aces Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Aviators killed by being shot down