Otto Gaiser

Otto Gaiser
Born	5 October 1919 Reutlingen
Died	22 January 1944(1944-01-22) (aged 24) M.I.A. disappeared near Berditschew, Ukraine
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	? - 1944
Rank	Leutnant (Posthumously)
Unit	JG 51
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Kursk
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Otto Gaiser (5 October 1919 – 22 January 1944) was a German 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 was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Gaiser claimed his first kill on 16 March 1943. That day, he shot down a Russian LaGG-3 fighter near Vyazma. He achieved his 10th victory on 11 July, when he claimed another LaGG-3 shot down. Gaiser claimed 17 victories in August, including five Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft shot down on 14 August (his 24th through 28th victories). On 22 January 1944, Otto Gaiser was last seen in combat with Il-2 Sturmovik fighters near Berditschew, Ukraine. He has remained missing to this day. It is thought he became a victim of the Russian ground defences. Gaiser was posthumously awarded the Ritterkreuz and received promotion to the rank of Leutnant. On 9 June 1944 he was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross and promoted to Leutnant. Before his death, Gaiser was credited with 66 victories in 380 missions. All his air victories were achieved over the Eastern front and included 21 Il-2 Sturmoviks. In addition he claimed eight unconfirmed victories.

Awards

• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (3 April 1944)^[1]
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold (28 January 1944)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
  • Knight's Cross on 9 June 1944 as Oberfeldwebel and Flugzeugführer 10. / Jagdgeschwader 51^[2]

References

Citations

1. ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 116.
2. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 159.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 - 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Aces of the Luftwaffe

Persondata
Name	Gaiser, Otto
Alternative names
Short description	German fighter ace and Knight's Cross recipient
Date of birth	5 October 1919
Place of birth	Reutlingen, Germany
Date of death	22 January 1944
Place of death	Berditschew, Ukraine