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Oberst Wolfgang Falck
At the outbreak of war Wolfgang Falck was Staffelkapitan of 8,/JG132 flying the Bf110 Zerstorer in the Polish Campaign. In Feb 1940 he became Kommandeur 1./ZG1 and led it during the Western campaign. From June 1940 Falck was appointed Kommodore NJG1, the largest Geschwader in the Luftwaffe. During this time the greatest Luftwaffe night Aces were under his command. In July 1943 he joined the staff of Luftflotte Recih where he was responsible for the day and night fighter defence of the Reich. In the autumn of 1944 he was made Fighter Leader in the Balkans, and later became head of staff for flying training. Wolfgang Falck flew 90 operations and was awarded the Knight's Cross. Died 13th March 2007.
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| Knights Cross |
| Oberst Wolfgang Falck - Signed Aviation Art |
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Close Combat by Ivan Berryman. Whilst flying with A Flight of 85 Squadron on 30th July 1940, Geoffrey Allard encountered a pair of Messerschmitt Bf.110s about 40 miles from the coast, apparently patrolling near a convoy. After Squadron Leader Townsend, flying Red 1, had made two unsuccessful attacks, Allard closed to 150 yards and began to fire continuously, eventually closing to just 25 yards, whereupon the starboard engine of the Bf.110 began to disintegrate. This was just one of eight victories that Allard claimed during the Battle of Britain to add to a previous eight that he had scored flying Hurricanes during the Battle of France. |
Clipped Signature - Wolfgang Falck. Flew the Me110 as Staffelkapitan of 8./JG132 in the Polish campaign. He led 1./ZG1 from February 1940 and then was Kommodore of NJG1 from June 1940 to July 1943, in command of the greatest night fighter Luftwaffe Aces. Awarded the Knight's Cross, he flew 90 operations. He died in 2007. |
Night Hunters of the Reich by Nicolas Trudgian. The German High Command entered World War II with the notion that the war would be quickly won, and certainly without the need to fight at night. The RAF changed all that when Bomber Command, having suffered appalling losses in daylight, turned to attacking under the cloak of darkness. By mid-1940 the Luftwaffe was forced to hurriedly form its first night fighter wing utilising the Messerschmitt Bf110. Without specialised equipment, initially Luftwaffe pilots relied on visual acquisition, detecting enemy aircraft with the aid of searchlights. To combat intensifying RAF night attacks, new electronic methods of navigation and detection were developed, and by the end on 1942 the German night fighter force had almost 400 aircraft contesting the night skies. Almost 1300 British aircraft were destroyed in that year alone.The Bf110G-4 of 47-night victory pilot Oberleutnant Martin Drewes at dusk in March 1944, heading out to intercept in-bound British four-engined bombers over north west Germany. Equipped with the latest FuG220 and 218 radars, the experienced crew will lie in wait, carefully choose their prey, stalk and close for the kill. The deadly game of hide and seek is about to begin. |
Duel in the Dark by Robert Taylor. The air war fought throughout World War II in the night skies above Europe raged six long years. RAF Hurricanes sent up to intercept the Luftwaffes nightly blitz on British cities had no more equipment than the fighters that fought the Battle of Britain during the day, but as the scale of nightly conflict developed, detection and navigation aids - primitive by todays standards - were at the cutting edge of World War II aviation technology. As the air war progressed the intensity of the RAFs nightly raids grew to epic proportions, and the Luftwaffe night-fighters became a critical last line of defence as their cities were pounded from above. By 1944 the Luftwaffe was operating sophisticated systems coordinating radar, searchlights and flak batteries, enabling effective guidance to increasingly wily aircrews flying equipment-laden aircraft. But the RAF had in turn developed their own detection equipment, and the nightly aerial contests between fighters and bombers were desperate affairs. Night-fighter pilots were men of special calibre, requiring a blend of all the best piloting and navigational qualities combined with patience, determination, and no small element of cunning. They were hunters in the purest sense, constantly honing their skills, and pitting their wits against a formidable foe. The young aircrews of the Luftwaffe fought a brave but losing battle in defence of their homeland, but their dedication never faltered, and their bravery is legend. Robert Taylor pays tribute to this courageous and skilled group of flyers with his new painting Duel in the Dark. It is August 1944. As Lancaster heavy bombers of 106 Squadron approach the target, Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, Kommandeur of IV./ NJG1 and the Luftwaffes top-scoring night- fighter pilot, makes a daring attack passing feet below the mighty four-engine aircraft. Flying his Me110 night-fighter among the flak and searchlights he has scored hits on the bombers outer starboard engine. While his gunner fiercely returns fire from the bombers front turret gunner, the night-fighter Ace will slip into the shadows before selecting another quarry. His nights work is not yet done. |
Incident over Mannheim by Ivan Berryman. On the night of 12th September 1944, Lancaster NF958 (LS-M) of No.15 Sqn was lost in the skies above Mannheim when it was attacked by the Messerschmitt Bf.110G-2 of Ofw Ludwig Schmidt of II/NGJ 6, the bomber receiving hits to the bomb bay which ignited the incendiaries still in their racks. Five of the crew bailed out and were taken prisoner of war once captured. The pilot, F/O Norman Overend RNZAF, did not escape the aircraft. Flt Sgt Harry A Beverton was seen to leave the stricken Lancaster but was not seen again. Crew of Lancaster LS-M : F/O Norman Overend RNZAF Sgt Barry J Howarth (survived) Sgt George B Thomson (survived) Flt Sgt John D Jones (survived) Flt Sgt Robert P E Kendall (survived) Flt Sgt Harry A Beverton Sgt I Spagatner (survived). |
Messerschmitt Bf.110G4b/R3 by Ivan Berryman. Messerschmitt Bf.110G4b/R3 of 7 Staffel, III/Natchjagdgeschwader 4, Autumn 1943. |
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Wolfgang Falck with his wife - photograph taken c.2007 at his home in Austria. |
| Oberst Wolfgang Falck Aircraft details |
 Me110 Manufacturer : Messerschmitt | Me110 The Bf-110 grew out of Herman Gorings specifications for a multipurpose aircraft capable of penetrating deep into enemy airspace to clear the sky of enemy fighters in advance of German bomber formations. The aircraft would also be utilized as a long range interceptor, and as a ground support and ground attack bomber. The Bf-110 prototype first flew in 1936. The prototype was under powered with its Daimier Benz DB 600A engines. Several months passed before a go ahead was given for large scale production which commenced in 1938. Utilizing improved DB 601 engines, the early production 110s were as fast as any single engine fighter at that time, and had superior fire power. Their biggest apparent weakness was in the areas of armor protection for the crew, and in terms of maneuverability when compared to single seat fighters. The 110 was produced in large numbers and in many different variants. The 110D was the long range model. An additional belly tank was fitted to that aircraft, with several later variants having the more traditional drop tanks. The first serious test for the Bf-110 came during the Battle of Britain. About 300 Bf-110s were involved. They became easy prey for Hurricane and Spitfire pilots, and Bf-109s were often required to assist the 110s in their own defense. On August 15, 1940, which became known as Black Tuesday, the Bf-110s were ravaged by the RAF, and for the month over 100 aircraft were lost. On the Eastern Front the Bf-110 performed admirably in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa. With the Soviet Air Force weakened in the first several weeks of the attack, 110s were effectively utilized in a ground attack role. Ultimately, the Luftwaffe re-equipped a significant number of its 110s as night fighters. The aircraft performed well in this role because it was a good gun platform with sufficient speed to overtake the RAF night bombers. Such night missions were typically carried out with no Allied fighter escort, so the 110 night fighters would not have to engage or elude Allied fighters in this role. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oberst Wolfgang Falck Squadron details |
JG132 Country : Germany Became Stab./JG26 on 1st May 1939. | JG132 'Richthofen' Formed 1st April 1936 in Döberitz. Until 1st November 1938, JG132 carried the traditional name Richthofen. On 1st November 1938 redesignated Stab/JG131. Reformed 1st November 1938 in Düsseldorf. On 1st May 1939 redesignated Stab/JG26. From 1st April 1936, the squadron flew He51s and Bf109s (B and D) from Döberitz. From 1st November 1938 to 1st May 1939 the squadron flew Bf109 (D and E) from Düsseldorf. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NJG1 Country : Germany | NJG1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ZG1 Country : Germany | ZG1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ZG76 Country : Germany | ZG76 Zerstörergeschwader 76 was formed on 1 May 1939 with the I. Gruppe and II. Gruppe without a Geschwaderstab. The II. Gruppe was initially equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and was known as Jagdgruppe 176. The Geschwaderstab was created on 15 April 1940 in Köln-Wahn. The III. Gruppe was raised on 26 June 1940 in Trier-Euren. On 1 September 1939 Germany attacked Poland although bad weather initially precluded a large scale deployment of ZG 76. I./ZG 76 engaged Polish fighters formations and made their first claims, although also suffered their first losses. Future 'ace' Leutnant Helmut Lent participated in the attack on Poland, destroying several aircraft on the ground and a PZL P.11 fighter in the air on 2 September 1939 for his and (I./ZG 76) first victory. However, on 12 September, following the destruction of an aircraft on the ground he was attacked by another fighter and his starboard engine was hit and put out of action. This necessitated a forced-landing, fortunately behind his own lines, in which he received minor injuries. On 29 September, I./ZG 76 was withdrawn to the Stuttgart area to provide Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) against the Western Allied Air Forces. I./ZG 76 claimed 31 kills during the campaign, of which 19 were confirmed. On 18 December 1939 the Royal Air Force sent a force of Vickers Wellingtons to raid Wilhelmshafen during the day. I./ZG 76 under Hptm. Gunther Reinecke, intercepted. Staffelkapitän of 2./ZG 76, Wolfgang Falck, and wingman Uffz. Heinz Fresia were the first to engage, claiming two Wellingtons each, though Falck's aircraft was hit by defending fire and he crash-landed on Wangerooge. Others of I./ZG 76 intercepted at intervals, unit claims totalling 15 Wellingtons shot down. The RAF lost 12, with total Luftwaffe unconfirmed claims being 38 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Known Victory Claims - Wolfgang Falck | |||||||
DATE | PILOT | UNIT | JG | CLAIMED | LOCATION | TIME | FRONT |
| 05/09/1939 | Oblt. Wolfgang Falck | 1 | ZG 76 | PZL P-23 | Dalikow | 6.4 | Western Front |
| 11/09/1939 | Oblt. Wolfgang Falck | 1 | ZG 76 | Fokker F.IX | 8km SE Biala-Podlaska | 16.05 | Western Front |
| 11/09/1939 | Oblt. Wolfgang Falck | 1 | ZG 76 | 12km SW Biala-Podlaska | 16.1 | Western Front | |
| 18/12/1939 | Hptm. Wolfgang Falck | Stab I. | ZG 76 | Wellington | 20km SW Helgoland | 14.35 | Western Front |
| 18/12/1939 | Hptm. Wolfgang Falck | Stab I. | ZG 76 | Wellington | 20km SW Helgoland | 14.45 | Western Front |
| 10/01/1940 | Hptm. Wolfgang Falck | Stab I. | ZG 76 | Blenheim | Pl.Qu. 565 [Nordsee] | 12.57 | Western Front |
| 17/02/1940 | Hptm. Wolfgang Falck | Stab I. | ZG 76 | Blenheim | Pl.Qu. ID [Nordsee] | 16.1 | Western Front |
| 09/04/1940 | Hptm. Wolfgang Falck | Stab I. | ZG 76 | Fokker D.XXI | Vaerlöse, Dänemark | 6.38 | Western Front |
Known Claims : 8
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