Joachim Brendel

Infobox Military Person
name=Joachim Brendel
lived=27 April 1921 – 7 July 1974
placeofbirth=Ulrichshalben near Weimar
placeofdeath=Cologne


caption=Joachim Brendel
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=Luftwaffe
serviceyears=1939-1945
rank=Hauptmann
commands=1./JG 51, III./JG 51
unit=JG 51
battles=World War II
awards="Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves"
laterwork=

Joachim Brendel (27 April 1921 - 7 July 1974) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. Brendel was credited with 189 victories claimed in 950 all Eastern Front combat missions [Spick 1996, p. 228] .

Biography

Joachim Brendel was born in April 27, 1921 in Ulrichshalben near Weimar. Brendel began his combat career in 1941 as a Leutnant and Rottenflieger with I./JG 51 on the Russian front. On only his fourth mission he scored his first victory, but had to wait until 31 March 1942 flying another 116 missions to score again. The beginning of 1943 saw a marked change in Brendels performance, by February he had 20 kills to his credit, on the July 9, 1943 he scored his 50th victory. After his 95th victory he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and on the October 16 1944 he achieved his 150th victory which earning him the "Oak Leaves" to the Knight' Cross on 14 January 1945 by this time his score stood at 156 kills. By now he had been promoted to the rank of Hauptmann and was Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 51. His final victory came on the April 25, 1945. Joachim Brendel finished the War with 189 victories and emerged as JG 51 highest scorer on the Eastern Front, including over 90 heavily armored Ilyushin "Sturmoviks" [Weal 2001, p. 45] .

He died on July 7, 1974 in Cologne.

Awards

* German Cross in Gold (17 May 1943)
* Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
* Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross (22 November 1943)
** 697. Oak Leaves (14 January 1945)

References

*cite web | title=Lexikon der Wehrmacht|work=Joachim Brendel|url=http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/B/BrendelJ.htm|accessdate=16 October|accessyear=2007
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II" (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
* Spick, Mike. "Luftwaffe Fighter Aces". Ivy Books, 1996. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2.
* Weal, John. "Bf 109 Aces of the Russian Fron". Osprey Publishin Limited, 2001. ISBN 1-84176-084-6.