Erbo Graf von Kageneck

Erbo Graf von Kageneck (2 April 1918 – 12 January 1942) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. A flying ace, he was credited with 67 aerial victories and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany.

Erbo Graf von Kageneck
Kageneck in front of his Messerschmitt Me 109E in Sicily, with ground crew
Born(1918-04-02)2 April 1918
Bonn
Died12 January 1942(1942-01-12) (aged 23)
Naples, Italy
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchLuftwaffe
Years of service1936–42
RankHauptmann
UnitJG 1, JG 27
Battles/wars
World War II, Mediterranean Theatre
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Early life

Kageneck was born in Bonn, one of five sons of Generalmajor Karl Graf von Kageneck and Freiin Maria von Schorlemer, daughter of Clemens Freiherr von Schorlemer, an Imperial Secretary of Agriculture. His brothers included Clemens-Heinrich Graf von Kageneck (1913–2005), a captain in the army, and August von Kageneck (1922–2004), a lieutenant in the army, later a journalist and writer.

World War II

Kageneck joined the German air force, the Luftwaffe, in 1936. At the outbreak of World War II, he served with Jagdgeschwader 1. In September 1940, he transferred as squadron leader of Staffel 9, Jagdgeschwader 27. In 1941, during the invasion of the Soviet Union, JG 27 was tasked with neutralising the Soviet air force. Kageneck shot down more than 20 Soviet aircraft in less than four weeks. For that he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 July 1941 and also was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant). By October 1941, Kageneck had recorded 48 Soviet victories and — with his total now at 65 — was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 26 October 1941.

In December 1941, Kageneck was transferred back to the Mediterranean theatre with Staffel 9, JG 27 and gained his last two victories against British Commonwealth fighters over the deserts of North Africa. On 24 December, Kageneck was seriously wounded in combat with several Desert Air Force (DAF) Tomahawks, and Hurricanes south of Agedabia. Both Sergeant Maxwell (of No. 94 Squadron RAF) and Pilot Officer Thompson (No. 229 Squadron RAF) made claims for a fighter shot down in the same action. Many years later, some sources, including Kageneck's brother, August von Kageneck, claimed that the shots which hit Erbo were fired by the pre-eminent Australian ace of the war, Clive Caldwell.[1] The main reason for this was that Caldwell favoured attacks from beneath his opponents, which was precisely the fashion in which Kageneck's wounds were sustained.

Although he suffered severe injuries to his stomach, abdomen and groin, Kageneck managed to fly his crippled fighter back to his base at El Magrun and make an emergency landing. He was immediately evacuated, first to a hospital in Athens, and then to another in Naples where, despite intensive care, he died of his wounds on 12 January 1942 at the age of 23. He was posthumously promoted to Hauptmann (captain).

Awards

References

Citations
  1. Alexander 2006, p. 224-228.
  2. Thomas 1997, p. 339.
  3. Scherzer 2007, p. 428.

Bibliography
  • Alexander, Kristen (2006). Clive Caldwell: Air Ace. Crows Nest, Australia: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-74114-705-0.
  • "Courrier des Lecteurs" [Readers Mail]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (59): 4. February 1998. ISSN 1243-8650.
  • 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.
  • Graf von Kageneck, August (1999). Erbo, pilote de chasse, 1918-1942. Paris: Perrin. ISBN 2-262-01512-0
  • Martin, Pierre (December 1997). "Les as de la Luftwaffe: Erbo Graf von Kageneck" [Aces of the Luftwaffe: Erbo Graf von Kageneck]. Avions: Toute l'aéronautique et son histoire (in French) (57): 14–19. ISSN 1243-8650.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Shores, Christopher. Aces High -Volume 2 (Grub Street 1999)
  • Stockert, Peter (1996). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1 [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1] (in German). Bad Friedrichshall, Germany: Friedrichshaller Rundblick. ISBN 978-3-9802222-7-3.
  • Williamson, Gordon; Bujeiro, Ramiro (2005). Knight's Cross and Oak Leaves Recipients 1941-45. Osprey. ISBN 1-84176-642-9.
  • 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.
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