Karl-Gottfried Nordmann

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Karl-Gottfried Nordmann

Karl-Gottfried Nordmann
Born (1915-11-22)22 November 1915
Gießen
Died 22 July 1982(1982-07-22) (aged 66)
Greenwich, Connecticut (USA)
Allegiance Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Service/branch Luftwaffe
Rank Oberstleutnant
Unit JG 51
Commands held JG 51
Battles/wars Operation Barbarossa
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Oberstleutnant Karl-Gottfried Nordmann (born 22 November 1915 in Gießen – died 22 July 1982 in Greenwich, Connecticut(USA)) was a German World War II Luftwaffe flying ace. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.[1] He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Legally it was Germany's highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to Karl-Gottfried Nordmann.[Note 1]

Career

Nordmann was born on 22 November 1915 in Giessen. At the start of the war Nordmann was serving with I./Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing). By March 1940 he was an Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3./JG 77. In November 1940 Nordmann, having achieved 8 air victories, was transferred to command 12 Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). In July 1941 Hauptmann Nordmann was appointed to command IV./JG 51 flying on the Eastern Front and in August was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after a total of 31 victories. Future 'ace' Unteroffizier Franz-Josef Beerenbrock flew as Nordmann's Rottenflieger (wing man) around this time. In April 1942, now a Major, Nordmann was appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 51.

On 17 January 1943 Nordmann's Focke-Wulf Fw 190 was when involved in a collision with Oberleutnant Rudolf Busch, Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 51. Busch was killed and Nordmann, severely injured, did not fly operationally again.

In April 1944 Oberstleutnant Nordmann was made Jagdfliegerführer Ostpreussen before in May 1944 appointed to Jagdfliegerführer 6. In February 1945 Nordmann was made Inspekteur der Tagjäger Ost until the end of the war.

He died in July 1982 in Greenwich, Connecticut, USA.

Nordmann claimed 78 aerial victories (69 on the Eastern front) in over 800 combat missions and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.[2]

Awards

Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording Direct English translation
4 May 1944 Das unter Führung von Oberstleutnant Nordmann stehende Jagdgeschwader "Mölders" meldete seinen 8 000 Luftsieg.[5] The under the leadership of Oberstleutnant Nordmann standing Fighter Wing "Mölders" reported its 8 000th aerial victory.

Notes

  1. ↑ Until late September 1941, the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves was second only to the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), which was awarded only to senior commanders for winning a major battle or campaign, in the military order of the Third Reich. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves as highest military order was officially surpassed on 28 September 1941 by the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern), however the first presentation of the Swords to Adolf Galland was made prior to this date on 21 June 1941.

References

Citations
  1. ↑ Spick 1996, pp. 3–4.
  2. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 47.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Thomas 1998, p. 124.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 572.
  5. ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, p. 95.
Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [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. 
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1941 – 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 Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1. 
  • Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. 
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 3, 1 January 1944 to 9 May 1945] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. 

External links

Media related to Karl Gottfried Nordmann at Wikimedia Commons

Military offices
Preceded by
Major Günther Lützow		 Commander of Jagdgeschwader 51 Mölders
10 April 1942 – 30 March 1944 		Succeeded by
Major Fritz Losigkeit
Preceded by
unknown		 Commander of Jagdfliegerführer Ostpreussen
1 April 1944 – 1 October 1944 		Succeeded by
Hauptmann Egbert Belau
Preceded by
Generalmajor Walter Grabmann		 Commander of 1. Jagd-Division
April, 1945 – 8 May 1945 		Succeeded by
none
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