Werner Mölders
Werner Mölders 18 March1913(1913-03-18) – 22 November1941(aged 28)Werner Mölders Nickname Vati ("Pappy" or "Daddy") Place of birth Gelsenkirchen, WestphaliaPlace of death BreslauAllegiance Nazi GermanyService/branch LuftwaffeYears of service 1935–1941 Rank Oberst(Colonel) Unit Condor Legion, JG 53, JG 51 Commands held III./JG 53, JG 51Battles/wars Spanish Civil War
World War II Awards Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds
Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten
Werner Mölders (March 18, 1913 – November 22, 1941) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace. He became the first pilot in history to score 100 aerial kills. His final total stood at 101 victories in World War II as well as 14 in the Spanish Civil War. He rose quickly through the ranks, gaining command of a Geschwader (Fighter Wing) at age 27, and promotion to Oberst and appointment as Inspector General of Fighters at age 28.
Contents
- 1 Early life
- 2 Condor Legion
- 3 World War II
- 4 Legacy
- 5 See also
- 6 Awards
- 7 Notes
- 8 References
- 9 External links
Early life
Mölders was born on 18 March 1913 in Gelsenkirchen, the son of teacher Viktor Mölders and his wife Annemarie Mölders, née Riedel. His father was killed in action on 2 March 1915 as a Leutnant of the Reserve in an infantry regiment in the Forest of Argonne, France.[1] From 1919 until 1931 Mölders attended the Grundschule and "Saldria-Gymnasiums" in Brandenburg an der Havel. He graduated in early 1931 with the Abitur.[1]
Joining the army on 1 April 1931, Mölders served as an officer cadet in the infantry. In 1934 he requested a transfer to the newly created Luftwaffe. At his first attempt to join, in 1935, he was declared unfit for flying. He tried again and was given conditional permission to begin flying training. Nausea and vomiting assailed him constantly, but he eventually overcame them. On 1 July 1935 Leutnant Mölders was posted to Fliegergruppe Schwerin, and he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 334 on 15 March 1936. He then served as an instructor at Wiesbaden.
Condor Legion
In 1936 the Spanish Civil War began. The Germans sent a Luftwaffe force, the Condor Legion, to assist the Falangists. In 1938 Mölders volunteered for the Condor Legion and arrived by sea in Cadiz on 14 April 1938, taking over from Adolf Galland at the head of the 3. Staffel J/88.[2] During the Spanish Civil War he showed considerable qualities not only as a pilot and marksman but also as a tactician and operational planner. A devout Roman Catholic and humanitarian,[citation needed] Mölders often incurred the displeasure of the higher command, although ultimately his military talents overcame any theological problems with authority. Together with other airmen, in Spain he developed the technique known as the finger four which improved a Flight's (Schwarm) all-round vision and encouraged the pilots' initiative.
From mid-1938 to the end of the year Mölders became the leading ace of the Condor legion, claiming fourteen aircraft shot down in Spain: four Polikarpov I-15 Chato and ten I-16 Mosca, most while flying the new Messerschmitt Bf 109. At the end of the year he returned to Germany with a glowing reputation and a maturity beyond his years and rank. In 1939 he was promoted to Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 53,[3] and was known by those under his command as Vati (Daddy) Mölders.[citation needed]
World War II
Phoney War and the Battle of France
Mölders shot down his first aircraft of the Second World War on September 20, 1939, and in October he went on to command III./JG 53 as Gruppenkommandeur. On May 27, 1940, after his twentieth victory, he was promoted to Hauptmann and became the first fighter pilot to be awarded the Knight's Cross. He was shot down in combat on June 5, 1940 by a French Air Force Dewoitine D.520 and taken prisoner.[4] He was liberated two weeks later upon the armistice with France.
Battle of Britain
Returning to Germany, Mölders was promoted to Major and given command of JG 51 as Geschwaderkommodore on 27 July 1940. According to legend, Mölders was hit in a dogfight over Dover with the South African ace Sailor Malan the following day. Wounded, Mölders managed to make an emergency landing at Wissant, France.[5] Recent research seems to suggest Mölders was actually wounded in combat with F/Lt J.L. Webster in a Spitfire of 41 Squadron.[6] His wound, although not serious, kept Mölders from further operational flying for a month. Mölders had some 55 kills by the end of 1940 (25 in the Battle of France, 30 in the Battle of Britain). Continuing operations against the RAF over the Channel and occupied France during early 1941, by May his victory claims totaled 68.
Werner Mölders' Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 in 1941Eastern Front
In June 1941 JG 51 transferred to the Eastern front. The first day of combat operations resulted in Mölders shooting down three Tupolev SB bombers. On June 30, Mölders became the highest-scoring fighter pilot in history after downing five Soviet bombers[7] and bringing his score to 82, two more than the record set in World War I by Manfred von Richthofen, the "Red Baron".[8] Following the start of operations on 22 June 1941, Mölders destroyed 27 Soviet aircraft in 23 days which brought his score up to 101 on July 15.[9] Mölders thus became the first pilot in history to reach that milestone figure, and he added Diamonds to the Oak Leaves with Swords on his Ritterkreuz the first German serviceman to receive the award. He was also personally ordered by Hermann Göring not to fly in combat anymore.
High Command
An Oberst at 28, Mölders was appointed Inspector General of Fighters, a post responsible for deciding the ongoing tactical and operational doctrine of the Luftwaffe's fighter strategies. Returning to Russia in September 1941, he set up a command post at Chaplinka airfield, from where he flew in his personal Fieseler Fi 156 'Storch' on tours of the Jagdwaffe and personally directed German fighter operations. He also flew unofficially on missions, and actively commanded JG 51 for several more months. On 9 August 1941 he took Herbert Kaiser on a mission against a formation of IL-2 Stormoviks. Mölders showed Kaiser how to shoot them down, hitting one behind the cockpit, where a fuel tank was located. The machine crashed. Kaiser then repeated what he had seen, and shot down two more.[10] Within the next two months it is suggested he unofficially shot down a further 30 or so Soviet aircraft. At least six victories are recorded in his fellow pilots' private log books.[11]
Mölders was a devoutly religious individual who demanded that all Allied aviators captured by those under his command be treated civilly, and often would invite captured pilots to dine with him.[12]
Death
Mölders married Luise Baldauf, born Thurner, on 13 September 1941. Together they had a daughter, Verena. Mölders never got to see his daughter.[13] On November 22, 1941 he was flying as a passenger in a Heinkel He 111 from the Crimea to Germany to attend the funeral of his superior and friend, Ernst Udet. Attempting to land at Breslau during a thunderstorm, the aircraft crashed. Mölders and the pilot were killed.
Legacy
Werner Mölders grave on the Invalidenfriedhof BerlinOn April 13, 1968, a destroyer of the Federal German Navy was christened Mölders. It was in service between 1969 and 2003. As of June 24, 2005 it is the central attraction at the Navy Museum in Wilhelmshaven.
On November 9, 1972 a base of a Battalion of the 34th Signal Regiment of the Federal German Army received the name "Mölders".
The Fighter Squadron 74 (Jagdgeschwader (JG) 74), stationed in Neuburg an der Donau received the name "Mölders" in 1973. In 2005 the German Ministry of Defence (Bundesministerium der Verteidigung) decided to remove the name "Mölders" from the JG 74. This was done in accordance with a decision from the German Parliament (Bundestag) in 1998 due to the 61st Anniversary of the bombing of the town of Guernica in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. According to Parliament, members of the Condor Legion, such as Mölders, should "not be honoured any more".
Despite doubts as to Mölders' participation in the bombing of Guernica, as well as his political opinions towards National Socialism, and a significant number of petitions from politicians and high-ranking active and retired servicemen, a Report[14] from the Office for Military History (Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt) in Potsdam was published concluding that it was questionable whether Mölders had distanced himself enough from National Socialism and the decision remained.
In March 2005 over 100 German military officers signed an open letter protesting the intention of the German Defence Minister to enact a 1998 law banning the honouring of any German volunteer who served with the Condor Legion.[15]
See also
Awards
- Spanish Medalla de la Campagana (4 May 1939)
- Spanish Medalla Militar (4 May 1939)
- Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds (6 June 1939)
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold and Diamonds
- Wound Badge in Black
- Pilot and Observer Badge in Gold with Diamonds
- Iron Cross
- 2nd Class (20 September 1939)
- 1st Class (2 April 1940)
- Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
- Mentioned eleven times in the Wehrmachtbericht (29 May 1940, 6 September 1940, 25 September 1940, 23 October 1940, 26 October 1940, 11 February 1941, 27 February 1941, 18 April 1941, 23 June 1941, 1 July 1941, 16 July 1941)
Notes
- ^ a b Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 31
- ^ Jagdgruppe 88, four squadrons equipped with the Heinkel He 51
- ^ For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
- ^ Hooton 2007, p. 65
- ^ Kaplan 2007, p. 56.
- ^ Shores & Williams, Aces High, p. 622
- ^ Bergström 2007, p. 27.
- ^ Weal 2001, p. 22.
- ^ Weal 2001, p. 18.
- ^ Weal 2003, p. 29.
- ^ Weal 2007, p.11.
- ^ Weal 2006, p.120.
- ^ Obermaier and Held 1996, p. 35, 209
- ^ Militärgeschichtliches Forschungsamt, 2004: Compilation of documents about Werner Mölders (in German)
- ^ Kaplan 2007, p. 51.
References
- Berger, Florian (2006). Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Selbstverlag Florian Berger. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5. (popular science)
- Bergström, Christer (2007). Barbarossa - The Air Battle: July-December 1941. London: Chervron/Ian Allen. ISBN 978-1-85780-270-2.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5. (popular science)
- Hooton, E.R (2007). Luftwaffe at War; Gathering Storm 1933-39: Volume 1. London: Chervron/Ian Allen. ISBN 978-1-903223-71-7.
- Obermaier, Ernst and Held, Werner (1996). Jagdflieger Oberst Werner Mölders - Bilder und Dokumente. Motorbuch Verlag Stuttgart, 4. Edition. ISBN 3-87943-869-2. (popular science)
- Weal, John. Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front (2001). Oxford, UK: Ospery. ISBN 1-84176-084-6
- Weal, John. More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front (2007). Oxford, UK: Ospery. ISBN 978-1-84603-177-9
- Weal, John. Jagdgeschwader 51 ‘Mölders’. (2006). Oxford, UK: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-84603-045-1
External links
- Aces of the Luftwaffe Mölders bio
- Werner Mölders over the Eastern Front
- Official Report from the MGFA the Office for Military History (In German)
Oberst Theo OsterkampCommander of Jagdgeschwader 51Mölders
July 27, 1940- July 19, 1941Succeeded by
Obstlt Friedrich BeckhPreceded by
Generalmajor Kurt-Bertram von DöringInspekteur der Jagdflieger
August 7, 1941- November 22, 1941Succeeded by
Generalleutnant Adolf Galland
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