Adolf Borchers (10 February 1913 – 9 February 1996) was a Luftwaffeflying ace of World War II. He was credited with 132 aerial victories—that is, 132 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in approximately 800 combat missions.
Following aerial combat on 31 August 1940, Borchers ditched his Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-1 (Werknummer 5808—factory number) in the Thames Estuary but was rescued.[4] That day, I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 77 lost seven Bf 109s in combat over southeastern England, with one pilot killed in action and five taken prisoner of war.[5]
Eastern Front
During Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, he accumulated further victories and by the end of 1941 his score had increased to 23 aerial victories. After being promoted to an Officers rank, he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 11. Staffel of JG 51 on 20 August 1942, replacing LeutnantWolfgang Böwing-Treuding who was transferred to 10. Staffel.[6] On 15 October, Borchers was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) for 31 aerial victories.[2] By the end of 1942, his number of aerial victories had increased to 38.[7]
In early January 1943, IV. Gruppe was based at an airfield named Isotscha, a makeshift airfield built on a frozen lake lokated approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) west of Velikiye Luki. In February, the Gruppe converted from the Bf 109 F-2 to the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4. In that combat area, Army Group Centre had launched Operation Büffel, a series of retreats eliminating the Rzhev salient.[8] For 78 aerial victories, Borchers was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 22 November. He received the award together with fellow JG 51 pilot Joachim Brendel.[9]
Group commander
On 10 June 1944, I. Gruppe was ordered to an airfield named Peloniczna near Lviv. Seven days later, they were moved to Serpneve.[10] On 11 June, Borchers was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) replacing HauptmannJohannes Wiese.[11] Wiese had been injured on 22 February. Intermittently, the Gruppe had been led by OberleutnantPaul-Heinrich Dähne.[12] Command of 11. Staffel of JG 51 was then passed to Oberleutnant Horst Walther.[13] On 22 June, Soviet forces launched Operation Bagration, attacking Army Group Centre in Byelorussia, with the objective of encircling and destroying its main component armies.[14] On 24 June, the Gruppe transferred to Galați and again to Peloniczna.[15] Borchers claimed his 100 aerial victory on 24 July 1944.[15] He was the 86th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.[16] The Gruppe reached Grabowiec in eastern Poland on 27 July and Kraków on 1 August. On 12 August they were again relocated and moved to Mzurowa.[17]
His 118th victory claimed on 2 September 1944, is also noted for claiming JG 52 10,000th aerial victory.[18][19][20] On 19 September, Borchers made an emergency landing in his Bf 109 G-6 near Tarnów, in an area approximately 70 kilometers (43 miles) east of Kraków.[21] Borchers was given command to III. Gruppe of JG 52 on 1 February 1945.[11] He succeeded HauptmannWilhelm Batz who was transferred to take command of II. Gruppe of JG 52.[22] Command of I. Gruppe of JG 52 was passed to HauptmannErich Hartmann.[23] Together with his comrades he surrendered to U.S. forces only to be turned over to Soviet forces.[2]
Later life
After World War II, Borchers was released from Soviet captivity in 1950. He then traveled to Steibis, part of Oberstaufen in Oberallgäu, Bavaria. There, he was reunited with his wife Christl Cranz, a former German alpine ski racer whom he had married in 1943. The marriage produced three children. In 1947, Cranz had founded a Ski school for children, which the two then jointly operated.[24] Borchers died on 9 February 1996 in Oberstaufen.[1]
Summary of career
Aerial victory claims
According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Borchers was credited with 132 aerial victories.[25] Spick also lists Borchers with 132 aerial victories, 127 of which on the Eastern Front and five during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain, claimed in over 800 combat missions.[26] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and also state that Borchers was credited with 132 aerial victories, including two on the Western Front and the others on the Eastern Front.[27]
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 47764". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[28]
Chronicle of aerial victories
This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Balke, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim
Date
Time
Type
Location
Claim
Date
Time
Type
Location
– 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 –[29] Battle of France — 10 May – 25 June 1940
Barbas, Bernd (2010). Die Geschichte der III. Gruppe des Jagdgeschwaders 52 [The History of 3rd Group of Fighter Wing 52] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-94-6.
Bergström, Christer[in Swedish] (2008). Bagration to Berlin—The Final Air Battles in the East: 1944–1945. Burgess Hill: Classic Publications. ISBN978-1-903223-91-8.
Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer[in German] (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN978-3-7909-0284-6.
Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2014). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 1 A–F. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN978-1-906592-18-9.
Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN978-3-87341-065-7.
Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN978-3-931533-45-8.
Patzwall, Klaus D. (2008). Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg [The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN978-3-931533-08-3.
Pinwinkler, Alexander; Haar, Ingo; Fahlbusch, Michael (2017). Handbuch der völkischen Wissenschaften—Akteure, Netzwerke, Forschungsprogramme [Handbook of Ethnic Sciences—Actors, Networks, Research Programs] (in German). Vol. One. Munich, Germany: De Gruyter Oldenbourg. ISBN978-3-11-042989-3.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2000). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945 Teil 3—Einsatz in Dänemark und Norwegen 9.4. bis 30.11.1940—Der Feldzug im Westen 10.5. bis 25.6.1940 [Fighter Pilot Association of the German Luftwaffe 1934 to 1945 Part 3—Assignments in Denmark and Norway 9 April to 30 November 1940—The campaign in the West 10 May to 25 June 1940] (in German). Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-61-8.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/II—Einsatz am Kanal und über England—26.6.1940 bis 21.6.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 4/II—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-64-9.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 6/I—Unternehmen "BARBAROSSA"—Einsatz im Osten—22.6. bis 5.12.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 6/I—Operation "BARBAROSSA"—Action in the East—22 June to 5 December 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-69-4.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2005). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/I—Winterkampf im Osten—6 December 1941 bis 30 April 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/I—Winter War in the East—6 December 1941 to 30 April 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-76-2.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2006). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 9/II—Vom Sommerfeldzug 1942 bis zur Niederlage von Stalingrad—1.5.1942 bis 3.2.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 9/II—From the 1942 Summer Campaign to the Defeat at Stalingrad—1 May 1942 to 3 February 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-77-9.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2012). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/II—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/II—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN978-3-942943-05-5.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Balke, Ulf; Bock, Winfried (2022a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 15/I—Einsatz im Osten—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 15/I—Action in the East—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN978-3-942943-26-0.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Balke, Ulf; Bock, Winfried (2022b). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 15/II—Einsatz im Osten—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 15/II—Action in the East—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN978-3-942943-28-4.
Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN978-3-938845-17-2.
Schreier, Hans (1990). JG 52 Das erfolgreichste Jagdgeschwader des 2. Weltkriegs [JG 52 The Most Successful Fighter Wing of World War II] (in German). Berg am See: K. Vowinckel. ISBN978-3-921655-66-5.