Generalmajor (Major General) Hermann Frommherz (10 August 1891 – 30 December 1964)
Military Order of St. Henry
The Military Order of St. Henry (''Militär-St. Heinrichs-Orden'') was a military order of the Kingdom of Saxony, a member state of the German Empire. The order was the oldest military order of the states of the German Empire. It was founded on O ...
,
Royal House Order of Hohenzollern
The House Order of Hohenzollern (german: Hausorden von Hohenzollern or ') was a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Hohenzollern awarded to military commissioned officers and civilians of comparable status. Associated with the various v ...
, Knight's Cross of the
Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order
The Military Karl-Friedrich Merit Order (german: Militär Karl-Friedrich-Verdienstorden) was a military order of merit of the Grand Duchy of Baden. Established 5 October 1805 by Charles Frederick, Elector and later Grand Duke of Baden, the orde ...
, began his military career in World War I as a German
ace
An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...
fighter pilot. He was credited with 32 victories. During World War II he was involved in the German takeover of Czechoslovakia and rose to become a
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 ...
Generalmajor.
Early life
Hermann Frommherz was born in
Waldshut, in the
Baden
Baden (; ) is a historical territory in South Germany, in earlier times on both sides of the Upper Rhine but since the Napoleonic Wars only East of the Rhine.
History
The margraves of Baden originated from the House of Zähringen. Baden is ...
region of Germany near the Swiss border. He studied engineering in Stuttgart. In late 1911, he joined the
Mecklenburg-Schwerin
The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was a duchy in northern Germany created in 1701, when Frederick William and Adolphus Frederick II divided the Duchy of Mecklenburg between Schwerin and Strelitz. Ruled by the successors of the Nikloting Hous ...
Jäger-Bataillon Nr. 14 in the
Prussian Army
The Royal Prussian Army (1701–1919, german: Königlich Preußische Armee) served as the army of the Kingdom of Prussia. It became vital to the development of Brandenburg-Prussia as a European power.
The Prussian Army had its roots in the co ...
. In the reserves when World War I began, he was mobilized in July 1914. He served in France with Regiment Nr. 14 and was promoted to
Vizefeldwebel
''Feldwebel '' (Fw or F, ) is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in several countries. The rank originated in Germany, and is also used in Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The rank has also been used in Russia, Austria-Hungary, occup ...
(non-commissioned officer). He was transferred to Infantry Regiment Nr. 250, which went into combat in Russia. Frommherz earned the Second Class
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 ...
in February 1915. By April 1915, he was with the 113th Infantry Regiment. On 1 June 1915, he transferred to aviation service.
[Franks, VanWyngarden 2003, p. 81.][Franks et al 1993, pp. 111–112.]
World War I aerial service
Frommherz began as a two-seater pilot with the ''
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, alt ...
's'' ''Kampfstaffel'' (Tactical Bomber Squadron) 20 of ''Kagohl IV'', at the
Battle of Verdun
The Battle of Verdun (french: Bataille de Verdun ; german: Schlacht um Verdun ) was fought from 21 February to 18 December 1916 on the Western Front in France. The battle was the longest of the First World War and took place on the hills north ...
and over the
Somme River
The Somme ( , , ) is a river in Picardy, northern France.
The river is in length, from its source in the high ground of the former at Fonsomme near Saint-Quentin, to the Bay of the Somme, in the English Channel. It lies in the geological ...
. He was
commissioned as a Leutnant on 1 August 1916. Kasta 20 then moved to serve in Romania in December 1916, before being posted onward to Macedonia and
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki (; el, Θεσσαλονίκη, , also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece, with over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area, and the capi ...
, Greece.
[
On 3 March 1917, Frommherz was assigned to '']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 ...
'';[ this elite squadron had been led by aviation tactical and strategic pioneer ]Oswald Boelcke
Oswald Boelcke PlM (; 19 May 1891 – 28 October 1916) was a World War I German professional soldier and pioneering flying ace credited with 40 aerial victories. Boelcke is honored as the father of the German fighter air force, and of air ...
and had been named for him after he was killed in action. Flying a light blue Albatros D.III
The Albatros D.III was a biplane fighter aircraft used by the Imperial German Army Air Service ('' Luftstreitkräfte'') during World War I. A modified licence model was built by Oeffag for the Austro-Hungarian Air Service ( ''Luftfahrtruppen''). ...
nicknamed "Blaue Maus", Frommherz scored his first victory on 11 April 1917 – a No 23 Squadron RFC SPAD VII
The SPAD S.VII was the first of a series of highly successful biplane fighter aircraft produced by ''Société Pour L'Aviation et ses Dérivés'' (SPAD) during the First World War. Like its successors, the S.VII was renowned as a sturdy and r ...
– and a Royal Aircraft Factory BE 2e as his second on the 14th.[ Both times, he forced the plane to land and the English pilot or crew were taken prisoner.
Frommherz was injured in a crash on 1 May 1917. By October, when he had recovered, he was seconded to instructor duty with FEA 3. In December, he received ]Lübeck
Lübeck (; Low German also ), officially the Hanseatic City of Lübeck (german: Hansestadt Lübeck), is a city in Northern Germany. With around 217,000 inhabitants, Lübeck is the second-largest city on the German Baltic coast and in the stat ...
's Hanseatic Cross
The Hanseatic Cross (German: ''Hanseatenkreuz'') was a military decoration of the three Hanseatic city-states of Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck, who were members of the German Empire during World War I. Each republic established its own version of ...
.[
Upon Frommherz's return on 1 March 1918 to ''Jasta 2'' to fly a ]Fokker Dr.I
The Fokker Dr.I (''Dreidecker'', "triplane" in German), often known simply as the Fokker Triplane, was a World War I fighter aircraft built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. The Dr.I saw widespread service in the spring of 1918. It became famous as the ...
Triplane on 1 March 1918, he began a string of 30 victories that ran from 3 June 1918 until the war's end. He had two victories in June, six each in July and August, ten in September, four in October, and two on 4 November. Notable among his kills were the half dozen against the formidable Bristol F.2 Fighter
The Bristol F.2 Fighter is a British First World War two-seat biplane fighter and reconnaissance aircraft developed by Frank Barnwell at the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It is often simply called the Bristol Fighter, ''"Brisfit"'' or ''"Bif ...
s. In the midst of his victory string, on 29 July 1918, he succeeded Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring (or Goering; ; 12 January 1893 – 15 October 1946) was a German politician, military leader and convicted war criminal. He was one of the most powerful figures in the Nazi Party, which ruled Germany from 1933 to 1 ...
as commanding officer of ''Jagdstaffel 27
Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 27 (german: Königliche Preussische Jagdstaffel Nr. 27), commonly abbreviated to ''Jasta'' 27, was a "hunting group" ( fighter squadron) of the '' Luftstreitkräfte'', the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World ...
''.[
Leutnant Frommherz had a good reputation as a commanding officer. Ernst de Ridder, when newly assigned to the Jasta, claimed he was allowed to retrain himself from the Fokker Dr.1 to 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 ...
, then nurse-maided into combat with an experienced pilot to watch over him. As de Ridder stated, "He was so concerned about his boys." When de Ridder was wounded, Frommherz brought de Ridder's newly awarded 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 ...
to the hospital.
De Ridder left a description of Frommherz's 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 ...
insignia. It consisted of the yellow nose and tail common to his Jasta, along with red and black chevrons of a 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 ...
(squadron leader) painted on top of the upper wing.[Franks, VanWyngarden 2003, p. 82.]
Frommherz's blooming career now garnered him the Knight's Cross with Swords of the House Order of Hohenzollern
The House Order of Hohenzollern (german: Hausorden von Hohenzollern or ') was a dynastic order of knighthood of the House of Hohenzollern awarded to military commissioned officers and civilians of comparable status. Associated with the various ...
on 30 September 1918, when his victory total stood at 26. The following month, he received the Knight's Cross of the Grand Duchy of Baden's Karl Friedrich Military Merit Order. At some point, he had also been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Military Order of Saint Henry from the Kingdom of Saxony. Frommherz was also nominated for the Pour le Merite
Pour may refer to these people:
* Kour Pour (born 1987), British artist of part-Iranian descent
* Mehdi Niyayesh Pour (born 1992), Iranian footballer
* Mojtaba Mobini Pour (born 1991), Iranian footballer
* Pouya Jalili Pour (born 1976), Iranian si ...
, having scored the required 20 victories; however, the award was still unapproved upon the Kaiser's abdication. Despite this non-award, Frommherz was seen wearing the decoration after the war;[ he had certainly fulfilled the criteria for it.
]
After World War I
Postwar, Frommherz was active in the German Police Aviation Service. He also flew mail for Deutsche Luftreederei, a predecessor to Deutsche Luft Hansa
''Deutsche Luft Hansa A.G.'' (from 1933 styled as ''Deutsche Lufthansa'' and also known as ''Luft Hansa'', ''Lufthansa'', or DLH) was a German airline, serving as flag carrier of the country during the later years of the Weimar Republic and th ...
. In 1920, he returned to Baden as technical chief at the new airfield at Lorach.[
Beginning in 1922, the German high command ran a secret training site 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. Populatio ...
in the Soviet Union. Frommherz became an instructor there in 1925. He was also an instructor in China. From 1931 to 1932, he taught the pilots of Chiang Kai-shek
Chiang Kai-shek (31 October 1887 – 5 April 1975), also known as Chiang Chung-cheng and Jiang Jieshi, was a Chinese Nationalist politician, revolutionary, and military leader who served as the leader of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1928 ...
's new air force fighter tactics.[
Frommherz returned to Germany to join the nascent ]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 ...
. He was Commanding Officer of I Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 134
''Jagdgeschwader'' 134 (JG 134) "Horst Wessel" was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing prior to World War II. JG 134 was formed on 4 January 1936 with III. ''Gruppe'' in Döberitz. The ''Geschwader'' was given the honorific name Horst Wessel on 24 March 1 ...
("Horst Wessel") from September 1938 until 1 November 1938 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 Swedis ...
; when it was reconstituted as JG 142, he continued in command until the first day of 1939.[Development of Luftwaffe fighter aircraft in 1937-39 years. https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ru&u=http://wunderwaffe.narod.ru/HistoryBook/LuftAces/Day/06.htm&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=6&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522hermann%2BFrommherz%2522%26start%3D60%26hl%3Den%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26channel%3Ds%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-US:official%26sa%3DN] As such, he was involved in the German invasion and conquest of Czechoslovakia, which had the code name Fall Grün (Case Green).
As a Major General, he was Commander of Jagdfliegerführer Deutsche Bucht
''Jagdfliegerführer Deutsche Bucht''A Jagdfliegerführer, or Jafü, was the commander of the Fighter forces of a ''Luftflotte''. For more details see Luftwaffe Organization (Fighter Leader German Bight) was one of the primary divisions of the Germ ...
from 1 April until 30 September 1942, following Werner Junck
Werner Junck (28 December 1895 – 6 August 1976) was a German general in the Luftwaffe during World War II and commander of Fliegerführer Irak. He claimed five aerial victories during World War I.
Origin
Werner Junck was born in Magdeburg, th ...
.
Post World War II
Hermann Frommherz returned to civic affairs in his native town of Waldshut.
He died of a heart attack on 30 December 1964.[
]
Inline citations
See also
* Jagdfliegerführer Deutsche Bucht
''Jagdfliegerführer Deutsche Bucht''A Jagdfliegerführer, or Jafü, was the commander of the Fighter forces of a ''Luftflotte''. For more details see Luftwaffe Organization (Fighter Leader German Bight) was one of the primary divisions of the Germ ...
Accessed 6 November 2008.
References
* 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. , .
* Franks, Norman. ''Albatros Aces of World War 1''. Osprey Publishing, 2000. , .
* Franks, Norman; VanWyngarden, Greg. ''Fokker D VII Aces of World War 1''. Osprey Publishing, 2003. , .
*
* VanWyngarden, Greg; Dempsey, Harry. ''Jagdstaffel 2 Boelcke: Von Richthofen's Mentor''. Osprey Publishing, 2007. , .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frommherz
1891 births
1964 deaths
People from Waldshut-Tiengen
German World War I flying aces
Luftwaffe World War II generals
Recipients of the Iron Cross (1914), 2nd class
Recipients of the Hanseatic Cross (Lübeck)
Luftstreitkräfte personnel
People from the Grand Duchy of Baden
Major generals of the Luftwaffe
Military personnel from Baden-Württemberg