Martin Fiebig

Martin Fiebig
Born	7 May 1891 Rösnitz, Province of Silesia, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire now Rozumice, Opole Voivodeship, Poland
Died	23 October 1947 (aged 56) Belgrade, Socialist Republic of Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia now Belgrade, Serbia
Allegiance	German Empire (to 1918)  Weimar Republic (to 1933)  Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1910–45
Rank	General der Flieger
Commands held	KG 4 VIII.Fliegerkorps
Battles/wars	World War I World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Martin Fiebig (7 May 1891 – 23 October 1947) was a German general of Luftwaffe, serving during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Early life and World War I

Martin Fiebig was born on 7 May 1891 in Rösnitz, Upper Silesia. He served in World War I, and was promoted to Oberleutnant on 18 June 1915. From August 1914 to 1915, he served in the 18th Infantry Regiment. Sometime during 1915, he was transferred from the infantry to become a pilot. From 1915 to 1 August 1918, he was a pilot and Squadron-Leader in the 3rd Bomber Wing.

World War II

He commanded Kampfgeschwader 4 (KG 4 or Bomber Wing 4) in the Battle of the Netherlands, but was shot down and captured by the Dutch on the 10 May 1940, during the initial attack on Rotterdam-Waalhaven airfield. Fiebig commanded the attack of II./KG 4 leading his Stabsschwarm and was one of the two first planes shot after dropping its marker bombs. Most of the first squadron that followed the Colonel's bomber were shot down too by Dutch fighters and AAA. Colonel Fiebig was lucky to escape being expedited by the Dutch to the UK, a fate that around 1,250 of his fellow Luftwaffe and army comrades in captivity couldn't escape.

He later commanded the wing in the Battle of Belgium, the Battle of France, and the Battle of Britain. In 1941 he took part of the German invasion of Yugoslavia and subsequent Bombing of Belgrade. During Battle of Stalingrad, he was commander of the VIII Fliegerkorps in the Stalingrad sector.

Fiebig was executed in Belgrade for war crimes.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st Class
• Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (18 September 1939)^[1]
  • 1st class (3 May 1940)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 4 May 1942 as Generalleutnant and Nakfü 2/VIII. Fliegerkorps^{[2][Note 1]}
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 8 May 1940 as Oberst and Geschwaderkommodore of Kampfgeschwader 4 "General Wever"^[3][4]
  • 168th Oak Leaves on 23 December 1942 as Generalleutnant and commanding general of the VIII. Fliegerkorps^[3][5]

Notes

1. Nakfü is the abbreviation of Führer der Nahkampfverbände—leader of the close air support units.

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1997, p. 165.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 112.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 306.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 180.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 64.

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.
• Kaiser, Jochen (2010). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kampfflieger—Band 1 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Bomber Fliers—Volume 1] (in German and English). Bad Zwischenahn, Germany: Luftfahrtverlag-Start. ISBN 978-3-941437-07-4.
• 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.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.