Two Luftwaffe Knights Cross Signatures

[torstenbel]

I recently bought the April 1944 issue of Luftflotte Nordost, the newspaper for the Luftflotte 1, stationed on the Eastern front. This is a very interesting newspaper in itself, but when I was leafing through it, I found a photo showing the Knights Cross Awards Ceremony to three Schlachtflieger pilots and the photo is hand signed by two of the Awardees.

The two Knights Cross winners that signed the photo are Oberleutnant Hans-Joachim Jaeschke, who dated his signature on 6th May 1944 and Fahnenjunker-Oberfeldwebel Helmuth Benkendorff, who dated his signature on 10th May 1944. The award ceremony took place on 28th March 1944.

Oberleutnant Jaeschke was killed in action on 21st July 1944 and Oberfeldwebel Benkendorff survived the war and died in Berlin on 3rd November 1971.

Needles to say, I am very happy with my discovery...how scarce are these two signatures? Does anyone else have signatures of these two men? Cheers, Torsten.

First up a pic of the front cover of the newspaper.

[torstenbel]

the page with the photo and the signatures

[torstenbel]

the article, which gives short bios of the three Knights Cross winners in the photo

[torstenbel]

the photo with the signatures

[torstenbel]

the signatures

[VtwinVince]

Torsten, that's a great find. Over 25 years of collecting Luftwaffe photos I have never seen either of these come up. I would love to have those in my collection.

[Ian Jewison]

I have a couple from Benkendorff in a group to a member of III/Stuka 1, these RKT were II/Stuka 1, later II/SG 1.

Klaus is easier to find but then he didn't sign it on that day......I believe he is still living!?!?

/Ian

[torstenbel]

unfortunately, Klaus did not sign the photo, which would have been really something to have all three signatures on the one photo....

Ian, have you ever seen the Jaeschke autograph anywhere? Cheers, Torsten.

[stgeorge64]

Torsten

You have picked up a very nice piece indeed!

Neither signature is common and to have both signatures dated as well is a definate bonus.

In my years of collecting RKT signatures I have not seen either of these 2 RKT signatures available for sale.

All in all a quite unique piece and well worth having in any RKT signature collection.

Regards Richard.

[torstenbel]

thanks Richard ...

[Rob Romero]

How many air victories -if any- did Jaeschke, Klaus, Benkendorff
Score? I have info that a Lt. Benkendorff of JG3 was credited with 12 air victories –is this the same guy.

Also, what's the story with the other photograph on that page -does it say something about someone scoring their 100th Victory –if so who is it?

Thanks,

Rob Romero

[torstenbel]

Hi Rob, those three are Schlachtflieger, i.e. bomber/Stuka pilots and not fighter pilots and they did not score any aerial combat victories. Cheers, Torsten.

[Larry deZeng]

BENKENDORFF, Helmut. (DOB: 08.12.10 in Berlin-Pankow). (R, DKG). 13.07.42 Ofw., awarded Ehrenpokal. 05.11.42 Ofw., awarded DKG, II./St.G. 1. 26.03.44 Ofw., awarded Rittereuz, II./St.G. 1. †03.11.71. [Note: Perry/Woods/Butler list a Benkendorff without a first name as being credited with 12 aerial victories while flying with JG 3, but this may not be the same person - is it possible that he might have been with JG 3 before switching from fighters to Stukas?].

JÄSCHKE, Hans-Joachim. (DOB: 18.07.21 in Niesky/Silesia). (R, DKG). 21.09.42 awarded the Ehrenpokal. 02.08.43 awarded DKG. 26.03.44 Oblt., awarded Ritterkreuz, Staffelführer 4./SG 1. 21.07.44 KIA - shot down by AA fire near Kleszcsele/Hungary. Oblt., Staka 4./SG 1. Credited with c.553 combat sorties and the destruction of 78 enemy tanks, 27 guns, 100 trucks, and 11 bridges.

KLAUS, Johann. (DOB: 04.09.18 in Treis/Kreis Giessen). (R, DKG). 07.42 assigned to II./St.G. 1 on completion of training. 16.11.42 Lt., awarded Ehrenpokal. 22.07.43 Lt., awarded DKG, II./St.G. 1. 08.43 Staka 6./SG 1. 26.03.44 Oblt., awarded Ritterkreuz, Staffelführer 6./St.G. 1. 20.10.44 stellv. (deputy) Kdr. II./SG 1, shot down by ground fire over East Prussia and captured by the Russians. 1949 released from Soviet captivity. Served in the Bundeswehr after the war in the rank of Oberst i.G. Credited with 812 combat missions, 3 air victories and the destruction of 65+ enemy tanks.

[Larry deZeng]

........those three are Schlachtflieger, i.e. bomber/Stuka pilots and not fighter pilots and they did not score any aerial combat victories. Cheers, Torsten.

You would be very surprised at how many Schlachtflieger scored big time in their Bf 109s and Fw 190s, 1942-45. A good 12 to 15 were credited with scores in the 40-70 range by war's end. During times of crisis, especially on the Eastern Front, the Schlachtflieger were often called upon to fly in their secondary role, which was as Jagdflieger.

Larry
deZeng, Henry L. IV and Douglas G. Stankey. Bomber Units of the Luftwaffe 1933-1945: A Reference Source. Volumes 1 (ISBN 10 1 903223 72 5) and Volume 2 (ISBN 10 1 903223 87 3). Hersham (Surrey): Ian Allan Publishing, 2007 and 2008.

Our next two volumes will cover all Stuka and Schlachtflieger units and are to be published at the end of 2009.

[torstenbel]

Hi Larry, I am sure there were many Schlachtflieger that scored aerial combat victories....however, no arial combat victories are mentioned in the short bios about these particular three men in the newspaper article, but all their ground attack victories are listed. Cheers, Torsten.