Hermann Frommherz

Generalmajor (Major General) Hermann Frommherz (10 August 1891 - 30 December 1964) Karl-Friedrich Order of Military Merit, Royal House Order of Hohenzollern began his military career in World War I as an ace fighter pilot credited with 32 victories. He was involved in the German takeover of Czechoslovakia and rose to become a Luftwaffe Generalmajor during World War II.

Early Life

Hermann Frommherz was born in Waldshutz, in the Baden region of Germany.Until June 1915, he served in the infantry on both the Eastern Front and the Western Front.

World War I Aerial Service

He became a two seater pilot and served in both France and eastern Europe. He began with Kasta 20 of Kagohl IV, at the Battle of Verdun and over the Somme River. From there, he was transferred to Kasta 20 in Romania, and on to Macedonia in December 1916.

At the beginning of March, 1917, he was assigned to Jagdstaffel 2; this elite squadron had been led by aviation tactical and strategic pioneer Oswald Boelcke and had been named for him after he was killed in action. Flying a light blue Albatros D.III with this unit, he scored his first victory on 11 April 1917 and his second on the 14th. Both times, he forced a British plane to land and the English pilots were taken prisoner.

On 29 October 1917, he was seconded from combat duty to instructor duty with FEA 3. He stayed with them until 18 May 1918.

Upon his return to fly a Fokker Dr.I with Jasta 2, he reeled off a string of 30 victories that began on 3 June 1918 and ran right through war's end. He had two wins in June, six each in July and August, ten in September, four in October, and two on 4 November. Notable among his triumphs were the half dozen against Bristol F.2bs; the formidable Brisfit two seater fighters were as fast as anything flying and had guns fore and aft.

Along the way, on 29 July 1918, he succeeded Herman Goering as commanding officer of Jasta 27, when Goering moved up to command of Jagdgruppe 3.

Leutnant (lieutenant) Frommherz had a good reputation as a commanding officer. Ernst de Ridder, a sergeant pilot assigned to the squadron, related how he was turned loose to retrain himself from the Fokker Dr.1 to the Fokker D.VII he was to fly, then nursemaided into combat with an experienced pilot to watch over him. As de Ridder put it, "He was so concerned about his boys." Later, when de Ridder was wounded, Frommherz brought de Ridder's newly awarded Iron Cross to the hospital.

Frommherz was nominated for the Pour le Merite; however, the Kaiser's abdication scotched the award. He did win the Knight's Cross of the Karl-Friedrich Order of Military Merit of his native Grand Duchy of Baden] as well as the Royal House Order of Hohenzollern.

After World War I

Frommherz became an instructor in the Soviet Union; beginning in 1922, the German high command ran a secret training site at Lipetsk. He was also an instructor for some years in China.

He is listed as Commanding Officer of I Gruppe of "Horst Wessel" Jagdgeschwader 134 from September 1938 until 1 November 1938 as an Oberstleutnant, or lieutenant colonel. As such, he was involved in the German invasion and conquest of Czechoslovakia.

As a Major General, he was Commander of Jadgfliegerfuhrer Deutsche Bucht beginning 31 March 1943, following Werner Junck.

He died in his native town of Waldshutz.

References/Outside Links

* Jagdstaffel 2 Boelcke: Von Richthofen's Mentor. Greg VanWyngarden, Harry Dempsey. Osprey Publishing, 2007

* 8168_A.pdf Accessed 28 September 2008.

* http://www.airpages.ru/cgi-bin/epg.pl?nav=ru11&page=lipetsk Accessed 28 September 2008.

* http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3897/is_200112/ai_n9017672/pg_6?tag=artBody;col1 Accessed 28 September 2008.

* http://www.ww2.dk/air/jagd/jg134.html Accessed 28 September 2008.

* http://209.85.173.104/search?q=cache:f9Y7JWVG-lQJ:asww1ah.0catch.com/JG3.pdf+Hermann+Frommherz&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=25&gl=us&client=firefox-a Accessed 28 September 2008.
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werner_Junck Accessed 28 September 2008.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_Czechoslovakia Accessed 29 September 2008.