Ernst Börngen

Börngen was born 7 February 1916 in Meuselwitz, at the time in the Kingdom of Saxony within German Empire.^[1][2] In November 1937, he joined the military service of the Luftwaffe as a Fähnrich (cadet). In August 1938, Börngen was promoted to Leutnant and following flight and fighter pilot training, ^{[Note 1]} he was briefly transferred to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM—Ministry of Aviation) in December 1939. In June 1940, Börngen was posted to 4. Staffel (4th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) where he was appointed Technischer Offizier (TO—Technical Officer).^[4]

On 5 August 1940, II. Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 27 was ordered to an airfield at Crépon, France for combat in the Battle of Britain. During this battle, JG 27 was subordinated to the VIII. Fliegerkorps (8th Air Corps). On 8 August, the Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) Hauptmann Werner Andres was shot down. Although rescued, his injuries prevented him from leading the Gruppe. In consequence, Oberleutnant Ernst Düllberg was briefly put in command until Hauptmann Wolfgang Lippert officially assumed command on 4 September.^[5] On 18 August, also known as the Hardest Day, II. Gruppe escorted Junkers Ju 87 dive bombers from I. Gruppe of Sturzkampfgeschwader 77 (StG 77—77th Dive Bomber Wing) on their mission to bomb RAF Thorney Island. Near the Isle of Wight, the flight was intercepted by two squadrons of Hawker Hurricane fighters, shortly after Supermarine Spitfire engaged too. During this encounter, the Ju 87 dive bombers suffered heavy losses while Börngen claimed two Spitfire fighters shot down near Selsey Bill, his first aerial victories claimed.^[6] On 5 November, II. Gruppe was withdrawn from combat operations on the English Channel, relocating to Detmold on 9 November.^[7]

While based at Detmold, the pilots were given a period of rest while the Gruppe received a few factory new Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-7 aircraft. On 2 January 1941, II. Gruppe received orders to relocate to Romania. On 10 January, the air elements flew to Wien-Schwechat airfield where they stayed two weeks. On 10 February, the Gruppe relocated to Bucharest-Băneasa airfield. After the Bulgaria joined the Axis powers on 1 March, II. Gruppe was ordered to relocate to an airfield named Sofia-Vrba located approximately halfway between Radomir and Sofia to augment the VIII. Fliegerkorps (8th Air Corps) commanded by Generaloberst Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen. This relocation was already made in preparation for Operation Marita, the German invasion of Greece and Yugoslavia launched on 6 April.^[8] On 15 April, elements of II. Gruppe escorted bombers to the airfields at Kalambaka and Vasiliki which were occupied by the Hellenic Air Force. On this mission, Börngen claimed a Gloster Gladiator shot down west of Trikkala.^[9][10] In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, II. Gruppe was moved to a makeshift airfield name Praszniki, located northeast of Suwałki close to the Curzon Line, on 18 June.^[11] On 25 June, Börngen claimed his only aerial victories on the Eastern Front. Depending on source, the claims were a Tupolev SB bomber and/or an Ilyushin DB-3 bomber near Halshany.^[12][13] On 1 July, II. Gruppe was withdrawn from combat operations, all serviceable aircraft were transferred to III. Gruppe of JG 27 and the personnel was ordered to return to Suwałki, awaiting further orders.^[14]

Following the withdrawal from the Eastern Front, II. Gruppe arrived in Döberitz on 24 July 1941. The entire personnel then went on vacation, returning to Döberitz on 18 August. Over the next three weeks, the Gruppe converted to the Bf 109 F-4 fighter. Relocation to the North African Theater began on 7 September, with 4. Staffel transferring south on 16 September and 5. Staffel on 27 September, where they were based at an airfield in Ain el Gazala.^[15] There, II. Gruppe joined I. Gruppe of JG 27 which was already based in North Africa.^[16] Börngen, who had been transferred to 5. Staffel, claimed his first aerial victory in North Africa on 21 December, a Bristol Blenheim bomber shot down 3 kilometers (1.9 miles) southwest El Agheila.^[17] On 30 May 1942, Börngen claimed a Curtiss P-40 "Tomahawk" southeast of Fort Acroma during the Battle of Gazala.^[18][19]

On 20 May 1942, Börngen officially replaced Hauptmann (captain) Ernst Düllberg as Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 5. Staffel. Düllberg had been wounded in action on 22 November 1941 and Börngen had already acted as intermittent Staffelführer for some weeks.^[20] On 11 July, Börngen claimed a Spitfire fighter shot down southwest of El Alamein. In this encounter his Bf 109 F-4 trop (Werknummer 10 203—factory number) was damaged in aerial combat with P-40 fighters from the South African Air Force (SAAF) 2 Squadron, resulting in a forced landing east of El Dabaa^[21][22] On 20 July, Börngen claimed a P-40 near El Alamein, to date, his opponent could not be identified.^[23]

After II. Gruppe of JG 27 was withdrawn from North Africa the unit was ordered to Düsseldorf. The pilots where then sent on home-leave. On 2 January 1943, the Gruppe was ordered to the airfield Wien-Aspern at Vienna and to Sicily on 15 February. The personnel travelled by train to Bari where they received factory new Bf 109 G-4 trop aircraft.^[24] The Gruppe arrived at the airfield in Trapani on 27 February.^[25] On 28 May, the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) attacked various targets in Sicily. In combat with the 321st Bombardment Group, Börngen claimed to have shot down a Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber near Castelvetrano and a North American B-25 Mitchell bomber near Marsala.^[26]

Börngen led 5. Staffel until 16 July 1943. That day, he had claimed his 28th aerial victory over a B-24 bomber.^[27] During the attack, his Bf 109 G-6  (Werknummer 18 371) took a cabin hit from the defensive fire of the bomber, wounding him severely. Despite being wounded, he crash landed the aircraft at San Vito dei Normanni.^[28] In consequence, command of 5. Staffel was passed on to Oberleutnant Walter Otte.^[29] During his convalescence, Börngen was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 31 August.^[30]

Following his convalescence in April 1944, Börngen served with the Geschwaderstab (headquarters unit) of JG 27 which was based at Fels am Wagram and fighting in defense of the Reich. Here on 3 April, Börngen claimed a USAAF Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber shot down south of Bucharest.^[31] When on 13 April Leutnant Karl Wünsch, the commander of 2. Staffel, was wounded in combat, Börngen was transferred and given command of the Staffel.^[32] In May, the Western Allies initiated the Oil Campaign of World War II, targeting various facilities supplying Germany with petroleum, oil, and lubrication products. On 12 May, the Eighth Air Force sent an attack force of 886 heavy bombers, protected by 980 escort fighters, against the German refineries in central Germany at Leuna, Merseburg, Böhlen and Zeitz.^[33] In defense of this attack, I. Gruppe engaged a formation of B-17 bombers shortly past 12:30 just east of Eschborn. In this encounter, the Gruppenkommandeur of I. Gruppe, Major Ludwig Franzisket was severely wounded.^[34] The next day, Börngen succeeded Franzisket as commander of I. Gruppe and surrendered his command of 2. Staffel to Leutnant Karl Wünsch again.^[35]

On 19 May 1944, the Eighth Air Force targeted Berlin and Braunschweig with 888 heavy bombers, protected by 964 escort fighters. The German aerial defenses under the command Jagdfliegerführer Ostmark ordered I. Gruppe, led by Börngen and at the time based at Fels am Wagram, to take off at 11:43. Börngen's group was ordered to meet up with III. and VI. Gruppe to form a larger combat formation. This formation was then vectored to Magdeburg where at 13:00 they encountered the escort fighters of a formation of B-24 bombers northwest of the city. While III. and VI. Gruppe engaged the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt and North American P-51 Mustang fighters, the Stabsschwarm and I. Gruppe managed to attack the B-24 bombers.^[35] Following the encounter, JG 27 claimed 17 aerial victories, including Herausschüsse (separation shots)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory. In return, JG 27 suffered five aircraft lost, two pilots killed in action and one pilot severely wounded. At 13:15, Börngen had shot down a B-24 near Helmstedt and then at 13:20 engaged another bomber by ramming it with his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 441 101—factory number), sustaining severe injuries. He managed to bail out and was immediately taken to the Luftwaffe hospital at Helmstedt where his right arm had to be amputated. Börngen was then replaced by Major Karl-Wolfgang Redlich as commander of I. Gruppe.^[36][37] On 27 July, Börngen who could no longer fly combat missions, was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes).^[38]

Börngen died on 30 June 1989 at the age of 73 in Mering, West Germany.^[30]