Karl Gratz

Karl Gratz (24 January 1919 – 14 March 2002) was an Austrian-born Luftwaffe fighter pilot during World War II. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 138 aerial victories claimed in more than 900 missions. Gratz claimed the majority of his victories over the Eastern Front, and 17 over the Western Front.

In late 1941, Gratz was posted to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—8th squadron of the 52nd Fighter Wing) which at the time was fighting on the Eastern Front. He claimed his first aerial victory on 15 February 1942. On 1 July 1942, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross following his 54th aerial victory. He then served as a fighter pilot instructor and was posted to Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing) in March 1943. Back on the Easter Front in 1944, he claimed his 100th aerial victory in March/April 1944. At the end of World War II, he served as Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 10. Staffel (10th squadron) of JG 52. He surrendered to United States Army forces and was turned over to the Red Army.

Gratz was released from captivity in 1949, joined the Bundeswehr and served in Jagdbombergeschwader 33 (JaBoG 33—Fighter-Bomber Wing 33). He retired in 1970 holding the rank of Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel). Gratz died on 14 March 2002 in Leck.

World War II

"Charlie" Gratz was posted in autumn 1941 to 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—8th squadron of the 52nd Fighter Wing), a squadron of III. Gruppe (3rd group), on the Eastern Front. In January 1942, III. Gruppe was ordered to move from Taganrog to an airfield at Kharkov and was subordinated to IV. Fliegerkorps.Template:Sfn At the time, the Gruppe was the only fighter unit operating on the left flank of Army Group South, covering the airspace from Belgorod in the north to the Donets Basin in the south, and was equipped with Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4. On 18 January, Soviet forces launched the Barvenkovo–Lozovaya Offensive which created the Izium salient. On 15 February, III. Gruppe flew missions in the vicinity of Belgorod and Prokhorovka, over the front lines of the 6th Army.Template:Sfn That day, Gratz claimed his first two aerial victories, a Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-3 fighter which at the time was referred to as an I-61, and an Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft.Template:Sfn

File:Izium Salient in 1942.png

Izium salient (red) in 1942

On 12 May, German forces launched Operation Fredericus, also referred to as the Second Battle of Kharkov, with the objective to eliminate the Izium bridgehead over Seversky Donets. That day, III. Gruppe was moved to the Kharkov-Rogan airfield, southeast of Kharkov, and subordinated to the Stab (headquarters unit) of JG 52. On 13 May, III. Gruppe flew combat missions east and southeast of Kharkov.Template:Sfn During the day, the Gruppe claimed 42 aerial victories, including three Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-1 fighters by Gratz.Template:Sfn The following day, III. Gruppe predominantly flew fighter escort missions for Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers from VIII. Fliegerkorps attacking Soviet ground forces on the northern pincer, and claimed 52 aerial victories for the loss of one aircraft damaged.Template:Sfn That day, Graz became an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time when he shot down two Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 and seven MiG-1 fighters, taking his total to 27 aerial victories.Template:Sfn During the following days, III. Gruppe continued to fly missions in support of the Army.Template:Sfn Gratz claimed two Polikarpov I-16 fighters on 15 May, a single MiG-1 on 16 May, two further MiG-1s on 17 May, and yet another MiG-1 fighter on 18 May.Template:Sfn

On 20 May, III. Gruppe moved to an airfield at Barwenkowa, approximately south-southwest of Izium. By the end of May 24, Soviet forces opposite Kharkov had been surrounded by German formations, over the next days, Soviet forces attempt to break the encirclement.Template:Sfn During this combat, Gratz claimed four aerial victories on 26 May over two LaGG-3s and two MiG-1s. The next day, he added three further aerial victories to his tally, a LaGG-3 and two MiG-1s. On 29 May, his total reached 42 aerial victories when he shot down an I-16 and yet another MiG-1.Template:Sfn He received the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe () on 8 June 1942.Template:Sfn

On 26 June, III. Gruppe then moved to Bely Kolodez where they stayed until 3 July. By this date, Gratz had accumulated 54 aerial victories, making him the sixth most successful fighter pilot of III. Gruppe.Template:Sfn He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () on 1 July 1942.Template:Sfn The presentation was made by Major Hubertus von Bonin.Template:Sfn Gratz was one of four JG 52 pilots presented with the Knight's Cross that day. The other three pilots to receive the distinction that day were Feldwebel Alfred Grislawski, Feldwebel Karl Steffen and Oberleutnant Siegfried Simsch.Template:Sfn

On the Western Front

After a spell instructing, Gratz was posted in March 1943 to 11. Staffel (11th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing) on the English channel front. The 11. Staffel was an additional 4th squadron of I. Gruppe of JG 2 which was based at Triquerville and equipped with the Bf 109 G-3. On 1 October 1943, the squadron was renumbered and from then on was known as 4. Staffel of JG 2.Template:Sfn

On 12 March, Gratz claimed his first aerial victory on the Western Front when he shot down a Supermarine Spitfire fighter northwest of Fécamp.Template:Sfn The Royal Air Force (RAF) Fighter Command suffered only one casualty in combat that day. A Spitfire IX, BS548, flown by Captain O Massart of No. 340 Squadron was severely damaged in battle with a Fw 190 belonging to JG 2. The pilot returned unhurt. Massart formed part of a Ramrod patrol to Rouen.Template:Sfn

On 4 April, he claimed two further Spitfires destroyed in combat north of Caen.Template:Sfn Fighter Command lost ten pilots killed, one captured while two evaded capture with help from the French resistance. JG 26 claimed five, JG 2 claimed six and one fell in combat with JG 1.Template:Sfn No. 129 Squadron is known to have engaged JG 2 over the English Channel while on a Roadstead operation. JG 2 claimed two of their number. The only casualty was Flight Sergeant A J Symonds. His body was recovered by a Supermarine Walrus.Template:Sfn The following day Gratz claimed a victory near Ostend. Fighter Command carried out two Ramrod operations in the morning and one in the afternoon, losing three fighters in total. Sergeant J S Hetherington of No. 129 Squadron, in Spitfire AR527, was killed in action with JG 2 on a sweep from Venturas to Landunvez. No. 332 Squadron RAF lost Spitfire ES291 and the pilot Sergeant S N Larssen killed on Ramrod 52 to Haamstede. In the afternoon, another Ramrod to Landunvez killed No. 616 Squadron RAF Flight Lieutenant P B Wright DFC in Spitfire BS465.Template:Sfn

Gratz received the German Cross in Gold () on 8 June 1943.Template:Sfn On 16 August, the Eighth Air Force of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) targeted the Le Bourget airfield near Paris with a large formation of Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress escorted by a number of Republic P-47 Thunderbolt escort fighters. In defense of this attack, I. Gruppe of JG 2 claimed three B-17s and one P-47 shot down for the loss of five pilots killed in action.Template:Sfn In this encounter, Gratz was credited with the destruction of one B-17 shot down southeast of Brétigny.Template:Sfn

On the Eastern Front

In March 1944, Gratz returned to JG 52.Template:Sfn There, he was assigned to 8. Staffel under command of Oberleutnant Friedrich Obleser. The Staffel was subordinated to III. Gruppe led by Major Wilhelm Batz and was based at Cape Chersonesus, located at the Sevastopol Bay, fighting in the Soviet Crimean Offensive.Template:Sfn There, Gratz was credited with his 100th aerial victory, making him the sixth most successful fighter pilot of III. Gruppe.Template:Sfn He was the 64th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.Template:Sfn On 1 June, III. Gruppe relocated to Roman in Romania, defending Romanian targets against the USAAF Fifteenth Air Force.Template:Sfn

On 1 April 1945, Gratz was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 10. Staffel of JG 52. He succeeded Leutnant Viktor Petermann who was transferred.Template:Sfn 10. Staffel was subordinated to III. Gruppe of JG 52 and headed by Major Adolf Borchers.Template:Sfn III. Gruppe relocated to Roman on 18 May.Template:Sfn After the surrender, Gratz was handed over by U.S. military to the Soviet authorities and remained in captivity until 1949.Template:Sfn

Later life

Post-war, his military service in the Bundeswehr saw him promoted to Oberstleutnant. Gratz served in Jagdbombergeschwader 33 (JaBoG 33—Fighter-Bomber Wing 33) flying the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak then under the command of Walter Krupinski. JaBoG 33 was transferred to the Turkish base at Bandırma for shooting and bombing training with live ammunition from 25 May to 31 August 1959.Template:Sfn During one of the practice flights Gratz was nearly shot down by his wingman Leutnant Dietrich Schultz-Sembten. Schultz-Sembten had mistakenly fired all of his rockets prematurely during the attack run. After the landing, Gratz is quoted with having said: "Schultz-Sembten, you must have gone mad! I have to say one thing, you idiot: If you had hit me, I would have outmaneuvered you and shot you down."Template:Sfn Following his retirement in March 1970, Gratz died on 14 March 2002 at the age of in Leck, Germany.Template:Sfn

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Gratz was credited with 138 aerial victories.Template:Sfn Obermaier and Spick also list Gratz with 138 aerial victories, including 17 on the Western Front of which three of them were USAAF four-engined bombers.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Barbas states that Gratz claimed 18 aerial victories after 16 February, 14 of which are undocumented.Template:Sfn Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and state that Gratz was credited with 138 aerial victories. This figure includes 132 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and six over the Western Allies, including one four-engined bomber.Template:Sfn

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 44442". 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 Gratz 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 — 6 December 1941 – 28 April 1942
1	15 February 1942	13:47	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn		6	9 March 1942	12:37	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
2	15 February 1942	15:50	Il-2Template:Sfn		7	18 March 1942	12:24	SB-2Template:Sfn
3	16 February 1942	07:35	Il-2Template:Sfn		8	24 March 1942	16:53	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
4	22 February 1942	15:35	V-11 (Il-2)Template:Sfn		9	7 April 1942	13:12	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
5	8 March 1942	11:18	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn		10	7 April 1942	13:17	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 29 April – October 1942
11	30 April 1942	14:27	I-16Template:Sfn		48	22 June 1942	08:28	LaGG-3Template:Sfn
12	30 April 1942	14:32	I-61 (MiG-3)Template:Sfn		49	23 June 1942	14:45	MiG-1Template:Sfn
13	30 April 1942	14:36	I-153Template:Sfn		50	24 June 1942	05:51	MiG-1Template:Sfn
14	3 May 1942	11:47	I-16Template:Sfn		51	24 June 1942	05:54	MiG-1Template:Sfn
15	8 May 1942	15:35	MiG-1Template:Sfn		52	24 June 1942	05:58	MiG-1Template:Sfn
16	13 May 1942	06:47	MiG-1Template:Sfn		53	30 June 1942	13:28	LaGG-3Template:Sfn
17	13 May 1942	09:09	MiG-1Template:Sfn		54	30 June 1942	13:54	HurricaneTemplate:Sfn
18	13 May 1942	09:12	MiG-1Template:Sfn		55	4 September 1942	13:48	MiG 1	PQ 44442, south of MozdokTemplate:Sfn
19♠	14 May 1942	07:02	LaGG-3Template:Sfn		56	4 September 1942	16:53	I-16	PQ 44452Template:Sfn south of Mozdok
20♠	14 May 1942	07:08	LaGG-3Template:Sfn		57	7 September 1942	08:45	Pe-2	PQ 44454, south of MozdokTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Wosnessnokaja
21♠	14 May 1942	09:39	MiG-1Template:Sfn		58	8 September 1942	12:44	LaGG-3	PQ 44377, south of MozdokTemplate:Sfn
22♠	14 May 1942	09:43	MiG-1Template:Sfn		59	9 September 1942	14:01	MiG-1	PQ 44442, south of MozdokTemplate:Sfn
23♠	14 May 1942	12:10	MiG-1Template:Sfn		60	9 September 1942	16:46	LaGG-3	PQ 44463Template:Sfn south of Mozdok
24♠	14 May 1942	12:14	MiG-1	west of KotowkaTemplate:Sfn	61	17 September 1942	14:30	I-16	PQ 54362Template:Sfn vicinity of Dudorovskiy
25♠	14 May 1942	12:17	MiG-1Template:Sfn		62	22 September 1942	08:35	La-5	PQ 44671Template:Sfn
26♠	14 May 1942	18:16	MiG-1Template:Sfn		63	22 September 1942	08:40	MiG-1	PQ 44572Template:Sfn east of Elkhotovo
27♠	14 May 1942	18:19	MiG-1Template:Sfn		64	25 September 1942	16:22?Template:Refn	Il-2?	PQ 44372Template:Sfn east of Elkhotovo
28	15 May 1942	07:58	I-16Template:Sfn		65	27 September 1942	12:35	LaGG-3	PQ 44613Template:Sfn
29	15 May 1942	17:02	I-16Template:Sfn		66	27 September 1942	14:58	Boston	PQ 4442, south of MozdokTemplate:Sfn
30	16 May 1942	08:04	MiG-1Template:Sfn		67	27 September 1942	15:06	Boston	PQ 44451Template:Sfn west of Werchne Atschakuli
31	17 May 1942	07:02	MiG-1Template:Sfn		68	27 September 1942	15:08	LaGG-3	PQ 44483Template:Sfn
32	17 May 1942	07:12	MiG-1Template:Sfn		69♠	28 September 1942	12:27	LaGG-3	PQ 44674Template:Sfn south of Sagopschin
33	18 May 1942	05:14	MiG-1Template:Sfn		70♠	28 September 1942	12:30	LaGG-3	PQ 44642Template:Sfn
34	26 May 1942	05:28	LaGG-3Template:Sfn		71♠	28 September 1942	12:32	LaGG-3	PQ 44554Template:Sfn
35	26 May 1942	09:36	MiG-1	northeast of IziumTemplate:Sfn	72♠	28 September 1942	16:03	LaGG-3	PQ 44563Template:Sfn
36	26 May 1942	09:40	MiG-1	east of IziumTemplate:Sfn	73♠	28 September 1942	16:08	LaGG-3	PQ 44572Template:Sfn
37	26 May 1942	17:15	LaGG-3Template:Sfn		74	29 September 1942	07:58	LaGG-3	PQ 44614Template:Sfn south of Sagopschin
38	27 May 1942	04:55	MiG-1Template:Sfn		75	29 September 1942	08:04	LaGG-3	PQ 44623Template:Sfn vicinity of Malgobek
39	27 May 1942	04:58	MiG-1Template:Sfn		76	30 September 1942	16:03	LaGG-3	PQ 44614, south of SagopschinTemplate:Sfn
40	27 May 1942	18:43	LaGG-3Template:Sfn		77	30 September 1942	16:05	LaGG-3	PQ 44644Template:Sfn
41	29 May 1942	16:50	I-16Template:Sfn		78	30 September 1942	16:09	LaGG-3	PQ 44652Template:Sfn
42	29 May 1942	17:18	LaGG-3Template:Sfn		79	2 October 1942	13:48	I-16	PQ 43282Template:Sfn
43	2 June 1942	14:42	Su-2 (Seversky)Template:Sfn		80	2 October 1942	13:52?Template:Refn	I-16	PQ 34423Template:Sfn
44	2 June 1942	14:51	Su-2 (Seversky)Template:Sfn		81	4 October 1942	14:58	Boston	PQ 44721Template:Sfn south of Elkhotovo
45	2 June 1942	14:59	MiG-1Template:Sfn		82	4 October 1942	15:01	LaGG-3	PQ 44764Template:Sfn
46	9 June 1942	19:09	MiG-1Template:Sfn		83	4 October 1942	15:07	Boston	PQ 44842Template:Sfn
47	21 June 1942	05:19	Il-2Template:Sfn
– 11. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –Template:Sfn Western Front — 1 January – 31 December 1943
84	12 March 1943	13:05	Spitfire	northwest of FécampTemplate:Sfn	87	5 April 1943	16:02	Spitfire	north of OstendTemplate:Sfn
85	4 April 1943	13:28	Spitfire	north of CaenTemplate:Sfn	88	27 July 1943	18:35	Spitfire	east of CaenTemplate:Sfn
86	4 April 1943	13:32	Spitfire	north of CaenTemplate:Sfn	89	16 August 1943	11:45	B-17	southeast of BrétignyTemplate:Sfn
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 1 January – 31 December 1944
90	19 April 1944	17:20	P-40	PQ 34 Ost 35453Template:Sfn vicinity of SevastopolTemplate:Sfn east of Sevastopol	105	24 May 1944	06:34	LaGG	PQ 24 Ost 78712Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn northeast of Iași
91	22 April 1944	17:14	P-39	PQ 34 Ost 25469Template:Sfn 25464Template:Sfn west-northwest of Yelnya	106	30 May 1944	07:14	Pe-2	PQ 24 Ost 78522Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn west of Tudora
92	22 April 1944	17:30	Il-2 m.H.Template:Refn	PQ 34 Ost 35482Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn southeast of Sevastopol	107	30 May 1944	15:50	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 78674Template:Sfn north of Iași
93	23 April 1944	10:10	LaGG	vicinity of BalaklavaTemplate:Sfn south of Sevastopol	108	5 June 1944	10:21	Yak-9	PQ 79561Template:Sfn vicinity of Huși
94	24 April 1944	09:16	LaGG	PQ 35452Template:Sfn east of Sevastopol	109	12 June 1944	17:34	LaGG	PQ 78869Template:Sfn east of Iași
95	24 April 1944	15:23	Il-2 m.H.	PQ 34 Ost 35482Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn southeast of Sevastopol	110	22 June 1944	14:08	LaGG	PQ 68872Template:Sfn north of Târgu Frumos
96	24 April 1944	15:36	LaGG	PQ 34 Ost 35454Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn east of Sevastopol	111	27 June 1944	16:40	P-39?Template:Refn	PQ 85233Template:Sfn east of Stawropoliskaja
97	24 April 1944	15:36	LaGG	PQ 34 Ost 35454Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn east of Sevastopol	112	16 July 1944	08:28	P-39	PQ 50328Template:Sfn north-northeast of Ternopil
98	25 April 1944	07:44	LaGG	vicinity of KatschaTemplate:Sfn	113	16 July 1944	08:31	P-39	PQ 50362Template:Sfn east-northeast of Ternopil
99	5 May 1944	10:42	P-39	PQ 35433Template:Sfn east-northeast of Sevastopol	114	16 July 1944	08:48	Pe-2	PQ 50366Template:Sfn east-northeast of Ternopil
100	6 May 1944	13:02	LaGG	vicinity of BelbekTemplate:Sfn vicinity of Sevastopol	115	20 July 1944	09:31	P-39	PQ 32835Template:Sfn vicinity of Liuboml
101	21 May 1944	05:32	LaGG	PQ 68884Template:Sfn south-southwest of Târgu Frumos	116	22 August 1944	09:16	P-39	PQ 25 Ost 11415Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn west of Sandomir
102	21 May 1944	05:38	LaGG	PQ 68853Template:Sfn southwest of Târgu Frumos	117?Template:Refn	24 October 1944	15:58	Yak-9	north-northeast of MajdanpekTemplate:Sfn
103	22 May 1944	06:42	LaGG	PQ 78742Template:Sfn north-northeast of Roman	118	26 October 1944	11:00	Il-2Template:Sfn	south of Orșova
104	22 May 1944	10:50	P-39	PQ 78342Template:Sfn east-southeast of Botoșani	119	26 October 1944	11:04	Il-2Template:Sfn	southeast of Turnu Severin
– 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –Template:Sfn Eastern Front — 1 January – April 1945
121	16 February 1945	—	unknownTemplate:Sfn		127	10 April 1945	—	P-39
123	24 March 1945	—	Yak-9	PQ 71147Template:Sfn vicinity of Strehlen	128	10 April 1945	—	Yak-3
124	9 April 1945	—	P-39		129	10 April 1945	—	P-39
125	9 April 1945	—	P-38		131	17 April 1945	—	Yak-9
126	9 April 1945	—	P-39

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st ClassTemplate:Sfn
• Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 8 June 1942 as Unteroffizier and pilotTemplate:Sfn
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 1 July 1942 as Unteroffizier and pilot in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 52Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn
• German Cross in Gold on 8 June 1943 as Feldwebel in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 52Template:SfnTemplate:Refn