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Franz Eckerle - Pilot Profile - Franz Eckerle

No Photo Available

Victories : 59
-----------------------------
Country : Germany
Fought in : WW2
Fought for : Axis
Died : 14th February 1942


Awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron CrossAwarded Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross
Knights
Cross		Oak Leaves

Latest Axis Aviation Artwork !
In early May 1941, in conditions of strict secrecy because the United States was not yet at war, seventeen pilots of the US Navy had arrived in Britain and been attached to Catalina squadrons of Coastal Command. These experienced PBY pilots were there to assist the Royal Air Force to become familiar with the Catalina, and also to gain operational experience for the US Navy. On 26th May 1941 Catalina Z of No.209 Sqn, commanded by Flying Officer Dennis Briggs RAF, with Ensign Leonard B Smith USN as co-pilot, joined the search for the Bismarck. At 1015 the aircraft was being flown in poor visibility at an altitude of 500ft when Ensign Smith sighted the Bismarck at a range of eight miles. The Catalina was flown towards the contact so that a positive identification could be made and emerged from the cloud only 500 yards from the German ship. The aircraft met a hail of anti-aircraft fire but was able to make its escape. As a result of the sighting report from Catalina Z the Bismarck was again engaged by ships and aircraft of the Royal Navy and was sunk at 1040 on 27th May 1941. Leonard Smith can be considered therefore, the first American to be directly involved in action in World War Two. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (American) for his actions.

The Aircraft That Found the Bismarck by Ivan Berryman.		 One of the all time great fighter aces, Adolf Galland is depicted flying Bf 109E-4/N of Stab/JG26 in September 1940. Galland flew 705 combat missions during World War Two and was credited with a final tally of 104 aerial victories. He survived the war and died peacefully in February 1996.

Tribute to Generalleutnant Adolf Galland by Ivan Berryman.		 Walter Briegleb is shown in his Ju88 G.7 4R+BR as he stalks his prey - on this occasion a Lancaster. Flying below their target, his crew would aim upward firing cannon at the inner wing of the bomber, igniting the fuel tanks. For the bomber crews, they were very much defenceless against this type of attack, and often had no idea of the presence of an enemy aircraft in the dark.

Tribute to Walter Briegleb by Ivan Berryman.		 The attack by Leutnant Walter Briegleb and his crew on Lancaster Mk.III ND960 DX-I of No.57 Sqn early on 22nd May 1944. Flying Me110 with codes D5+BV with his crew of Feldwebel Walter Bräunlich and Bordfunker Feldwebel Brandt, Briegleb flew undetected beneath the bomber and used the deadly 'Schräge Musik' - upward firing cannon - to hit the fuel tanks in the port wing between the fuselage and inner engine. Pulling away, he watched the aircraft burn and could see both gunners in their turrets but no return fire came. He wondered why none of the crew escaped by parachute with the bomber doomed - it disintegrated in the air over the coast of the island of Fyn, Denmark, impacting near Emtekær at 00:44hrs.<br><br><center>All of the crew were killed :<br>Flight Lieutenant Arthur Richards (Pilot)<br>Flying Officer William Woodall (Navigator)<br>Pilot Officer Athur Bugden (Flight Engineer)<br>Sergeant Thomas Edwards (Wireless Operator)<br>Flying Officer George Ferguson (Air Bomber)<br>Sergeant Harold Griffiths (Air Gunner)<br>Sergeant Cyril Woodmass (Air Gunner)

The Hunted and the Hunter by Ivan Berryman.

Franz Eckerle

Squadrons for : Franz Eckerle
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Franz Eckerle. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
SquadronInfo

JG54


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG54		JG54

I./JG 54 was initially formed as I./JG 70 near Nuremberg in July 1939, just two short months before hostilities broke out. As was to become tradition within Grunherzgeschwader, the Gruppe took the Nurember coat-of-arms (a veritcally divided shield with a black heraldic bird on the left, and red and white diagonal stripes on the right) to represent the region the unit came from.

On September 15, 1939, I./JG 70 was redesignated I./JG 54

The initial unit designation for II./JG 54 was I./JG 138. This unit was raised in 1938 after the Austrian annexation. Naturally many Austrian nationals were recruited when I./JG 138 was formed. The Aspern coat of arms (black lion's head surmounting a white cross on a red field) was taken by the Gruppe for its identity.

I./JG 138 was briefly designated I./JG 76 before finally becoming II./JG 54 on April 6, 1940.

The III./JG 54 has its roots in Prussia. Initially I./JG 21, the members were drawn from the Jesau region in Prussia. The modified Jesau coat-of-arms (a shield with a Jesau cross with three diving aircraft on a red background, with a white outline on the shield) was adopted as the Gruppe's own.

On July 15, 1939, I./JG 21 was redesignated III./JG 54. However, the bureaucratic nature of the young Luftwaffe was such that it was over a year before records would reflect the new designation. Consequently, III./JG 54 fought in Poland and France as I./JG 21.


Kommodoren of JG 54 :

Major Martin Mettig; 2 Feb 40 to 25 Aug 40.
Oberst Hannes Trautloft; 25 Aug 40 to 5 Jul 43.
Major Hubertus von Bonin; 6 Jul 43 to 15 Dec 43.
Oberstleutnant Anton Mader; 28 Jan 44 to Sep 44.
Oberst Dieter Hrabak; 1 Oct 44 to 8 May 45.

Known Victory Claims - Franz Eckerle

DATE

PILOT

UNIT

JG

CLAIMED

LOCATION

TIME

FRONT

15/05/1940Oblt. Franz Eckerle3JG 76Spitfire-12Western Front
30/07/1940Oblt. Franz Eckerle6JG 54BlenheimVlissingen20.04Western Front
01/08/1940Oblt. Franz Eckerle6JG 54Blenheim5km vor Haamstede16.5Western Front
09/11/1940Oblt. Franz Eckerle6JG 54Spitfire3km E. Deal: 2000m11.45Western Front
22/06/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54SB-2-17.3Eastern Front
30/06/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54DB-3-6.5Eastern Front
30/06/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54DB-3-6.51Eastern Front
30/06/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54DB-3-12.32Eastern Front
02/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54SB-3-20.3Eastern Front
02/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54SB-3-20.32Eastern Front
02/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54SB-3-20.4Eastern Front
06/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54SB-2-4.05Eastern Front
07/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54DB-3-6.46Eastern Front
07/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54SB-3-15.5Eastern Front
17/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54SB-2-9.35Eastern Front
19/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54SB-2-20.45Eastern Front
19/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54SB-2-20.46Eastern Front
22/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-18-9.56Eastern Front
22/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-18-18.15Eastern Front
23/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-16-3.25Eastern Front
23/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-16-3.26Eastern Front
25/07/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54DB-3-7.55Eastern Front
10/08/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-16-4.1Eastern Front
12/08/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-18-12.35Eastern Front
12/08/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-153-17.45Eastern Front
14/08/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-16E. Petrowskoje11.15Eastern Front
18/08/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-18-12.15Eastern Front
22/08/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-16-19.18Eastern Front
22/08/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-16-19.21Eastern Front
23/08/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-16-18.5Eastern Front
03/09/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-18-11.3Eastern Front
08/09/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-18-13.3Eastern Front
08/09/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-18-13.4Eastern Front
15/09/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54I-18-17.2Eastern Front
17/09/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54-13.45Eastern Front
19/09/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54SB-3-7.07Eastern Front
19/09/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54SB-3-7.09Eastern Front
14/10/1941Hptm. Franz Eckerle6JG 54SB-3-15.3Eastern Front
01/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-16 Rata-10.35Eastern Front
01/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-16 Rata-10.42Eastern Front
01/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-153-14.08Eastern Front
07/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-16 Rata-14.5Eastern Front
13/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54SB-2-8.53Eastern Front
19/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-16 Rata-11.05Eastern Front
19/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54Il-2-11.1Eastern Front
21/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54Il-2-9.3Eastern Front
26/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-18-13.22Eastern Front
26/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-18-13.22Eastern Front
28/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-180-9.03Eastern Front
28/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-180-9.06Eastern Front
28/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-18-12.06Eastern Front
28/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-180-9.03Eastern Front
28/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-180-9.06Eastern Front
28/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-18-12.06Eastern Front
30/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-18-11.11Eastern Front
30/01/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-18-11.11Eastern Front
03/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-18-9.25Eastern Front
03/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-26-9.45Eastern Front
03/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-18-9.25Eastern Front
03/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-26-9.45Eastern Front
05/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-18-15.37Eastern Front
05/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-18-15.37Eastern Front
06/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-18-11.25Eastern Front
06/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-18-11.25Eastern Front
07/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-16 Rata-9.15Eastern Front
07/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54U-2-13Eastern Front
07/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54Il-2-15.42Eastern Front
07/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-16 Rata-9.15Eastern Front
07/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54U-2-13Eastern Front
07/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54Il-2-15.42Eastern Front
14/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-153-14.25Eastern Front
14/02/1942Hptm. Franz EckerleStab I.JG 54I-153-14.25Eastern Front

Known Claims : 72

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