Arnold Döring

Arnold Döring
Born 29 January 1918
Heilsberg
Died 10 April 2001(2001-04-10) (aged 83)
Düsseldorf
Allegiance  Nazi Germany (to 1945)
 West Germany
Service/branch  Luftwaffe
Years of service 1938–1945
1957–1972
Rank Leutnant (Wehrmacht)
Hauptmann (Bundeswehr)
Unit KG 53
KG 55
JG 300
NJG 2
NJG 3
Battles/wars

World War II

Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Arnold Döring (29 January 1918 – 10 April 2001) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Arnold Döring was credited with 23 aerial victories.

Career

He was born on 29 January 1918 at Heilsberg in Ostpreußen and joined the Luftwaffe in 1938 as ground staff. After pilot training, he was posted in November 1940 to 9./Kampfgeschwader 53. In the summer of 1942 he was transferred to 8./Kampfgeschwader 55 based on the Eastern Front. During the fighting at Stalingrad, Döring achieved his first victories when shot down three Russian TB-3 four-engine bombers in one night. He destroyed another six on the ground. During the day he shot down seven MiG-1 and MiG-3 fighters, and also flew bombing missions in the He 111.

In the summer 1943 Oberfeldwebel Döring undertook Wilde Sau missions flying single-engine fighters on night interception missions against RAF bombers. He achieved his first victory by night on 27/28 September. During his time with II./Jagdgeschwader 300, he claimed five night and three day victories. In May 1944 he was transferred to 7./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2. Two further victories were claimed on the night of 3/4 March 1945 over England during Operation Gisela. On 17 April 1945 he was finally awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.

Arnold Döring was credited with 23 victories (13 at night) in 392 missions (348 as a bomber pilot). He recorded 13 victories at night, including three victories recorded over the Eastern Front. 10 of his victories were by day, including seven claimed over the Eastern Front and two USAAF B-17 four-engine bombers over the Western Front.

Döring was also very successful against ground targets, destroying 25 aircraft, 200 vehicles, about 70 wagons and locomotives, 16 tanks, four ammunition wagons, one tank platoon, eight bridges, and two ammunition dumps, and sinking one gunboat, two tankers and two freighters amounting to 18,000 BRT. After the war he joined the Bundeswehr in 1957 and retired in 1972.

Awards

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Patzwall 2008, p. 68.
  2. ↑ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 137.

Bibliography

  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (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. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • 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. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7. 
  • 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. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3. 
  • 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. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 

External links

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