Eberhard von Boremski

Eberhard von Boremski
Eberhard von Boremski
Born	24 September 1914 Conow near Ludwigslust
Died	16 December 1963 (aged 49) Hamburg-Altona
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–45
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	JG 3
Commands held	12./JG 3
Battles/wars	World War II Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Eberhard von Boremski (24 September 1914 – 16 December 1963) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Von Boremski was credited with 104 aerial victories—that is, 104 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in roughly 630 combat missions. He was killed in an accident in Hamburg on 16 December 1963.

Career

Von Boremski was born 24 September 1914 in Conow, Pomerania. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 and served initially in 5 Staffel, Trägergruppe 186, which became II./Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing).^{[Note 1]} On 1 March 1940, holding the rank of Unteroffizier (corporal), he was transferred to the 7th Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing). He claimed his first aerial victories on 13 June 1940 when he shot down two French Potez 63 bombers.^[1] Von Boremski shot down the Bristol Blenheim bomber T1794 of No. 139 Squadron RAF on 24 September 1940. The Blenheim was on a mission against E-boats and fell into the English Channel. Squadron Leader M. F. Hendry, Sergeant P. M. Davidson and Sergeant V. Arrowsmith were killed in action.^[2]

By the start of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941, Von Boremski had accumulated four aerial victories claimed in 120 combat missions. Over the Soviet Union in 1941, von Boremski scored heavily, and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for achieving 43 victories in May 1942. After serving as an instructor in mid 1942, he returned to JG 3. In February 1943 he was made Staffelkapitän (squadron leader), 7./JG 3, serving in this role until May 1943, when he was wounded. In early 1944 he was made commanding officer of Deutsch-Königlich Rumänischen Jagdverband/Luftflotte 4 before moving to command of 12./JG 3 until April 1944, when he was again wounded.

From September 1944 to November 1944 von Boremski led 1./Jagdgruppe Ost and then 9./Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 1. In January 1945, von Boremski was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 97th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.^[3] By the end of the war, von Boremski had been credited with 104 victories, with all but four of his victories claimed over the Soviet Air Forces in about 630 combat missions.

After the German surrender, von Boremski was handed over by U.S. troops in Czechoslovakia to the Soviet armed forces, and he remained a Prisoner of War until 1955. He died in a flying accident in Hamburg in December 1963.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 3 May 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 7./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"^{[4][Note 2]}
• German Cross in Gold on 12 July 1943 as Oberleutnant in the III./Jagdgeschwader 3^[6]

Notes

1. For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
2. According to Scherzer as pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet".^[5]

References

Citations

1. Obermaier 1986, p. 92.
2. Donnelly 2004, p. 165.
3. Obermaier 1989, p. 243.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 140.
5. Scherzer 2007, p. 235.
6. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 52.

Bibliography

• Donnelly, Larry (2004). The Other Few: The Contribution Made by Bomber and Coastal Aircrew to the Winning of the Battle of Britain. Walton on Thames: Red Kite / Air Research. ISBN 978-0-9546201-2-7.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Weal, John (2001). Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-084-1.
• Weal, John (2007). More Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Front. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-177-9.
• Weal, John (2012). Rumanian Aces of World War 2. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78200-666-4.
• Weal, John (2013). Aces of Jagdgeschwader 3 'Udet'. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78096-300-6.

External links

• "Eberhard von Boremski". WW2Awards.com. Retrieved 29 December 2012.