Kurt Dombacher

Kurt Dombacher
Born	9 February 1920 Untertürkheim, Germany
Died	8 October 1993 (aged 73) Rust, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	?–1945 1956–1970's
Rank	Oberleutnant (Wehrmacht) Major (Bundeswehr)
Unit	JG 5 JG 51
Battles/wars	World War II Eastern Front
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Kurt Dombacher (9 February 1920 – 8 October 1993) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. 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.

Awards

• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (20 March 1943)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold on 25 May 1944 as Oberfeldwebel in the I./Jagdgeschwader 51^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 8 April 1945 as Leutnant and pilot in 1./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders^{[2][Note 1]}

Notes

1. Kurt Dombacher's nomination by the troop was processed by the Oberkommando der Luftwaffe/Auszeichnung und Disziplin (OKL/AuD—Air Force High Command/Award and Discipline) on 15 April 1945. This nomination, now recommending approval, was forwarded on 16 April with a Luftwaffenpersonalamt-Verleihungsvorschlag (LPA-VV—Air Force Staff Office Nomination Recommendation) Nr. 1576 to the adjutancy of Hermann Göring. The nomination was never finalized and was left unfinished by the end of the war. A presentation of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross cannot be verified. The presentation date of 7 April 1945 as listed by Ernst Obermaier, author of Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939–1945—The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Fighter Force 1939–1945, must be incorrect.^[3] The presentation date of 8 April 1945 as listed by the Walther-Peer Fellgiebel is an assumption of the Association of Knight's Cross Recipients.^[4]

References

Citations

1. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 89.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 138.
3. Obermaier 1989, p. 102.
4. Scherzer 2007, p. 126.

Bibliography

• 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.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.

External links

• Luftwaffe 1939–1945 History
• World War 2 Awards.com