Müller, Erich (Schlachtgeschader 2)

Date of birth:: December 23rd, 1916 (Wuppertal-Elberfeld, Germany)
Date of death:: July 22nd, 1944 (Zilistea/Putna, Romania)
Nationality:: German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

Biography

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Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Feldwebel (Sergeant)
Unit:: Flugzeugführer, Stab, II. Gruppe, Schlachtgeschwader 2 "Immelmann", Luftwaffe
Awarded on:: December 6th, 1944

Müller’s Knight’s Cross recommendation reads as follows…

“Feldwebel Erich Müller has served on the frontlines with II./Schlachtgeschwader 2 ‘Immelmann’ since the 28.07.1942. He was recommended for the German Cross in Gold for demonstrating notable bravery after flying just 171 sorties.

Since being submitted for the German Cross in Gold, Feldwebel Müller has especially distinguished himself over the course of flying another 182 sorties. In this time he has shown exemplary courage, dutifulness and self-sacrifice whilst flying missions in the battle areas of Kiev, Kirovograd, Cherkassy, Zhitomir, the Crimea (Sevastopol-Kersch-Syvash) and Jassy.

In total Feldwebel Müller has flown 353 sorties, and has achieved 53 aerial victories in hard aerial battles with the Soviets and Americans.

Kiev:

In the battle area of Kiev (and particularly along the Dnieper) Müller supported the hard-pressed infantry through boldly executed bombing and strafing attacks. Although he was opposed by fierce fighter and AA defenses he nonetheless inflicted bloody losses on the enemy. He delivered particularly impressive results whilst attacking enemy supply traffic and assembly areas at the Dnieper.

Müller destroyed the following in this area:
20 horse-drawn wagons
8 trucks
1 armoured car
1 artillery piece
2 anti-tank guns
1 AA gun
5 ammunition dumps
3 boats
1 ferry.

He also damaged:
1 armoured car
3 trucks
1 ferry.

Kirovograd-Cherkassy-Zhitomir:

In this battle zone Müller brought great relief to our ground troops through his determination and self-sacrifice. He achieved multiple direct hits against artillery and infantry positions and brought bloody losses to the advancing hostile infantry via boldly executed strafing attacks. He destroyed:

16 horse-drawn wagons
20 trucks
5 artillery pieces
6 anti-tank guns
2 infantry guns
2 ammunition dumps
1 armoured car.

Crimea:

Müller particularly distinguished himself through his death-defying bombing and strafing attacks at the Kersch & Syvash bridgeheads as well as in the battle around Fortress Sevastopol. Müller constantly kept the enemy landing attempts before Kersch in check, and attacked the anchorages with bombs and on-board weaponry. He also supported the hard-pressed friendly forces that were up against the great weight of opposing numbers at the Syvash. Here he disrupted opposing supply traffic by achieving multiple direct hits against bridges despite the presence of opposing fighters and AA guns, inflicting high losses in men and materiel on the Soviets as he did so. During the enemy breakthrough at the Syvash he brought valuable intelligence into the hands of the higher commands, with the result that they could accurately appraise the opposing attacks. He effectively engaged the enemy spearheads before Sevastopol with bombs and on-board weaponry, and brought high losses to the attacking Soviets.

At the Crimea Müller single-handedly destroyed:
31 horse-drawn wagons
25 trucks (including 6 tanker trucks)
2 armoured cars
5 tractors
3 infantry-laden boats
6 artillery guns
8 anti-tank guns
2 infantry guns
4 AA guns
2 Katyusha rocket launchers
8 ammunition dumps
4 mortars
1 fuel dump
5 direct hits on bridges in the Syvash.

Jassy:

North of Jassy Müller supported friendly ground troops via boldly executed bombing and strafing attacks against enemy artillery and assembly areas. He inflicted heavy losses on the Soviets, including the following materiel destroyed:

1 artillery piece
4 anti-tank guns
1 infantry gun.

Feldwebel Müller was killed in action on the 22.07.1944 when he was fatally shot whilst parachuting after combat with US fighters.

On the grounds of his outstanding achievements and dutifulness (which he demonstrated in every mission), I hold Müller to be totally worthy of being posthumously awarded the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross.”

Müller’s total of materiel successes by the time of his death is as follows…

Destroyed:
1 fuel dump
4 artillery positions
2 AA positions
1 coastal battery
16 artillery guns
6 Katyusha rocket launchers
26 anti-tank guns
5 infantry guns
5 quadruple AA guns
6 tanks
9 MG nests
1 armoured car (armed)
4 mortars
15 ammunition dumps
53 trucks
3 armoured cars (unarmed)
80 horse-drawn wagons
5 direct hits on bridges
53 aircraft
3 fully-laden boats.

Damaged:
1 armoured car (unarmed)
7 trucks
1 ferry.

Awarded posthumously.