Kurt Brändle

Kurt-Werner Brändle (19 January 1912 – 3 November 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 180 enemy aircraft shot down in over 700 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, with 25 claims over the Western Front. He was "ace-in-a-day" three times, shooting down five or more aircraft on a single day.

Born in Ludwigsburg, Brändle, who already was a civilian motor-powered aircraft and glider pilot, volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1935. He was posted to Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) in 1939 and claimed 14 aerial victories on the Western Front. In May 1942 he was given command of II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing). Fighting on the Eastern Front, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 July 1942 after 49 aerial victories. In July and August 1942, he claimed a further 50 aerial victories in the southern sector of the Eastern Front. After claiming his 100th aerial victory he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 27 August 1942.

On 5 July 1943 during the Battle of Kursk, Brändle achieved his 150th aerial victory and in August 1943 was transferred to the Western Front fighting in Defense of the Reich. There Brändle was killed in action on 3 November 1943 west of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. His body was washed ashore near Zandvoort on 30 December 1943.

Early life and career Brändle was born on 19 January 1912 in Ludwigsburg in the Kingdom of Württemberg, a federated state of the German Empire. His father was a Meister, a master craftsman, in the field of precision mechanics. Following school, Brändle learned the trade of a surgical instrument maker and worked in his father's firm.

Since his early youth he was very enthusiastic about flying and volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe of the Third Reich on 10 December 1935. There he participated in a number of exercises and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) of the Reserves on 1 December 1936. In his civilian life, Brändle attained a pilot license and worked as a flight instructor. As an instructor, he trained roughly 150 students and logged more than 6,000 starts and 8,000 flight hours before he became a military aviator. In addition to his passion for motor power flight, he was also a glider pilot.

In early 1937 Brändle passed his Meister examination in aircraft construction and in the same year was trained as a fighter pilot with Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel" (JG 134—134th Fighter Wing), named after the martyr of the Nazi movement Horst Wessel. As of 1 February 1939, Brändle served with Flieger-Ausbildungs-Regiment 22 (22nd Flight Training Regiment) in Güstrow. There, he transferred from the reserve force to active service and was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) on 1 June 1939. He was then transferred to the 4. Staffel (4th Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing).

World War II World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. Brändle received the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 20 April 1940. He claimed his first aerial victory on 10 May 1940 during the Battle of France, shooting down an Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 south of Sedan. On 13 May, Brändle may have shot down Czech pilot Lieutenant Adolf Vrana from Groupe de Chasse I/5 who was shot down near Harricourt. In total, Brändle claimed two victories over France before he was wounded on 26 May 1940. During takeoff on a maintenance test flight he crashed into a Dornier Do 17 injuring himself in the head. He spent the next few weeks in the military hospital at Heidelberg.

After recovering from the hospital, Brändle claimed his second victory during the Battle of Britain over the Royal Air Force (RAF) on 11 August 1940. On 26 August 1940, he was tasked with the leadership of 5. Staffel (5th Squadron) of JG 53. Following his fourth aerial victory, he was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class on 3 September 1940. He was officially appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel on 15 September 1940. On 11 November 1940, he claimed his 6th and 7th aerial victories and was awarded the Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Fighter Pilots in Silver on 5 May 1941 and in Gold on 7 June 1941.

The bulk of the Geschwaders air elements were moved via Jever, in northern Germany, to Mannheim-Sandhofen on 8 June 1941. There the aircraft were given a maintenance overhaul prior to moving east. The II. Gruppe was transferred to Neusiedel in East Prussia, present-day Malomožaiskojė in Kaliningrad Oblast in Russia, between 12–14 June. On 22 June the Geschwader crossed into Soviet airspace in support of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union which opened the Eastern Front. There, Brändle claimed further victories and by the end of October 1941 was credited with 28 aerial victories.

Brändle's unit was then relocated to the Western Front again in October 1941 where it was based at Leeuwarden in the Netherlands before it was moved to the Mediterranean theater in December 1941. Based at Comiso airfield, Brändle flew combat missions against the RAF during the siege of Malta. There he was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 25 February 1942 and four days later, on 1 March, he was promoted to Hauptmann (captain).

Group commander On 1 May 1942, Brändle was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing), named after the World War I fighter ace Ernst Udet. Its former Gruppenkommandeur, Hauptmann Karl-Heinz Krahl, had been killed in action over Malta on 14 April 1942. At the time, the Gruppe was stationed at Plzeň for rest and refit before it was relocated to the Eastern Front on 18 May 1942. Too late to participate in the Battle of the Kerch Peninsula, it was located on the left wing of Army Group South, assigned to an airfield at Chuguyev in the Kharkov area where they arrived on 19 May. Brändle scored the Gruppes first victory after the relocation, claiming a Polikarpov R-5 reconnaissance bomber aircraft at 3:49 am on 20 May 1942. By this date, Brändle had accumulated 36 victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 July 1942 for 49 aerial victories. On this day, he claimed his 53rd aerial victory, after he shot down an Ilyushin Il-2 "Sturmovik".

Brändle often claimed multiple victories per day, three victories on 8 July 1942 took his tally to 58 and further three claims made on 10 July took his score to 61. On 16 July 1942 he filed four claims, numbers 64–67. He became an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time on 26 July 1942 when he shot down five enemy aircraft, aerial victories 73–77, and again five on 7 August 1942, 89 in total.

In July and August 1942, he claimed 50 aerial victories in the southern sector of the Eastern Front, among them his 100th to 102nd victory on 23 August 1942. He was the 17th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. For this achievement he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 27 August 1942, the 114th officer or soldier of the Wehrmacht so honored. The presentation was made by Adolf Hitler personally.

Brändle was promoted to Major on 1 March 1943. On 29 April 1943, he claimed his 135th to 138th aerial victories. On 5 July 1943, the first day of the Battle of Kursk , he claimed five victories taking his total to 151. His II. Gruppe claimed 77 aircraft shot down on 12 July which included its 2,000 aerial victory of the war.

Defense of the Reich and death In early August 1943, Brändle's II. Gruppe was withdrawn from the Eastern Front for service in Defense of the Reich on the Western Front. The Gruppe spent one-month training in northern Germany before they arrived at the Schiphol airfield near Amsterdam in the Netherlands on 12 September. While based at Uetersen Airfield, the Gruppe received the Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 which was equipped with Y-Control for fighters, a system used to control groups of fighters intercepting United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) bomber formations.

On 3 November 1943, Brändle shot down two Republic P-47 Thunderbolts fighters escorting a formation of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses on a mission targeting Wilhelmshaven. Later that day, he was killed in action west of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Following an attack by a group of Martin B-26 Marauders on Schiphol airfield, II. Gruppe scrambled to counter the attack. It is assumed that he was shot down in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 26058—factory number) by Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) fighters under the command of Wing Commander Lloyd Chadburn. His body was later washed ashore near Zandvoort on 30 December 1943 and was buried at the Heroes Cemetery in Amsterdam (field 74, grave 405) one day later. His remains were moved in January 1944 before they were reinterred for a last time on 2 December 1947, this time at the cemetery Ysselsteyn (block CW, row 1, grave 25).

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Brändle was credited with 180 aerial victories. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 170 aerial victory claims, plus five further unconfirmed claims. This number includes 16 aerial victory claims on the Western Front, and 154 Soviet Air Forces piloted aircraft on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 18274". The Luftwaffe grid map covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.

Chronicle of aerial victories Claim! Claim# Date Time Type Location Claim! Claim# Date Time Type Location – 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940 1 1 13 May 1940 12:05 M.S.406 south of Sedan 3 3 16 August 1940 18:15 Spitfire west-southwest of Isle of Wight 2 2? 11 August 1940 11:45 Spitfire west of Portland 4 4 11 September 1940 17:40 Spitfire – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –At the Channel and over England — 26 June 1940 – 21 June 1941 5 5 26 September 1940 17:38 Spitfire west of Isle of Wight 7 7 11 November 1940 13:15 Spitfire 6 6 11 November 1940 13:07 Spitfire – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 8 October 1941 8 8 22 June 1941 18:03 SB-3 north of Tauroggen 19 18 26 July 1941 11:26 SB-3 9 9 1 July 1941 19:50 SB-3 20 19 30 August 1941 18:07 R-5 10 10 6 July 1941 19:46 SB-3 21 20 11 September 1941 14:22 I-16 11 11 6 July 1941 19:51 SB-3 22 21 16 September 1941 06:47 I-16 12 7 July 1941 03:57 I-153 23 22 17 September 1941 11:38 I-18 (MiG-1) 13 12 9 July 1941 05:01 Li-6 24 23 21 September 1941 10:38 I-18 (MiG-1) 14 13 12 July 1941 19:51 SB-3 25 24 22 September 1941 15:51 I-18 (MiG-1) 15 14 15 July 1941 19:14 DB-3 26 25 22 September 1941 15:53 I-18 (MiG-1) 16 15 24 July 1941 18:26 I-153 27 26 27 September 1941 16:39 I-18 (MiG-1) 17 16 25 July 1941 20:21 Pe-2 28 27 3 October 1941 10:00 I-18 (MiG-1) 18 17 26 July 1941 11:23 SB-2 29 28 4 October 1941 12:09 Pe-2 – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 53 –Mediterranean Theater — 15 December 1941 – 31 December 1942 30 29 24 December 1941 13:08 Hurricane 34 33 24 March 1942 15:08 Spitfire 31 30 4 January 1942 10:28 Hurricane 35 34 21 April 1942 12:37 Spitfire 32 31 19 January 1942 13:54 Hurricane 36 35 21 April 1942 17:39 Spitfire south of Bubaqra 33 32 15 February 1942 10:14 Hurricane – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 –Eastern Front — 29 April 1942 – 31 December 1943 37 36 20 May 1942 03:49 R-5 104 103 15 September 1942 09:44 Il-2 north of Zubtsov 38 37 23 May 1942 07:26 I-61 (MiG-3) 105 104 21 September 1942 11:06 Pe-2 north of Rzhev 39 38 23 May 1942 12:17 I-61 (MiG-3) 106 105 21 September 1942 11:07 MiG-1 northeast of Rzhev 40 39 26 May 1942 08:57 MiG-1 107 106 29 September 1942 08:59 LaGG-3 PQ 18274, southeast of Staraya Russa 41 40 26 May 1942 17:10 MiG-1 east of Savyntsi 108 107 29 September 1942 09:08 I-16 PQ 18252, east-southeast of Staraya Russa 42 41 26 May 1942 17:20 MiG-1 south of Savyntsi 109 108 7 November 1942 12:29 LaGG-3 PQ 17862 43 42 29 May 1942 15:49 Pe-2 110 109 10 November 1942 12:27 LaGG-3 southwest of Zapadnaya 44 43 2 June 1942 13:14 MiG-1 111 110 11 November 1942 14:17 La-5 PQ 27731 45 44 2 June 1942 13:23 MiG-1 112 111 17 December 1942 10:55 Il-2? PQ 29452 46 45 10 June 1942 17:32 LaGG-3 north of Buganjewka 113 112 17 December 1942 13:10 Yak-1 north of Abganerowo 47 46 11 June 1942 06:35 Il-2 114 113 17 December 1942 13:17 Il-2 southwest of Petrapawlowskoje south of Shutow 48 47 11 June 1942 06:42 Il-2 115 114 17 December 1942 13:23 Il-2 PQ 39670 northwest of Shutow 49 48 12 June 1942 10:54 Su-2 (Seversky) 116 115 17 December 1942 13:30 Il-2 southeast of Nestarkin 50 49 13 June 1942 10:18 Il-2 117 116 27 December 1942 11:55 MiG-1 PQ 29394 51 50 24 June 1942 11:38 LaGG-3 south of Wilschana 118 117 27 December 1942 12:05 Il-2 southeast of Nestarkin west of Obliwskaja 52 51 29 June 1942 18:42 Pe-2 119 118 31 December 1942 07:06 Il-2 south of Michailowka 53 52 30 June 1942 11:38 LaGG-3 120 119 31 December 1942 07:30 Il-2 PQ 19431 54 53 1 July 1942 16:17 Il-2 southeast of AlissowoGorscheschnoje 121 120 3 January 1943 07:52 Il-2 PQ 09391 55 54 3 July 1942 15:10 Il-2 122 121 26 January 1943 11:47 MiG-1? PQ 09562 56 55 4 July 1942 16:58 LaGG-3 123 122 28 January 1943 09:25 Yak-4 PQ 09713 57 56 8 July 1942 19:24 Pe-2 124 123 1 February 1943 11:05 MiG-1 PQ 99461 east-northeast of Voroshilovgrad 58 57 8 July 1942 19:27 Pe-2 125 124 1 February 1943 11:15 Yak-1 PQ 09513, west of Klimovo 59 58 8 July 1942 19:32 Pe-2 126 125 1 February 1943 11:22 Yak-4 PQ 99861 east of Ravenki 60 59 10 July 1942 09:30 Pe-2 127 126 2 February 1943 09:21 Il-2 PQ 99614 southeast of Voroshilovgrad 61 60 10 July 1942 09:50 MiG-1 128 127 2 February 1943 09:23 Il-2 PQ 99623 southeast of Voroshilovgrad 62 61 10 July 1942 09:52 MiG-1 129 128 2 February 1943 09:25 Il-2 PQ 99642 southeast of Voroshilovgrad 63 62 11 July 1942 08:55 R-5 130 129 10 February 1943 09:10 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 99452, east of Voroshilovgrad east-northeast of Voroshilovgrad 64 63 13 July 1942 09:07 MiG-3 131 130 20 April 1943 11:56 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 75423, NovorossiyskKabardinka area 65 64 16 July 1942 11:45 LaGG-3 132 131 20 April 1943 11:58 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 75464, southeast of NovorossiyskKabardinka area 66 65 16 July 1942 17:17 Pe-2 133 22 April 1943 17:30 P-39 67 66 16 July 1942 17:20 Pe-2 134 132 23 April 1943 09:45 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85328, east of NovorossiyskKrassnyj area 68 67 16 July 1942 17:23 Pe-2 135 133 23 April 1943 17:12 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 75433, south of Novorossiysk north of Kabardinka 69 68 20 July 1942 15:44 Il-2 136 134 29 April 1943 07:47 Yak-4 PQ 34 Ost 85154, southwest of AbinskajaAbinskaja-Achtyrskaja 70 69 21 July 1942 09:05 Il-2 Konstantinowskoje 137 135 29 April 1943 07:56 Yak-4 PQ 34 Ost 85181, southwest of Achtyrskajasouth of Achtyrskaja 71 70 23 July 1942 13:01 Il-2 138 136 29 April 1943 07:57 Yak-4 PQ 34 Ost 85181, southwest of Achtyrskajasouth of Achtyrskaja 72 71 23 July 1942 13:03 Il-2 139 137 7 May 1943 16:26 I-16 PQ 34 Ost 86774, south of TroizkajaKijewskoje 73 72 24 July 1942 11:41 Yak-1 140 138 8 May 1943 11:31 I-153 PQ 34 Ost 75262, south of KrymskajaKrymsk area 74♠ 73 26 July 1942 12:04 Il-2 north of Kalach 141 139 8 May 1943 11:33 I-153 PQ 34 Ost 85114, west of MertschanskajaMertschskaja area 75♠ 74 26 July 1942 12:09 MiG-1 northwest of Kalach 142 140 8 May 1943 15:23 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85123, southwest of MingrelskajaSswobodnyj area 76♠ 75 26 July 1942 16:05 Pe-2 143 141 11 May 1943 11:56 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85144, southeast of Krymskajawest of Abinsk 77♠ 76 26 July 1942 16:07 Pe-2 144 142 31 May 1943 06:02 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 71794, south of Bolshoj Burluk south of Novy Oskol 78♠ 77 26 July 1942 16:11 Yak-1 145 143 19 June 1943 08:55 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 62813, west of Prilepy east of Oboyan 79 78 27 July 1942 09:11 LaGG-3 Kalach 146 144 20 June 1943 09:57 Boston PQ 35 Ost 70161, near train station Shipowatoje northwest of Valuyki 80 79 27 July 1942 09:12 LaGG-3 Kalach 147♠ 145 5 July 1943 03:50 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 60122, north of Kharkov-RoganjKharkov area 81 80 3 August 1942 14:55 Yak-1 south of Peskowatka 148♠ 146 5 July 1943 03:57 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 60284, Malinovka south of Malinovka 82 81 5 August 1942 07:12 Yak-1 northwest of Dubowy Ostrog 149♠ 147 5 July 1943 04:07 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 6046, west of Petschenegi east-southeast of Malinovka 83 82 6 August 1942 11:25 Pe-2? northeast of Aksay 150♠ 148 5 July 1943 10:22 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 61172, northwest of Belgorod northeast of Kharkov 84 83 6 August 1942 11:26 Pe-2? southeast of Iwanowka 151♠ 149 5 July 1943 10:24 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 61244, south of Lutschky south of Prokhorovka 85 84 6 August 1942 11:35 Pe-2? east of Tschapurniki 152 150 6 July 1943 14:04 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 61112, west of Werchopenje south of Belgorod 86♠ 85 7 August 1942 14:09 Pe-2? southwest of Klischewskij 153 151 6 July 1943 14:07 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 61112, west of Werchopenje south of Belgorod 87♠ 86 7 August 1942 14:10 Pe-2? south of Klischewskij 154 152 7 July 1943 07:33 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 61462, east of Belgorod east-northeast of Belgorod 88♠ 87 7 August 1942 14:11 Pe-2? Klischewskij 155 153 7 July 1943 07:55 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 61211, east of WerchopenjeProkhorovka area 89♠ 88 7 August 1942 17:46 Pe-2? west-northwest of Flodowitoje 156 154 7 July 1943 08:03 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 61162, southeast of Werchopenje southwest of Prokhorovka 90♠ 89 7 August 1942 17:46 Pe-2? south of Ssolenyi 157 155 14 July 1943 08:35 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 61253, Oskotchnoje southeast of Prokhorovka 91 90 8 August 1942 09:46 Su-2 (Seversky) east of Nischnij Mity 158 156 14 July 1943 08:41 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 61281, northeast of Belgorod southeast of Prokhorovka 92 91 8 August 1942 09:48 Su-2 (Seversky) west of Popow 159 157 17 July 1943 08:13 Yak-4 PQ 35 Ost 61131, Werchopenje west of Prokhorovka 93 92 8 August 1942 09:50 Su-2 (Seversky) southwest of Leonowo 160 158 17 July 1943 14:16 Boston PQ 35 Ost 61164, Jakowlewo 94 93 9 August 1942 14:40 R-5 east of Mostrowskij 161 159 21 July 1943 10:12 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 88144, west of Kuteinykove east of Jalisawehino 95 94 10 August 1942 07:07 I-180 (Yak-7) southwest of Businowkasouthwest of Kalach 162 160 21 July 1943 10:14 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 88263, northeast of KuybyshevJalisawehino area 96 95 11 August 1942 12:06 MiG-1 southwest of Stalingrad 163 161 22 July 1943 04:26 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 88212, south of Krasny Luzk southwest of Jalisawehino 97 96 19 August 1942 11:28 ER-2 southwest of Penyschino 164 162 22 July 1943 10:44 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 88291, west of Marijewka southeast of Jalisawehino 98 97 19 August 1942 11:31 ER-2 northwest of Alayew 165 163 22 July 1943 10:47 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 88174, west of Kuteinykove east-southeast of Jalisawehino 99 98 22 August 1942 09:45 LaGG-3 Satow 166 164 22 July 1943 10:50 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 88181, east of Kuybyshevwest of Domizza 100 99 22 August 1942 09:47 Il-2 northeast of Gratschij 167 165 23 July 1943 09:33 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 88194, south of Kuteinykove south of Kuteinykove 101 100 23 August 1942 05:43 ER-2 southwest of Karpovka 168 166 23 July 1943 09:35 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 88182, west of Kuteinykovevicinity of Kuteinykove 102 101 23 August 1942 08:42 LaGG-3 northwest of Stalingrad 169 167 27 July 1943 18:15 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 61184, southeast of Sawidowka 103 102 23 August 1942 08:44 LaGG-3 Kotluban 170 168 30 July 1943 12:22 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 88233, east of Dimitrijewka northeast of Jalisawehino – Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 –Western Front — 1 September – 31 December 1943 171 169 3 November 1943 12:30 P-47 PQ 05 Ost S/EK-4northwest of Schagen 172 170 3 November 1943 12:31 P-47 PQ 05 Ost S/FK-4 west of Egmond

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (20 April 1940) 1st Class (3 September 1940) Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Fighter Pilots in Silver (5 May 1941) in Gold (7 June 1941) German Cross in Gold on 25 February 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 53 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 1 July 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" 114th Oak Leaves on 27 August 1942 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the II./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"