August Geiger
Born6 May 1920
Überlingen, Weimar Republic
Died29 September 1943(1943-09-29) (aged 23)
Zuiderzee, German-occupied Netherlands
Cause of deathKilled in action
Buried
Ysselsteyn German war cemetery, Netherlands
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Service/branchBalkenkreuz (Iron Cross) Luftwaffe
Years of service1939–43
RankHauptmann (captain)
UnitNJG 1
Commands held7./NJG 1
Battles/warsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

August Geiger (6 May 1920 – 29 September 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a night fighter ace credited with 53 aerial victories making him the nineteenth most successful night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare.[1][Note 1] All of his victories were claimed over the Western Front in Defense of the Reich missions, the majority at night against the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Bomber Command and one daytime claim over a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress.

Born in Überlingen, Geiger grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. Following graduation from school, he joined the military service in 1939 and was trained to fly Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter. In mid-1941, he transferred to Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing) where he became a night fighter pilot and claimed his first aerial victory on the night of 25/26 June 1942. Geiger was appointed squadron leader of 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of NJG 1 in January 1943. Following his 26th aerial victory, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 22 May 1943. Geiger was killed in action when he was shot down by an RAF night fighter on the night of 29 September 1943. He was posthumously bestowed with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

Early life and career

Geiger was born on 6 May 1920 in Überlingen, near Lake Constance, which was part of the Republic of Baden during the Weimar Republic.[3] He was the son of a typographer. After graduation from school and receipt of his Abitur (university entry qualification), Geiger joined the Luftwaffe on 15 November 1939 as a Fahnenjunker (cadet). Following flight training,[Note 2] he was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 April 1941.[4]

World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, Royal Air Force (RAF) attacks shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign.[5] By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector named a Himmelbett (canopy bed) would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942.[6]

Night fighter career

A map of part of the Kammhuber Line. The 'belt' and night fighter 'boxes' are shown.

In mid-1941, Geiger was posted as to 9. Staffel (9th squadron) of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing).[7][Note 3] This Staffel was subordinated to III. Gruppe (3rd group) of NJG 1 under the command of Hauptmann Wolfgang Thimmig.[8] He claimed his first aerial victory on 9 July 1941 over a Handley Page Halifax bomber shot down 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) south of Nijmegen at 23:32.[9] The aircraft shot down was Halifax L9521 from the No. XXXV (Madras Presidency) Squadron on its mission to bomb the Leuna works.[10]

Now flying with 8. Staffel of NJG 1, Geiger claimed his second aerial victory on the night 19/20 June 1942 when he shot down a Stirling bomber 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) southeast of Neuenhaus.[11] That night, RAF bombers objective was Emden and lost 8 out of 191 aircraft, including Stirling R9352 from No. 15 Squadron to Geiger's attack.[12] On 25/26 June, RAF Bomber Command sent over 1,000 bomber to Bremen. Luftwaffe night fighter pilots claimed 48 aerial victories, including three by Geiger. He was credited with shooting down the Vickers Wellington bomber R1078 from No. 11 Operational Training Unit near Rheine, the Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber AD689 from No. 10 Operational Training Unit near Lingen, and the Short Stirling bomber N3754 from No. 7 Squadron.[3]

On 29/30 July, RAF Bomber Command targeted Hamburg.[13] The RAF lost 30 aircraft in the attack, including the Wellington bomber Z1570 from the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) No. 75 Squadron shot down by Geiger near Neuenhaus. The following night, Bomber Command sent 291 bombers to Saarbrücken. In defense of this attack, Geiger shot down the Whitley bomber Z9230 from No. 138 Squadron west-northwest of Rijssen.[14] He received the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 19 October 1942.[4]

Squadron leader

Geiger was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 7. Staffel of NJG 1 on 5 January 1943.[7] Geiger claimed his first aerial victory with 7. Staffel on 1 March 1943. At 23:52, he claimed a Halifax bomber 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) northwest of Zutphen.[15] That night, the RAF Bomber Command attacked Berlin with 302 aircraft. Geiger's victim may have been Halifax W7877 from No. 35 Squadron.[16] This Halifax, with an almost intact H2S ground scanning radar system, allowed the Germans to analyze the radar. This led to the development of the FuG 350 (FuG—Funkgerät) Naxos radar detector, which allowed the night fighters to home on to the H2S emitting signals.[17]

German War Cemetery Ysselsteyn - August Geiger

On the night of 29/30 March 1943, Geiger became an "ace-in-a-day", in this instance an "ace-in-a-night", taking his total to 20 aerial victories. That night, he claimed one Halifax, two Wellington and three Avro Lancaster bombers.[18] On his first mission of the night at 22:52, he shot down Wellington bomber HE182 from the 431 (Iroquois) Squadron near Ahaus. He then claimed Wellington bomber HE385 from No. 196 Squadron at 23:15 near Barchem. On his second mission, Geiger claimed Halifax bomber BE244 from No. 51 Squadron returning from Berlin and was intercepted near Vorden. He then shot down Lancaster bomber ED596 from No. 106 Squadron which came down near Delden at 04:27. His last aerial victory of the night was over Lancaster bomber W4327 from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) No. 460 Squadron which came down near Kloosterhaar in Twenterand.[19][Note 4]

Geiger was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) on 1 April.[4] On 1 May, Geiger downed Halifax DT471 of 405 Maritime Patrol Squadron flown by H P Atkinson. Atkinson, and one other crewmember died.[21] The RAF bombed Duisburg on the night of 12/13 May, losing 34 of the 572 bombers making the attack.[22] Defending against this attack, Geiger claimed three aerial victories.[23] He shot down a Halifax bomber from No. 35 Squadron and another one from No. 77 Squadron, plus the Wellington bomber HE321 from the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 428 Ghost Squadron.[24] Geiger was awarded with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 22 May 1943, the nomination had been submitted for 26 aerial victories claimed earlier. The presentation was made by Generalmajor Kammhuber.[25]

On the night of 23/24 May, Geiger shot down two Lancaster bombers.[26] One of which was Lancaster bomber W4984 from the RAAF No. 460 Squadron shot down near Emmen. Bomber Command had sent 829 bombers to Dortmund of which 38 did not return.[27] On the night of 12/13 June, Bochum was attacked by Bomber Command and 24 of 503 bombers were shot down. Geiger was credited with destroying Lancaster ED584 from No. 49 Squadron near Raalte.[28] On 1 July, he was promoted to Hauptmann (captain) and received the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 31 August 1943.[29] That night Geiger claimed his 44th victory over Stirling EH961 from No. 196 Squadron. Sergeant J. Griffiths and two other members of the seven man crew were killed. Crew member and gunner Sergeant C P Pierce was among the youngest fatalities in the RCAF in 1943, aged 18.[30]

On 29 September 1943, Geiger was shot down by the Bristol Beaufighter VI of Wing commander Bob Braham of No. 141 Squadron RAF over the Zuiderzee, Netherlands.[31] Geiger and his radio operator Feldwebel Dieter Koch managed to bail out of their Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 (Werknummer 5477—factory number), but both drowned.[32][33][34] On 2 March 1944, Geiger was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub), the 416th officer or soldier of the Wehrmacht so honored. He was buried at the German war cemetery Ysselsteyn (block M, row 4, grave 83) in the Netherlands.[29]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Spick, Geiger was credited with 53 nocturnal aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions.[35] Foreman, Parry and Mathews, authors of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 51 nocturnal victory claims.[36] Mathews and Foreman also published Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, listing Geiger with 48 claims, plus two further unconfirmed claims.[37]

Chronicle of aerial victories
  This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Geiger an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day or night.
  This and the ! (exclamation mark) indicates aerial victories listed in Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945 but not in Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims.
  This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed in Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945 and in Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims.
Claim Date Time Type Location Serial No./Squadron No.
– III. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 –[38]
1?[Note 5] 9 July 1941 23:32 Halifax 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Nijmegen[9] L9521/No. 35 Squadron[39]
– 8. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 –[38]
2 20 June 1942 02:22 Stirling 4 km (2.5 mi) southeast of Neuenhaus[11] R9352/No. 15 Squadron[40]
3 26 June 1942 01:20 Wellington 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Rheine[41] R1078/No. 11 Operational Training Unit[3]
4 26 June 1942 01:30 Whitley 10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Lingen[41] AD689/No. 10 Operational Training Unit[3]
5 26 June 1942 01:58 Stirling 6 km (3.7 mi) northwest of Nordhorn[41] N3754/No. 7 Squadron[3]
6 28 June 1942 01:29 Wellington north-northeast of Lingen[42] Z1619/No. 156 Squadron[43]
7 3 July 1942 02:49 Wellington 6 km (3.7 mi) northwest of Lochem[44] Z8579/No. 12 Squadron[45]
8 29 July 1942 02:35 Wellington 5 km (3.1 mi) north-northwest of Neuenhaus[46] Z1570/No. 75 Squadron[14]
9 30 July 1942 00:58 Whitley 8 km (5.0 mi) west-northwest of Rijssen[46] Z9230/No. 138 Squadron[14]
10 6 August 1942 01:35 Halifax 15 km (9.3 mi) south of Zwolle[47] W1215/No. 158 Squadron[48]
11 10 August 1942 04:34 Wellington 8 km (5.0 mi) south-southwest of Deventer[47]
12 11 September 1942 00:02 Wellington 2 km (1.2 mi) east of Osterwieck[49]
– 7. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 –[38]
13 1 March 1943 23:52 Halifax 2 km (1.2 mi) northwest of Zutphen[15] W7877/No. 35 Squadron.[16]
14 2 March 1943 00:37 Halifax 1 km (0.62 mi) west of Markelo[15]
15 4 March 1943 11:33 B-17[15]
16♠ 29 March 1943 22:52 Wellington 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Ahaus[18] HE182/431 (Iroquois) Squadron[50]
17♠ 29 March 1943 23:15 Wellington west-northwest of Borculo[18] HE385/No. 196 Squadron[19]
18♠ 30 March 1943 03:47 Halifax 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Zutphen[18] BE244/No. 51 Squadron[19]
19♠ 30 March 1943 04:27 Lancaster 7 km (4.3 mi) northeast of Deventer[18] ED596/No. 106 Squadron[19]
20♠ 30 March 1943 04:46 Lancaster 3 km (1.9 mi) northwest of Lieveide[18] W4327/No. 460 Squadron[19]
21 30 March 1943 23:00 Lancaster 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Gemen[18]
23 1 May 1943 03:21 Halifax northwest of Nijmegen[51]
24 5 May 1943 02:09 Halifax west of Zwolle[51]
25 13 May 1943 02:06 Halifax Vreden[23] No. 35 Squadron[24]
26 13 May 1943 02:06 Wellington southwest of Oldenzaal[23] HE321/428 Ghost Squadron[24]
27 13 May 1943 02:20 Halifax 12 km (7.5 mi) south of Hengelo[23] No. 77 Squadron[24]
28 24 May 1943 02:07 Lancaster 48 km (30 mi) east of Meppel[26] W4984/No. 460 Squadron[27]
29 24 May 1943 02:30 Lancaster 18 km (11 mi) east of Devemer[26]
30 13 June 1943 02:37 Lancaster 7 km (4.3 mi) north-northeast of Raalte[52] ED584/No. 49 Squadron[28]
31 15 June 1943 01:44 Lancaster 7 km (4.3 mi) southeast of Terlet[52] R5551/No. 106 Squadron[53]
32 23 June 1943 01:33 Wellington 9 km (5.6 mi) north of Wesel[54]
33 23 June 1943 01:35 Wellington 3 km (1.9 mi) north of Rees[54] HZ312/429 (Bison) Squadron[55]
34 23 June 1943 01:26 Stirling Empe[56]
35 23 June 1943 02:00 Lancaster 10 km (6.2 mi) southwest of Steenwijk[56]
36 23 June 1943 02:00 Lancaster 25 km (16 mi) west of Volendam[56]
37?[Note 6] 10 July 1943 02:40 Halifax Eprave, southeast of Dinant[57]
38?[Note 6] 14 July 1943 02:10 Lancaster Forstes-Veneurs[57] DS690/115 Squadron[58]
39! 24/25 July 1943
—
 Lancaster 10 km (6.2 mi) east of Cloppenburg[59]
40 30 July 1943 01:25 Lancaster 2 km (1.2 mi) southeast of Ahrensfelde[60]
41 18 August 1943 02:08 Halifax 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Greifswald[61]
42 18 August 1943 02:08 Lancaster 2 km (1.2 mi) south of Reinberg[61]
43 28 August 1943 02:20 Stirling Gerlachshausen[62]
44 31 August 1943 23:28 Stirling 9 km (5.6 mi) south-southwest of Enschede[63]
45 3 September 1943 23:50 Stirling 1 km (0.62 mi) southwest of Hanover[64]
46 6 September 1943 00:24 Lancaster Oppen[65] W4370/No. 12 Squadron[66]
47 6 September 1943 00:45 Stirling Rheinhausen[65]
48 22 September 1943 22:35 Stirling Gestorf[67]
49 27 September 1943 22:10 Lancaster Zuiderzee[68]
50 27 September 1943 23:30 Halifax near Munich[69]
51 28 September 1943 00:01 Halifax south Papenburg[69]

Awards

Promotions

1 April 1941:Leutnant (second lieutenant)[4]
1 April 1943:Oberleutnant (first lieutenant)[4]
1 July 1943:Hauptmann (captain)[29]

Notes

  1. ↑ According to Obermaier he was credited with 54 aerial victories.[2]
  2. ↑ Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations. For pilots destined to fly multi-engine aircraft, the training was completed with the Luftwaffe Advanced Pilot's Certificate (Erweiterter Luftwaffen-Flugzeugführerschein), also known as the C-Certificate.
  3. ↑ For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
  4. ↑ According to Chorley, one of his victims may have been Lancaster ED391 of No. 460 Squadron RAAF. Flight Sergeant David Harold Victor Harlick and his crew died.[20]
  5. ↑ According to Mathews and Foreman, this claim was with 9. Staffel.[38]
  6. 1 2 According to Mathews and Foreman, this claim was unconfirmed.[38]

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Scutts 1998, p. 88.
  2. ↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 61.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Bowman 2016a, p. 86.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Stockert 2007, p. 33.
  5. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 9.
  6. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 27.
  7. 1 2 Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 375.
  8. ↑ Aders 1978, p. 227.
  9. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 25.
  10. ↑ Listemann 2015, p. 10.
  11. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 46.
  12. ↑ Air Pictorial 1991, p. 39.
  13. ↑ Bowman 2016a, p. 91.
  14. 1 2 3 Bowman 2016a, p. 92.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 68.
  16. 1 2 Bowman 2016a, p. 127.
  17. ↑ Bowman 2016b, pp. 37–38.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 72.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Bowman 2016a, p. 138.
  20. ↑ Chorley 1996, p. 88.
  21. ↑ Chorley 1996, p. 130.
  22. ↑ Bowman 2016a, p. 145.
  23. 1 2 3 4 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 79.
  24. 1 2 3 4 Bowman 2016a, p. 146.
  25. ↑ Stockert 2007, pp. 33–34.
  26. 1 2 3 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 82.
  27. 1 2 Bowman 2016a, p. 151.
  28. 1 2 Bowman 2016a, p. 155.
  29. 1 2 3 Stockert 2007, p. 34.
  30. ↑ Chorley 1996, p. 303.
  31. ↑ Scutts 1998, pp. 54–55.
  32. ↑ Bowman 2016a, p. 243.
  33. ↑ Shores 1983, p. 152.
  34. ↑ Scutts 1998, p. 56.
  35. ↑ Spick 1996, p. 243.
  36. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, pp. 35–150.
  37. ↑ Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 375–376.
  38. 1 2 3 4 5 Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 376.
  39. ↑ Halifax L9521.
  40. ↑ Stirling R9352.
  41. 1 2 3 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 47.
  42. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 48.
  43. ↑ Wellington Z1619.
  44. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 49.
  45. ↑ Wellington Z8579.
  46. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 52.
  47. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 54.
  48. ↑ Halifax W1215.
  49. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 58.
  50. ↑ Wellington HE182.
  51. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 78.
  52. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 85.
  53. ↑ Lancaster R5551.
  54. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 88.
  55. ↑ Bowman 2016a, p. 157.
  56. 1 2 3 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 90.
  57. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 93.
  58. ↑ Chorley 1996, p. 231.
  59. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 96.
  60. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 98.
  61. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 104.
  62. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 108.
  63. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 109.
  64. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 110.
  65. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 111.
  66. ↑ Bowman 2016a, p. 208.
  67. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 114.
  68. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 116.
  69. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 118.
  70. ↑ Patzwall 2008, p. 83.
  71. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 132.
  72. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 192.
  73. 1 2 Scherzer 2007, p. 329.
  74. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 79.

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