Berthold Korts

Berthold Korts (21 May 1912 – presumably 29 August 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 113 aerial victories—that is, 113 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in an unknown combat missions. He was "ace-in-a-day" four times, shooting down five or more aircraft on a single day.

Born in Karlsruhe, Korts was trained as a fighter pilot and posted to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52–52nd Fighter Wing) in June 1942. Fighting on the Eastern Front, he claimed his first aerial victory on 6 August 1942 during Case Blue, the German strategic 1942 summer offensive in southern Russia. In July 1943, he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9. Staffel (9th squadron) of JG 52. On 17 August, Korts claimed his 100th aerial victory. A little more than a week later, on 29 August, he was awarded Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. That day, Korts and his wingman went missing in action following combat near Amvrosiivka.

Career

Korts was born on 21 May 1912 in Karlsruhe, at the time in what was the Grand Duchy of Baden of the German Empire.Template:Sfn His military career began with the artillery before he started his pilot training in the summer of 1940.Template:Refn In June 1942, holding the rank of Feldwebel, he was transferred to 9. Staffel (9th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) on the Eastern Front.Template:Sfn At the time, this squadron was under the command of Hauptmann Hermann Graf and one of three squadrons subordinated to the III. Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 52 commanded by Major Hubertus von Bonin.Template:Sfn On 28 June, German forces had launched Case Blue, the strategic summer offensive in southern Russia. On 7 July, Army Group A began their advance towards the oil fields in the Caucasus.Template:Sfn

In early August 1942, III. Gruppe was based at an airfield near the Yegorlyk River, approximately west-southwest of Salsk. The Gruppe supported the 1st Panzer Army in its advance towards Maykop and Grozny.Template:Sfn There, Korts claimed his first aerial victory over a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 fighter on 6 August.Template:Sfn On 10 August, III. Gruppe was moved to Armavir and 9. Staffel was ordered to a makeshift airfield at Plastunowskaja where it supported the attack of the 17th Army across the Kuban River on Novorossiysk. The next day, Korts claimed two Douglas A-20 Havoc, also referred to as "Boston" bombers, shot down.Template:Sfn

On 27 August, III. Gruppe reached an airfield named Gonschtakowka located north-northeast of Mozdok on the Terek. On 19 September, III. Gruppe reached an airfield named Soldatskaya, west of Mozdok. The Gruppe would remain here until 1 January 1943 but would also use airfields at Mozdok and Digora.Template:Sfn There Korts, who flew with the Gruppenstab (headquarters unit) of III. Gruppe, shot down a Yakovlev Yak-1 fighter on 30 September, his tenth aerial victory.Template:Sfn On 28 November, he claimed "Boston" bomber destroyed, his 21st aerial victory and last in 1942.Template:Sfn

Kuban bridgehead and Kursk

The Gruppe was moved to the combat area of the Kuban bridgehead on 1 April 1943 where it was based at an airfield at Taman. Operating from Taman until 2 July, III. Gruppe also flew missions from Kerch on 12 May, from Sarabuz and Saky on 14 May, Zürichtal, present-day Solote Pole, a village near the urban settlement Kirovske on 23 May, and Yevpatoria on 25/26 June.Template:Sfn Korts became an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time on 26 May, claiming four Petlyakov Pe-2 bombers and a Soviet-flown Supermarine Spitfire fighter shot down.Template:Sfn The following day, he again claimed five aerial victories, making him an "ace-in-a-day" for the second time.Template:Sfn

In preparation for Operation Citadel, III. Gruppe was relocated to the central sector of the Eastern Front. The Gruppe first moved to Zaporizhzhia and then to Ugrim on 3 July. There, under the command of Luftflotte 4, they supported Army Group South fighting on the southern flank of the salient.Template:Sfn On 5 July, the first day of the Battle of Kursk, Hauptmann Günther Rall replaced von Bonin as Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe.Template:Sfn That day, Korts claimed three LaGG-3 fighters and an Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft.Template:Sfn This includes a claim over a Soviet fighter shot down near Oboyan.Template:Sfn A week later, Korts was awarded the German Cross in Gold () on 12 July 1943.Template:Sfn That day, Soviet forces launched Operation Kutuzov and advanced towards Orel from the north and east. Two days later, III. Gruppe was ordered to an airfield at Sowjetzki just north of Orel near the Oka river. There, Korts claimed four aerial victories, one on 16 July, two on 17 July, and one 18 July.Template:Sfn On 20 July, the Gruppe moved to Ivanovka near Bryansk where it was subordinated to Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing).Template:Sfn

Squadron leader and missing in action

File:9-JG52-ins.svg

Karaya emblem

Promoted to an officer's rank, Korts was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9. Staffel (9th squadron), also referred to as the Karaya-Staffel of JG 52, on 27 July 1943. He replaced Oberleutnant Rudolf Trepte who had temporarily led the Staffel after Hauptmann Ernst Ehrenberg had been killed in action on 10 May.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn At the time, III. Gruppe was based at Ivanovka near Bryansk and engaged in the fighting near Orel during Operation Kutuzov. On 28 July, the Bryansk Front, supported by ground attack aircraft, attacked the German forces at Oryol.Template:Sfn During the course of the day, Korts claimed a LaGG-3 fighter shot down west of Bolkhov. The following day, he claimed another LaGG-3 fighter destroyed.Template:Sfn On 2 August, III. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Warwarowka, located south of Belgorod, where they stayed for three days.Template:Sfn There, Korts claimed a total of fifteen aerial victories, including his 75th aerial victory on 3 August.Template:Sfn On 4 August, strong Soviet forces breached the right defensive flank of the 4th Panzer Army. In defense of this attack, III. Gruppe was engaged in combat near Tomarovka, northwest of Belgorod.Template:Sfn In total, the Gruppe claimed 42 aerial victories that day, including nine of which by Korts. This made him an "ace-in-a-day" for the third time.Template:Sfn

On 5 August, the Gruppe moved to an airfield at Kharkov-Rogan airfield, southeast of Kharkov.Template:Sfn Flying from this airfield, Korts claimed five aerial victories until III. Gruppe was ordered to Kharkov-Waitschenko, southeast of Kharkov-Rogan, on 11 August.Template:Sfn He claimed two LaGG-3 fighters shot down on 14 August, the day the Gruppe relocated to Pereshchepyne.Template:Sfn Flying from Pereshchepyne, Korts reached the century mark on 17 August 1943 when he shot down two LaGG-3 fighters in the vicinity of Izium.Template:Sfn He was the 50th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.Template:Sfn The following day, he claimed another LaGG-3 fighter before the Gruppe moved to Mikhaylovka.Template:Sfn On 19 August, Korts became an "ace-in-a-day" for the fourth time, claiming three LaGG-3 fighters and two Il-2 ground-attack aircraft destroyed.Template:Sfn On 23 August, III. Gruppe was ordered to an airfield at Makeyevka while Korts and his wingman Unteroffizier Hans-Otto Müller were sent to Kramatorsk for two days to liaise with a Romanian fighter unit there.Template:Sfn

Korts and his unit received the announcement that he had been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () on 29 August, the day he went missing in action.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn Flying Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 15899—factory number), he and his wingman Müller in Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 15869) were last seen in combat with Soviet P-39 Airacobra fighters in the vicinity of Amvrosiivka.Template:Sfn He was succeeded by Erich Hartmann as Staffelkapitän of 9. Staffel.Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Korts was credited with 113 aerial victories.Template:Sfn Authors Obermaier and Spick also list Korts with 113 aerial victories.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 108 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.Template:Sfn The authors Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock indicate that additional five aerial victories have been claimed by Korts, two of which end of June or early July 1943, and further three on 5 August 1943.Template:Sfn

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 0516". The Luftwaffe grid map () covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.Template:Sfn

Chronicle of aerial victories
This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Korts 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
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front – 29 April 1942 – 3 February 1943
1	6 August 1942	15:20	LaGG-3	PQ 0516Template:Sfn	12	19 October 1942	07:39	Yak-1?Template:Refn	PQ 44421Template:Sfn
2	14 August 1942	09:50	Boston	PQ 3425Template:Sfn	13	30 October 1942	15:30	LaGG-3	PQ 44744Template:Sfn
3	14 August 1942	10:10	Boston	PQ 3587Template:Sfn	14	31 October 1942	13:50	LaGG-3	PQ 44783Template:Sfn
4	23 August 1942	11:47	Boston	PQ 54363Template:Sfn	15	2 November 1942	12:53	LaGG-3	PQ 44872Template:Sfn
5	2 September 1942	12:10	LaGG-3	PQ 4445Template:Sfn	16	17 November 1942	14:10	Il-2	PQ 44752, south of SalugardanTemplate:Sfn
6	2 September 1942	15:02	Boston	PQ 44421Template:Sfn	17	24 November 1942	08:44	LaGG-3	PQ 34437Template:Sfn south of Salugardan
7	6 September 1942	17:08	Boston	PQ 44471Template:Sfn	18	27 November 1942	13:47	Il-2	PQ 44752, south of SalugardanTemplate:Sfn
8	7 September 1942	17:05	I-153	PQ 44357Template:Sfn	19	27 November 1942	13:50	LaGG-3	PQ 44731Template:Sfn
9	10 September 1942	16:45	LaGG-3	PQ 44454, south of MozdokTemplate:Sfn	20	28 November 1942	10:25	Il-2	PQ 44761Template:Sfn
10	30 September 1942	16:02	Yak-1	PQ 44613Template:Sfn	21	28 November 1942	13:55	Boston	PQ 44733Template:Sfn
11	11 October 1942	10:34	Boston	PQ 44724Template:Sfn east of Elkhotovo	22	9 January 1943	12:30	Boston	PQ 15491Template:Sfn
– Stab III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front – 4 February – May 1943
23	15 April 1943	12:02	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85113, east of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Aberbijewka	36♠	26 May 1943	13:46	Pe-2	PQ 34 Ost 75333Template:Sfn over sea, southwest of Lobanovo
24	15 April 1943	12:06?Template:Refn	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85151, northeastern edge of AbinskajaTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Beregowoj	37♠	26 May 1943	17:43	Pe-2	PQ 34 Ost 75292Template:Sfn east of Neberdshajewskaja
25	15 April 1943	15:03	I-153	PQ 34 Ost 85143, southeast of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn	38♠	26 May 1943	17:45	Pe-2	PQ 34 Ost 85143, south-southeast of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn southeast of Krymsk
26	15 April 1943	15:05	I-16	PQ 34 Ost 85142, west of BeregowojTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Beregowoj	39♠	26 May 1943	17:48	Pe-2	PQ 34 Ost 85141, southeast of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn east of Krymsk
27	21 April 1943	08:57	LaGG-3?Template:Refn	PQ 34 Ost 75464Template:Sfn Black Sea, south of Kabardinka	40♠	26 May 1943	18:05	Spitfire	PQ 34 Ost 76894Template:Sfn vicinity of Kijewakoje
28	21 April 1943	09:20	LaGG-3?	PQ 34 Ost 75433Template:Sfn southeast of Novorossiysk	41♠	27 May 1943	10:37	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 85224Template:Sfn northwest of Georgiyeafipskaya
29	23 April 1943	11:53	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 75434Template:Sfn vicinity of Kabardinka	42♠	27 May 1943	14:12	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 75232, north of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn north of Krymsk
?Template:Refn	28 April 1943	16:51	LaGG	Black Sea, south of Gelendzhik	43♠	27 May 1943	18:00	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 76874, north of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Kijewakoje
30	29 April 1943	13:04	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 76894Template:Sfn vicinity of Kijewakoje	44♠	27 May 1943	18:09	B-25	PQ 34 Ost 75234Template:Sfn vicinity of Krymsk
31	3 May 1943	16:59	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85181Template:Sfn northeast of Usun	45♠	27 May 1943	18:11	Il-2 m.H.Template:Refn	PQ 34 Ost 75232, north of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn north of Krymsk
32	8 May 1943	11:18	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 85134Template:Sfn northwest of Nowo-Petrowskij	46	28 May 1943	18:00	B-25	PQ 34 Ost 75232, north of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn north of Krymsk
33	8 May 1943	11:22	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 75264, southwest of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn east of Nowo-Bakanskoja	47	29 May 1943	18:00	B-25	PQ 34 Ost 75232, north of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn north of Krymsk
34	8 May 1943	15:25	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85141, southeast of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn east of Krymsk	48	29 May 1943	18:01	B-25	PQ 34 Ost 75271Template:Sfn vicinity of Natuchajewskaja
35	15 May 1943	11:12	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85113, east of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn east of Krymsk
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front – 4 February – May 1943
49	1 June 1943	07:00	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 86741, northeast of KijewskojeTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Trojzkaja	53	4 June 1943	17:52	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 85753Template:Sfn vicinity of Abinsk
50?Template:Refn	1 June 1943	07:01	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 86741, northeast of KijewskojeTemplate:Sfn	54	10 June 1943	14:35	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 66891Template:Sfn over sea, south of Wennlowka
51	1 June 1943	09:34	Spitfire	PQ 34 Ost 75262Template:Sfn south of Krymsk	55	10 June 1943	14:40	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 66291Template:Sfn Black Sea, southwest of Anapa
52	4 June 1943	07:29	La-5	PQ 34 Ost 75232, north of KrymskayaTemplate:Sfn north of Krymsk	56	10 June 1943	14:43	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 65432Template:Sfn vicinity of Anapa
According to Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock, Korts' aerial victories numbered 57 and 58 were claimed either end of June or early July.Template:Sfn These claims are not documented by Mathews and Foreman.Template:Sfn
59	4 July 1943	15:12	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61172Template:Sfn west of Krasnyi Lyman	65	8 July 1943	14:14	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 62871Template:Sfn north of Prokhorovka
60	5 July 1943	05:25	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 52773Template:Sfn south-southwest of Oboyan	66	8 July 1943	17:57	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 61243Template:Sfn vicinity of Lutschki
61	5 July 1943	11:37	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61181Template:Sfn vicinity west of Krasnyi Lyman	67	16 July 1943	17:11	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 63362Template:Sfn north-northwest of Maloarkhangelsk
62	5 July 1943	12:11	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61182Template:Sfn vicinity west of Krasnyi Lyman	68	17 July 1943	05:10	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 54751Template:Sfn vicinity of Khotynets
63	5 July 1943	18:20	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 61424Template:Sfn northeast of Belgorod	69	17 July 1943	19:28	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 54494Template:Sfn west of Zubkovo
64	6 July 1943	12:13	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61233Template:Sfn east of Prokhorovka	70	18 July 1943	14:28	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 54624Template:Sfn
– 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front – 27 July – 29 August 1943
71	28 July 1943	14:06	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 54662Template:Sfn west of Bolkhov	93	7 August 1943	17:40	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 61562Template:Sfn south-southwest of Belgorod
72	1 August 1943	14:04	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 64541Template:Sfn vicinity of Telchje	94	9 August 1943	16:20	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 61841Template:Sfn northeast of Kharkiv
73	3 August 1943	14:26	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 61273Template:Sfn north-northeast of Belgorod	95	10 August 1943	09:20	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 61731Template:Sfn north-northeast of Kharkiv
74	3 August 1943	14:56	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61224Template:Sfn east of Prokhorovka	96	14 August 1943	12:30	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 51811Template:Sfn north of Bohodukhiv
75	3 August 1943	15:02	LaGG-3	PQ 35 61193Template:Sfn east of Krasnyi Lyman	97	14 August 1943	12:32	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 51811Template:Sfn north of Bohodukhiv
76	3 August 1943	18:35	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61473Template:Sfn south of Belgorod	98	15 August 1943	06:23	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 70723Template:Sfn vicinity of Izium
77♠	4 August 1943	05:05	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61332, northwest of BelgorodTemplate:Sfn north of Tomarovka	99	17 August 1943	05:25	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 70754Template:Sfn south of Izium
78♠	4 August 1943	07:40	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61332, northwest of BelgorodTemplate:Sfn north of Tomarovka	100	17 August 1943	05:25	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 70754Template:Sfn south of Izium
79♠	4 August 1943	12:44	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61354Template:Sfn west of Tomarovka	101	18 August 1943	05:55	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 70752Template:Sfn south of Izium
80♠	4 August 1943	12:52	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61324Template:Sfn south of Krasnyi Lyman	102♠	19 August 1943	10:08	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 88282, west of KuybyshevTemplate:Sfn southeast of Jalisawehino
81♠	4 August 1943	13:06	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 61414Template:Sfn north of Belgorod	103♠	19 August 1943	10:09	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 88263Template:Sfn east of Maryniwka
82♠	4 August 1943	16:10	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61482Template:Sfn southeast of Belgorod	104♠	19 August 1943	13:40	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 88274Template:Sfn west-northwest of Jalisawehino
83♠	4 August 1943	18:39	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61354Template:Sfn west of Tomarovka	105♠	19 August 1943	16:37	Il-2	PQ 34 Ost 88161Template:Sfn northeast of Kuteinykove
84♠	4 August 1943	18:40	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61323Template:Sfn south of Krasnyi Lyman	106♠	19 August 1943	16:37	Il-2	PQ 34 Ost 88162Template:Sfn northeast of Kuteinykove
85♠	4 August 1943	18:53	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61354Template:Sfn west of Tomarovka	107	20 August 1943	06:10	Il-2	PQ 34 Ost 88262Template:Sfn vicinity of Jalisawehino
86	5 August 1943	07:02	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61352Template:Sfn southwest of Belgorod	108	20 August 1943	15:58	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 88262Template:Sfn vicinity of Jalisawehino
87	5 August 1943	09:40	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 61443Template:Sfn north of Belgorod	109	21 August 1943	14:58	Il-2	PQ 34 Ost 88291, west of KuybyshevTemplate:Sfn east of Jalisawehino
88?	5 August 1943	—	LaGG-3Template:Sfn		110	22 August 1943	13:58	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 88281Template:Sfn southwest of Jalisawehino
89?	5 August 1943	—	LaGG-3Template:Sfn		111	22 August 1943	18:12	Il-2	PQ 34 Ost 88422Template:Sfn south of Jalisawehino
90?	5 August 1943	—	LaGG-3Template:Sfn		112	22 August 1943	18:14	Il-2	PQ 34 Ost 88422Template:Sfn south of Jalisawehino
91	6 August 1943	16:04	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61441Template:Sfn north of Belgorod	113	23 August 1943	06:07	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 88252, MarinowkaTemplate:Sfn east-northeast of Kuteinykove
92	7 August 1943	17:40	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 61534Template:Sfn southwest of Belgorod

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st ClassTemplate:Sfn
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 1 February 1943 as Feldwebel and pilotTemplate:Sfn
• German Cross in Gold on 12 July 1943 as Leutnant in the Stab III./Jagdgeschwader 52Template:SfnTemplate:Refn
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 August 1943 as Leutnant and pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 52Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

See also

• List of people who disappeared