Friedrich Obleser

Friedrich-Erich Obleser (21 February 1923 – 5 June 2004) was a German general in the Bundeswehr. During World War II, he served as a fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe. A fighter ace, Obleser was credited with 120 aerial victories and was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. For his post-war service in the German Air Force, he received the Grand Cross with Star of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Early life and career

Obleser was born on 21 February 1923 in Pottenstein in the district of Baden in Lower Austria in Austria.Template:Sfn In 1940, he volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe.Template:Sfn Following flight training,Template:Refn Obleser was assigned to 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing), a squadron of III. Gruppe of JG 52.Template:Sfn

World War II

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. In January 1943, Obleser arrived with 8. Staffel under command of Hauptmann Günther Rall at the Gigant airfield which was located in the vicinity of Salsk. At the time, the Red Army had launched Operation Koltso, the final phase of the Battle of Stalingrad. Rall made Obleser his wingman and also appointed him as technical officer of the Staffel, a position which was responsible for the overall readiness of the equipment and aircraft.Template:Sfn Obleser flew his first combat mission on 12 January 1943 on the Eastern Front.Template:Sfn There, he claimed his first aerial victory on 28 March over a Bell P-39 Airacobra.Template:Sfn On 28 May 1943, Obleser was wounded when his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-4 (Werknummer 19284—factory number) was hit by anti-aircraft artillery resulting in a forced landing at Varenikovskaya.Template:Sfn Following his convalescence, he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 8. Staffel of JG 52 on 6 July 1943, succeeding Rall who took command of III. Gruppe.Template:Sfn Obleser received the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe () on 8 November 1943 and the German Cross in Gold () six days later.Template:Sfn

Obleser was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () on 23 March 1944 following his 80th aerial victory.Template:Sfn At one point he questioned the aerial victory claims made by Erich Hartmann. Hartmann asked Rall to have Obleser transferred to be Hartmann's wingman for a while. Obleser became a witness on some of Hartmann's claims and no longer questioned Hartmann's claims. On 21 July 1944, Obleser was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 87th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.Template:Sfn

On 12 December, III. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Zagórze, located west of Kraków. The Gruppe flew relatively few missions at the time. Obleser toyed around with a Panzerfaust, a recoil-less anti-tank weapon, in an attempt to increase its firing range. On 30 December, Obleser was severely wounded when a Panzerfaust exploded in his hand.Template:Sfn He did not see any further action before the end of the war in May 1945.Template:Sfn He was temporarily replaced by Leutnant Karl Gratz until Leutnant Viktor Petermann officially succeeded Obleser on 7 January 1945 as commander of 10. Staffel.Template:Sfn

Later life

After Obleser was released from US captivity, he worked as a commissioner of a recycling company, which predominantly had to dismantle and dispose of bomber aircraft. He then became head of an industrial application department in the private industry. In 1956, Obleser continued his military career, joining the German Air Force of West Germany as a Hauptmann. Following multiple assignments to various fighter units, Obleser was appointed wing commander of Jagdgeschwader 72 in Leck, later known as Jagdbombergeschwader 43, and then commander of Jagdbombergeschwader 31 "Boelcke". Obleser then held the position of system officer for the multirole combat aircraft (MRCA) within the German Air Staff. He then was appointed general manager of the NATO MRCA Management Agency.Template:Sfn

Obleser then served as chief of the Air Force Office () and commanding general of the Air Force Support Command (). From 1 October 1978 until his retirement on 31 March 1983, he held the position of Inspector of the Air Force in the Bundeswehr, achieving the rank of Generalleutnant.Template:Sfn

In June 1981, the Federal Minister of Defence Hans Apel threatened Obleser with early retirement following Obleser's report to the Defense Committee of the German Bundestag (). Obleser had stated that, due to the latest defense budget cut, the German Air Force could only partially fulfill its obligations. Apel had viewed Obleser's statement as lack of loyalty towards his superiors. Earlier in March 1981, although skeptical of the proposal, Obleser had approved two budget cuts suggested by Inspector General of the Bundeswehr Jürgen Brandt.Template:Sfn

Obleser died of natural causes on 5 June 2004 in Neunkirchen-Seelscheid, at 81 years of age.Template:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Obleser was credited with 120 aerial victories.Template:Sfn Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that Obleser was credited with 112 aerial victories, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.Template:Sfn In addition to these claims, Obleser claimed nine undocumented aerial victories over United States Army Air Forces aircraft, two heavy bombers and seven fighter aircraft.Template:Sfn

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 34 Ost 86724". 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 Obleser 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 Barbas, Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 4 February – 31 December 1943
1	28 March 1943	05:37	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 86724Template:Sfn vicinity of Tichonowskij	42	22 August 1943	08:23	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 88283, southwest of KuybyshevTemplate:Sfn south of Jalisawehino
2	11 April 1943	15:55	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 85153Template:Sfn vicinity of Nowo Nekrassowskij	43	22 August 1943	18:00	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 88284Template:Sfn southwest of Jalisawehino
3	20 April 1943	07:04	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85192Template:Sfn vicinity of Erdol	44	24 August 1943	12:44	Il-2 m.H.Template:Refn	PQ 34 Ost 88282, west of KuibyschewoTemplate:Sfn southeast of Jalisawehino
4	21 April 1943	10:57	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 75452Template:Sfn south of Novorossiysk	45	24 August 1943	15:13	Il-2	PQ 34 Ost 88252, MarinowkaTemplate:Sfn east-northeast of Kuteinykove
?Template:Refn	21 April 1943	11:05	Il-2	south of NovorossiyskTemplate:Sfn	46	26 August 1943	06:49	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 88273Template:Sfn west-southwest of Jalisawehino
5	21 April 1943	11:06	Yak-1?Template:Refn	PQ 34 Ost 75Template:Sfn Black Sea, south of Novorossiysk	47	29 August 1943	06:24	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 88343Template:Sfn southwest of Kuteinykove
6	24 April 1943	16:48	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 75 444Template:Sfn Black Sea, southwest of Novorossiysk	48	5 September 1943	17:15	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 79484Template:Sfn north-northeast of Grischino
7	24 April 1943	16:53	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 75461Template:Sfn Black Sea, west of Kabardinka	49	14 September 1943	09:25	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 69413Template:Sfn east of Polohy
8?Template:Refn	27 April 1943	14:18	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 76713Template:Sfn	50	18 September 1943	07:30	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 69711Template:Sfn north-northwest of Pokrowskoje
9	27 April 1943	16:03	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 75713Template:Sfn over sea, south of Gelendzhik	51	18 September 1943	13:40	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 68373Template:Sfn west-northwest of Polohy
10	27 April 1943	16:20	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85112Template:Sfn north of Mertschanskaja	52♠	19 September 1943	05:25	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 59444Template:Sfn west-northwest of Pavlohrad
11	30 April 1943	14:50	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85113, east of KrymskajaTemplate:Sfn east of Krymsk	53♠	19 September 1943	08:07	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 59524Template:Sfn east of Dnepropetrovsk
12	3 May 1943	05:08	I-153?Template:Refn	PQ 34 Ost 76854Template:Sfn east of Varenikovskaya	54♠	19 September 1943	08:10	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 59553Template:Sfn south-southeast of Dnepropetrovsk
13	3 May 1943	05:12	I-153	PQ 34 Ost 76862Template:Sfn vicinity of Imeni Dimitrowo	55♠	19 September 1943	15:07	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 59583Template:Sfn east of Dnepropetrovsk
14	4 May 1943	15:55	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85313Template:Sfn southeast of Schapssugskaja	56♠	19 September 1943	15:26	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 59641Template:Sfn southwest of Pavlohrad
15	5 May 1943	07:22?Template:Refn	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85174, southwest of AbinskajaTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Nowenjkij	57	21 September 1943	13:40	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 59383Template:Sfn south-southeast of Dnepropetrovsk
16	5 May 1943	07:38?	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85161Template:Sfn west of Eriwanskaja	58	23 September 1943	14:07	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 58993Template:Sfn east-southeast of Zaporizhia
17	6 May 1943	05:15	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 75241Template:Sfn vicinity of Neberdshajewskaja	59	25 September 1943	15:03	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 58672Template:Sfn northwest of Bolschoj-Tokmak
18	8 May 1943	16:05	Spitfire	PQ 34 Ost 85113, east of KrymskajaTemplate:Sfn east of Krymsk	60	25 September 1943	15:05	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 58673Template:Sfn northwest of Bolschoj-Tokmak
19	9 May 1943	07:20	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 75262Template:Sfn south of Krymsk	61	26 September 1943	06:51	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 58673Template:Sfn northwest of Bolschoj-Tokmak
20	11 May 1943	06:29	LaGG	PQ 34 Ost 85152, north of AbinskajaTemplate:Sfn east of Sorin	62	26 September 1943	07:10	Il-2	PQ 34 Ost 58331Template:Sfn southwest of Zaporizhia
21	11 May 1943	06:40	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 86112Template:Sfn north of Mertschanskaja	63	27 September 1943	14:15	LaGG	PQ 34 Ost 58192Template:Sfn east-southeast of Zaporizhia
22	22 May 1943	09:25	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85563Template:Sfn over sea, south of Gelendzhik	64	29 September 1943	14:10	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 58672, Bolschoj TokmakTemplate:Sfn northwest of Bolschoj-Tokmak
23	26 May 1943	13:19	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 76861Template:Sfn north of Kessjetowa	65	30 September 1943	11:23	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 58564, northeast of MichailowkaTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Kalinowka
24	26 May 1943	16:05	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 76894Template:Sfn vicinity of Kijewakoje	66	1 October 1943	06:50	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 58674Template:Sfn northwest of Bolschoj-Tokmak
25	27 May 1943	06:35	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 85113, east of KrymskajaTemplate:Sfn east of Krymsk	67	1 October 1943	07:20	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 58133Template:Sfn northeast of Zaporizhia
26	28 May 1943	12:12	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 76894Template:Sfn vicinity of Kijewakoje	68	1 October 1943	12:25	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 58561Template:Sfn vicinity of Kalinowka
27	3 August 1943	08:45	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 35 Ost 61293Template:Sfn southeast of Prochorowka	69	3 October 1943	08:23	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 58153Template:Sfn northeast of Zaporizhia
28	3 August 1943	18:39	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61194Template:Sfn east of Krasnyi Lyman	70	3 October 1943	16:12	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 58583Template:Sfn northwest of Beloserka
29	4 August 1943	04:48	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61332, northwest of BelgorodTemplate:Sfn north of Tomarovka	71	4 October 1943	11:45	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 58672, Bolschoj TokmakTemplate:Sfn northwest of Bolschoj-Tokmak
30	4 August 1943	10:55	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 61154Template:Sfn north of Krasnyi Lyman	72	6 October 1943	07:10	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 58674Template:Sfn northwest of Bolschoj-Tokmak
31	4 August 1943	15:15	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 61624Template:Sfn southeast of Belgorod	73	7 October 1943	07:44	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 49173Template:Sfn east-northeast of Myronivka
32	5 August 1943	09:43	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61412Template:Sfn north of Belgorod	74	7 October 1943	11:10	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 49322, west of SchulgowkaTemplate:Sfn west-northwest of Dnepropetrovsk
33	7 August 1943	08:46	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 51612Template:Sfn west of Grayvoron	75	7 October 1943	11:15	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 49321Template:Sfn west-northwest of Dnepropetrovsk
34	8 August 1943	15:00	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61532Template:Sfn southwest of Belgorod	76	8 October 1943	06:40	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 49321Template:Sfn west-northwest of Dnepropetrovsk
35	9 August 1943	05:35	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61652Template:Sfn northwest of Vovchansk	77	8 October 1943	13:06	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 58683Template:Sfn north of Bolschoj-Tokmak
36	9 August 1943	05:39	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 61633Template:Sfn north of Vovchansk	78	10 October 1943	06:00	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 58164, east of ZaporizhiaTemplate:Sfn east of Zaporizhia
37	14 August 1943	14:52	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 60163Template:Sfn east-southeast of Kharkiv	79	28 November 1943	14:35	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 48644Template:Sfn south-southeast of Nikopol
38	19 August 1943	09:32	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 88263Template:Sfn east of Marinowka	80	7 December 1943	13:53	Il-2 m.H.	north of Nowa PrahaTemplate:Sfn north Nowaja Praga
39	19 August 1943	11:38	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 88254, KalinowkaTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Dmitrijewka	81	17 December 1943	13:45	Boston	northeast of LosowatkaTemplate:Sfn northeast of Losowatka
40	19 August 1943	11:44	LaGG-3	PQ 34 Ost 88281Template:Sfn southwest of Jalisawehino	82	19 December 1943	12:10	Il-2 m.H.	south of Nowo-DnjeprowkaTemplate:Sfn
41	21 August 1943	13:20	Il-2	PQ 34 Ost 88283, southwest of KuibyschewoTemplate:Sfn south of Jalisawehino
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 1 January – 31 December 1944
83	7 January 1944	11:35	P-39	PQ 39763Template:Sfn west-southwest of Perekop	95	15 April 1944	16:18	Il-2	PQ 35311Template:Sfn Black Sea, west-northwest of Sevastopol
84	15 January 1944	10:30	Il-2	PQ 19494Template:Sfn west of Kirovograd	96	17 April 1944	15:30	LaGG	PQ 35451Template:Sfn Dzhankoi
85	23 January 1944	10:30	P-39	PQ 38824Template:Sfn south of Apostolove	97	27 June 1944	19:40	Pe-2	PQ 95243Template:Sfn
86	30 January 1944	12:02	LaGG	PQ 19152Template:Sfn south-southwest of Signajewka	98	7 July 1944	15:15	LaGG	PQ 55393Template:Sfn east of Otopeni
87	1 February 1944	07:28	LaGG	PQ 19274Template:Sfn south-southeast of Signajewka	99	19 July 1944	14:45	P-39	PQ 42552Template:Sfn northwest of Liuboml
88	1 February 1944	10:06	LaGG	PQ 19134Template:Sfn south-southwest of Signajewka	100	21 July 1944	18:58	P-39	PQ 31876Template:Sfn south of Rawa Ruska
89	26 February 1944	12:02	Pe-2	PQ 19452Template:Sfn west-northwest of Kirovograd	101	24 July 1944	18:28	LaGG	PQ 30694Template:Sfn northeast of Stryj
90	14 March 1944	15:34	LaGG	PQ 70543Template:Sfn southeast of Balakleya	102	12 August 1944	14:04	LaGG	PQ 11383Template:Sfn north-northwest of Mielec
91	21 March 1944	16:21	LaGG	PQ 70551Template:Sfn north of Izium	103	17 August 1944	12:44	P-39	PQ 11474Template:Sfn southwest of Sandomierz
92	31 March 1944	15:53?Template:Refn	LaGG	PQ 51783Template:Sfn southeast of Brody	104	22 August 1944	15:20	P-39	PQ 11417Template:Sfn west of Sandomierz
93	4 April 1944	14:03	LaGG	PQ 50674Template:Sfn south of Ternopol	105	22 August 1944	15:33	LaGG	PQ 11287Template:Sfn north of Sandomierz
94	15 April 1944	16:15	LaGG	Laspinskaya BukhtaTemplate:Sfn Black Sea, south of Laspi Bight
– 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 1 January – 31 December 1944
106	26 August 1944	10:45	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 11189Template:Sfn west of Opatów	110	2 September 1944	14:09	LaGG	PQ 11197Template:Sfn vicinity of Opatów
107	27 August 1944	15:24	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 11319Template:Sfn southwest of Opatów	111	15 October 1944	10:48	LaGG	PQ 20759Template:Sfn south of Sanok
108	31 August 1944	18:33	LaGG	PQ 11321Template:Sfn south-southwest of Opatów	112	25 October 1944	14:59	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 25599Template:Sfn west-northwest of Prahovo
109	1 September 1944	11:15	Il-2	PQ 11385Template:Sfn south-southwest of Opatów

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st ClassTemplate:Sfn
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 8 November 1943 as Leutnant in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 52Template:Sfn
• German Cross in Gold on 14 November 1943 as Leutnant in the III./Jagdgeschwader 52Template:Sfn
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 23 March 1944 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 8./Jagdgeschwader 52Template:SfnTemplate:Refn
• Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
  • Officer's Cross (April 1973)
  • Commanders Cross (26 September 1979)Template:Sfn
  • Grand Cross with Star (4 March 1983)