Franz Schiess

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Franz Schiess
21 February 1921(1921-02-21) — 2 September 1943 (aged 22)[1]
Image:Franz Schiess.jpg
Franz Schiess
Nickname "Nawratil"
Place of birth St Polten, Austria
Place of death Gulf of Naples, near Cancello, Italy
Allegiance Flag of Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service Heer: 1938-1940, Luftwaffe: 1940 - 1943
Rank Hauptmann
Unit JG 53
Commands held 8./JG 53
Battles/wars World War II
Awards German Cross in Gold (23 January 1943)Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (21 June 1943

Franz Schiess (21 February 1921 - 2 September 1943) was a German fighter ace. He scored 67 victories in 657 missions, (14 on the Eastern Front, and 53 against the Western Allies) whilst flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109.

[edit] War time service

During the Polish campaign, he saw service in the Army before transferring to the Luftwaffe and undergoing fighter pilot training in 1940. Schiess was posted to JG 53, based on the Channel front, in March 1941. On 22 June 1941, Schiess scored his first victories on the opening day of Operation Barbarossa, destroying a I-153 biplane fighter and a Ilyushin DB-3 bomber.

The members of his Staffel called him "Nawratil", by his radio call sign name. Schiess joined JG 53 in the spring of 1941 and until February flew as a member of the Geschwaderstab. In this time he established a close friendship with Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn.[2]

After achieving 14 kills on the Eastern front JG 53 was withdrawn and, following rest and refitting in Germany, then deployed to the Mediterranean. Operating from Sicily, Schiess flew sorties over Malta scoring 11 victories. In Tunisia Schiess continued his success, gaining a further 13 victories.

Leutnant Schiess was awarded the German Cross in Gold on January 23, 1943 as a member of Stab/JG 53.[3] On 16 February 1943, Schiess was appointed Staffelkapitän of 8./JG 53 and reached 50 kills on 21 May over Sicily, he was to score 29 kills as "head" of 8./JG 53[4]. Schiess was awarded the Knight's Cross on 21 June for 55 victories. In August, Schieß shot down 12 enemy aircraft in 11 days of which seven were P-38 twin-engine fighters. Together with Jürgen Harder of III./JG 53, Schiess was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann on September 1, 1943.[5]

Among his 67 aerial victories were 17 P-38 Lightnings, making him the highest scoring "Lightning Killer" of the war.

[edit] Death

On 2 September 1943 Schiess led a scramble against a USAAF B-25 bomber formation attacking Marshalling Yards at Cancello. His unit engaged the fighter escort of P-38 Lightnings. The final battles took place around the island of Ischia; at about 1:45 PM the pilots heard Franz Schiess radio: "At them again, everyone get ready!" At the time the formation was 30 to 40 km southwest of Ischia. It was at this time that Hauptmann Schiess wingman was forced away by two Lightnings and lost sight of his Staffelkapitän.[5] Ten of the P-38s were shot down, but Schiess Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 160 022) "Black 1 + I", crashed into the Mediterranean 30-50km SSW of Ischia.[6] Although it was not witnessed he probably was shot down by a P-38[7].

On September 27 Günther von Maltzahn wrote to Schiess' parents expressing the close friendship they shared:[8]

"I ask that you and your husband accept my and my Geschwader's most sincere and heartfelt sympathy on the unspeakably hard stroke of fate which befell your son Franz. I can sympathize with how hard it must be to come to terms with thought that you will never see your son Franz again in this life. One could not have wished for a better officer. Not only did there exist a comradeship and a mutual trust between Kommodore and adjutant that was tested in far more than 100 air battles, but in him I lost my best friend, on whom I could depend no matter what the situation."

[edit] References

Notes
  1. ^ Scutts 1994, p. 94.
  2. ^ Prien 1998, p. 678.
  3. ^ Patzwall 2001, p. 405
  4. ^ Scutts 1994, p. 94.
  5. ^ a b Prien 1998, p. 677.
  6. ^ Prien 1998, p. 729.
  7. ^ Scutts 1994, p. 61.
  8. ^ Prien 1998, p. 678, 679
Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN ISBN 3-7909-0284-5
  • Prien, Jochen (1998). Jagdgeschwader 53 A History of the "Pik As" Geschwader May 1942-January 1944. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Military History. ISBN ISBN 0-7643-0292-2
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. & Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN ISBN 3-931533-45-X
  • Scutts, J. (1994). Bf 109 Aces of North Africa and the Mediterranean. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-448-2.
External links


Persondata
NAME Schiess, Franz
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Schiehs, Franz
SHORT DESCRIPTION German World War II fighter pilot
DATE OF BIRTH February 21, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH St Polten, Austria
DATE OF DEATH September 2, 1943
PLACE OF DEATH Gulf of Naples, Italy