Otto Dommeratzky

Otto Dommeratzky
Born 3 May 1916
Löderburg
Died 13 October 1944(1944-10-13) (aged 28)
Mährisch Weißkirchen
Allegiance  Nazi Germany
Service/branch  Luftwaffe
Years of service 1936–45
Rank Major
Unit LG 2
SG 2
SG 151
Battles/wars

World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Otto Dommeratzky (3 May 1916 – 13 October 1944) was a highly decorated Major in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

Career

Dommeratzky was born on 3 May 1916 at Löderburg, near Staßfurt in Sachsen-Anhalt. Dommeratzsky flew his first combat missions over Poland and in the French campaign with II.(S)/Lehrgeschwader 2 (LG 2). He later operated over the Balkans in spring 1941 and participated in the invasion of Russia in June 1941.

In January 1942, II.(S)/LG 2 was redesignated Schlachtgeschwader 1 (SG 1), and during 1942 and 1943, Dommeratzky served with 8./SG 1, over the central and southern sectors of the Eastern Front, predominantly in the anti-tank role.

Dommeratzky was awarded the Ehrenpokal on 21 September 1942 and the German Cross in Gold on 3 October. On 5 January 1943 Oberfeldwebel Dommeratzky was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 425 missions, and 20 air victories.

By spring 1944 Dommeratzky was serving with 6./Schlachtgeschwader 2 (SG 2), mainly operating in the fighter escort role to “Panzerjägers” Ju 87G's. In the summer of 1944 he served as an instructor with 6./SG 151 based at Proßnitz.

On 13 October 1944, Dommeratzky had taken off in his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 F-3 "Yellow 4", with a member of his groundcrew stowed in the fuselage, on a transfer flight to the Eastern Front when over Slawital he encountered United States Army Air Forces escort fighters on a sweep and his aircraft was badly shot up. Although he could have used his parachute, Dommeratzky attempted a forced landing to save the life of his mechanic. Both were killed in the subsequent crash of his Fw 190. Leutnant Dommeratzky was posthumously awarded the Eichenlaub on 25 November 1944.

Otto Dommeratzky was credited with 38 victories in about 600 missions, all on the Eastern Front.

Awards and decorations

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 Thomas 1997, p. 129.
  2. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 89.
  3. 1 2 Scherzer 2007, p. 278.
  4. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 164.
  5. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 92.

Bibliography

  • Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 [These were the German Stuka Aces 1939 – 1945] (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6. 
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (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. 
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
  • 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. 
  • Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6. 
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