Leopold Fellerer

Leopold "Poldi" Fellerer
Nickname "Poldi"
Born 7 June 1919
Vienna, Austria
Died 16 July 1968(1968-07-16) (aged 49)
Mautern, Austria
Allegiance Nazi Germany (to 1945)
Austria
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Austrian Air Force
Years of service 1940–1945
1950's–1968
Rank Hauptmann (Luftwaffe)
? (Austrian Air Force)
Unit NJG 1
NJG 2
NJG 5
NJG 6
Commands held II./NJG 5
III./NJG 6
Battles/wars

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

Leopold "Poldi" Fellerer (7 June 1919 – 16 July 1968) was a German Luftwaffe night 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.

Contents

Career

Fellerer was born in Vienna, Austria on 7 June 1919. In November 1940 he was posted as a bomber pilot, before being assigned as Technical Officer to II./NJG 1. He claimed his first victory on 11 February 1941, a Handley Page Hampden north of Bergen-Alkmaar. He was transferred to 4./NJG 1 in June 1941.

In October 1942 Fellerer was made Staffelkapitän of 3./NJG 1 before being posted to NJG 5 in December 1942. Promoted to Hauptmann, Fellerer became Gruppenkommandeur of II. / NJG 5 in December 1943. During this period, Fellerer raised his score to 18 victories.

In January 1944 Fellerer claimed two USAAF heavy bombers in daylight. On the night of 20-21 January 1944 he claimed five RAF bombers. He was then awarded the German Cross in Gold in February 1944.

After 34 victories Hauptmann Fellerer was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 8 April 1944.

In 450 missions Leopold Fellerer claimed 41 aerial victories, 39 of them at night. 32 were four engine heavy bombers. [Notes 1]

During the 1950s, he served with the Austrian Air Force, becoming Commander of the Langenlebarn Airbase in Tulln on the River Donau, retiring as a Oberstleutnant. Leopold Fellerer died on 15 July 1968 in an air crash, his Cessna L-19 coming down near Krems.

Awards

Notes

  1. ^ For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces.

References

Citations
  1. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 150.
Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 - 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 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

Military offices
Preceded by
Hauptmann Baer		 Gruppenkommandeur of II. Nachtjagdgeschwader 5
February 1944 - 10 May 1944		 Succeeded by
Major Hans Leickhardt
Preceded by
None		 Gruppenkommandeur of III. Nachtjagdgeschwader 6
10 May 1944 - February 1945		 Succeeded by
Hauptmann Wilhelm Johnen