Hermann Buchner (pilot)

Hermann Buchner
Born (1919-10-30)30 October 1919
Salzburg/Austria
Died 1 December 2005(2005-12-01) (aged 86)
Hörsching/Linz
Allegiance First Austrian Republic
 Federal State of Austria
 Nazi Germany
 Austria
Service/branch  Luftwaffe
Austrian Air Force
Years of service 1937–1945, 1955–1979
Rank Leutnant (Wehrmacht)
Oberst (Bundesheer)
Unit SG 1, SG 2, JG 7
Battles/wars

World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Hermann Buchner (30 October 1919 to 1 December 2005) was a former German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Buchner is credited with 46 tank victories and 58 aerial victories, including 12 while flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter, accumulated in 631 combat missions.[Notes 1]

Career

Buchner flew his first combat mission on the Me 262 on 26 November 1944 and claimed a P-38 Lightning shot down. He flew further 19 missions on the Me 262 and claimed eleven more aircraft shot down.[1]

Buchner, in the two years following World War II, served as an observer in the weather service of the American occupation forces. He helped found the Aero-Club Salzburg and worked as a flight instructor at glider school Zell am See. Austria regained its political autonomy in 1955 and Buchner joined the newly emerging Austrian Luftwaffe as a flight instructor and officer. Buchner was one of the first pilots trained on the British DH 115 "Vampire" and later the Swedish Saab J-29. He served as a technical officer in the Jagdbomber-Schulstaffel (ground attack training squadron) in Graz under command of Major Karl "Charly" Bleckl. Promoted to Oberstleutnant and staff officer in Jagdbombergeschwader 1 and at the same time surrogate of commander Oberst Bleckl he was made commander of the airfield at Linz-Hörsching in 1979. Buchner retired from active service one year later.[1]

Awards

Hermann Buchner had been nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The nomination was not processed before the end of World War II in Europe.[2]

Notes

  1. ↑ For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see List of German World War II jet aces
  2. ↑ According to Scherzer in the II./SG 2 "Immmelmann"[5]

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Berger and Habisohn 2003, p. 35.
  2. 1 2 Obermaier 1989, p. 96.
  3. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 65.
  4. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 148.
  5. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 249.

Bibliography

  • Berger, Florian; Habisohn, Christian (2003). Ritterkreuzträger im Österreichischen Bundesheer 1955–1985 [Knight's Cross Bearers of the Austrian Armed Forces 1955–1985] (in German). Vienna, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 978-3-9501307-2-0. 
  • Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 [These were the German Stuka Aces 1939 – 1945] (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6. 
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • Morgan, Hugh; Weal, John (1998). German Jet Aces of World War 2. London, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-634-5. 
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3. 
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
  • Buchner, Hermann (2000) "Stormbird" publisher:Crecy Classic ISBN 978-0-85979-140-3
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