Otto Gaiser

Otto Gaiser (5 October 1919 – 22 January 1944) was a Luftwaffe ace with 66 confirmed kills, and he was the recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

Career

In 1942, Gaiser was assigned to Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) where he served as Rudolf Wagner's wingman. Wagner went on to become a Luftwaffe ace as well. Gaiser claimed his first kill on 16 March 1943. That day, he shot down a Soviet Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter near Vyazma. Gaiser served with 10. Staffel of JG 51 which at the time was under the command of Oberleutnant Horst-Günther von Fassong. He achieved his 10th victory on 11 July, when he claimed another LaGG-3 shot down. Gaiser claimed 17 victories in August, including five Soviet Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft shot down on 14 August, making him an "ace-in-a-day".

On 22 January 1944, Gaiser was last seen in combat with Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft near Berdychiv, Ukraine. He has remained missing to this day. It is thought he became a victim of the Soviet ground defences. Posthumously, Gaiser was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 June 1944 for 74 aerial victories claimed. He was also posthumously promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant).

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Gaiser was credited with 66 aerial victories. Obermaier also states that he was credited with 66 victories claimed in 380 combat missions. Spick however lists him with 74 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 66 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 36624". 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 – 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Eastern Front — 4 February – 31 December 1943 1 16 March 1943 15:40 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 36624, northeast of Vyazma 32 24 August 1943 05:44 Pe-2 east of Krasnaya Yaruga 2 11 April 1943 05:56 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 16621, south of the Ryta 33 13 September 1943 11:25 Boston south of Nowo-Troizkoje 3 7 May 1943 04:55 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 63174, south of Shidkowa west of Zmiyovka 34 14 September 1943 06:06 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 69684, east of Volhynia 4 7 May 1943 05:08 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 63191, north of Prokowskoje east of Zmiyovka 35 19 September 1943 15:13 Il-2 m.H. southeast of Synelnykove 5 14 May 1943 18:27 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63344, east of Semenkowo southwest of Glazunowka 36 20 September 1943 06:38 Il-2 m.H. east of Dnipropetrovsk 6 2 June 1943 07:45 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63563, southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 37 20 September 1943 06:40 Il-2 m.H. PQ 34 Ost 49534, southwest of Nowosselka 7 6 July 1943 15:08 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63583, west of Ponyri southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 38♠ 26 September 1943 08:28 Yak-1 southwest of Novoselovka 8 9 July 1943 08:43 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63713, west of StanovoyeDmitriyevka-L'govskiy area 39♠ 26 September 1943 13:32 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 58543, west of Orljanskeast of Dnipropetrovsk 9 10 July 1943 12:50 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63513, southwest of Nikolskoje south-southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 40♠ 26 September 1943 13:38 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 58513, south of Majatschka 10 11 July 1943 18:02 Il-2 m.H. southwest of Maloarkhangelsk southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 41♠ 26 September 1943 16:38 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 58563, east of Kalinowka 11 12 July 1943 07:05 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63222, northeast of Panikowez east of Zalegoshch 42♠ 26 September 1943 16:39 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 58562, north of Krental 12 12 July 1943 19:30 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63222, north of Malinowez east of Zalegoshch 43 27 September 1943 06:21 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 59752, east of Aleksejewka 13 13 July 1943 07:20 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 74753, west of Raksino south of Lipitsy 44 27 September 1943 09:40 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 58684, north of Iwanowka 14 13 July 1943 18:32 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 64882, south of Krassnij northeast of Zalegoshch 45 27 September 1943 16:30 P-39 PQ 34 Ost 58642, northwest of Tiefenbrunn 15 17 July 1943 08:13 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63672, west of Kusnetschki south-southeast of Maloarkhangelsk 46 30 September 1943 11:32 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 49311, east of Annewka 16 2 August 1943 08:33 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 53631, south-southeast of Shislowovicinity of Trosna 47 1 October 1943 10:40 Yak-1 southwest of Jakowlewka 17 2 August 1943 08:35 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63633, north of Koslowkovicinity of Trosna 48 3 October 1943 11:04 Yak-1 PQ 34 Ost 49323, northeast of Domotkan 18 2 August 1943 08:40 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 53661, northeast of Trosna southwest of Trosna 49 7 October 1943 10:00 Yak-9 south of Perewolotschnaja 19 6 August 1943 14:37 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 53182, Schachowzyvicinity of Schachowzny 50 8 October 1943 15:30 Yak-9 south of Perewolotschnaja 20 10 August 1943 11:13 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 61751, northeast of Dergatschij 51 12 October 1943 12:48 Il-2 m.H. PQ 26 Ost 15513, east of Demkino 21 10 August 1943 11:15 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 61593, northwest of Lipzy 52 14 October 1943 08:07 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 15523, east of Nikolenka 22 10 August 1943 13:53 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 61593, west of Ljutowka 53 14 October 1943 11:33 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 15723, east of Studenez 23 11 August 1943 07:32 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 70722, north of Izyum 54 14 October 1943 11:37 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 15761, north of Rasdel 24♠ 14 August 1943 18:17 Il-2 m.H. north of Bachmetjewka 55 17 October 1943 10:54 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 06193, southeast of Shabino 25♠ 14 August 1943 18:19 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 50254, northwest of Pankowka 56 18 October 1943 08:27 Yak-1 PQ 26 Ost 97893, northeast of Nevel 26♠ 14 August 1943 18:22 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 50224, north of Buzkiy 57 1 November 1943 13:17 Il-2 m.H. northwest of Bolshaja-Snamenka 27♠ 14 August 1943 18:23 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 50223, north of Dobropolye 58 5 November 1943 11:24 La-5 PQ 34 Ost 49714, east of Udatschnaja 28♠ 14 August 1943 18:25 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 50221, north of Dobropolye 59 27 November 1943 13:50 Yak-9 PQ 34 Ost 47231, southwest of Wesseloje 29 15 August 1943 13:28 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 70782, west of Kotijary 60 28 November 1943 11:10 La-5 southeast of Jelisarowo railway station south-southwest of Dnipropetrovsk 30 18 August 1943 05:54 La-5 northwest of Dolgenskaja 61 28 November 1943 13:25 Yak-9 PQ 34 Ost 48642, south of Dnjeprowka 31 22 August 1943 17:35 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 50223, southeast of Dopropolje – 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Eastern Front — 1 January – 22 January 1944 62 12 January 1944 12:10 Il-2 m.H. PQ 25 Ost 80691 southeast of Vinnytsia 65 15 January 1944 14:31 Il-2 m.H. PQ 25 Ost 90712 east of Vinnytsia 63 15 January 1944 09:17 Yak-4 PQ 25 Ost 80661 east-northeast of Vinnytsia 66 15 January 1944 14:36 Il-2 m.H. PQ 25 Ost 90522 south-southeast of Koziatyn 64 15 January 1944 09:20 Yak-4 PQ 25 Ost 80633 south-southeast of Koziatyn

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class German Cross in Gold on 28 January 1944 as Feldwebel in the 10./Jagdgeschwader 51 Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 3 April 1944 as Feldwebel and pilot Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 June 1944 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in 10./Jagdgeschwader 51