Wilhelm Beier

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Wilhelm Beier
Born18 November 1913
Homberg
Died12 July 1977(1977-07-12) (aged 63)
Moers
AllegianceFlag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Nazi Germany
Service/branch Balkenkreuz.svg   Luftwaffe
Years of service?–1945
Rank Oberleutnant
Unit NJG 2
NJG 1
Battles/warsWorld War II
Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Wilhelm Beier (18 November 1913 – 12 July 1977) was a 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 recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Depending on source, Beier claimed 38 nocturnal aerial victories, including 14 of which flying intruder missions, intercepting bombers on their return flight to England. [1]

Contents

Career

Beier was born on 18 November 1913 in Homberg, present-day part of Duisburg, at the time in the Rhine Province within the German Empire. [2]

Night fighter career

A map of part of the Kammhuber Line. The 'belt' and night fighter 'boxes' are shown. Kammhuber Line Map - Agent Tegal.png
A map of part of the Kammhuber Line. The 'belt' and night fighter 'boxes' are shown.

Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, Royal Air Force (RAF) attacks shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defense of the Reich campaign. [3] 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. [4]

On 10 April 1941, Beier claimed his second aerial victory, a Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber shot down near Chelmsford on an intruder mission over England. [5]

Beier was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 10 October 1941 for 14 nocturnal aerial victories. The presentation was made by Kammhuber, at the time commanding general of XII. Fliegerkorps (12th Air Corps), at Gilze-Rijen Airfield. [6] On the night of 29/30 May 1943, the RAF attacked Wuppertal with 719 bombers. Defending against this attack, Beier claimed the Handley Page Halifax bomber HR793 from No. XXXV (Madras Presidency) Squadron shot down which crashed near Limbricht. [7]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Aders, Beier was credited with 36 nocturnal aerial victories. [8] Spick also lists him with 36 aerial victories while Obermaier lists him with 38 aerial victories. Both Obermaier and Spick state that Beier flew about 250 combat missions. [2] [9] Foreman, Parry and Mathews, authors of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 37 nocturnal victory claims, numerically ranging from 1 to 31, and 33 to 38. [10] Mathews and Foreman also published Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, also listing Beier with 37 claims. [11]

Chronicle of aerial victories

  This and the ? (question mark) indicates discrepancies between Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945 and Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims.

ClaimDateTimeTypeLocationSerial No./Squadron No.
– 3. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 – [11]
17 December 194006:36 Hurricane 5 km (3.1 mi) east of Spilsby [12]
210 April 194102:35 Whitley Chelmsford [13]
38 May 194102:50 Wellington Wells-next-the-Sea [14]
411 May 194103:46 Blenheim 50 km (31 mi) east of Scarborough [14]
54 June 194101:35Blenheim20 km (12 mi) southeast of Lowestoft [15]
613 June 194100:44 Defiant vicinity of Thornby [15]
76 July 194103:08Wellington110 km (68 mi) north-northwest of Texel [16]
86 July 194103:36Blenheim100 km (62 mi) west of Texel [16]
96 July 194123:54Whitley60 km (37 mi) northeast of Bacton [16]
106 July 194123:58Whitley60 km (37 mi) northeast of Bacton [16]
1118 July 194103:02Blenheim120 km (75 mi) northeast of Great Yarmouth [17]
128 August 194103:20Blenheim East Dereham [18]
138 August 194103:44 Halifax 200 km (120 mi) east of Withernsea [18]
148 August 194103:48Wellington200 km (120 mi) east of Flamborough Head [18]
– Ergänzungsgruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 – [11]
1523 April 194201:15 Boston [19]
1631 May 194202:07Wellington [20]
1731 May 194202:25Wellington [20]
1823 June 194203:01Stirling [21]
– 9. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 – [11]
1927 July 194201:32Havoc24 km (15 mi) northeast of Eindhoven [22]
2029 July 194203:20Wellington20 km (12 mi) north of Enschede [23] Wellington X3710/No. 156 Squadron RAF [24]
2128 August 194200:25Boston40 km (25 mi) west of IJmuiden [25]
2229 August 194203:16 Manchester northeast of Moerbeke [26]
233 September 194203:08Stirling40 km (25 mi) west of Den Haag [26]
247 September 194204:49Manchester [27]
257 September 194205:03Halifax [27]
267 September 194205:11Wellington [27]
2711 September 194201:19Wellington50 km (31 mi) west of Katwijk-an-See [27]
2817 September 194201:12Boston [28]
2917 September 194201:13Boston [28]
3017 September 194201:37Stirling [28]
– 8. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 – [11]
3130 September 194200:19 Beaufighter [29]
– 10. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 – [11]
32? [Note 1] 15 October 194222:13 B-24 50 km (31 mi) west of Den Haag [29]
3315 October 194222:16Stirling70 km (43 mi) west of Den Haag [29]
3415 October 194222:19Stirling50 km (31 mi) west of Den Haag [30]
3515 October 194222:52Manchester50 km (31 mi) west of Leiden [30] Lancaster W4130/No. 57 Squadron RAF [31]
3613 May 194302:30Halifax16 km (9.9 mi) north-northwest of Amsterdam [32]
3730 May 194300:27Halifax20 km (12 mi) north-northwest of Maastricht [33] Halifax HR793/No. XXXV (Madras Presidency) Squadron [34]

Awards

Notes

  1. ↑ This claim is listed as Beier's 32nd aerial victory in Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, while this claim is listed as his 33rd claim in Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945 confirm this claim. [29] [11]

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References

Citations

  1. ↑ Spick 1996, p. 131.
  2. 1 2 Obermaier 1989, p. 86.
  3. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 9.
  4. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 27.
  5. ↑ Bowman 2016, p. 32.
  6. ↑ Forsyth 2019, p. 35.
  7. ↑ Bowman 2016, p. 153.
  8. ↑ Aders 1978, p. 234.
  9. ↑ Spick 1996, p. 245.
  10. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, pp. 12–83.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 76.
  12. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 12.
  13. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 18.
  14. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 20.
  15. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 21.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 24.
  17. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 26.
  18. 1 2 3 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 28.
  19. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 38.
  20. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 42.
  21. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 46.
  22. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 51.
  23. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 52.
  24. ↑ Wellington X3710.
  25. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 56.
  26. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 57.
  27. 1 2 3 4 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 58.
  28. 1 2 3 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 59.
  29. 1 2 3 4 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 60.
  30. 1 2 Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 61.
  31. ↑ Lancaster W4130.
  32. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 79.
  33. ↑ Foreman, Parry & Mathews 2004, p. 83.
  34. ↑ Halifax HR793.
  35. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 128.
  36. ↑ Scherzer 2007, p. 212.
  37. ↑ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 34.
  38. ↑ Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, p. 94.

Bibliography

  • Aders, Gebhard (1978). History of the German Night Fighter Force, 1917–1945. London: Janes. ISBN   978-0-354-01247-8.
  • Bowman, Martin (2016). Nachtjagd, Defenders of the Reich 1940–1943. Barnsley, South Yorkshire: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN   978-1-4738-4986-0.
  • 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.
  • Foreman, John; Parry, Simon; Mathews, Johannes (2004). Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939–1945. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN   978-0-9538061-4-0.
  • Forsyth, Robert (2019). Ju 88 Aces of World War 2. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN   978-1-4728-2921-4.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces . New York: Ivy Books. ISBN   978-0-8041-1696-1.
  • Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 2, 1. Januar 1942 bis 31. Dezember 1943[The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 2, 1 January 1942 to 31 December 1943] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN   978-3-423-05944-2.
  • Accident descriptionfor Halifax HR793 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 27 November 2023.
  • Accident descriptionfor Lancaster W4130 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 27 November 2023.
  • Accident descriptionfor Wellington X3710 at the Aviation Safety Network. Retrieved on 27 November 2023.
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