Martin Möbus

Martin Möbus
Born	9 May 1917 Zeisdorf
Died	2 June 1944 (aged 27) Pori, Finland
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1936–44
Rank	Major
Unit	StG 1 StG 2 SchlG 5
Commands held	I./Schlachtgeschwader 5
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Norwegian Campaign Eastern Front
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Martin Möbus (9 May 1917 – 2 June 1944) was a highly decorated Major in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and one of only 882 recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. In 1940 he claimed the sinking of HMS Sussex, which in fact was heavily damaged and was back in service in 1942. Möbus was killed on 2 June 1944 in an auto accident under the influence of alcohol in Pori, Finland. In more than 800 flights he was credited with the destruction of several ships, 60+ tanks, 600 vehicles, 18 anti-aircraft guns and 5 armored trains.^{[Notes 1]}

Awards and decorations

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "800"
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (26 September 1939)^[1]
  • 1st Class (5 May 1940)^[1]
• German Cross in Gold on 24 September 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 4./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2^[2]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 8 May 1940 as Leutnant and pilot in the I/Gruppe Stuka-Geschwader 1. "Insterburger Gruppe"^[3]
  • 463rd Oak Leaves on 25 April 1944 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./Schlachtgeschwader 5^[4]

Notes

1. For a list of Luftwaffe ground attack aces see List of German World War II Ground Attack aces

References

Citations

1. Thomas 1998, p. 90.
2. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 312.
3. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 256.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 70.

Bibliography

• Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 [These were the German Stuka Aces 1939 – 1945] (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (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.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3.
• 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.
• 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.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9.

External links

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• World War 2 Awards.com