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Franz Eisenach (11 August 1918 – 21 August 1998) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross ((ドイツ語:Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes)) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Eisenach was credited with 129 aerial victories—that is, 129 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in 319 combat missions.〔Spick 1996, p. 230.〕 ==Career== Eisenach entered the Luftwaffe in 1937 and became an officer cadet in 1937. By 1939 he attained the rank of ''Leutnant''. From 1940 Eisenach flew with various Groups, until joining 9./Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) on the Eastern Front in October 1942. He became ''Staffelkapitän'' (Squadron Leader) of 3./JG 54 with prominent success, but was badly wounded in December 1943. On 1 May 1944, he was promoted to the rank of ''Hauptmann''. In June 1944, he was serving with I./JG 54, based in Courland on the Eastern Front, he became ''Gruppenkommandeur'' of I./JG 54 but in September 1944 he was wounded again, this time after an encounter with a bomber. Awarded the Knights Cross, he returned to combat until the war's end. His final tally was 129 victories claimed in 317 combat missions. On 8 November, during his 21st combat mission, Eisenach claimed his first victory by shooting down a P-40 fighter on the Eastern Front. On 8 July, he shot down a Russian A-20 Boston twin-engine bomber, achieving his 21st victory but in a subsequent dogfight his aircraft was damaged necessitating an emergency landing. He required immediate hospitalisation. Eisenach claimed his 100th victory on 14 September 1944 by shooting down an IL-2 Sturmovik. That day he shot down 9 planes, include 5 Il-2 and 4 Pe-2. He was the 90th ''Luftwaffe'' pilot to achieve the century mark.〔Obermaier 1989, p. 243.〕 His last victory was on 19 March over a Pe-2, reaching 129 victories. He also claimed 25 unconfirmed victories. After the war he was confined as a British POW. ''Major'' Franz Eisenach re-joined the military service of the Bundeswehr in 1956. He left the service in 1974 with the rank of ''Oberstleutnant''. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Franz Eisenach」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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