Kurt Dombacher

Kurt Dombacher (9 February 1920 – 8 October 1993) was a German Luftwaffe ace during World War II. Kurt Dombacher was credited with 68 victories in 800+ missions, with 1 over Western forces and 67 over Soviet forces. He was captured by Soviet forces in May 1945 and was held until 1950.

World War II On 10 September 1944, Dombacher was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). He succeeded Leutnant Gerhard Mai who had temporarily led the Staffel after its former commander Hauptmann Joachim Brendel had been transferred on 2 September. Dombacher was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 8 April 1945, ending the war with 68 aerial victories claimed.

Later life In 1958, Dombacher, together with Erwin Rohm, participated in the , a cross-country flight contest for pilots, flying a Piper PA-18 Super Cub. The two pilots finished in second place, behind Adolf Galland and Peter Erhardt flying a Klemm Kl 107.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Dombacher was credited with 68 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 68 aerial victories claimed in approximately 300 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 68 aerial victory claims, 67 of which on the Eastern Front and one four-engined heavy bomber on the Western Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 34333". 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 Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location – 12. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 1 –Action in south and west Norway — 1 January – 26 June 1942 1? 3 April 1942 Spitfire Trondheim Fjord – 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Eastern Front — 4 February – 31 December 1943 2 10 June 1943 19:03 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 34333 east of Seschtschinskaja 14♠ 14 August 1943 18:24 Il-2 m.H. northeast of Schilow 3 30 June 1943 09:05 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 64322 south-southeast of Belyov 15 16 August 1943 18:26 La-5 southwest of Tschernezkii 4 6 July 1943 19:30 Boston PQ 35 Ost 63843 southeast of Zolotukhino 16 18 August 1943 17:39 Il-2 m.H. west of Savur-Mohyla 5 13 July 1943 13:43 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63254 southeast of Zalegoshch 17 18 August 1943 17:43 Il-2 m.H. northwest of Dmitriyevka 6 13 July 1943 14:08 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63251 southeast of Zalegoshch 18 27 September 1943 10:28 Il-2 m.H. south of Akimovka 7 17 July 1943 08:10 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63564 southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 19 27 September 1943 10:29 Il-2 m.H. east of Sagolitschki 8 5 August 1943 07:34 LaGG-3 west of Petrosselki 20 27 September 1943 16:08 Il-2 m.H. northeast of Schulgowka 9 5 August 1943 07:40 Boston southwest of Krassawka 21 27 September 1943 16:10 Il-2 m.H. northeast of Gorodajewka 10♠ 14 August 1943 18:14 Il-2 m.H. east of Rakinoye 22 29 September 1943 14:35 Il-2 m.H. west of Trozko 11♠ 14 August 1943 18:16 Il-2 m.H. east of Jkalowka 23 30 November 1943 08:29 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 49818 south-southwest of Dnepropetrovsk 12♠ 14 August 1943 18:17 Il-2 m.H. north of Kut 24 30 November 1943 13:23 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 49767 southwest of Dnepropetrovsk 13♠ 14 August 1943 18:21 Il-2 m.H. southwest of Ogulzy – 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Eastern Front — 1 January – 14 August 1944 25 16 January 1944 13:10 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 90572 east-northeast of Vinnytsia 32 7 April 1944 17:49 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 50814 south of Ternopil 26 24 January 1944 10:32 Il-2 m.H. PQ 25 Ost 80662 east-northeast of Vinnytsia 33 22 April 1944 18:18 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 40681 south-southwest of Berezhany 27 24 January 1944 10:35 Il-2 m.H. PQ 25 Ost 80632 south-southeast of Koziatyn 34 27 April 1944 15:34 Il-2 m.H. PQ 24 Ost 59314 north of Kolomyia 28 24 January 1944 10:42 Il-2 m.H. PQ 25 Ost 90513 south-southeast of Koziatyn 35? 1 May 1944 17:10 Il-2 m.H. PQ 24 Ost 59173 29 25 January 1944 10:37 Il-2 m.H. PQ 25 Ost 80634 south-southeast of Koziatyn 36 7 July 1944 14:55 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 44816 west of Kovel 30 25 January 1944 10:42? Il-2 m.H. PQ 25 Ost 90371 south-southeast of Koziatyn 37 1 August 1944 10:43 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 35315 north of Mariiampil 31 7 April 1944 14:23 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 50641 south of Ternopil 38 1 August 1944 11:15 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 35345 west-northwest of Mariiampil – 13. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Eastern Front — 15 August – 9 September 1944 39♠ 15 August 1944 14:45 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost 25297 east of Blumenfeld 43♠ 15 August 1944 18:27 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 35342 west-northwest of Mariiampil 40♠ 15 August 1944 14:50 Il-2 m.H. PQ 25 Ost 35155 north of Mariiampil 44 17 August 1944 07:00 Il-2 m.H. PQ 25 Ost 36331 south of Schaulen 41♠ 15 August 1944 15:23 Il-2 m.H. PQ 25 Ost 35319 northwest of Mariiampil 45 1 September 1944 10:56 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost 13552 northeast of Warsaw 42♠ 15 August 1944 18:20 La-5 PQ 25 Ost 25433 east-southeast of Blumenfeld – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Eastern Front — 10 September – 31 December 1944 46 12 September 1944 09:12 Il-2 PQ 25 Ost N/13729 east of Warsaw 50 18 September 1944 13:43 P-51? PQ 25 Ost N/03685 west of Warsaw 47 12 September 1944 09:16? Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost N/13588 east-northeast of Warsaw 51 9 October 1944 14:22 Il-2 m.H. PQ 25 Ost N/26726vicinity of Tauroggen 48 15 September 1944 09:55 P-39 PQ 25 Ost N/03861 southwest of Warsaw 52 13 October 1944 14:30 Yak-9 PQ 25 Ost N/25312 northeast of Insterburg 49 15 September 1944 10:15 P-39 PQ 25 Ost N/13547 north of Warsaw – 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Eastern Front — 1 January – 8 May 1945 According to Mathews and Foreman, Dombacher claimed 17 aerial victories on the Eastern Front in 1945, six of which are documented. 56 16 February 1945 Il-2 northwest of Graudenz 59 19 February 1945 Il-2 northwest of Neuenburg 57 16 February 1945 Il-2 northwest of Graudenz 60 20 February 1945 unknown 58 16 February 1945 Il-2 northwest of Graudenz 61 9 March 1945 12:48 Il-2

Awards Aviator badge Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 3 April 1944 as Feldwebel and pilot German Cross in Gold on 25 May 1944 as Oberfeldwebel in the I./Jagdgeschwader 51 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 8 April 1945 as Leutnant and pilot in 1./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders