Robert-Georg von Malapert-Neufville

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Robert-Georg Freiherr von Malapert, called von Neufville (* August 7, 1912 in Darmstadt ; † May 21, 1942 near Moscow ) was a captain in the German Air Force , first holder of the German Cross in gold and holder of the Knight's Cross with oak leaves.

Pre-war period

Malapert, the second of six siblings, studied mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Darmstadt from 1932 to 1934 after graduating from high school . He joined the Wehrmacht in autumn 1934 and was assigned to the 19th Infantry Regiment in Augsburg . In 1935 he was assigned to the war school in Potsdam , which he successfully completed in autumn 1936 with promotion to senior ensign. He then switched to the Air Force and was assigned to the pilot school in Salzwedel . On April 1, 1937, at the same time he completed his pilot training, he was promoted to lieutenant and transferred to the 1st group of Sturzkampfgeschwader 165 (I./165) in Schweinfurt , where he flew machines of the Henschel Hs 123 and Junkers Ju 87 types .

Second World War

In May 1939, meanwhile promoted to first lieutenant , Malapert was transferred to the newly formed I. Group of Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (StG 1) in Insterburg and shortly thereafter he was appointed squadron captain. With the group he took part in the attack on Poland in September 1939 , in which Malapert was awarded the Iron Cross, 2nd class. From May to June 1940 he participated with I./StG 1 in the occupation of Norway and the following battles in northern Norway, where he received the Iron Cross First Class in May, and from June 20 on the last days of the French campaign . From July 9, 1940, Malapert was squadron captain in II./StG 1 and his squadron flew missions against sea targets in the English Channel and coastal targets in southern England until February 1941 . The squadron destroyed around 100,000 GRT of Allied shipping space, of which around 20,000 GRT went to Malapert's personal account.

In February 1941 he moved to Sicily with the II./StG 1 to fly attacks on Malta and the British Mediterranean fleet. From March 30, 1941, the group supported the German army in the Balkan campaign . This was followed by operations in May and June from Argos against Crete and British ships. From June 1941, Malapert was part of the squadron's attack on the Soviet Union , where his group moved east from Radczki on the Polish eastern border with the advancing army units through Belarus . On October 15, 1941, he was the first German soldier to receive the German Cross in Gold for his and his squadron services . On January 6, 1942, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross , and soon afterwards he was promoted to captain.

On 21 May 1942 at its 510th sortie, Malaperts Ju 87 in the attack on a bridge by Russian flak hit -Beschuss so hard on the radiator that it behind enemy lines make an emergency landing had. Malapert and his radio operator, Sergeant Otto Mees, were uninjured and were able to evade the Russian search parties. Shortly before reaching the German lines, Malapert was fatally shot in the head by a Red Army sniper . Mees, however, was able to reach the German lines. Malapert's body was recovered a little later by a raiding party of the 10th Infantry Regiment . His burial took place in a cemetery in Seschtschinskaja , 85 km northwest of Bryansk .

Awards

literature

  • John Weal: Ju 87 - Stukageschwader of the Russian Front . Osprey Publishing, Oxford / New York, 2008, ISBN 1-84603-308-X , p. 43
  • Georg Brütting : That was the German Stuka aces 1939–1945. Motorbuch, Stuttgart, 7th edition, 1992, ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6 , p. 142
  • Internationales Militaria-Magazin, No. 141 , pp. 43/44
  • Ernst Obermaier: The Luftwaffe Knight's Cross bearers 1939–1945; Volume II: Stuka and attack aircraft. Verlag Dieter Hoffmann, Mainz, 1976, ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3
  • Klaus D. Patzwall , Veit Scherzer : The German Cross 1941-1945. History and owner. Volume II. Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001, ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Not until November 18, 1939, the staff of Lehrgeschwader 2 in Jüterbog became the staff of Sturzkampfgeschwader 1, and only on July 9, 1940 did the II. And III. Group to the squadron.
  2. ↑ John Weal: Ju 87 - Stukageschwader of the Russian Front . Osprey Publishing, Oxford / New York, 2008, ISBN 1-84603-308-X , p. 43
  3. ↑ Internationales Militaria-Magazin, No. 141, pp. 43/44
  4. ↑ a b Veit Scherzer : Knight's Cross bearer 1939–1945. The holders of the Iron Cross of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and armed forces allied with Germany according to the documents of the Federal Archives. 2nd Edition. Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Ranis / Jena 2007, ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2 , p. 190.
personal data
SURNAME Malapert-Neufville, Robert-Georg von
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Malapert, Robert-Georg Freiherr von called von Neufville
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German officer, most recently a captain in the German Air Force
DATE OF BIRTH August 7, 1912
PLACE OF BIRTH Darmstadt
DATE OF DEATH May 21, 1942
Place of death near Moscow