Death of Hptm. Joachim Kirschner IV./JG 27

[Csaba B. Stenge]

Gentlemen,

anyone knows the exact circumstances of Jochen Kirschner's death? He was shot down by a Spitifre and baled out over Yugoslavia on 17 December, 1943 but was captured by a partisan group, who tortured and killed him.

It is known, where he baled out exactly? What kind of partisan group killed him (there were some different resistance groups)?

TIA,

[Ota Jirovec]

Hello Csaba,

Couple of years ago Boris Ciglic posted a detailed description on the "old" board according to which Kirschner was in fact shot down in combat with Thunderbolts of 57th Fighter Group USAAF and his aircraft (Bf 109G-6 WNr. 20618) crashed into a Crnoglav hill while Kirschner himself landed on his parachute between villages Bjelojevici and Donje Hrasno. He was killed by a firing squad from 29. Hrcegovacka Udarna Divizjia.

Hope this helps a little,

Ota

[Csaba B. Stenge]

Thanks, Ota,

well, I did not remember that message (however I was sure, that Boris knows the answer, but I did not want to ask him in private, because it is interesting to the others as well).

Was it in Bosnia and was he tortured before killed, or not? Was it a kind of red parisan unit (Tito's army)?

Thanks,

[Ota Jirovec]

Hello Csaba,

Yes, if I understand correctly the unit was part of Tito´s forces.
Metkovic is roughly SSW of Mostar.

By the way, the USAAF claims in question are as follows (according to Frank Olynyk´s excellent MTO list):
1400-1600 1/Lt Warren L. Shaw 66 FS 1 Me-109 V-9488, Metkovic area
1400-1600 1/Lt Edward A. Liebing 64 FS 1 Me-109 V-8080, Metkovic area
1400-1600 ?/Lt Charles C. Leaf 66 FS 0.5 Me-109 V-8585, Metkovic area
?/Lt Hugh G. Barlow 66 FS 0.5 Me-109 V-8585, Metkovic area

I do not know if there were any RAF claims in this area. The two nearest that I am aware of are two Bf 109s claimed destroyed by New Zealander Warren Schraeder of 1435 Sqn. He was flying Spitfire IX on this occasion. The given location “Albanian coast” seems to be too far away, however.

Cheers,

Ota

[Csaba B. Stenge]

Thanks again, Ota.

[Boris Ciglic]

Hello Csaba,

strange, I just returned from Hercegovina and found your question. Luckily I was able to trace my original message left at old TOCH few years ago. It was a reply to statement of Mr. Spoden who claimed Kirchenr was tortured and his body mutilated by the partisans. Here is the original text minus some unimoprtant questions and remarks:

"Regarding the matter of Luftwaffe airmen captured by the Yugoslav partisans I must say that their treatment differed very much from time to time and in different areas. First I would like to say few words about circumstances of death of Hptm. Kirchner. He was shot down in combat with Thunderbolts of 57th FG and bailed out from Bf 109G-6 W.Nr.20618. His plane fell on Crnoglav hill whilst he landed between Bjelojevici and Donje Hrasno villages, close to Mostar – Dubrovnik railroad, in eastern Herzegovina. He was captured by 30-men battalion “Marko Mihic”, which was a part of 29. Hercegovacka Udarna Divizija (roughly translated Herzegovinian Striking Division), and shortly thereafter sentenced to death, executed by shooting squad and buried. Searching party, which was coming from Mostar and counted approximately 80 men in one car and four trucks was then ambushed by same battalion between villages Burmazi and Udore and suffered grievous losses. On 29 June 1944, at “peak 286” near Stoc, first POW-exchange negotiations in this area were held between representatives of 29.HUD and German 369. Division. German delegation was lead by certain Hptm Kurz (or Kurtz) who offered some concessions for excavation and return of Hptm Kirchner’s body, for which he said he knew was buried near Donje Hrasno. His offer was not accepted. Area of Donje Hrasno was never overtaken by German or Croat troops by the wars end and Hptm Kirchner probably still lies in unmarked grave. Only conclusion I can draw from this is that no German or Croat soldier were ever in situation to see his throat or mutilated eyes. Still, cut throat or shooting squad doesn’t change much in Hptm Kirchner’s cruel destiny. And he was not the only one. On 6 May 1944 an Feldwebel, whose name still remains unknown to me, force landed his Bf 109G-6 near Stoc (I have poor photo of his plane) after running out of fuel during ferry flight from Wien to Mostar. He was captured by men of 29.HUD and executed also. Area in which both he and Kirchner fell was almost completely burned and most of Serb civilian population (Serbs made a backbone of 29.HUD) executed already in1941 by Croat Ustasha forces in worst possible and unimaginable manners. After such atrocities there was no mercy for anyone, on any side. However, in some other areas Luftwaffe flyers had very good chances for exchange. Official partisan HQ policy was indeed exchange whenever possible (depending on situation on the field), with exception of Stuka-crews who were “to be considered war criminals and not treated as prisoners of war”. You know what it meant. There were numerous documented cases of exchanges, sometimes after few days only and sometimes after months of extremely hard imprisonment conditions."



I can also add after this time is that exact losses of the German column ambushed between Burmazi and Udore (according to German documents) were 2 officers and 4 soldiers killed and 22 soldiers and single officer captured (I dont know what happened to them). I can also add a detail on my remark about the atrocities done to the Serbs in Hercegovina in 1941. On friday I wisited a memorial plate and small church built next to a Koricanska jama (natural cavity near the Korita village near Bileca) positioned just beside the main road between Gacko and Dubrovnik in eastern Hercegovina. On 4 and 5 June 1941, 145 villagers from Korita were taken next to the cavity, their heads smashed with the mallets and bodies thrown into the hole. Miraculously eight men survived to tell the tale. Similar atrocities were repeated all across Hercegovina, and it was in Hercegovina that first clashes between Serb uprisers and Ustasa forces have erupted at this time exactly. As you can imagine, by the end of 1943 the hatriot only grew (unfortunately same feelings prevailed in the nineties).

[researcher111]

Pilot , I came across some documents ( not related to my area) that there were some
negations in progress between Germans and NOVJ before Kirschner was executed .
Though something must have seriously gone wrong because he was executed in
the last moment . Do you know about his burial and if there was any trial prior
execution ?

Attached a photo which I suspect was taken in 1943

[researcher111]

Larry / Sidney

That may well be the case ,and yet how do you explain on post war era A.Loehr execution when
in fact other Nazis were still at large and some who even later on managed to get unscaved
of the Nuerenberg trials ?Just out of curiosity who are the other two depicted along and where
was that shot taken ?

Alex K