I would like to show a Soldbuch and Wehrpass to Franz Sommer a fighter pilot who served in 6/JG2 'Richthofen' in 1941-42.
Sommer was born on 3 June 1920 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. He joined the Luftwaffe on 10 November 1938. He started his service with II/JG26 Schlageter (ex JG132), which later became III/JG26, on 1 April 1939 and served through the French campaign as a 'black man' until 30 June 1940.
He then spent a year at the officers’ training school at Werder before joining the replacement group of JG2 on 1 July 1941.
He joined the 6 Staffel of the Geschwader on 17 August 1941 at their Abbeville airfield. Sommer flew the ME109F-4 until May 1942 when II/JG2 converted to the FW190A-2.
He was awarded the EKII on 16 January 1942 after shooting down an RAF Halifax bomber at 15.15 hours on 30 December 1941 near Brest, France. The aircraft was from No 10 Squadron. II/JG2 claimed two other Halifaxes from this raid. This exactly matches the RAF loss records for Halifaxes on this raid. However, my source says that two of the aircraft were shot down by FLAK. Sommer’s kill was hit by FLAK at 15.11 hours and then “savagely attached by a Bf 109 soon after”. The rear-gunner F/L Roach was killed in this attach. The aircraft limped on for another 15 minutes before going down 80 miles off Lizard Point, Cornwall. All the crew, apart from Roach, were picked up by an RN MTB at 20.30 hours.
On 12 February 1942 he took part in the famous “Channel Dash” providing and aerial umbrella for the Scharnhorst, Guiesnau and Prinz Eugen. This support was provided by both JG2 and JG26.
Sommer was involved in a landing accident on 14 March 1942 when he hit an obstacle (!) at Evreux/Fauville. He was obviously not badly injured as there is no hospitalization entry in his Soldbuch.
He entered a field hospital in June 1942 for a week with a urinary infection.
He also took park in the air battle over Dieppe on 19 August 1942. It was here that he lost his life when he was shot down by Spitfires. His FW190A-2 “Yellow 11” was one of 12 planes lost by JG2 that day. Another 6 Staffel pilot, Uffz. Gunther Geguns was also lost MIA on this fateful day. Was this Sommer’s Katchmarek (Wingman?). His Wehrpass says that he was last seen 10 km north of Dieppe. Erich Rudorffer, the Staffelkapitan at this time, told me that his own Flugbuch describes the Staffel contacting about 25 Spitfires 30km north of Dieppe. (Leutnant) Eric Rudorffer (StaffelKapit******228;n 6/JG2) describes this mission as a very difficult and chaotic aerial battle. Whatever the exact events of the day, Sommer and Geguns have been missing in action since. Rudorffer described him as a 'strong man with a really good sense of humour'. They have no known grave but the English Channel is probably their last resting place. Sommer was 22 years of age. He flew 16 combat missions (Feindfluge) and had one aerial victory (Abschuss). This Soldbuch is signed five times by the famous Eric Rudorffer (222 victories), the StaffelKapit******228;n of 6/JG2 at the time. His wehrpass is signed by Hauptmann Helmet-Felix Bolz, the GruppenKommandeur of II/JG2, a 20 victory ace.
Ranks:
10.10.39 Gefreiter
1.7.40 Unteroffizier
1.10.40 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier
1.3.41 Fahnrich
1.7.41 OberFahnrich
1.11.41 Leutnant
Postings
10.11.38 – 31.3.39 1 Kompanie, Fleigerabteilung 12 (1st Company, 12th Training Regiment)
1.4.39 – 23.9.39 Stabs Kompanie II/JG132, Dusseldorft (Staff Company 2nd Wing, 132nd fighter group).
24.9.39 – 30.6.40 III/Jagdgeschwader 26, Stabs Kompanie (Staff Company, 3rd wing, 26th fighter group).
1.7.40 – 28.2.41 Schule Kompanie Fahnrich A/B Werder.
1.3.41 – 17.6.41 Jagdfleigerschule 1, 1 Staffel.
1.7.41 – 16.8.41 Erganzung Jagd Gruppe 2 Ausbildungstaffel.
17.8.41 – 8.12.41 II/Jagdgeschwader 2, 6 Staffel.
9.12.41 – 19.8.42 II/JG2 (6 Staffel).
This group was brought to life for me when I decided to write to Erich Rudorffer, the Staffelkapitaen of 6/JG2 during Sommer's time with the unit. It made me aware that when we come into contact with a paper group or a photograph, normally, we can only imagine about the face that is staring back at us. I was lucky enough to have contact with someone who was there but I am very aware that as each year goes by, this type of contact will not be possible any more.
Any comments or corrections to my research will be very gratefully received. Thank-you for your time.
Regards,
Andy
Sommer was born on 3 June 1920 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. He joined the Luftwaffe on 10 November 1938. He started his service with II/JG26 Schlageter (ex JG132), which later became III/JG26, on 1 April 1939 and served through the French campaign as a 'black man' until 30 June 1940.
He then spent a year at the officers’ training school at Werder before joining the replacement group of JG2 on 1 July 1941.
He joined the 6 Staffel of the Geschwader on 17 August 1941 at their Abbeville airfield. Sommer flew the ME109F-4 until May 1942 when II/JG2 converted to the FW190A-2.
He was awarded the EKII on 16 January 1942 after shooting down an RAF Halifax bomber at 15.15 hours on 30 December 1941 near Brest, France. The aircraft was from No 10 Squadron. II/JG2 claimed two other Halifaxes from this raid. This exactly matches the RAF loss records for Halifaxes on this raid. However, my source says that two of the aircraft were shot down by FLAK. Sommer’s kill was hit by FLAK at 15.11 hours and then “savagely attached by a Bf 109 soon after”. The rear-gunner F/L Roach was killed in this attach. The aircraft limped on for another 15 minutes before going down 80 miles off Lizard Point, Cornwall. All the crew, apart from Roach, were picked up by an RN MTB at 20.30 hours.
On 12 February 1942 he took part in the famous “Channel Dash” providing and aerial umbrella for the Scharnhorst, Guiesnau and Prinz Eugen. This support was provided by both JG2 and JG26.
Sommer was involved in a landing accident on 14 March 1942 when he hit an obstacle (!) at Evreux/Fauville. He was obviously not badly injured as there is no hospitalization entry in his Soldbuch.
He entered a field hospital in June 1942 for a week with a urinary infection.
He also took park in the air battle over Dieppe on 19 August 1942. It was here that he lost his life when he was shot down by Spitfires. His FW190A-2 “Yellow 11” was one of 12 planes lost by JG2 that day. Another 6 Staffel pilot, Uffz. Gunther Geguns was also lost MIA on this fateful day. Was this Sommer’s Katchmarek (Wingman?). His Wehrpass says that he was last seen 10 km north of Dieppe. Erich Rudorffer, the Staffelkapitan at this time, told me that his own Flugbuch describes the Staffel contacting about 25 Spitfires 30km north of Dieppe. (Leutnant) Eric Rudorffer (StaffelKapit******228;n 6/JG2) describes this mission as a very difficult and chaotic aerial battle. Whatever the exact events of the day, Sommer and Geguns have been missing in action since. Rudorffer described him as a 'strong man with a really good sense of humour'. They have no known grave but the English Channel is probably their last resting place. Sommer was 22 years of age. He flew 16 combat missions (Feindfluge) and had one aerial victory (Abschuss). This Soldbuch is signed five times by the famous Eric Rudorffer (222 victories), the StaffelKapit******228;n of 6/JG2 at the time. His wehrpass is signed by Hauptmann Helmet-Felix Bolz, the GruppenKommandeur of II/JG2, a 20 victory ace.
Ranks:
10.10.39 Gefreiter
1.7.40 Unteroffizier
1.10.40 Fahnenjunker-Unteroffizier
1.3.41 Fahnrich
1.7.41 OberFahnrich
1.11.41 Leutnant
Postings
10.11.38 – 31.3.39 1 Kompanie, Fleigerabteilung 12 (1st Company, 12th Training Regiment)
1.4.39 – 23.9.39 Stabs Kompanie II/JG132, Dusseldorft (Staff Company 2nd Wing, 132nd fighter group).
24.9.39 – 30.6.40 III/Jagdgeschwader 26, Stabs Kompanie (Staff Company, 3rd wing, 26th fighter group).
1.7.40 – 28.2.41 Schule Kompanie Fahnrich A/B Werder.
1.3.41 – 17.6.41 Jagdfleigerschule 1, 1 Staffel.
1.7.41 – 16.8.41 Erganzung Jagd Gruppe 2 Ausbildungstaffel.
17.8.41 – 8.12.41 II/Jagdgeschwader 2, 6 Staffel.
9.12.41 – 19.8.42 II/JG2 (6 Staffel).
This group was brought to life for me when I decided to write to Erich Rudorffer, the Staffelkapitaen of 6/JG2 during Sommer's time with the unit. It made me aware that when we come into contact with a paper group or a photograph, normally, we can only imagine about the face that is staring back at us. I was lucky enough to have contact with someone who was there but I am very aware that as each year goes by, this type of contact will not be possible any more.
Any comments or corrections to my research will be very gratefully received. Thank-you for your time.
Regards,
Andy
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