Walter_Matoni

Walter Matoni

Walter Matoni

German World War II fighter pilot (1917–1988)

Walter Matoni (27 June 1917 – 26 June 1988) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

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Career

Matoni was born on 27 June 1917 in Duisburg. Feldwebel Matoni was assigned to 9./Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) in the summer of 1940 and his first claim, a Hawker Hurricane followed on 30 September.[Note 1] During mid 1941 Matoni operated over Russia and claimed three victories (Two DB-3's and an R-10). On 17 August 1941, Feldwebel Matoni was posted to II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing).[1] On 21 September, he was transferred to III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing) based at the airfield near Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise.[2]

He was badly wounded in aerial combat resulting in a lengthy convalescence, following which he served as an instructor with Jagdgruppe West from October 1942 to February 1943. On 28 February, Matoni was posted to 6. Staffel of JG 26.[3]

He shot down a Supermarine Spitfire on 17 June as his fifth victory. On 31 August, Oberleutnant Matoni's Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 (Werknummer 530118—factory number) was hit and he was wounded by return fire from United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers resulting in a forced landing at Montdidier.[4] In December he claimed a Spitfire near Boulogne on 21 December as his 8th victory.

In an action against USAAF B-26 twin-engine bombers on 14 January 1944 Matoni shot down a Spitfire escorting the bombers, probably flown by Austrian-born S/L. Franz Colloredo-Mansfeld DFC (3 destroyed) of No. 132 Squadron RAF, who was killed. On 24 February Matoni shot down a USAAF B-24 four-engine bomber near Frankfurt for his 13th and JG 26's 2,000th victory.

Matoni was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) 5. Staffel of JG 26 on 25 February 1944. He succeeded Oberfeldwebel Adolf Glunz who was transferred.[5] On 10 May, he was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) for 20 victories.

Group commander

On 15 August 1944, Hauptmann Matoni was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing). He took command of the Gruppe on 17 August. The Gruppe had just relocated to an airfield at Dammartin-en-Goële and had been augmented by a fourth Saffel following a period of rest an replenishment in Germany.[6]

In September, he was transferred and appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I. Gruppe of JG 2, replacing Hauptmann Erich Hohagen who had been injured in combat.[7]

On 5 December, Matoni was so seriously injured in a takeoff accident at Merzhausen due to engine failure of his Fw 190.[8] His injuries were so severe that he had to be replaced as Gruppenkommandeur of I. Gruppe. Command was temporarily given to Hauptmann Kurt Hoffmann before Hauptmann Franz Hrdlicka took command on 18 December.[9] Despite this, he was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 2 in January 1945 until 28 February. Matoni was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 16 December 1944.[Note 2] He ended the war at the Fighter Pilot's rest-home at Bad Wiessee.

Later life

Just three years before his death, among other guests Matoni appeared on the British television show This Is Your Life on the 8 May 1985, the 40th anniversary of the German capitulation. He was guest on the Johnnie Johnson episode, celebrating the RAF ace' life. Matoni's presence owed to a British media-created legend that Johnson personally challenged the German to a duel over Normandy.[11] Matoni died on 26 June 1988 in Frankfurt am Main.[12]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, Matoni was credited with 34 aerial victories claimed in over 400 claimed missions. He claimed three aerial victories on the Eastern Front, and further 31 aerial victories on the Western Front, including 14 were four-engined heavy bombers.[13] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 29 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This figure includes three aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 26 over the Western Allies, including 10 four-engined bombers.[14]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 04 Ost N/AD-8/9". 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.[15]

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Awards

Notes

  1. [N 1]
    For an explanation of Luftwaffe unit designations see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II.
  2. [N 2]
    According to Weal on 2 January 1945.[10]
  3. [N 3]
    According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 10:35.[16]
  4. [N 4]
    According to Mathews and Foreman this claim is unconfirmed.[16]
  5. [N 5]
    According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:50.[16]
  6. [N 6]
    According to Mathews and Foreman claimed at 13:21.[16]
  7. [N 7]
    According to Obermaier on 31 March 1944.[13]
  8. [N 8]
    According to Scherzer as Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen".[31]

References

Citations

  1. [1]
    Caldwell 1996, p. 167.
  2. [2]
    Caldwell 1996, p. 180.
  3. [3]
    Caldwell 1998, p. 33.
  4. [4]
    Prien et al. 2010, p. 561.
  5. [5]
    Caldwell 1998, p. 486.
  6. [6]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996a, pp. 1131–1132.
  7. [7]
    Weal 2012, p. 113.
  8. [8]
    Prien, Stemmer & Bock 2018, p. 191.
  9. [9]
    Prien, Stemmer & Bock 2018, p. 176.
  10. [10]
    Weal 2011, p. 84.
  11. [11]
    Sarkar 2011, pp. 235–237, 303.
  12. [12]
    Dixon 2023, p. 190.
  13. [13]
    Obermaier 1989, p. 165.
  14. [14]
    Mathews & Foreman 2015, pp. 816–817.
  15. [15]
    Planquadrat.
  16. [16]
    Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 816.
  17. [17]
    Prien et al. 2002, p. 421.
  18. [18]
    Prien et al. 2003, p. 189.
  19. [19]
    Prien et al. 2003, p. 190.
  20. [20]
    Prien et al. 2010, p. 555.
  21. [21]
    Prien et al. 2010, p. 557.
  22. [22]
    Caldwell 1998, p. 511.
  23. [23]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996a, p. 1214.
  24. [24]
    Prien & Rodeike 1996b, p. 1652.
  25. [25]
    Mathews & Foreman 2015, p. 817.
  26. [26]
    Prien, Stemmer & Bock 2018, p. 182.
  27. [27]
    Dixon 2023, p. 189.
  28. [28]
    Patzwall 2008, p. 142.
  29. [29]
    Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 297.
  30. [30]
    Fellgiebel 2000, pp. 304, 497.
  31. [31]
    Scherzer 2007, p. 530.

Bibliography

  • Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  • Bowman, Martin (2015). RAF Fighter Pilots in WWII. Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-78383-192-0.
  • Caldwell, Donald L. (1996). The JG 26 War Diary: Volume One 1939–1942. London, UK: Grubstreet. ISBN 978-1-898697-52-7.
  • Caldwell, Donald L. (1998). JG 26 War Diary: Volume Two 1943–1945. London: Grub Street. ISBN 978-1-898697-86-2.
  • Dixon, Jeremy (2023). Day Fighter Aces of the Luftwaffe: Knight's Cross Holders 1943–1945. Barnsley: Pen and Sword Books. ISBN 978-1-39903-073-1.
  • 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. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
  • Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2015). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 3 M–R. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-20-2.
  • 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.; 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. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
  • 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. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3.
  • Prien, Jochen; Rodeike, Peter (1996a). Jagdgeschwader 1 und 11—Einsatz in der Reichsverteidigung von 1939 bis 1945—Teil 2—1944 [Jagdgeschwader 1 and 11—Operations in the Defense of the Reich from 1939 to 1945] (in German). Vol. II 1944. Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-24-3.
  • Prien, Jochen; Rodeike, Peter (1996b). Jagdgeschwader 1 und 11—Einsatz in der Reichsverteidigung von 1939 bis 1945: Teil 3, 1944–1945 [Jagdgeschwader 1 and 11—Operations in the Defense of the Reich from 1939 to 1945] (in German). Vol. III 1944–1945. Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-25-0.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/I—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/I—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-63-2.
  • 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. ISBN 978-3-923457-69-4.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2010). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 10/IV—Einsatz im Westen—1.1. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 10/IV—Action in the West—1 January to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-92-2.
  • Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Bock, Winfried (2018). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 13/IV—Einsatz im Reichsverteidigung und im Westen—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 13/IV—Action in the Defense of the Reich and in the West—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-942943-19-2.
  • Sarkar, Dilip (2011). Spitfire Ace of Aces: The True Wartime Story of Johnnie Johnson. Amberley Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4456-0475-6.
  • 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.
  • Weal, John (2011). Fw 190 Defence of the Reich Aces. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 92. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84603-482-4.
  • Weal, John (2012). Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen". Aviation Elite Units. Vol. 1. Oxford: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84176-046-9.
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