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Franz Schall
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Franz Schall
Franz Schall (1 June 1918 – 10 April 1945) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he flew approximately 550 combat missions and claimed 137 aerial victories—that is, 137 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.
He was killed on 10 April 1945, when his aircraft rolled into a bomb crater and exploded during an attempted emergency landing at Parchim.
Schall was born on 1 June 1918 in Graz in Austria-Hungary. He began his military service with the anti-aircraft artillery before in September 1941 he was trained as a fighter pilot. In December 1942, Schall was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost (EJGr Ost—Supplementary Fighter Group, East) which was based at Saint-Jean-d'Angély in France. EJGr Ost main purpose was to provide specialized training for new fighter pilots destined for the Eastern Front. Training was provided by experienced Eastern Front veterans, who were rotated in and out of this unit. Schall was assigned to group of six trainee pilots which included Wilhelm Batz and Walter Wolfrum. Their fighter pilot instructor was Oberfeldwebel Karl Steffen, a combat veteran credited with 44 aerial victories.
Holding the rank of Leutnant (second lieutenant), Schall was posted to the 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) on 18 February 1943. At the time, this Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Rudolf Miethig and was part of I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 52 headed by Hauptmann Helmut Bennemann.
World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. Germany had launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. In February 1943, I. Gruppe was based at Poltava on the Eastern Front and was subordinated to Luftwaffenkommando Don which supported the fighting in the Third Battle of Kharkov. Schall claimed his first aerial victory on 6 May when he shot down a Lavochkin La-5 fighter near Belgorod.
In preparation for Operation Citadel, I. Gruppe was moved to Bessonovka, a makeshift airfield located approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) on 4 July. On 13 July during the Battle of Kursk, Schall, accompanied by his wingman Oberfeldwebel Franz Woidich, claimed an Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft shot down. On 14 July, he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse) and the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse) on 24 August. On 11 November 1943, Schall was shot down and wounded by anti-aircraft artillery in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 410131—factory number) resulting in a forced landing 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) south of Kerch. In December 1943, Schall was temporarily put in command of 3. Staffel of JG 52. He replaced Leutnant Karl-Heinz Plücker who was transferred.
Schall was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 20 March 1944. On 5 April, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Leipzig, present-day Serpneve. Here Schall claimed his 50th aierial victory on 17 May. On 11 May, then Oberleutnant Franz Woidich succeeded Schall as commander of 3. Staffel. On 10 June 1944, I. Gruppe was ordered to an airfield named Poloniczna, a makeshift airfield located approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) northeast of Lemberg, now Lviv. Seven days later, they were moved to Serpneve. On 22 June, Soviet forces launched Operation Bagration, attacking Army Group Centre in Byelorussia, with the objective of encircling and destroying its main component armies. On 24 June, the Gruppe transferred to Galați and again to Peloniczna. The Gruppe reached Grabowiec in eastern Poland on 27 July and Kraków on 1 August. On 12 August they were again relocated and moved to Mzurowa. The day before, Schall was officially appointed Staffelkapitän (Squadron leader) of 3. Staffel after Woidich was transferred.
Fighting across Poland, it led to his most prolific period in the war with a number of multiple victories in a day: three on 12 August (74–76), three more on the 24th (79–81). On 26 August, Schall became a "double ace-in-a-day" for the first time, claiming eleven aerial victories which included six Il-2 ground-attack aircraft. On 31 August, he surpassed this figure, claiming thirteen aerial victories, including his 100th claim, which took his total to 109 victories. He was the 81st Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. In September 1944, Schall left JG 52 and transferred to a jet fighter unit. Command of 3. Staffel was transferred to Leutnant Leonhard Färber on 25 September.
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Franz Schall
Franz Schall (1 June 1918 – 10 April 1945) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he flew approximately 550 combat missions and claimed 137 aerial victories—that is, 137 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.
He was killed on 10 April 1945, when his aircraft rolled into a bomb crater and exploded during an attempted emergency landing at Parchim.
Schall was born on 1 June 1918 in Graz in Austria-Hungary. He began his military service with the anti-aircraft artillery before in September 1941 he was trained as a fighter pilot. In December 1942, Schall was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost (EJGr Ost—Supplementary Fighter Group, East) which was based at Saint-Jean-d'Angély in France. EJGr Ost main purpose was to provide specialized training for new fighter pilots destined for the Eastern Front. Training was provided by experienced Eastern Front veterans, who were rotated in and out of this unit. Schall was assigned to group of six trainee pilots which included Wilhelm Batz and Walter Wolfrum. Their fighter pilot instructor was Oberfeldwebel Karl Steffen, a combat veteran credited with 44 aerial victories.
Holding the rank of Leutnant (second lieutenant), Schall was posted to the 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) on 18 February 1943. At the time, this Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Rudolf Miethig and was part of I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 52 headed by Hauptmann Helmut Bennemann.
World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. Germany had launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. In February 1943, I. Gruppe was based at Poltava on the Eastern Front and was subordinated to Luftwaffenkommando Don which supported the fighting in the Third Battle of Kharkov. Schall claimed his first aerial victory on 6 May when he shot down a Lavochkin La-5 fighter near Belgorod.
In preparation for Operation Citadel, I. Gruppe was moved to Bessonovka, a makeshift airfield located approximately 20 kilometers (12 miles) on 4 July. On 13 July during the Battle of Kursk, Schall, accompanied by his wingman Oberfeldwebel Franz Woidich, claimed an Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft shot down. On 14 July, he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse) and the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse) on 24 August. On 11 November 1943, Schall was shot down and wounded by anti-aircraft artillery in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 410131—factory number) resulting in a forced landing 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) south of Kerch. In December 1943, Schall was temporarily put in command of 3. Staffel of JG 52. He replaced Leutnant Karl-Heinz Plücker who was transferred.
Schall was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 20 March 1944. On 5 April, I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Leipzig, present-day Serpneve. Here Schall claimed his 50th aierial victory on 17 May. On 11 May, then Oberleutnant Franz Woidich succeeded Schall as commander of 3. Staffel. On 10 June 1944, I. Gruppe was ordered to an airfield named Poloniczna, a makeshift airfield located approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) northeast of Lemberg, now Lviv. Seven days later, they were moved to Serpneve. On 22 June, Soviet forces launched Operation Bagration, attacking Army Group Centre in Byelorussia, with the objective of encircling and destroying its main component armies. On 24 June, the Gruppe transferred to Galați and again to Peloniczna. The Gruppe reached Grabowiec in eastern Poland on 27 July and Kraków on 1 August. On 12 August they were again relocated and moved to Mzurowa. The day before, Schall was officially appointed Staffelkapitän (Squadron leader) of 3. Staffel after Woidich was transferred.
Fighting across Poland, it led to his most prolific period in the war with a number of multiple victories in a day: three on 12 August (74–76), three more on the 24th (79–81). On 26 August, Schall became a "double ace-in-a-day" for the first time, claiming eleven aerial victories which included six Il-2 ground-attack aircraft. On 31 August, he surpassed this figure, claiming thirteen aerial victories, including his 100th claim, which took his total to 109 victories. He was the 81st Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. In September 1944, Schall left JG 52 and transferred to a jet fighter unit. Command of 3. Staffel was transferred to Leutnant Leonhard Färber on 25 September.