Sachsenberg, Gotthard

     
Příjmení:
Surname:
Sachsenberg Sachsenberg
Jméno:
Given Name:
Gotthard Gotthard
Jméno v originále:
Original Name:
Gotthard Sachsenberg
Fotografie či obrázek:
Photograph or Picture:
Hodnost:
Rank:
námořní nadporučík Senior Lieutenant at Sea
Akademický či vědecký titul:
Academic or Scientific Title:
- -
Šlechtický titul:
Hereditary Title:
- -
Datum, místo narození:
Date and Place of Birth:
06.12.1891 Rosslau /
06.12.1891 Rosslau /
Datum, místo úmrtí:
Date and Place of Decease:
23.08.1961 Brémy /
23.08.1961 Bremen /
Nejvýznamnější funkce:
(maximálně tři)
Most Important Appointments:
(up to three)
- velitel Marine Feld Jasta I
- velitel Marine Jagdgeschwader I
- velitel Kampfgeschwader Sachsenberg
- Commander Marine Feld Jasta I
- Commander Marine Jagdgeschwader I
- Commander Kampfgeschwader Sachsenberg
Jiné významné skutečnosti:
(maximálně tři)
Other Notable Facts:
(up to three)
- nositel řádu Pour le Mérite
- druhé nejúspěšnější německé námořní stíhací eso 1. sv. války s 31 sestřely
- Pour le Mérite recipient
- Second top-scoring Germany naval WWI flying ace with 31 victories
Související články:
Related Articles:
Zdroje:
Sources:
www.theaerodrome.com
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Sachsenberg-Gotthard-t56071#380050 Version : 0
     
Příjmení:
Surname:
Sachsenberg Sachsenberg
Jméno:
Given Name:
Gotthard Gotthard
Jméno v originále:
Original Name:
Gotthard Sachsenberg
Všeobecné vzdělání:
General Education:
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR gymnázium v Desavě
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR gymnasium v Eisenach
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR gymnázium in Dessau
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR gymnasium in Eisenach
Vojenské vzdělání:
Military Education:
DD.MM.1913-DD.MM.RRRR námořní kadetní škola
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR Jastaschule, Mannheim
DD.MM.1913-DD.MM.RRRR naval cadet school
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR Jastaschule, Mannheim
Důstojnické hodnosti:
Officer Ranks:
DD.MM.1916 námořní poručík
DD.MM.RRRR námořní nadporučík
DD.MM.1916 Leutnant zur See
DD.MM.RRRR Oberleutnant zur See
Průběh vojenské služby:
Military Career:
DD.MM.1913-DD.MM.RRRR námořnictvo německého císařství
01.04.1913-DD.MM.1914 SMS Hertha (námořní kadet)
DD.MM.1914-DD.12.1915 SMS Pommern
DD.12.1915-DD.MM.RRRR námořní letecký sbor
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR Marine Feldflieger Abteilung II (pozorovatel)
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR instruktor leteckých pozorovatelů
DD.MM.RRRR-01.02.1917 Marine Feldflieger Abteilung II (Fokkerpilot)
01.02.1917-DD.MM.RRRR Marine Feld Jasta I (velitel)
DD.MM.RRRR-02.09.1918 Marine Jagdgruppe Flandern (velitel)
02.09.1918-11.11.1918 Marine Jagdgeschwader I (velitel)
DD.01.1919-DD.12.1919 Kampfgeschwader Sachsenberg (velitel)
DD.MM.1913-DD.MM.RRRR Imperial German Navy
01.04.1913-DD.MM.1914 SMS Hertha (naval cadet)
DD.MM.1914-DD.12.1915 SMS Pommern
DD.12.1915-DD.MM.RRRR Marinefliegerkorps
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR Marine Feldflieger Abteilung II (observer)
DD.MM.RRRR-DD.MM.RRRR instructor for observers
DD.MM.RRRR-01.02.1917 Marine Feldflieger Abteilung II (Fokkerpilot)
01.02.1917-DD.MM.RRRR Marine Feld Jasta I (commander)
DD.MM.RRRR-02.09.1918 Marine Jagdgruppe Flandern (commander)
02.09.1918-11.11.1918 Marine Jagdgeschwader I (commander)
DD.01.1919-DD.12.1919 Kampfgeschwader Sachsenberg (commander)
Vyznamenání:
Awards:
Poznámka:
Note:
- -
Zdroje:
Sources:
www.theaerodrome.com
uk.wikipedia.org
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Sachsenberg-Gotthard-t56071#655816 Version : 0
Oberleutnant zur See Gotthard Sachsenberg

Commander of the only German naval fighter squadron and the second most successful German naval ace WWI.

He came from the old Saxon Sachsenberg family of Dessau, with a long naval tradition. He was born on 6 December 1891 in Rosslau (northern part of Dessau). Another future ace - Oswald Boelcke - was in class with him at the Dessau Gymnasium. A year later, his future comrade-in-arms and also an ace Theo Osterkamp attended the same institute.

In 1913 he entered the Naval Cadet School. On 1 April 1913 he served as Seekadett on the cruiser Hertha. In 1914, already in the rank of Fähnrich zur See(officer in waiting), he served on the battleship Pommern. Instead of ships, however, he was enchanted by flying machines, and regularly "bombarded" his superior, Naval Lieutenant Bölcken, with requests to transfer to the Air Force. The request was eventually granted and Sachsenberg started the war as an observer in the cockpit of a reconnaissance aircraft in Marine Feld Flieger Abteilung 2 (a naval reconnaissance unit armed with ground-based machines for operations near the coast).

In 1915, he was awarded the Iron Cross for his combat activities and was commissioned a naval lieutenant (Leutnant zur See) early the following year. It was also at this time that he experienced his first air combat, his observation aircraft (apparently an Albatros B or C) was attacked by two observation Farmans and, badly shot up, had to make an emergency landing. Fortunately, neither Gotthard nor the pilot were injured.

Soon he was appointed as an instructor of aerial observers, but this did not satisfy the belligerent Sachsenberg, so he applied for pilot training. He even managed to get a transfer to a pilot course at the Jastaschule in Mannheim, which meant training on fighters rather than two-seaters.

After completing his training, he returned to MFFA 2, where he began operating as a Fokkerpilot. At that time, one or two single-seat Fokker E fighters were assigned to the reconnaissance detachments. Pilots assigned to fly these machines were to accompany their squad mates in the two-seaters and protect them from attacks by enemy fighters. Later, all of these Fokkers assigned to individual reconnaissance detachments were withdrawn from those units and organized into separate units called Kampfeinsitzer Kommando (i.e., single-seat fighter detachments).

The Navy set up its Marine KEK on 15 April 1916 at MFFA 1 in Mariakerke, with Lt. Z. S. Sachsenberg as commander. In November, Sachsenberg was ordered to transform this Kommando into a fighter Jagdstaffeln at MFFA 2 on the model of the army fighter squadrons. In December 1916, the Sonderkommando Sachsenberg(as the unit was also sometimes called) moved to Neumünster to MFFA 2 and began to transform into a unit called Marine Feldflieger Jagdeinheit (i.e., Marine Field Fighter Unit). However, there were neither enough pilots nor enough aircraft, so the unit was also sometimes called Jagd Halbstaffel(fighter halves). However, by 1 February 1917 the unit was finally completed, recognized as combat capable and designated as Marine Feld Jagdstaffel I.

In mid-April, Jasta moved to Aertrycke airfield and joined the fighting. Her account was opened on 30 April 1917 by Theo Osterkamp. The very next day Sachsenberg also scored for the first time and twice at the same time! Three German fighters clashed with four Belgian planes and destroyed three of them without any loss of their own. Sachsenberg scored a Farman and Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter. He added a third victory on 12 May when he destroyed Sopwith Pup. He then added another "double" on the 7th of June, shooting down another Pup and FE 2d, making him one of the air aces. In August he then shot down Spad VII and after this sixth victory he was awarded the Order of the Hohenzollern Dynasty on 20 August 1917.

In October 1917, Sachsenberg and Osterkamp took part in the testing of Junkers prototypes in his native Dessau. After returning to the front, Sachsenberg added one victory each in November and December, respectively, and thus entered the new year with eight kills to his credit.

In March 1918, Osterkamp, who had two fewer victories at the same time, himself became commander of the newly established MFJ II.

The fighting continued and Sachsenberg's account grew comfortably. This is his view of the moral side of aerial warfare: "When a pilot got into a firing position, he never aimed at a man sitting in an enemy machine. He only aimed at the flying machine or its important parts."

In early summer Sachsenberg and Osterkamp were again recalled, this time for a competition of new prototype fighter aircraft at Adlershof. After returning to the front Sachsenberg continued to pile up his victories.

On 5 August, after his 19th victory, as the 500th officer of the German Empire, he was awarded the Order of Pour le Mérite. During the period of leave that went with the award of the order, his friend Theo Osterkamp took over command of MFJ I from Sachsenberg.

On 12 Aug Sachsenberg led 22 Fokkers D. VII of the two Sea Lances in an attack on an equally strong bomber formation DH.9, accompanied by Sopwith Camel fighters from the US 17th Air Force. Aero Squadron. In a fierce battle, the German fighters shot down a total of 19 enemy fighters with no losses of their own. Sachsenberg himself destroyed one DH.9 and one Camel in this engagement, bringing his tally to 21 victories.

The British rematch didn't take long. The very next day, the British attacked the base MFJ I and destroyed a number of German aircraft on the airfield.

However, this could not stop the combat activity of the naval aviators. Sachsenberg continued to lead his airmen into combat and won victories himself. He was also charged with building a higher organizational unit - Marine Jagdgeschwader I. On 2 September 1918 he handed over command of MFJ I to Philip Becht, and on that day he himself shot down another opponent already as commander of Jagdgeschwader. However, his organizational tasks were taking up a lot of his time and he did not add any more kills until the end of September.

At that time Sachsenberg and Osterkamp were competing fiercely in the number of kills. By the last day of September, Osterkamp had a 4 win lead and Sachsenberg was doing his best to catch up.

But he was also starting to have some bad luck. He almost collided with Osterkamp in one of the duels, but Theo luckily saw his black and yellow checkered Fokker at the last moment and avoided the collision.

A few days later, again in a collision with a British naval two-seater, he was hit in the battery and had sulphuric acid sprayed into his eyes. Sachsenberg immediately disengaged and made an emergency landing with the nearest German ground unit, where a doctor saved his eyes.

The very next day, however, he was back in the air. This time, he got into a fight with two Spads, which "salted" him pretty badly and Gotthard had to deploy for an emergency landing. He headed for a nearby airfield, but just before landing was dismayed to discover that it was Poperinghe, a British-occupied Belgian airfield. He quickly looked back and found that the two Spads that had been following him were also deploying for landing. Their pilots apparently thought the German was about to surrender. Sachsenberg immediately throttled up, surfaced on the airfield at 10 meters altitude and "perched" his machine on the first patch behind the German trenches.

Meanwhile, Osterkamp added two more victories during October. Sachsenberg didn't score until October 23, but he shot down three opponents that day - two Camels and one DH.9! By 29/10 he increases his kills by three more, but Osterkamp destroys his 32nd sock on the same day. So he still has a one win lead. Gotthard Sachsenberg is no longer lucky. His number of victories stops at 31, one less than his pupil and friend.

The surrender found Sachsenberg at the rank of Oberleutnant zur See (Lieutenant of the Navy), in command of the only naval Jagdgeschwader and with a motley collection of decorations. For his service he received:

Pour le Mérite
Knight's Cross with swords of the Hohenzollern dynasty
Iron Cross First and Second Class
Knight's Order of Albert, First Class with swords
Cross of Frederick of Anhalt 1st and 2nd Class
Cross of Friedrich-August of Oldenburg 1st and 2nd class
Hanseatic Cross of Hanburg

At the same time, the end of the war did not mean the end of Gotthard Sachsenberg's military career. Things were boiling hot in the Baltic States and Germany sent volunteer troops to protect Reich interests. These Freikorps were also to include air units. A suitable person was sought for their composition and the choice fell on Gotthard Sachsenberg. He was considered an extremely capable organizer and an excellent commander and was often called the "Richthofen of the Navy". So in January 1919 he began to form a unit known as Kampfgeschwader Sachsenberg, with which he then fought against the Bolsheviks in the Baltic for a year.

After demobilization in December 1919, he spent some time running the family shipyards with his brother and was involved in air transport, employing a number of former shipmates in his airline. In 1922 he also worked for a branch of Junkers in the Soviet Union, and on his return he headed Junkers Luftverkehrgesellschaft, which in 1926 became the famous Lufthansa.

Later he managed a factory in his native Dessau and in the 1930s, as an opponent of the NSDAP, he became a member of the Reichstag for the Social Christian Party. He was very harshly critical of the Nazi program (his family was Jewish) and opposed armaments. He published a number of articles so critical of Nazism that the NSDAP decided to remove him. His friends informed him of the Nazi plan in time, but he did not back down and when they came to arrest him, he was waiting for them in his ceremonial uniform with all the orders and a navy cord. The Nazis wanted to take him into the woods and murder him, but Gotthard fortunately saw through their intentions in time and jumped out of the car and escaped while driving through the woods. Instead of escaping across the border, he calmly returned to Dessau. There was never another similar attempt.

After all, Gotthard was beginning to look too valuable. Together with Hanns Freiherr von Schertel they were working on the development of hydrofoils. They showed one prototype to the government authorities in 1935, and this demonstration completely impressed representatives of the Navy and the Ministry of Transport. After the outbreak of the World War II, Schertel-Sachsenberg ships were developed for the German Navy. The ships were built at the Sachsenberg shipyards in Dessau on the Elbe. The first of them, the VS-6, was designed as a minelayer and launched in 1941. It reached a speed of 47 knots. The Kriegsmarine adopted her for armament, however, using her as an ambulance ship.

The Schertel - Sachsenberg duo then worked on even more hydrofoil projects (VS-8, VS-10 and steerable torpedoes), and the Navy also adopted the TS 1-6 hydrofoil guardship. But then the war ended and the Sachsenberg shipyards remained in the part of Germany occupied by the Red Army. Sachsenberg and Schertel went to Switzerland, where they continued to develop fast passenger hydrofoils. In 1952, they founded the Supramar company, which later began producing these boats.

Gotthard Sachsenberg died on 23 August 1961 in Bremen.

Sources:

HPM 10/1996
Internet:
www.theaerodrome.com
https://www.foils.org/sach.htm
www.forumeerstewereldoorlog.nl
https://membres.lycos.fr/asduciel/marine.htm
https://www.pourlemerite.org/wwi/navy/navy.html

Sachsenberg, Gotthard - Sachsenberg před svým černožlutě károvaným Fokerem D.VII na letišti v Jabbeke

Sachsenberg před svým černožlutě károvaným Fokerem D.VII na letišti v Jabbeke
URL : https://www.valka.cz/Sachsenberg-Gotthard-t56071#204521 Version : 0
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