Bf 109G-4 Reconnaissance Pilot - Hans Buchwald

[dsetzer]

Some really nice, sharp photos have recently been posted on the Internet regarding Lt. Hans Buchwald of the Nahaufklärungsgruppe 4 of Luftflotte 6. He fell to Russian flak near Kursk in 1943.

Hans Buchwald's nephew posted the photos and other documentation. The nephew also had another uncle who served in the USAAF flying B-25 bombers from Corsica.

Other documentation includes his log book, flight school photobook, and a copy of the heart-breaking letter that notified his young wife of his death in combat. The photos of the aircraft are very close up and clear.

The nephew asks for assistance in identifying the decoration worn by Buchwald in one of the photos. He also notes that several photos show his uncle carrying or being presented with flowers. What was the basis of this custom? Finally, there is a photo of a certain General Lommelsen and he would like to know if anyone has any additional information about him.

This is a nice presentation, please stop by and take a look: http://www.warwingsart.com/12thAirForce/buchwald.html

[Doug Stankey]

I have searched the Axis Biographical Research site and cannot find a reference to a Lommelsen of any rank or branch of service. I see that the fellow in the picture is in fact an army general so perhaps the name quoted is wrong?

Any ideas about this out there?

DGS

[Nokose]

Hans Buchwald is wearing the Iron Cross second class in one of the pictures. Only the ribbon would be worn on the uniform after being awarded. The Army officer "Lommelsen" is wearing the Knights Cross, German Cross in Gold and the Iron Cross First class with the badge indicating he received the Iron Cross First class in World War I.

[dsetzer]

I have managed to discover that the General's name was actually Joachim Lemelsen.

He commanded Panzers in the Battle of Kursk where Buchwald was killed. He would have had a very intense interest in the observations made by Buchwald and the Recon flights.

Here is more information on him:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joachim_Lemelsen

[Doug Stankey]

With the correct name, I went to the Axis Biographical Research website and found:

General der Panzertruppe Joachim Hermann August Lemelsen
Born: 26 Sep 1888 in Berlin
Died: 30 Mar 1954 in Göttingen, Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen)
Promotions:
Fähnrich (27 Jan 1908); Leutnant (19 Nov 1908); Oberleutnant (24 Dec 1914); Hauptmann (18 Aug 1916); Major (01 Nov 1927); Oberstleutnant (01 Nov 1931); Oberst (01 Apr 1934); Generalmajor (01 Apr 1937); Generalleutnant (01 Apr 1939); General der Artillerie (01 Aug 1940); umbenannt in General der Panzertruppe (04 Jun 1941)
Career:
Entered Army Service (01 Jul 1907)
Fahnenjunker in 1st Battery of the 40th Artillery-Regiment, Burg by Magdeburg (01 Jul 1907-26 Aug 1914)
Detached to the Artillery Firing School Jüterbog (01 Oct 1911-31 Jan 1912)
Detached to the Military Technical Academy (03 Oct 1912-29 Jul 1913)
Adjutant of II. Battalion of the 40th Artillery-Regiment (26 Aug 1914-06 Mar 1915)
Regiments-Adjutant of the 104th Field-Artillery-Regiment (06 Mar 1915-14 Sep 1916)
1st Ordinance-Officer of the 52nd Infantry-Division (14 Sep 1916-26 Feb 1917)
General-Staff-Officer with the Staff of Army High Command Coastal Defence, Hamburg (26 Feb 1917-02 May 1917)
Chief Supply Officer (Ib) in the General-Staff of the 21st Infantry-Division (02 May 1917-20 Nov 1917)
Detached as Battalion-Leader to the 87th Infantry-Regiment (26 Jul 1917-26 Aug 1917)
Detached to the 4th General-Staff-Course at Sedan (23 Oct 1917-19 Nov 1917)
Chief Supply Officer (Ib) in the General-Staff of VI. Reserve-Corps (20 Nov 1917-27 Jan 1918)
While retaining previous command, transferred into the General Staff (27 Jan 1918-06 Sep 1918)
Officer of the Army, Assigned to General-Command z.b.V. 58 (06 Sep 1918-20 Dec 1918)
Battery-Leader in the 40th Field-Artillery-Regiment (20 Dec 1918-26 Mar 1919)
Leader of the 3rd Volunteer-Battery of the 40th Field-Artillery-Regiment (26 Mar 1919-01 Oct 1919)
Leader of the 2nd MG-Company of the 7th Reichswehr-Rifle-Regiment (01 Oct 1919-27 Oct 1919)
Leader of the 7th Infantry-Gun-Battery (27 Oct 1919-01 Jan 1921)
Battery-Officer in the 4th Artillery-Regiment (01 Jan 1921-05 Aug 1921)
Detached to Firing Course in Grafenwöhr (20 May 1921-12 Jul 1921)
Transferred to the Staff of I. Battalion of the 4th Artillery-Regiment (05 Aug 1921-01 Apr 1922)
Transferred to the Staff of the 1st Division, Königsberg (01 Apr 1922-01 Oct 1923)
Chief of 8th Battery of the 1st Artillery-Regiment, Königsberg (01 Oct 1923-01 Apr 1927)
Transferred to the Staff of I. Battalion of the 4th Artillery-Regiment, Insterburg, Detached as Tactics-Instructor to the Artillery-School Jüterbog (01 Apr 1927-01 Oct 1927)
While retaining previous position at the Artillery-School, transferred into 1st Battery of the 4th Artillery-Regiment (01 Oct 1927-01 Oct 1930)
Transferred to the Staff of Group-Command 1 & Detached to Reinhard-Course, Berlin University (01 Oct 1930-01 Oct 1931)
Commander of III. Battalion of the 5th Artillery-Regiment, Ludwigsburg (01 Oct 1931-01 Oct 1933)
Course-Director A at the Artillery-School (01 Oct 1933-01 Oct 1934)
Commander of the Artillery-Instruction-Regiment Jüterbog (01 Oct 1934-01 Apr 1935)
Commander of the Infantry-School Dresden (01 Apr 1935-01 May 1935)
Commander of the War-School Dresden (01 May 1935-04 Feb 1938)
Commander of the 29th Motorised-Infantry-Division (04 Feb 1938-07 May 1940)
Commander of the 5th Panzer-Division (07 May 1940-25 Nov 1940)
Commanding General of XXXXVII. Army-Corps (motorised) (25 Nov 1940-21 Jun 1942)
Commanding General of XXXXVII. Panzer-Corps (21 Jun 1942-04 Nov 1943)
Führer-Reserve OKH (04 Nov 1943-05 Mar 1944)
At the same time, Delegated with the Temporary Leadership of the 10th Army (24 Oct 1943-31 Dec 1943)
Acting-Commander-in-Chief of the 6th Army (05 Mar 1944-10 May 1944)
Delegated with the Temporary Leadership of the 1st Army (10 May 1944-02 Jun 1944)
Delegated with the Leadership of the 14th Army (02 Jun 1944-01 Sep 1944)
Commander-in-Chief of the 14th Army (01 Sep 1944-15 Oct 1944)
Sick leave (Sinus infection) (15 Oct 1944-24 Nov 1944)
Delegated with the Temporary Leadership of the 10th Army (24 Oct 1944-17 Feb 1945)
Commander-in-Chief of the 14th Army (17 Feb 1945-02 May 1945)
In British Captivity (06 May 1945-10 Apr 1948)
Testified in Venice during the Trial of Generalfeldmarschall Albert Keßelring (00 Feb 1948)
Released (10 Apr 1948)

Awards & Decorations:
- Ritterkreuz: am 27.07.1941 als General der Panzertruppe und Kommandierender General des XLVII. Armeekorps (mot)
- Eichenlaub (294): am 07.09.1943 als General der Panzertruppe und Kommandierender General des XLVII. Panzerkorps
- Deutsches Kreuz in Gold: am 15.07.1942 als General der Panzertruppe und Kommandierender General des XLVII. Panzerkorps
- RK des Kgl. Preuss. Hausordens von Hohenzollern mit Schwertern: 30.10.1918
- 1914 EK I: 05.12.1916
- 1914 EK II: 21.09.1914
- Hamburgisches Hanseatenkreuz: 14.04.1917
- Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer
- Wehrmacht-Dienstauszeichnung IV. bis I. Klasse: 02.10.1936
- Medaille zur Erinnerung an den 01.10.1938 mit Spange “Prager Burg”
- Spange zum EK II: 21.09.1939
- Spange zum EK I: 30.09.1939
- Panzerkampfabzeichen in Silber: 13.01.1942
- Verwundetenabzeichen, 1939 in Schwarz: 14.06.1942
- Medaille “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/1942”: 01.08.1942




Does that help you any?


DGS.

[Falcon]

Nice website.
Just a notice, the Bf 109 WNr. 6689 is a Bf 109 F-2 build at WNF and not a Bf 109 G-4.

The "white 16" is a G-4.

[Jim P.]

I suppose we can now record the 8-Jun-43 loss as 'white 17'?

Bf 109F-2, 6689, Sauer, Fw. Kurt, 9, 9., JG 53, gelbe, 4 + |, , , 27-Jun-41, Reported lost due to Luftkampf. Pilot returned., , Lfl.2/Eins.Osten, Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #3)-Vol.5; Prien, et al, Die Jagdfliegerverbände, VI.2, p.169; Prien, JG 53, I, p.413, , bei Molodeczno, 100%, F, , ,
Bf 109F-2, 6689, Cernhoff, Ltn. Reinhard, , , NAGr. 4, , , , , 08-Jun-43, WIA due to enemy fighters., , Ostfront, Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #10)-Vol.18, , nordöstlich Ryschkowo, 60%, F, , ,
Bf 109F-2, 6689, n.n., , , JGr.Ost, , , , , 31-Oct-43, Take-off accident., , FR, Gen.Qu.6.Abt. (mfm #12)-Vol.23, , Fl.Pl. St. Jean d'Angely, 30%, H, , ,

[Nokose]

Doesn't anyone know the real Russian name for Ryschkowo? I've seen it in Jim's post above for Lt Reinhard Cernhoff and on the linking site with Lt Ferdinand von Paczenski both of NAGr4. I know it must be in the area of Orel.

[Larry deZeng]

Ryschkowo = Ryshkovo. Only three of them are listed in a Gazetteer of 3,000,000 place names, and these are:

Ryschkovo #1: 67.5 km NW of Kursk;
Ryschkovo #2: 99.3 km due north of Smolensk;
Ryschkovo #3: 7.4 km S of Kursk along a main rail line.

Since NAGr. 4 was operating along the Kursk sector on 8 June, your Ryshkovo is either #1 or #3, with #3 being the most probable.

Larry

[reinholdcernhoff]

Originally Posted by Nokose

Doesn't anyone know the real Russian name for Ryschkowo? I've seen it in Jim's post above for Lt Reinhard Cernhoff and on the linking site with Lt Ferdinand von Paczenski both of NAGr4. I know it must be in the area of Orel.

At first, the correct name was "Reinhold Cernhoff" not "Reinhard", I know it and I'm pretty sure about it because my grandpa was the only "Cernhoff" in all germany in that time.

Could you tell me where did you get that source?