Otto Bertram

Otto Bertram
Nickname	Otsch
Born	30 April 1916 Wilhelmshaven
Died	8 February 1987 (1987-02-09) (aged 70) Freiburg im Breisgau
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1935–1945 (Wehrmacht) 1956–
Rank	Major
Unit	Condor Legion, JG 2, JG 101
Commands held	III./JG 2, I./JG 101, I./JG 6
Battles/wars	Spanish Civil War World War II
Awards	Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Other work	Bundeswehr

Otto Bertram (30 April 1916 in Wilhelmshaven – 8 February 1987 in Freiburg im Breisgau) was a was a German Spanish Civil War and World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 until the end of World War II. After World War II he joined the Bundeswehr and served as military attaché.

"Otsch" Bertram shot down a total of 22 enemy aircraft, nine of which were claimed during the Spanish Civil War.

Biography

Just like his two brothers, Hans and Karl, Otto Bertram joined the Luftwaffe in 1935.

Bertram joined the Condor Legion in March 1938, supporting Franco's Nationalists in the Spanish Civil War. During the course of the war Leutnant Bertram claimed nine victories flying with 1./J 88, becoming one of the most successful fighter pilots in that conflict. On 4 October 1938, he was shot down by a Republican I-15 fighter. After bailing out he was taken prisoner of war. For his accomplishments in Spain he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Diamonds.

On 26 October 1939, Bertram was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 2. Oberleutnant Bertram claimed his first aerial victory of World War II on 20 April 1940, when he downed a Morane 406 fighter over Saint-Avold, flown by future French ace Sgt. Chef Antoine Casenobe. However, the claim was not confirmed. In total he claimed four victories during the Battle of France, although he was shot down and crash-landed after gaining two victories on 19 May 1940, returning to his unit unhurt.

Bertram led 1./JG 2 during the opening phases of the Battle of Britain. He claimed seven RAF fighters downed in five days between 2 September 1940 and 6 September with the unit. On 26 September 1940, Bertram was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 2. He claimed two further victories with the unit, two RAF Bristol Blenheim twin-engine bombers shot down near Le Havre on 9 October, to record his 21st and 22nd victories.

On 28 October 1940, Hauptmann Bertram was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 13 victories in World War II and was banned from further combat flying and ordered to return to Germany.

Both of Bertram's brothers serving in the Luftwaffe had recently been killed in action. Hans Bertram, Gruppenadjutant of I./JG 27, was shot down over England in September 1940, and Karl Bertram, a nightfighter pilot with 9./NJG 1, was killed when he crashed his Bf 110 west of Kiel following an engagement with a RAF bomber on 28 October.

Otto Bertram, as the sole surviving brother, was hence excused from further combat duty. He was to spend the remainder of the war in administrative posts or training units. He served at the Jagdfliegerschule 5 at Wien-Schwechat during 1940/1941 and was Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 101 from 6 January 1943 to 30 April 1944. From February 1945, Major Bertram was Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 6, a position he held until the end of the war.

Bertram joined the Bundeswehr after the re militarisation of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1956. Major Bertram held various positions in the Bundeswehr including Press-Officer. Promoted to Oberstleutnant he served as military attaché in Belgium and Luxembourg.

Awards

• Spanish Cross in Gold with Diamonds
• Wound Badge (1939) in Silver
• Pilot's Badge
• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 28 October 1940 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./JG "Richthofen"^[1]

References

Citations

1. ^ Scherzer 2007, p. 218.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Forsyth, Robert (2011). Aces of the Legion Condor. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-347-8.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939–1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
• 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.

External links

• "Aces of the Luftwaffe". Otto Bertram. http://www.luftwaffe.cz/bertram.html. Retrieved 15 January 2008. 

Persondata
Name	Bertram, Otto
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	30 April 1916
Place of birth	Wilhelmshaven
Date of death	8 February 1987
Place of death	Freiburg im Breisgau