Gerhard Koall

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Nickname"Knall"
Born7 June 1912
Died27 April 1945(1945-04-27) (aged 32)
Causeof deathKilled in action
Gerhard Koall
Nickname"Knall"
Born7 June 1912
Died27 April 1945(1945-04-27) (aged 32)
Cause of deathKilled in action
Allegiance Nazi Germany
Branch Luftwaffe
Service years1935–1945
RankHauptmann (captain)
UnitJG 54, EJG 1, JG 101, JG 3
Commands3./JG 54, IV./JG 54,
I./JG 101, II./EJG 1, IV./JG 3
ConflictsWorld War II
AwardsKnight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Gerhard "Knall" Koall (7 June 1912 – 27 April 1945) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and its variants were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Gerhard Koall was killed on 27 April 1945 after being hit by Soviet anti-aircraft fire near Anklam. During his career he was credited with 37 victories, 35 on the Eastern Front and 2 during the Invasion of Yugoslavia.

Koall was born on 7 June 1912 in Königsberg in the Kingdom of Prussia of the German Empire. Today it is Kaliningrad in Kaliningrad Oblast, the Russian exclave between Poland and Lithuania on the Baltic Sea.[1] Koall, who was nicknamed "Knall" (lit.'bang'), joined the military of the Luftwaffe in 1935. Initially serving as an aerial observer, he was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) in August 1939. Following fighter pilot training at the air combat school in Fürstenfeldbruck,[Note 1] Koall was posted to Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in January 1941 where he was assigned to 7. Staffel (7th squadron).[3]

World War II

On Friday 1 September 1939, German forces had invaded Poland starting World War II in Europe. In January 1941, III. Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 54, the Gruppe to which Koall's 7. Staffel was subordinated, was commanded by Hauptmann Arnold Lignitz while 7. Staffel was headed by Oberleutnant Günther Scholz.[4] The Gruppe had been withdrawn from combat operations at the English Channel and had relocated to Dortmund Airfield on 4 December 1940 for a period of rest and replenishment. On 5 February 1941, III. Gruppe returned to combat on the English Channel.[5]

On 29 March, the Gruppe was ordered to Graz-Thalerhof in preparation for the Balkans campaign.[6] Operating from an airfield at Deta, III. Gruppe escorted bombers and dive bombers attacking Belgrade on 6 April. That day, Koall claimed a Royal Yugoslav Air Force Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter shot down, his first aerial victory.[7] The next day the Gruppe moved to Pécs, known as Fünfkirchen to the Germans. Flying from Fünfkirchen to the combat area near Banja Luka, Koall claimed a PZL P.11 aircraft shot down.[8][Note 2] On 20 April, III. Gruppe was withdrawn from combat operation, relocating to Belgrad-Semlin.[10] On 4 May, the Gruppe began its transfer to Airfield Stolp-Reitz in Pomerania, present-day Słupsk, by train, arriving at Stolp-Reitz on 10 May.[11]

War against the Soviet Union

At Stolp-Reitz, JG 54 upgraded their aircraft to the Bf 109 F-2. For the next four weeks, the pilots familiarized themselves with the new aircraft before on 15 June, III. Gruppe was ordered to Blumenfeld in East Prussia, present-day Karczarningken in the Kaliningrad Oblast, in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. During the upcoming invasion, JG 54 would be deployed in the area of Army Group North, was subordinated to I. Fliegerkorps (1st Air Corps) and supported the 16th and 18th Army as well as the Panzer Group 4 in their strategic objective to reach Leningrad.[11] On 22 June, the first day of the invasion, Koall made a belly landing at Łódź, renamed by the Nazis to Litzmannstadt, which damaged his Bf 109 F-2 (Werknummer 8230—factory number).[12]

On 23 February 1942, Koall was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3. Staffel of JG 54. He replaced Hauptmann Hans Schmoller-Haldy who had been wounded in combat that day. The Staffel was subordinated to I. Gruppe of JG 54 which was headed by Hauptmann Hans Philipp.[13]

In mid-April 1943, a newly formed Jabostaffel (fighter bomber squadron) was formed and labeled 13.(Jabo) Staffel of JG 54 and placed under the command of Koall. This Staffel was then became the 10.(Jabo) Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 26 on 31 May before it became the 4.(Jabo) Staffel of JG 54 on 1 July. Initially, the Jabostaffel was based at Gatchina and was equipped with the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-5. The unit flew its first combat missions on 10 May.[14] While serving in the Jabostaffel, Koall was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 17 October.[15]

Group commander and death

In late-February 1944, Koall succeeded Hauptmann Siegfried Schnell as Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of IV. Gruppe of JG 54 after Schnell had been killed in action on 25 February.[16] In parallel, his former 4.(Jabo) Staffel was integrated into IV. Gruppe, thus becoming the newly formed 12. Staffel of JG 54. Command of this Staffel initially remained vacant until Oberleutnant Rudolf Klemm was appointed on 5 June. On 26 May, command of IV. Gruppe was passed on to Major Wolfgang Späte and Koall transferred to I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 101.[17] On 10 October, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). In January 1945, Koall was given command of II. Gruppe of Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 1, a fighter pilot training unit.[15]

On 25 April 1945 during the Battle of the Oder–Neisse, Koall was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV. Sturmgruppe of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing). He replaced Oberleutnant Oskar Romm who had been severely injured the day before. The next day, the Sturmgruppe retreated from Prenzlau to an airfield at Greifswald. On 27 April, Koall was killed in action when his Fw 190 was shot down by Soviet anti-aircraft artillery near Anklam. Command of the Sturmgruppe was then given to Hauptmann Günther Schack on 1 May.[18]

Summary of career

Notes

References

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