Otto Fönnekold

Otto Fönnekold (15 February 1920 – 31 August 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 136 aerial victories—that is, 136 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft. All but three of his victories were claimed over the Soviet Air Forces in about 600 combat missions.

Born in Hamburg, Fönnekold was trained as a fighter pilot and posted to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52–52nd Fighter Wing) in late 1942. Fighting on the Eastern Front, he claimed his first aerial victory on 7 September 1942 during Case Blue, the German strategic 1942 summer offensive in southern Russia. On 12 January 1944, Fönnekold was credited with his 100th aerial victory and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 March 1944. In April 1944, he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of JG 52. He was killed in action on 31 August 1944 by a strafing US North American P-51 Mustang at the airfield in Ssaß-Budak.

Career Fönnekold was born on 15 February 1920 in Hamburg of the Weimar Republic. Following flight training, he was posted to the 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) in the fall of 1942. At the time, this squadron was officially commanded by Oberleutnant Siegfried Simsch who was on home leave recovering from wounds sustained on 29 May. 5. Staffel was a squadron of II. Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 52 commanded by Hauptmann Johannes Steinhoff.

War against the Soviet Union

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. Germany had launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. A year later, German forces launched Operation Fridericus II, the attack on Kupiansk, a preliminary operation to Case Blue, the strategic 1942 summer offensive in southern Russia. In August 1942, II. Gruppe was subordinated to VIII. Fliegerkorps and supported the 6th Army offensive to capture Stalingrad. On 6 September, II. Gruppe reached an airfield named Gonschtakowka located north-northeast of Mozdok on the Terek in the Caucasus.

Fönnekold claimed his first aerial victory on 7 September when he shot down a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter. The Gruppe then moved to Maykop located in the North Caucasus on 21 September where, with the exception of 24 to 29 October, they were based until 26 November. Operating from Maykop, Fönnekold claimed his second aerial victory, an Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft shot down on 6 October. There, he claimed three further aerial victories over LaGG-3 fighters, one each on 29 October, 15 and 19 November. On 19 November, Soviet forces launched Operation Uranus which led to the encirclement of Axis forces in the vicinity of Stalingrad. To support the German forces fighting in the Battle of Stalingrad forced the Luftwaffe to relocate its forces and ordered II. Gruppe to move from Maykop to Morozovsk, located approximately west of Stalingrad, on 26 November. There, Fönnekold claimed another LaGG-3 fighter shot down on 11 December before the Gruppe moved to Zimovniki the following day.

On 17 December, II. Gruppe relocated again, this time to Kotelnikovo where they stayed until 26 December. Operating from Kotelnikovo, Fönnekold claimed a Lavochkin La-5 fighter shot down on 22 December and another on 25 December. On 22 January 1943, II. Gruppe had to retreat further and moved to an airfield at Rostov-on-Don where Fönnekold shot down a LaGG-3 fighter on 30 January. On 7 February 1943, the Gruppe moved to Kuteinykove near Stalino, present-day Donetsk, where Fönnekold claimed two Yakovlev Yak-1 the following day.

Kuban bridgehead and Crimea The Gruppe was moved to the combat area of the Kuban bridgehead on 10 February 1943 where it was initially based at an airfield at Slavyansk-na-Kubani. Due to whether conditions, II. Gruppe then moved to Kerch on 16 February. While based at Slavyansk-na-Kubani, Fönnekold claimed two Polikarpov I-16 fighters shot down on 14 February and a Polikarpov I-153 biplane fighter on 27 February. On 13 March, the Gruppe moved to Anapa located on the northern coast of the Black Sea near the Sea of Azov and was fighting in the Battle of the Caucasus.

On 8 May, Leutnant Helmut Haberda, who had led 5. Staffel since Simsch was injured in November 1942, was killed in action. In consequence Oberleutnant Wilhelm Batz was appointed Staffelkapitän (Squadron Leader) of the Staffel on 9 May. That day, Fönnekold claimed a LaGG-3 fighter shot down. By 31 May, he claimed ten further aerial victories, increasing his total to 28 aerial victories. In June, Fönnekold added seven more claims, reaching 35 aerial victories. While in July the bulk of the Luftwaffe fighter force was being concentrated further north and fought in the Battle of Kursk, II. Gruppe with some exceptions remained at Anapa. Here, Fönnekold claimed further aerial victories, reaching 39 claims by end of July and 49 claims by end of August. Fönnekold was awarded the Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 9 August and the German Cross in Gold on 16 August 1943.

On 1 September, II. Gruppe was made complete again, reuniting with all three Staffeln at a makeshift airfield named Karlowka located approximately east of Poltava. There, Fönnekold claimed four aerial victories total. On 6, 7 and 8 September he claimed an Il-2 ground-attack aircraft shot down, and on 10 September he was credited with the destruction of a Yak-1 fighter, taking his total to 53 claims. On 1 October, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Nove Zaporizhzhya located approximately west of Zaporizhzhia. The Gruppe relocated to an airfield named Beresowka near the Inhulets, located approximately halfway between Kremenchuk and Kirovohrad. They remained at Beresowka until 25 October when the Gruppe moved to Fedorivka, a small village north-northwest of Melitopol. Two days later, the Gruppe was ordered to Askania-Nova. By the end of October 1943, Fönnekold's number of aerial victories claimed had increased to 65, making him the second most successful and still living fighter pilot in II. Gruppe at the time. The Gruppe had moved to Kherson on 30 October and then transferred to Baherove on the Crimean peninsula where they were based until 19 March 1944.

Based at Baherove, Fönnekold increased his number of aerial victories to 80 by end November and to 92 aerial victory claims by the end of 1943. On 12 January 1944, Fönnekold claimed three aerial victories, including his 100th aerial victory in total. He was the 62nd Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. Fönnekold was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 March 1944. On 8 April, Soviet forces launched the Crimean offensive, forcing the Germans to evacuate the Crimea. By this date, Fönnekold had accumulated 116 aerial victories.

Squadron leader and death On 14 April 1944, II. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Chersonesus at Sevastopol where they were based until 9 May. On 19 April, Fönnekold was appointed Staffelkapitän of 5. Staffel of JG 52 when its former commander, Batz, was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III. Gruppe of JG 52. The Gruppe was transferred to Huși at the Prut River on 27 May 1944. There, on 30 May, Fönnekold became an "ace-in-a-day" when claimed seven Bell P-39 Airacobra fighters and a single Yak-1 fighter shot down near Tudora and Iași. Included in this figure are three claims over P-39 fighters from 129 GvIAP (Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment—Gvardeyskiy Istrebitelny Aviatsionny Polk). On 9 July, aerial combat with two Yakovlev Yak-9 fighters resulted in a forced landing of his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 163564—factory number) near Iași.

On 29 August, III. Gruppe relocated to an airfield at Budak, present-day Budacu de Sus and part of Dumitrița. Fönnekold claimed three United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) North American P-51 Mustang fighters shot down near Luieriu (Lövér) on 31 August. Later that day, he was bounced during his landing approach at Ssaß-Budak by P-51 fighters. One of the .50 caliber projectiles penetrated his heart while taxiing his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 441931) "black 9". He was succeeded by Heinrich Sturm as commander of 5. Staffel. Fönnekold was buried on the cemetery at Ssaß-Budak. Posthumously, he was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant).

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Fönnekold was credited with 136 aerial victories. Spick also lists Fönnekold with 136 aerial victories claimed in approximately 600 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 134 confirmed and three unconfirmed aerial victories. All these victories were claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 54512". 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 – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Eastern Front — September 1942 – 3 February 1943 1 7 September 1942 09:27 LaGG-3 PQ 54512 6 11 December 1942 12:45 LaGG-3 PQ 49381 south of Basargino 2 6 October 1942 12:35 Il-2 PQ 96733 east-northeast of Tuapse 7 22 December 1942 11:32 La-5 PQ 49712 south-southeast of Stalingrad 3 29 October 1942 15:40 LaGG-3 PQ 95873 east of Lazarevskoye 8 25 December 1942 11:22 La-5 PQ 49773 east of Aksay 4 15 November 1942 08:50 LaGG-3 PQ 94194 9 30 January 1943 14:52 LaGG-3 PQ 06391 5 19 November 1942 12:50 LaGG-3 PQ 94634 – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Eastern Front — 4 February – 31 December 1943 10 8 February 1943 09:35 Yak-1 PQ 44 Ost 09333 52 8 September 1943 05:27 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 60521 west of Andreyevka 11 8 February 1943 09:50 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 99664 east of Rovenki 53 10 September 1943 12:33 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 50283 west of Merefa 12 14 February 1943 11:00 I-16 PQ 34 Ost 7526 54 12 October 1943 07:40 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 49173 east-northeast of Mironovka 13 14 February 1943 11:03 I-16 PQ 34 Ost 75232north of Krymsk 55 15 October 1943 05:50 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 10123 south of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi 14 27 February 1943 06:02 I-153 PQ 34 Ost 85344vicinity of Aberbijewka 56 15 October 1943 05:58 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 10121 south of Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi 15 6 May 1943 05:38 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 75293, northwest of Neberdschajewskajanortheast of Novorossiysk 57 19 October 1943 11:07 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 39424 east-northeast of Mironovka 16 6 May 1943 11:30 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 85153vicinity of Abinsk 58 20 October 1943 10:10 Pe-2 PQ 34 Ost 39181, north of Petrowka northeast of Alexandrija 17 6 May 1943 12:05 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 76894vicinity of Kijewakoje 59 20 October 1943 12:55 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 39332, north of Krasnaja-Fedorowka northeast of Mironovka 18 9 May 1943 16:10 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 86754east of Trojzkaja 60 20 October 1943 12:57 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 39412 northeast of Mironovka 19 15 May 1943 18:40 Yak-1 southwest of Kabardinka 61 20 October 1943 12:58 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 39284 east-northeast of Mironovka 20 19 May 1943 07:20? LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85313southeast of Schapssugskaja 62 21 October 1943 06:50 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 39631 east of Pjatichatki 21 21 May 1943 04:23 R-5 PQ 34 Ost 96771 east of Krasnodar 63 21 October 1943 14:45 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 39674vicinity of Piatykhatky 22 21 May 1943 15:42 U-2 PQ 34 Ost 96784 east of Krasnodar 64 25 October 1943 12:28 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 57151 northwest of Melitopol 23 21 May 1943 15:46 U-2 PQ 34 Ost 96774 east of Krasnodar 65 28 October 1943 14:38 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 47154 northwest of Ivanovka 24 28 May 1943 10:38 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 76893, southeast of Kijewskojesouth of Bakanskij 66 2 November 1943 14:40 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 66734, southeast of Eltigen 25 29 May 1943 04:37 LaGG-3 north of Krymskajanorth of Krymsk 67 3 November 1943 11:20 R-5 PQ 34 Ost 66644east of Bakssy 26 29 May 1943 18:30 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 76894vicinity of Kijewakoje 68 4 November 1943 12:37 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 66644east of Bakssy 27 30 May 1943 15:36 B-25 PQ 34 Ost 76861north of Kessjetowa 69 5 November 1943 10:24 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 66842southwest of Tamanj 28 31 May 1943 05:25 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 86772south of Trojzkaja 70 5 November 1943 10:37 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 66732, east of Eltigenvicinity of Tobetschik 29 1 June 1943 08:48 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 76861Sea of Azov 71 6 November 1943 09:03 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 66671, east of Kercheast of Kerch 30 6 June 1943 05:03 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 75231, northwest of Krymskajanorthwest of Krymsk 72 6 November 1943 06:06 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 66644east of Bakssy 31 7 June 1943 15:21? P-39 PQ 34 Ost 76822west of Kalabatka 73 12 November 1943 10:27? Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 66641, northwest of Bakssyeast of Bulganak 32 7 June 1943 15:25? P-39 PQ 34 Ost 76812vicinity of Kalabatka 74 14 November 1943 14:03 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 66643, Kolonkaeast of Bakssy 33 10 June 1943 14:42 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 75473Black Sea, southwest of Novorossiysk 75 21 November 1943 13:00 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 66562, south of Bulganagvicinity of Babtschik 34 15 June 1943 17:07 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 85373, south of Gelendzhikvicinity of Gelendzhik 76 27 November 1943 08:39 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 66732, east of Eltigenvicinity of Tobetschik 35 25 June 1943 04:37? Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 85371vicinity of Gelendzhik 77 27 November 1943 08:56 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 66641, northwest of Baksszeast of Bulganak 36 21 July 1943 04:32 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 88261vicinity of Jalisawehino 78 28 November 1943 08:42 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 66594vicinity of Kamysch-Burun 37 23 July 1943 17:40? LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 88424 south of Jalisawehino 79 28 November 1943 08:50 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 66732, east of Eltigenvicinity of Tobetschik 38 25 July 1943 07:44 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 98173 southwest of Rovenki 80 28 November 1943 11:40 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 66813, west of Tamanover sea, vicinity of Cape Tusla 39 31 July 1943 06:14 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 88232 west-southwest of Rovenki 81 1 December 1943 07:22 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 66732, east of Eltigenvicinity of Tobetschik 40 2 August 1943 18:10 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 88621, northeast of Marinowkavicinity of Jalisawehino 82 1 December 1943 13:45 Pe-2 north of Eltigen 41 7 August 1943 07:38 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 75233, Kijewskojewest of Krymsk 83 2 December 1943 14:20 LaGG-3 east of Eltigen 42 7 August 1943 07:45 Spitfire PQ 34 Ost 76892, northeast of Kijewskojevicinity of Kijewskoje 84 2 December 1943 14:26 Il-2 m.H. southeast of Eltigen 43 7 August 1943 17:25 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 75261, Krymskajanorth of Nowo-Bakanskaja 85 4 December 1943 07:08 Il-2 m.H. east of Eltigen 44 9 August 1943 08:17 Spitfire PQ 34 Ost 75234, west of Moldawanskojevicinity of Krymsk 86 4 December 1943 07:17 LaGG-3 south-southwest of Eltigen 45 9 August 1943 08:22 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 75292, south of Nebershajewskajanortheast of Noworossijsi 87 4 December 1943 11:02 Il-2 m.H. southeast of Eltigen 46 9 August 1943 08:25 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 75261, northeast of Moldawanskojenorth of Nowo-Bakanskaja 88 4 December 1943 11:12 Il-2 m.H. southwest of Eltigen 47 26 August 1943 15:42 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 76863, northwest of Kijewskojenorth of Kessjetowa 89 5 December 1943 13:20 P-39 southwest of Eltigen 48 26 August 1943 15:47 LaGG-3 PQ 34 Ost 85114, north of Abinskajavicinity of Mertschanskaja 90 8 December 1943 13:53 Il-2 m.H. south of Kolonka 49 31 August 1943 12:14 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 88671 west-northwest of Taganrog 91 8 December 1943 13:59 Il-2 PQ 34 Ost 66671, east of Kerch 50 6 September 1943 10:02 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 60174vicinity west of Merefa 92 11 December 1943 09:11 Yak-1 east of Eltigennorth of Taman 51 7 September 1943 09:19 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 60522 west of Andreyevka – 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Eastern Front — 1 January – 31 August 1944 93 4 January 1944 06:43 Il-2 Cape Khroni 116 23 March 1944 07:03 unknown Cape Khroni 94 9 January 1944 12:01 P-39 Adzhimushkay 117♠ 30 May 1944 10:35 P-39 vicinity of Iașivicinity of Sulani 95 9 January 1944 14:40 LaGG-3 PQ 66614vicinity of Majak-Bakny 118♠ 30 May 1944 11:05 P-39 PQ 78642 south of Tudora 96 10 January 1944 09:45 Il-2 vicinity of Bulganak 119♠ 30 May 1944 13:50 P-39 vicinity of Iași south of Iași 97 10 January 1944 11:50 Yak-1 vicinity of Grammatikowo 120♠ 30 May 1944 14:08 P-39 vicinity of Huși north of Iași 98 11 January 1944 13:32 LaGG-3 Adzhimushkay 121♠ 30 May 1944 14:12 P-39 vicinity of Iași south of Iași 99 12 January 1944 06:50 Boston PQ 66611vicinity of Cape Khroni 122♠ 30 May 1944 14:41 P-39 PQ 78671 north of Iași 100 12 January 1944 13:46 P-39 Cape Tarchan 123? 30 May 1944 17:51 Yak-1 vicinity of Huși 101 12 January 1944 14:06 Il-2 PQ 66614vicinity of Majak-Bakny 124♠ 30 May 1944 17:52 P-39 PQ 78644 north of Tudora 102 13 January 1944 07:26 Yak-1 Adzhimushkay 125 31 May 1944 04:12 Yak-1 PQ 78674 north of Iași 103 17 January 1944 10:40 P-39 Cape Tarchan 126 31 May 1944 12:45 P-39 PQ 78673 north of Iași 104 19 January 1944 12:10 Il-2 PQ 66642Majak 127 2 June 1944 09:03 Boston PQ 78634 northwest of Iași 105 23 January 1944 06:47 Il-2 PQ 66652Malikut 128 2 June 1944 13:50 Il-2 PQ 78732 northwest of Iași 106 25 January 1944 12:37 Boston PQ 66673Kossa Tulsa 129 27 June 1944 04:48? Yak-7 PQ 7924 107 28 January 1944 12:07 Yak-1 north of Kerch 130 4 August 1944 11:20 Il-2 PQ 11595 northeast of Mielec 108 28 January 1944 15:01 Il-2 vicinity of Kerch 131 5 August 1944 11:05 P-39 PQ 11644vicinity of Mielec 109 5 February 1944 06:26 P-39 vicinity of Kerch 132 21 August 1944 18:40 La-5 northeast of Leipzig 110 7 February 1944 06:56 P-39 vicinity of Bulganak 133 22 August 1944 07:16 La-5? PQ 97524 east-northeast of Leipzig 111 7 February 1944 13:28? Yak-1 PQ 66673vicinity of Kossa Tulsa 134 22 August 1944 13:25 Yak-7 PQ 87662 east-northeast of Szekszárd 112 10 February 1944 08:00 Yak-9 PQ 66514west of Dsheilaw 135 23 August 1944 17:26 Yak-7 PQ 87828 near Leipzig 113 14 March 1944 12:55 Pe-2 PQ 47793 southwest of Genitschek 31 August 1944 P-51 vicinity of Luieriu (Lövér) 114 22 March 1944 10:55 Yak-7 Cape Tarchan 31 August 1944 P-51 vicinity of Luieriu (Lövér) 115 22 March 1944 11:00 Yak-7 Adzhimushkay 31 August 1944 P-51 vicinity of Luieriu (Lövér)

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 9 August 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot German Cross in Gold on 16 August 1943 as Feldwebel in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 52 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 26 March 1944 as Leutnant and pilot in the II./Jagdgeschwader 52