Max Bucholz

Max Bucholz
Born3 November 1912
Zerbst, Duchy of Anhalt
Died19 July 1996(1996-07-19) (aged 83)
Warnemünde
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service / branch Reichsmarine (1931–35)
 Kriegsmarine (1935–39)
 Luftwaffe (1939–45)
Years of service1931–45
RankMajor
UnitJG 3, JG 5, JG 106, JG 102
Battles / warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Max Bucholz[Note 1] (3 November 1912 – 19 July 1996) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Bucholz was credited with between 28 and 30 victories, including an ace in a day.

Early life and career

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Bucholz was born on 3 November 1912 in Zerbst, at the time in the Duchy of Anhalt within the German Empire.[2] He joined the Reichsmarine on 1 April 1931.[Note 2] There, he received his military basic training in the 2. Kompanie (2nd company) in the II. Abteilung (2nd department) of the Schiffsstammdivision (standing ship division) of the Baltic Sea in Stralsund. On 16 May 1939, Bucholz was transferred to the Luftwaffe.[3]

World War II

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World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. Bucholz had been posted to the 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing).[4] At the start of the war, the Staffel was based at Brandis and commanded by Oberleutnant Werner Andres which was subordinated to I. Gruppe (1st group) headed by Major Otto-Heinrich von Houwald. Houwald was replaced by Hauptmann Günther Lützow on 3 November.[5]

Battle of France

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On 10 May 1940, the Wehrmacht began its offensive Operation Case Yellow (Fall Gelb), the invasion of France and the neutral Low Countries. I. Gruppe of JG 3 participated in the offensive as a subordinated unit of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing). During the Battle of France, JG 77 was under control of I. Fliegerkorps (1st Air Corps), which formed the right wing of Luftflotte 3 (3rd Air Fleet) in Belgium and the Netherlands.[6]

On 17 May, Bucholz claimed his first aerial victory and became an "ace-in-a-day". That day, the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command sent 12 Bristol Blenheim bombers from No. 82 Squadron against German ground forces advancing through the Gembloux Gap. With the exception of one Blenheim, all the bombers were shot down, including four by Bucholz.[7] Later that afternoon, he shot down a Hawker Hurricane and a Curtiss P-36 Hawk near Saint-Quentin, taking his total to six aerial victories.[8]

On 15 September, flying Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1 (Werknummer 1563—factory number) during the Battle of Britain, he made a forced landing in the English Channel. His injuries required hospitalization in Boulogne.[9]

War against the Soviet Union

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In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the I. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Dub on 18 June 1941. At the start of the campaign, JG 3 was subordinated to the V. Fliegerkorps (5th Air Corps), under command of General der Flieger Robert Ritter von Greim, which was part of Luftflotte 4 (4th Air Fleet), under command of Generaloberst Alexander Löhr. These air elements supported Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt's Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South), with the objective of capturing Ukraine and its capital Kiev.[10]

On 15 July 1941, Bucholz was appointed Staffelkapitän of 2. Staffel of JG 3. He succeeded Oberleutnant Helmut Meckel who had fallen ill. The Staffel was part of I. Gruppe of JG 3 then under the command of Hauptmann Hans von Hahn.[11]

Western Front

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In September 1941, with the exception of 3. Staffel which followed in November, I. Gruppe of JG 3 was transferred from the Eastern Front to Germany for rest and re-supply. In November 1941, it was transferred to the northern Netherlands and on 15 January 1942 re-designated II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1—1st Fighter Wing) in Katwijk.[12] In consequence, 1. Staffel of JG 3 became the 4. Staffel of JG 1, 2. Staffel of JG 3 became the 5. Staffel of JG 1, and 3. Staffel of JG 3 became the 6. Staffel of JG 1.[13]

Bucholz claimed last aerial victory during Operation Donnerkeil. The objective of this operation was to give the German battleships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen fighter protection in the breakout from Brest to Germany. The Channel Dash operation (11–13 February 1942) by the Kriegsmarine was codenamed Operation Cerberus by the Germans. In support of this, the Luftwaffe, formulated an air superiority plan dubbed Operation Donnerkeil for the protection of the three German capital ships. Flying from Haamstede on 12 February, Bucholz was credited with shooting down a Blenheim bomber.[14] In May 1942, II. Gruppe was reequipped with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A series, a radial engine powered fighter aircraft, at Woensdrecht Air Field.[15]

Summary of career

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Aerial victory claims

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According to Obermaier, Bucholz was credited with 28 aerial victories claimed in approximately 170 combat missions. This figure includes 18 claims on the Eastern Front and ten over the Western Allies.[2] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and also found records for 28 aerial victory claims, including 18 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and ten on the Western Front.[16]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Bucholz an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 –[17]
Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
1♠ 17 May 1940 08:20~ Blenheim west of Saint-Quentin[18] 4♠ 17 May 1940 08:20~ Blenheim west of Saint-Quentin[18]
2♠ 17 May 1940 08:20~ Blenheim west of Saint-Quentin[18] 5♠ 17 May 1940 12:30 Curtiss?[Note 3] south of Saint-Quentin[18]
3♠ 17 May 1940 08:20~ Blenheim west of Saint-Quentin[18] 6♠ 17 May 1940 19:15 Curtiss north of Cambrai[18]
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 –[19]
Battle of Britain and on the English Channel — 26 June 1940 – 9 June 1941
7 2 September 1940
—
 Hurricane Maidstone[20] 9 7 September 1940
—
 M.S.406 Rochester[20]
8 7 September 1940
—
 M.S.406 Rochester[20]
– Stab I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 –[19]
Operation Barbarossa — 22 June – 16 September 1941
10 26 June 1941 09:45 SB-2 northwest of Brody[21] 19 10 July 1941 15:15 SB-2?[Note 4] 4 km (2.5 mi) south of Barbolok[22]
11 29 June 1941 12:20 I-153 north-northwest of Kremenets[23] 20 11 July 1941 13:20 DB-3?[Note 5] 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Berdychiv[24]
12 29 June 1941 12:22 I-153 west of Kremenets[23] 21 12 July 1941 14:50 I-17 (MiG-1) 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Zhytomyr[24]
13 29 June 1941 12:26 I-153 southwest of Kremenets[23] 22 12 July 1941 14:55 I-17 (MiG-1) 15 km (9.3 mi) east of Zhytomyr[24]
14 29 June 1941 18:05 I-153 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Zaslawye[23] 23♠ 13 July 1941 16:15 I-153 20 km (12 mi) east of Berdychiv[24]
15 2 July 1941 10:00 DI-6 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Astravyets[23] 24♠ 13 July 1941 16:17 I-153 east of Berdychiv[24]
16 5 July 1941 11:50 Pe-2 northwest of Gudnow[25] 25♠ 13 July 1941 16:20 I-16 south of Oschadowska[24]
17 6 July 1941 15:40 DB-3?[Note 5] south of Polonne[25] 26♠ 13 July 1941 16:23 SB-2 north of Pykiv[24]
18 10 July 1941 15:10 I-17 (MiG-1) 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Kurin[22] 27♠ 13 July 1941 16:25 SB-2 Pykiv[24]
– 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 1 –[26]
On the Western Front — 1 January – 31 December 1942
28 12 February 1942 16:45 Blenheim 90 km (56 mi) west of Texel[27]

Awards

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Notes

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  1. ^ According to Scherzer his name is spelled Max Buchholz.[1]
  2. ^ The German Reichsmarine was renamed to Kriegsmarine on 1 June 1935.
  3. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Hawker Hurricane fighter.[17]
  4. ^ According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 fighter.[19]
  5. ^ a b According to Mathews and Foreman claimed as a Ilyushin Il-4 bomber.[19]
  6. ^ According to Scherzer as pilot in the Stab I./Jagdgeschwader 3.[1]

References

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Citations

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  1. ^ a b Scherzer 2007, p. 249.
  2. ^ a b Obermaier 1989, p. 96.
  3. ^ MacLean 2007, p. 85.
  4. ^ MacLean 2007, p. 84.
  5. ^ Prien & Stemmer 2002, pp. 40, 403.
  6. ^ Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 54.
  7. ^ Weal 2013, A Slow Start.
  8. ^ Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 426.
  9. ^ Goss 2020, p. 49.
  10. ^ Prien & Stemmer 2002, p. 133.
  11. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 72.
  12. ^ Weal 2006, p. 12.
  13. ^ Prien & Rodeike 1993, p. 67.
  14. ^ Prien & Rodeike 1993, pp. 77–79.
  15. ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 55.
  16. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 168–169.
  17. ^ a b Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 168.
  18. ^ a b c d e f Prien et al. 2001, p. 155.
  19. ^ a b c d Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 169.
  20. ^ a b c Prien et al. 2002, p. 188.
  21. ^ Prien et al. 2003, p. 74.
  22. ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 78.
  23. ^ a b c d e Prien et al. 2003, p. 75.
  24. ^ a b c d e f g h Prien et al. 2003, p. 79.
  25. ^ a b Prien et al. 2003, p. 77.
  26. ^ Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 265.
  27. ^ Prien et al. 2004, p. 76.
  28. ^ a b c d MacLean 2007, p. 86.
  29. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 148.

Bibliography

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  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer [in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [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.
  • Goss, Chris (2020). Luftwaffe Aces in the Battle of Britain. Air World. ISBN 978-1-5267-5424-0.
  • MacLean, French L (2007). Luftwaffe Efficiency & Promotion Reports: For the Knight's Cross Winners. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0-7643-2657-8.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2014). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 1 A–F. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-18-9.
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
  • Prien, Jochen; Rodeike, Peter (1993). Jagdgeschwader 1 und 11—Einsatz in der Reichsverteidigung von 1939 bis 1945—Teil 1–1939–1943 [Jagdgeschwader 1 and 11—Operations in the Defense of the Reich from 1939 to 1945—Volume 1–1939–1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-21-2.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard (2002). Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" in WWII: Stab and I./JG 3 in Action with the Messerschmitt Bf 109. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7643-1681-4.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2001). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 3—Einsatz in Dänemark und Norwegen 9.4. bis 30.11.1940—Der Feldzug im Westen 10.5. bis 25.6.1940 [Fighter Pilot Association of the German Luftwaffe 1934 to 1945 Part 3—Assignments in Denmark and Norway 9 April to 30 November 1940—The campaign in the West 10 May to 25 June 1940] (in German). Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-61-8.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/I—Einsatz am Kanal und über England—26 June 1940 bis 21 June 1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 4/I—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-63-2.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/I—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/I—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-69-4.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2004). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 7—Heimatverteidigung—1. January bis 31 Dezember 1942—Einsatz im Westen—1. Januar bis 31. Dezember 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 7—Defense of the Reich—1 January to 31 December 1942—Action in the West—1 January to 31 December 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-73-1.
  • 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 Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
  • Weal, John (2006). Bf 109 Defence of the Reich Aces. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 68. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-879-3.
  • Weal, John (2013). Aces of Jagdgeschwader 3 'Udet'. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 116. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-78096-300-6.
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