Search results
Bruno Loerzer (22 January 1891 – 23 August 1960) was a German air force officer during World War I and World War II. Credited with 44 aerial victories during World War I, he was one of Germany's leading flying aces, as well as commander of one of the first Imperial German Air Service Jagdeschwaders .
Bruno Loerzer was a German pilot who scored 44 victories in World War I and received the Pour le Merite, the highest military award. He also played a key role in rebuilding the Luftwaffe after the war and was a friend of Hermann Goring.
Bruno Loerzer (22 January 1891 – 23 August 1960) was a German air force officer during World War I and World War II. Credited with 44 aerial victories during World War I, he was one of Germany's leading flying aces, as well as commander of one of the first Imperial German Air Service Jagdeschwaders.
Bruno Loerzer was a German fighter pilot who shot down 44 enemy aircraft during World War I. He flew with various units, including Jasta 26, JG III and KEK, and was wounded in action in 1918.
- Overview
- Career
- Awards and decorations
- References
Bruno Loerzer (22 January 1891 - 23 August 1960) was an officer in the German Luftstreitkräfte during World War I and Luftwaffe during World War II.
Born in Berlin, Loerzer was a prewar army officer who learned to fly in 1914. Hermann Göring flew as Loerzer's observer from 28 October 1914 until late June 1915. Transferring to fighters, Loerzer flew with two Jagdstaffeln in 1916 before joining Jagdstaffel 26 in January 1917. By then he had scored two victories over French aircraft. His tally reached 20 victories at the end of October and he received the Pour le Mérite in February 1918.
The same month, he took command of the newly formed Jagdgeschwader III, the third of Germany's famed "flying circuses." His aces included his brother Fritz, who claimed 11 victories. Leading Jasta 26 and three other squadrons, with Hermann Dahlmann's support as adjutant and wingman, Loerzer proved a successful wing commander. Equipped with the new BMW-engined Fokker D.VII, JG III cut a wide swath through Allied formations in the summer of 1918, and his own score mounted steadily. He achieved his last ten victories in September when he reached his final score of 44 victories. Shortly before the armistice, he was promoted to Hauptmann (captain).
Loerzer illegally fought with the Freikorps from December 1918 until March 1920, helping to create an atmosphere of chaos and lawlessness in Germany. He commanded FA 427 in the Baltic area, supporting the Eiserne Division in the tactical air role.
During the 1930s he was a leader in various civil aviation organizations (National Socialist Flying Corps: NSFK), and rejoined the Luftwaffe in 1935 with the rank of Oberst (colonel).
Loerzer benefited from his long friendship with Göring, becoming Inspector of Fighters with rank of major general in 1938. During the early war years he was commander of II Fliegerkorps (Air Corps), being awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) in May 1940.
His II Air Corps participated in the invasion of Russia in the summer of 1941, as a section of Kesselring's 2nd Air Fleet—in support of Fieldmarshall von Bock.
•Iron Cross (1914)
•2nd Class
•1st Class
•Knight's Cross Second Class of the Order of the Zähringer Lion with Swords
•Knight's Cross of the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern with Swords
•Pour le Mérite on 12 February 1918 as Oberleutnant and leader of Jagdstaffel 26
•Norman Franks et al. (1993). Above the Lines: A Complete Record of the Fighter Aces of the German *Air Service, Naval Air Service, and Flanders Marine Corps 1914-1918. Grub Street, London.
•Anthony Kemp (1982, 1990 reprint). German Commanders of World War II. Osprey Pub., London.
•(in German) Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, 1 September 1939 to 31 December 1941]. München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.
Recipients of the Combined Pilots-Observation Badge in Gold with Diamonds
•Karl Angerstein
•Ion Antonescu
In the First World War, Bruno Loerzer became a fighter ace credited with 44 confirmed aerial victories while flying for the German Luftstreitkräfte .
People also ask
Who was Bruno Loerzer?
How old was Loerzer when he died?
Who was general Loerzer and what did he do?
What role did Loerzer play in WW2?
Februar bis 11. November 1918 Kommandeur des Jagdgeschwaders III (JG III), erzielte im gesamten Krieg 44 Abschüsse und war damit einer der erfolgreichsten deutschen Jagdpiloten. Nach 1918 kämpfte Loerzer in verschiedenen Freikorps im Baltikum, ehe er am 31. März 1920 als Hauptmann aus der Reichswehr entlassen wurde.
