Werner Junck (28 December 1895 – 6 August 1976) was a German general in 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 ...

and commander of

Fliegerführer Irak Flyer Command Iraq (german: link=no, Fliegerführer Irak) was a unit of the German Air Force (''Luftwaffe'') sent to Iraq in May 1941 as part of a German mission to support the regime of Rashid Ali during the Anglo-Iraqi War. The mission was par ...

. He claimed five aerial victories during

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 ...

Origin

Werner Junck was born in

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river. Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebur ...

, the

Province of Saxony The Province of Saxony (german: link=no, Provinz Sachsen), also known as Prussian Saxony () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1944. Its capital was Magdeburg. It was formed by the merge ...

, the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...

, the

German Empire The German Empire (),Herbert Tuttle wrote in September 1881 that the term "Reich" does not literally connote an empire as has been commonly assumed by English-speaking people. The term literally denotes an empire – particularly a hereditary ...

, on 28 December 1895.

Career

World War 1

He was interested in aviation before World War I, and learned to fly in 1913. However, he entered military service as an artillery officer as World War I began. In 1916, he was posted to ''Flieger-Abteilung'' (Flier Detachment) 33 of the ''Die Fliegertruppen'' (the flying troops).Franks et al 1993, p. 139. In October 1916, as ''Die Fliegertruppen'' morphed into 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 ...

'', Junck was transferred to a

fighter squadron A squadron in air force, army aviation, or naval aviation is a unit comprising a number of military aircraft and their aircrews, usually of the same type, typically with 12 to 24 aircraft, sometimes divided into three or four flights, dependi ...

, ''

Jagdstaffel 8 Royal Prussian Jagdstaffel 8 was a fighter squadron of the ''Luftstreitkräfte'', the air arm of the Imperial German Army during World War I. Although the ''Jasta'' went out of existence along with its parent units shortly after the Armistice endi ...

''. He scored his first aerial victory on 24 April 1917, downing a 20 Squadron FE.2d east of

Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality co ...

. He rose to command of the ''jasta'' on 4 April 1918 and stayed with it through war's end. Junck would be wounded three times and shoot down four SPADs in northern France before the

Armistice An armistice is a formal agreement of warring parties to stop fighting. It is not necessarily the end of a war, as it may constitute only a cessation of hostilities while an attempt is made to negotiate a lasting peace. It is derived from the La ...

. His five victories made him an ace. His three wounds qualified him for a Silver Wound Badge, though there is no record it was awarded to him.

Interwar period

Werner Junck was one of the instructors at the ''

s secret

Lipetsk fighter-pilot school The Lipetsk fighter-pilot school (german: Kampffliegerschule Lipezk), also known as WIWUPAL from its German codename ''Wissenschaftliche Versuchs- und Personalausbildungsstation'' "Scientific Experimental and Personnel Training Station", was a secr ...

in 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 ...

from 1925 to 1928. Junck also participated in the first, third and fourth FAI International Tourist Plane Contest

Challenge 1929 The Challenge 1929 was the first FAI International Tourist Plane Contest (french: Challenge International de Tourisme), that took place between August 4 and August 16, 1929 in Paris, France. Four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, were major aviation ...

(27th place)

Challenge 1932 The Challenge 1932 was the third FAI International Tourist Plane Competition (french: Challenge International de Tourisme), that took place between 12 and August 28, 1932 in Berlin, Germany. The four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, were major aviat ...

(14th place) and

Challenge 1934 The Challenge 1934 was the fourth and last FAI International Tourist Plane Contest (french: Challenge International de Tourisme), that took place between August 28 and September 16, 1934, in Warsaw, Poland. The four Challenges, from 1929 to 1934, w ...

(6th place). In 1934, he joined the nascent ''Luftwaffe'' at the rank of major. By 1938-1939, he was an ''

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 ...

'' commanding ''Jagdgruppe 334''.

World War 2

Junck's best-known role in

is commanding ''

'', the aerial component of '' Sonderstab F'', a military mission sent to Iraq in May 1941 to aid

Rashid Ali Rashid Ali al-Gaylaniin Arab standard pronunciation Rashid Aali al-Kaylani; also transliterated as Sayyid Rashid Aali al-Gillani, Sayyid Rashid Ali al-Gailani or sometimes Sayyad Rashid Ali el Keilany ("Sayyid, Sayyad" serves to address higher st ...

's rebel government after it forced out the pro-British regime the previous month. On 29 May they retreated from the country. Later in the war, he led forces in the fighting against the Allied forces in Normandy.

Later Years

In 1960 he was appointed honorary chairman of the ''Gemeinschaft der Jagdflieger'', the Association of Fighter Pilots.

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 ...

(1939) 2nd and 1st Class *

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 9 June 1944 as ''

Generalmajor is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-star ...

'' and commanding general of the II. JagdkorpsScherzer 2007, p. 425.

Endnotes

References

* Franks, Norman; Bailey, Frank W.; Guest, Russell (1993). ''Above the Lines: The Aces and Fighter Units of the German Air Service, Naval Air Service and Flanders Marine Corps, 1914–1918''. Oxford:Grub Street. , . * Krzyżan, Marian (1988). ''Międzynarodowe turnieje lotnicze 1929-1934''. Warsaw: WKiŁ. . * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Junck, Werner 1895 births 1976 deaths German World War I flying aces German test pilots Lieutenant generals of the Luftwaffe Luftwaffe World War II generals Generals of Aviators Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Luftstreitkräfte personnel Reichswehr personnel Prussian Army personnel Military personnel from Magdeburg People from the Province of Saxony Burials at Munich Waldfriedhof

Origin

Career

World War 1

Interwar period

World War 2

Later Years

Awards

See also

Endnotes

References