Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Friedrich Beckh
Friedrich Beckh (17 January 1908 – 21 June 1942) was a Luftwaffe wing commander and fighter ace of Nazi Germany during World War II. As a fighter ace, he claimed 48 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions. This figure includes 44 claims on the Eastern Front and four over the Western Allies, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He held the position of Geschwaderkommodore of fighter wing Jagdgeschwader 51 and Jagdgeschwader 52.
Beckh was born on 17 January 1908 in Nuremberg in the Kingdom of Bavaria within the German Empire. On 1 April 1926, he joined the military service of the Reichswehr, the 100,000 men strong army of the Weimar Republic, as a Funker (lit. radio operator) and officer candidate. Initially, Beckh served in the cavalry and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 April 1933. In 1935, he transferred to the newly emerging Luftwaffe. Following flight training, Beckh was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel" (JG 134—134th Fighter Wing). From 1 November 1937 to 8 February 1938, Beckh attended the Luftkriegsschule 2 (2nd Air War Academy) in Berlin–Gatow.
World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. By the time, he had already occupied several positions on the General Staff and because of his age did not fly any combat sorties. Instead, he was lecturing at the Air War Academy. It was during 1940 as Jägerverbindungsoffizier (fighter communications or liaison officer) in the Luftgaukommando Wiesbaden (air district commands) that he became close friends with Werner Mölders, the two men served in JG 134. When Mölders became Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) on 27 July 1940 he arranged for Beckh to transfer to the Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) of JG 51.
On 1 March 1941, Beckh was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of IV. Gruppe of JG 51, succeeding Oberleutnant Hans-Karl Keitel who was posted as missing in action. That month, he was also promoted to Major (major). Following the appointment, Mölders had assigned Leutnant Bernd Gallowitsch as Beckh's regular wingman. Gallowitsch had good eyesight and compensated for Beckh's inabilities. The assignment was based on a recommendation made by Prof. Dr. Paul Robert Skawran, a psychologist who had studied fighter pilot aptitudes and combat readiness with JG 51 at the time. On 5 March, Beckh claimed his first aerial victory. His opponent was a Royal Air Force (RAF) Supermarine Spitfire fighter from No. 610 Squadron which was shot down near Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Beckh claimed three further aerial victories over the RAF on the English Channel. On 10 March, he claimed a Spitfire fighter 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Le Tréport, followed by another Spitfire fighter on 6 May in an area 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Cap Blanc-Nez, and lastly a Hawker Hurricane fighter on 21 May in vicinity of 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Calais. The Gruppe was withdrawn from the English Channel and relocated to Mönchengladbach on 7 June for a brief period of replenishment.
On 15 June, IV. Gruppe of JG 51 began transferring east and was located at an airfield named Krzewicze, located approximately 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of Brest-Litovsk. On 22 June, German forces launched Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. JG 51 was subordinated to II. Fliegerkorps (2nd Air Corps), which as part of Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2). JG 51 area of operation during Operation Barbarossa was over the right flank of Army Group Center in the combat area of the 2nd Panzer Group as well as the 4th Army. On the first day of the invasion, Beckh led IV. Gruppe on an early morning fighter escort mission for Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers attacking Brest-Litovsk, and further combat air patrols east of the Bug. On one of these missions, Beckh claimed a two-seat fighter biplane Kochyerigin DI-6 shot down.
On 24 June, IV. Gruppe followed the German advance and relocated to an airfield at Pruzhany, located approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Brest-Litovsk. That day, Beckh claimed an Ilyushin DB-3 bomber destroyed east of Pruzhany. Three days later, he claimed a Tupolev SB shot down. On 28 June, the Gruppe moved to Slonim, to Baranavichy on 1 July, to Minsk the next day and to Barysaw on 7 July. Operating from Barysaw that day, Beckh claimed his eighth aerial victory when he shot down an I-18, an early war Luftwaffe designation for the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 fighter near Orsha.
On 19 July 1941, Beckh was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of JG 51. He succeeded Mölders in this capacity who transferred and appointed Inspekteur der Jagdflieger (Inspector of Fighters). Command of IV. Gruppe then passed on to Haupmann Karl-Gottfried Nordmann. At the time, the Geschwaderstab of JG 51 was based at Orsha.
Hub AI
Friedrich Beckh AI simulator
(@Friedrich Beckh_simulator)
Friedrich Beckh
Friedrich Beckh (17 January 1908 – 21 June 1942) was a Luftwaffe wing commander and fighter ace of Nazi Germany during World War II. As a fighter ace, he claimed 48 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions. This figure includes 44 claims on the Eastern Front and four over the Western Allies, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He held the position of Geschwaderkommodore of fighter wing Jagdgeschwader 51 and Jagdgeschwader 52.
Beckh was born on 17 January 1908 in Nuremberg in the Kingdom of Bavaria within the German Empire. On 1 April 1926, he joined the military service of the Reichswehr, the 100,000 men strong army of the Weimar Republic, as a Funker (lit. radio operator) and officer candidate. Initially, Beckh served in the cavalry and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 April 1933. In 1935, he transferred to the newly emerging Luftwaffe. Following flight training, Beckh was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 134 "Horst Wessel" (JG 134—134th Fighter Wing). From 1 November 1937 to 8 February 1938, Beckh attended the Luftkriegsschule 2 (2nd Air War Academy) in Berlin–Gatow.
World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. By the time, he had already occupied several positions on the General Staff and because of his age did not fly any combat sorties. Instead, he was lecturing at the Air War Academy. It was during 1940 as Jägerverbindungsoffizier (fighter communications or liaison officer) in the Luftgaukommando Wiesbaden (air district commands) that he became close friends with Werner Mölders, the two men served in JG 134. When Mölders became Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) on 27 July 1940 he arranged for Beckh to transfer to the Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) of JG 51.
On 1 March 1941, Beckh was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of IV. Gruppe of JG 51, succeeding Oberleutnant Hans-Karl Keitel who was posted as missing in action. That month, he was also promoted to Major (major). Following the appointment, Mölders had assigned Leutnant Bernd Gallowitsch as Beckh's regular wingman. Gallowitsch had good eyesight and compensated for Beckh's inabilities. The assignment was based on a recommendation made by Prof. Dr. Paul Robert Skawran, a psychologist who had studied fighter pilot aptitudes and combat readiness with JG 51 at the time. On 5 March, Beckh claimed his first aerial victory. His opponent was a Royal Air Force (RAF) Supermarine Spitfire fighter from No. 610 Squadron which was shot down near Boulogne-sur-Mer.
Beckh claimed three further aerial victories over the RAF on the English Channel. On 10 March, he claimed a Spitfire fighter 20 kilometers (12 miles) west of Le Tréport, followed by another Spitfire fighter on 6 May in an area 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Cap Blanc-Nez, and lastly a Hawker Hurricane fighter on 21 May in vicinity of 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Calais. The Gruppe was withdrawn from the English Channel and relocated to Mönchengladbach on 7 June for a brief period of replenishment.
On 15 June, IV. Gruppe of JG 51 began transferring east and was located at an airfield named Krzewicze, located approximately 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of Brest-Litovsk. On 22 June, German forces launched Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. JG 51 was subordinated to II. Fliegerkorps (2nd Air Corps), which as part of Luftflotte 2 (Air Fleet 2). JG 51 area of operation during Operation Barbarossa was over the right flank of Army Group Center in the combat area of the 2nd Panzer Group as well as the 4th Army. On the first day of the invasion, Beckh led IV. Gruppe on an early morning fighter escort mission for Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers attacking Brest-Litovsk, and further combat air patrols east of the Bug. On one of these missions, Beckh claimed a two-seat fighter biplane Kochyerigin DI-6 shot down.
On 24 June, IV. Gruppe followed the German advance and relocated to an airfield at Pruzhany, located approximately 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Brest-Litovsk. That day, Beckh claimed an Ilyushin DB-3 bomber destroyed east of Pruzhany. Three days later, he claimed a Tupolev SB shot down. On 28 June, the Gruppe moved to Slonim, to Baranavichy on 1 July, to Minsk the next day and to Barysaw on 7 July. Operating from Barysaw that day, Beckh claimed his eighth aerial victory when he shot down an I-18, an early war Luftwaffe designation for the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 fighter near Orsha.
On 19 July 1941, Beckh was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of JG 51. He succeeded Mölders in this capacity who transferred and appointed Inspekteur der Jagdflieger (Inspector of Fighters). Command of IV. Gruppe then passed on to Haupmann Karl-Gottfried Nordmann. At the time, the Geschwaderstab of JG 51 was based at Orsha.