Heinz-Gerhard Vogt

Gerhard Vogt
Born 29 November 1911(1911-11-29)
Raudten near Lüben, Germany
Died 14 January 1945(1945-01-14) (aged 33)
Köln, Germany
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Years of service 1939–1945
Rank Oberleutnant
Unit JG 26
Battles/wars

World War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Gerhard Vogt (29 November 1911 – 14 January 1945) was a former German 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. Gerhard Vogt scored 48 victories in 174 missions. All of his victories were recorded over the Western front, and included eight four-engined bombers.

Contents

Military career

He claimed his first victory when he shot down a RAF Supermarine Spitfire fighter over Calais on 6 November 1941. On 15 June 1944, Leutnant Vogt took command of 7./JG 26 when Oberleutnant Waldemar Radener was seriously wounded in aerial combat. Vogt was appointed Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 26 on 14 August 1944, replacing Hauptmann Walter Matoni. Vogt led 5./JG 26 during Operation Bodenplatte, the attack on the Allied airfields in the Netherlands and Belgium on 1 January 1945 by United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) fighters. Vogt was shot down and killed by USAAF P-51 Mustangs of the 78th Fighter Group in his FW 190 D-9 near Cologne.[1]

In his combat career Vogt shot down two prominent Allied fighter aces, Australian Tony Gaze (12.5 confirmed, 4 probable and 5 damaged victories) and Claude Weaver (12.5 confirmed and 3 probable victories). Vogt himself was shot down by enemy pilots six times.

Awards

References

Citations
  1. ^ Caldwell 1991, p. 328.
  2. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 761.
Bibliography
  • Caldwell, Donald (1991). JG 26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe, New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1050-6.
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
  • Patzwall, Klaus D. & Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
  • 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.

External links