# Friedrich Körner

Friedrich Körner (24 January 1921 – 3 September 1998) was a World War II Luftwaffe Flying ace. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Körner was credited with 36 victories in over 250 missions. All of his victories were scored whilst flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109.

## Military career

Körner was born on 24 January 1921 in Schwerte, in the Province of Westphalia of the Weimar Republic. He joined the Luftwaffe on 15 November 1939. Following flight and fighter pilot training, Körner was posted to I. Gruppe (1st group) of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) in North Africa on 4 July 1941. At the time, the Gruppe was based at Ayn al-Ġazāla and equipped with the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-7 fighter aircraft. Körner claimed his first victory on 12 October near Sallum when he shot down a Curtiss P-40 Warhawk.
In June 1942 he scored 20 kills, five on the 26 June making him an "ace-in-a-day", Körner's most successful day. On 4 July 1942, a year to the day of his arrival, he was shot down whilst scrambling to intercept a Royal Air Force (RAF) bomber formation over the front line near El Alamein in his Bf 109 F-4/Trop (Werknummer 8696—factory number) "Red 11". His victor was Lieutenant Lawrence Waugh of 1 Squadron SAAF. Körner was captured and sent to a prisoner of war camp in Canada, and released in 1947.

## After the war

In January 1956, Körner joined the West German Air Force, at the time referred to as the Bundesluftwaffe, holding the rank of Oberleutnant. Initially serving as a flight instructor, he later received general staff training. He retired from military service on 30 June 1979, having reached the rank of Brigadegeneral. Following his retirement, Körner and his wife lived in Paris. He died on 3 September 1998 at the age of 77 in Bailly north-central France.

## Summary of career
### Aerial victory claims

Körner was credited with 36 aerial victories claimed in approximately 250 combat missions, all of which over North Africa. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 36 aerial victory claims, all of which over North Africa.
Chronicle of aerial victories :
| This and the ♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Körner an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day. ||||||||||
| Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location | Claim | Date | Time | Type | Location |
| – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 – Sicily, Balkans and North Africa — 19 July – 17 November 1941 ||||||||||
| 1 | 12 October 1941 | 09:34 | P-40 | southeast of Sallum | 2 | 20 October 1941 | 09:45 | Blenheim | 100 km (62 mi) north of Marsa Luccech |
| – 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 – In North Africa — 18 November 1941 – 4 July 1942 ||||||||||
| 3 | 10 December 1941 | 14:03 | Boston | 25 km (16 mi) east of Bir Hacheim | 20 | 14 June 1942 | 11:05 | P-40 | north of Kambut |
| 4 | 28 December 1941 | 08:55 | Hurricane | northeast of El Hasseiat | 21 | 14 June 1942 | 11:10 | P-40 | north of Kambut |
| 5 | 11 January 1942 | 12:50 | P-40 | north of Marsa al-Brega | 22 | 14 June 1942 | 17:05 | Beaufighter | north-northeast of Derna |
| 6 | 13 January 1942 | 14:35 | P-40 | Antelat | 23 | 16 June 1942 | 15:20 | P-40 | east of El Adem |
| 7 | 7 February 1942 | 14:27 | Blenheim | northeast of Derna | 24 | 16 June 1942 | 18:50 | P-40 | southwest of Kambut |
| 8 | 8 February 1942 | 14:27 | P-40 | Bomba Bay | 25 | 17 June 1942 | 08:50 | P-40 | east of Sidi Rezegh |
| 9 | 9 March 1942 | 16:50 | Albacore | southwest of Sidi Barrani | 26♠ | 26 June 1942 | 11:48 | P-40 | west of Marsa Matruh |
| 10 | 19 March 1942 | 10:35 | P-40 | north of Kambut | 27♠ | 26 June 1942 | 12:18 | P-40 | west of Marsa Matruh |
| 11 | 20 March 1942 | 08:03 | P-40 | south of Martuba | 28♠ | 26 June 1942 | 18:42 | P-40 | south of Marsa Matruh |
| 12 | 20 March 1942 | 08:08 | P-40 | south of Ayn al-Ġazāla | 29♠ | 26 June 1942 | 18:46 | Spitfire | Marsa Matruh |
| 13 | 21 March 1942 | 08:55 | Boston | southeast of Bir Hacheim | 30♠ | 26 June 1942 | 19:05 | Spitfire | southeast of Marsa Matruh |
| 14 | 2 April 1942 | 14:28 | Hurricane | north of Kambut | 31 | 1 July 1942 | 19:01 | P-40 | west of Borg El Arab |
| 15 | 27 May 1942 | 15:30 | P-40 | south of Kambut | 32 | 1 July 1942 | 19:03 | P-40 | west of Borg El Arab |
| 16 | 29 May 1942 | 07:52 | P-40 | west of Tobruk | 33 | 1 July 1942 | 19:11 | P-40 | west of Borg El Arab |
| 17 | 13 June 1942 | 06:40 | P-40 | south of Fort Acroma | 34 | 2 July 1942 | 18:15 | P-40 | El Alamein |
| 18 | 13 June 1942 | 06:50 | Hurricane | north of Wadi Es Sahaae | 35 | 2 July 1942 | 18:20 | P-40 | Borg El Arab |
| 19 | 13 June 1942 | 06:53 | P-40 | Tobruk | 36 | 3 July 1942 | 15:11 | Hurricane | southeast of El Alamein |

### Awards

* Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
* Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 10 August 1942 as Leutnant and pilot
* German Cross in Gold on 21 August 1942 as Leutnant in the I./Jagdgeschwader 27
* Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 September 1942 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 2./Jagdgeschwader 27