Kurt Ebener

Kurt Ebener (4 May 1920 – 7 May 1975) was a Luftwaffe fighter 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 Ebener was credited with 57 victories in 150 missions, 52 over the Eastern Front.

Kurt Ebener
Born(1920-05-04)4 May 1920
Könitz/Saalfeld, Germany
Died7 May 1975(1975-05-07) (aged 55)
Fischbach (Taunus), Germany
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service1939–45
RankOberleutnant
UnitJG 3, JG 11
Commands held5./JG 11
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Career

Ebener was born on 4 May 1920 in Könitz, present-day a municipality of Unterwellenborn, at the time in Thuringia of the Weimar Republic. He volutunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe on 17 November 1939.[1] He was posted to 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) based on the Eastern Front. On 23 May 1942 he scored his first two victories when he shot down two Russian Polikarpov I-16 fighters. Ebener reached his 10th victory on 30 July and his 20th on 17 December.

In December 1942, Ebener volunteered for the Platzschutzstaffel (airfield defence squadron) of the Pitomnik Airfield. The Staffel, largely made up from volunteers from I. and II. Gruppe of JG 3, was responsible for providing fighter escort to Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft and Heinkel He 111 bombers shuttling supplies for the encircled German forces fighting in the Battle of Stalingrad.[2] During four weeks he shot down 30 enemy aircraft. On 1 March 1943, he was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost to undertake a period of instructing.

On 7 April 1943, Ebener was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for 52 aerial victories claimed.[3] Simultaneously, he was promoted to the rank of Leutnant (second lieutenant).

Squadron leader

On 31 March 1944 he was transferred to 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing) and on 15 July, he was appointed the Staffelkapitän of 5. Staffel of JG  11 based on the invasion front in Normandy. In August Ebener shot down five USAAF fighters, including three P-47 Thunderbolts. He was shot down himself in a dogfight with USAAF fighters southeast of Paris while flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-14 (Werknummer 780667—factory number) on 23 August 1944.[4] Although saved by his parachute, he was badly wounded and become a prisoner of war. Due to his serious injuries he was repatriated to Germany in January 1945.

Kurt Ebener was credited with 57 victories in 150 missions, 52 over the Eastern Front, including 14 Il-2 Sturmoviks and five over the Western Front.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Ebener was credited with 57 aerial victories.[5] Obermaier also lists Ebener with 57 aerial victories, 52 on the Eastern Front and five over the Western Allies, claimed in approximately 150 combat missions.[1] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 51 aerial victories, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.[6]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 4911". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) 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 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[7]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Ebener an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.
  This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Ebener did not receive credit.
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" –[6]
Eastern Front — 26 April 1942 – 3 February 1943
1 23 May 1942 09:05?[Note 1] I-61 (MiG-3)[9] 27♠ 19 December 1942 14:09 Pe-2 PQ 4911[10]
2 23 May 1942 14:05 I-61 (MiG-3)[9] 28 20 December 1942 12:37?[Note 2] LaGG-3 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Beketovka[10]
3 27 May 1942 15:56?[Note 3] MiG-1[9]
—
?[Note 4]		 21 December 1942
—
 Yak-1[10]
4 1 July 1942 09:08 Il-2[11] 29 22 December 1942 13:35 Yak-1 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Rakutino[10]
5 24 July 1942 18:12 Il-2[12] 30 25 December 1942 13:05 Il-2 PQ 4921[10]
6 25 July 1942 12:32 R-5[12] 31 25 December 1942 13:06 LaGG-3 PQ 4921[10]
7 26 July 1942 03:56 LaGG-3[12] 32 28 December 1942 09:05 LaGG-3 PQ 4937[10]
8 27 July 1942 07:15 MiG-1 PQ 3942, south of Dubinskij[12] 33 30 December 1942 09:45?[Note 5] MiG-1 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Gorodishche[10]
9 30 July 1942 13:04?[Note 6] Yak-1 PQ 39181[12]
10 km (6.2 mi) west of Kalach		 34 30 December 1942 09:48 MiG-1 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Stalingrad[10]
10 30 July 1942 13:05 Yak-1 PQ 39191[12]
10 km (6.2 mi) west of Kalach		 35 30 December 1942 12:25 Il-2 PQ 49114[10]
25 km (16 mi) northwest of Gumrak
11 1 August 1942 15:37 LaGG-3 PQ 3941, west of Kalach[13]
10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Kalach		 36 30 December 1942 12:27 LaGG-3 PQ 49412[10]
12 5 August 1942 04:40 Pe-2 PQ 49354, Beketovka[13]
20 km (12 mi) south of Bassargino		 37 4 January 1943 15:57?[Note 7] LaGG-3 PQ 3941[10]
13?[Note 8] 5 August 1942 04:42 Pe-2 12 km (7.5 mi) west of Beketovka[13] 38 7 January 1943 07:47 LaGG-3 PQ 4915[10]
14 21 August 1942 13:37 I-180 (Yak-7) PQ 39492[15]
40 km (25 mi) south of Pitomnik		 39 7 January 1943 08:26 La-5 PQ 4937[10]
15 15 September 1942 14:47 Pe-2 PQ 57711[16] 40 10 January 1943 07:30?[Note 9] Il-2 7 km (4.3 mi) north of Pitomnik Airfield[17]
vicinity of Bassargino
16 6 October 1942 07:20 LaGG-3 3 km (1.9 mi) west of Neprije[16] 41 10 January 1943 07:35 Il-2 PQ 49132[17]
17 15 October 1942 09:01 LaGG-3 PQ 38613[16] 42 10 January 1943 07:46 LaGG-3 PQ 49316[17]
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Bassargino
18 3 December 1942 12:40 Il-2 PQ 26192[18] 43 10 January 1943 09:03 Il-2 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Babukin[17]
10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Pitomnik
19 3 December 1942 12:42 Il-2 PQ 26161[10] 44 12 January 1943 10:40 Il-2 PQ 49143[17]
10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Pitomnik
20 17 December 1942 13:24 Il-2 PQ 49121[10]
10 km (6.2 mi) north of Gumrak		 45 12 January 1943 10:42 Il-2 PQ 49143[17]
10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Pitomnik
21 17 December 1942 13:26 Yak-1 PQ 4078[10] 46 12 January 1943 14:25 LaGG-3 PQ 49312[17]
10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Bassargino
22 18 December 1942 12:47 Il-2 PQ 3945[10] 47 13 January 1943 10:15 Il-2 PQ 4934[17]
23♠ 19 December 1942 12:45 LaGG-3 PQ 3946[10] 48 15 January 1943 08:28 DB-3 PQ 4912[17]
24♠ 19 December 1942 13:52 LaGG-3 PQ 3942[10] 49 15 January 1943 08:32 DB-3 PQ 4911[17]
25♠ 19 December 1942 13:55 LaGG-3 PQ 3942[10] 50 15 January 1943 10:21 LaGG-3 PQ 4934[17]
26♠ 19 December 1942 14:08 Pe-2 PQ 4911[10] 51 15 January 1943 10:39 LaGG-3 PQ 4918[17]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 11 –
nvasion of Normandy — August 1944
52?[Note 8] 14 August 1944
—
 Spitfire[19] 55?[Note 8] 18 August 1944
—
 P-51[19]
53?[Note 8] 15 August 1944
—
 P-47[19] 56?[Note 8] 19 August 1944
—
 P-47[19]
54?[Note 8] 16 August 1944
—
 P-47[19]

Awards

Notes
  1. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 09:03.[8]
  2. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 12:38.[8]
  3. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 15:55.[8]
  4. This unconfirmed claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[8]
  5. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 09:47.[8]
  6. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:03.[8]
  7. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:57.[14]
  8. This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[6]
  9. According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 07:26.[14]

References

Citations
  1. Obermaier 1989, p. 105.
  2. Prien & Stemmer 2003, pp. 144, 146.
  3. Weal 2007, p. 35.
  4. Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 1198.
  5. Zabecki 2014, p. 1618.
  6. Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 253–254.
  7. Planquadrat.
  8. Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 253.
  9. Prien et al. 2006, p. 144.
  10. Prien et al. 2006, p. 155.
  11. Prien et al. 2006, p. 146.
  12. Prien et al. 2006, p. 149.
  13. Prien et al. 2006, p. 150.
  14. Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 254.
  15. Prien et al. 2006, p. 152.
  16. Prien et al. 2006, p. 153.
  17. Prien et al. 2006, p. 156.
  18. Prien et al. 2006, p. 154.
  19. Prien & Rodeike 1996, p. 1214.
  20. Patzwall 2008, p. 70.
  21. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 95.
  22. Scherzer 2007, p. 285.
  23. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 168.

Bibliography
  • Bergström, Christer. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (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.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2014). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 1 A–F. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-18-9.
  • 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.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
  • Prien, Jochen; Rodeike, Peter (1996). Jagdgeschwader 1 und 11—Einsatz in der Reichsverteidigung von 1939 bis 1945—Teil 2—1944 [Jagdgeschwader 1 and 11—Operations in the Defense of the Reich from 1939 to 1945—Volume 2—1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-24-3.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard (2003). Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" in WWII: II./JG 3 in Action with the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0-7643-1774-3.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/II—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1.5.1942 bis 3.2.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/II—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-77-9.
  • 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 Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
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  • Zabecki, David T., ed. (2014). Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-59884-981-3.
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