Franz Schall

Franz Schall (1 June 1918 – 10 April 1945) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II.

As a fighter ace, he flew approximately 550 combat missions and claimed 137 aerial victories—that is, 137 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft.

He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

Schall was born on 1 June 1918 in Graz in Austria-Hungary.

On 31 August, he surpassed this figure, claiming thirteen aerial victories, including his 100th claim, which took his total to 109 victories.

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland.

He began his military service with the anti-aircraft artillery before in September 1941 he was trained as a fighter pilot.

Holding the rank of Leutnant (second lieutenant), Schall was posted to the 3.

Germany had launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941.

Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) on 18 February 1943.

In February 1943, I. Gruppe was based at Poltava on the Eastern Front and was subordinated to Luftwaffenkommando Don which supported the fighting in the Third Battle of Kharkov.

Schall claimed his first aerial victory on 6 May when he shot down a Lavochkin La-5 fighter near Belgorod.

In preparation for Operation Citadel, I. Gruppe was moved to Bessonovka, a makeshift airfield located approximately 20 km on 4 July.

On 13 July during the Battle of Kursk, Schall, accompanied by his wingman Oberfeldwebel Franz Woidich, claimed an Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft shot down.

On 11 November 1943, Schall was shot down and wounded by anti-aircraft artillery in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 410131—factory number) resulting in a forced landing 3 km south of Kerch.

In December 1943, Schall was temporarily put in command of 3.

Staffel of JG 52.

He replaced Leutnant Karl-Heinz Plücker who was transferred.

Schall was awarded the German Cross in Gold (Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 20 March 1944.

On 11 May, then Oberleutnant Franz Woidich succeeded Schall as commander of 3.

Staffel.

On 10 June 1944, I. Gruppe was ordered to an airfield named Peloniczna near Lviv.

Seven days later, they were moved to Serpneve.

On 22 June, Soviet forces launched Operation Bagration, attacking Army Group Centre in Byelorussia, with the objective of encircling and destroying its main component armies.

On 24 June, the Gruppe transferred to Galați and again to Peloniczna.

The Gruppe reached Grabowiec in eastern Poland on 27 July and Kraków on 1 August.

On 12 August they were again relocated and moved to Mzurowa.

The day before, Schall was officially appointed Staffelkapitän (Squadron leader) of 3.

Staffel after Woidich was transferred.

In September 1944, Schall left JG 52 and transferred to a jet fighter unit.

Command of 3.

Staffel was transferred to Leutnant Leonhard Färber on 25 September.

Schall was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 10 October 1944 for 117 aerial victories claimed.

On 25 September 1944, Schall was posted to a specialist unit dubbed Kommando Nowotny, named after Walter Nowotny, for testing and establishing tactics for the newly developed Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter.

He was killed on 10 April 1945, when his aircraft rolled into a bomb crater and exploded during an attempted emergency landing at Parchim.

At the time, this Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Rudolf Miethig and was part of I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 52 headed by Hauptmann Helmut Bennemann.

He was the 81st Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.

Fighting across Poland, it led to his most prolific period in the war with a number of multiple victories in a day: three on 12 August (74–76), three more on the 24th (79–81).

On 26 August, Schall became a "double ace-in-a-day" for the first time, claiming eleven aerial victories which included six Il-2 ground-attack aircraft.

On 14 July, he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse) and the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse) on 24 August.