| Hermann Frommherz | |
|---|---|
| Born | Waldshut, Germany |
| Died | Waldshut, Germany |
| Allegiance | German Empire, Weimar Republic, 3rd Reich |
| Service/branch | Luftstreitkräfte, Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1911 - ca 1942 |
| Rank | Generalmajor (Major General) |
| Awards | Military Order of St. Henry, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Karl-Friedrich Order of Military Merit (Baden) |
Generalmajor (Major General) Hermann Frommherz (10 August 1891 - 30 December 1964) Military Order of St. Henry, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern, Knight's Cross of the Karl-Friedrich Order of Military Merit, began his military career in World War I as an ace fighter pilot. He was credited with 32 victories. During World War II he was involved in the German takeover of Czechoslovakia and rose to become a Luftwaffe Generalmajor.[1]
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Hermann Frommherz was born in Waldshut, in the Baden region of Germany near the Swiss border. He studied engineering in Stuttgart. In late 1911, he joined Jäger regiment Nr.14 in the reserves. When World War I began, he was a Vizefeldwebel non-commissioned officer.[2] Until June 1915, he served in the infantry on both the Eastern Front and the Western Front. Then he transferred to the aviation service.
He became a two seater pilot and served in both France and eastern Europe. He began with Kasta 20 of Kagohl IV, at the Battle of Verdun and over the Somme River. From there, he was transferred to Kasta 20 in Romania, was commissioned as a Leutnant in August 1916, and then posted to Macedonia in December 1916.[3]
At the beginning of March 1917, he was assigned to Jagdstaffel 2; this elite squadron had been led by aviation tactical and strategic pioneer Oswald Boelcke and had been named for him after he was killed in action. Flying a light blue Albatros D.III nicknamed "Blaue Maus",[4] he scored his first victory on 11 April 1917 - a No. 23 Squadron SPAD VII- and a BE 2e as his second on the 14th.[5] Both times, he forced the plane to land and the English pilot or crew were taken prisoner.[4]
He was injured in a crash on 1 May 1917. When he recovered, he was reassigned.[3] On 29 October 1917, he was seconded from combat duty to instructor duty with FEA 3. He stayed with them until 18 May 1918.[6]
Upon his return to fly a Fokker Dr.I with Jasta 2, he began a string of 30 victories that from 3 June 1918 until the war's end. He had two victories in June, six each in July and August, ten in September, four in October, and two on 4 November. Notable among his kills were the half dozen against the formidable Bristol Fighter F.2B.[5]
On 29 July 1918, he succeeded Hermann Göring as commanding officer of Jasta 27, when Göring moved up to command of Jagdgruppe 3.[1]
Leutnant Frommherz had a good reputation as a commanding officer. Ernst de Ridder, a Feldwebel pilot assigned to the Jasta, related how he was turned loose to retrain himself from the Fokker Dr.1 to the Fokker D.VII he was to fly, then nurse maided into combat with an experienced pilot to watch over him. As de Ridder put it, "He was so concerned about his boys." Later, when de Ridder was wounded, Frommherz brought de Ridder's newly awarded Iron Cross to the hospital.[7]
It was de Ridder who left the description of Frommherz's Fokker D.VII insignia, which consisted of the yellow nose and tail common to his Jasta, along with red and black chevrons of a Staffelführer (squadron leader) painted on top of the upper wing.[3]
Frommherz was nominated for the Pour le Merite; however, the award was cancelled upon the Kaiser's abdication. Frommherz was seen wearing the decoration after the war;[3] he had certainly fulfilled the criteria for the award.[8]
He did win the Knight's Cross of the Karl-Friedrich Order of Military Merit of his native Grand Duchy of Baden as well as the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern.[6]
Frommherz was active in the German Police Aviation Service. He also flew mail for Deutsche Luftreederei, a predecessor to Deutsche Luft Hansa.
In 1920, he returned to Baden as technical chief at the new airfield at Lorach.[3]
Beginning in 1922, the German high command ran a secret training site at Lipetsk in the Soviet Union.[9] Frommherz became an instructor there in 1925. He was also an instructor in China.[1][3] From 1931 to 1932, he taught the pilots of Chiang Kai-shek's new air force fighter tactics.[3]
He was Commanding Officer of I Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 134 ("Horst Wessel") from September 1938 until 1 November 1938 as Oberstleutnant; when it was reconstituted as JG 142, he continued in command until the first day of 1939.[10][11][12] As such, he was involved in the German invasion and conquest of Czechoslovakia, which had the code name Fall Grün (Case Green).
As a Major General, he was Commander of Jagdfliegerführer Deutsche Bucht from 1 April until 30 September 1942, following Werner Junck.
He died in his native town of Waldshut.[3]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Generalleutnant Werner Junck |
Commander of Jagdfliegerführer Deutsche Bucht 1 April 1942 – 30 September 1942 |
Succeeded by Oberst Karl Hentschel |
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