Hugo Broch

Hugo Broch
Hugo Broch
Born	6 January 1922 (age 102); Leichlingen, Rhine Province, Prussia, Weimar Republic
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1940–45
Rank	Leutnant (second lieutenant)
Unit	JG 54
Battles/wars	World War II Eastern Front; Courland Pocket;
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Other work	employee with Agfa

Hugo Broch (born 6 January 1922) is a German Luftwaffe ace during the Second World War who is credited with 81 victories in 324 missions, all on the Eastern Front. He is a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, and is one of two living recipients of the award.^[1] The other recipient is a former Heer officer, Heinz Rafoth [de].^[2]

World War II

Broch is a former World War II Luftwaffe pilot.^[3] In January 1943, he arrived on the Eastern Front to serve in World War II as part of Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing), and he claimed his first victory two months later.^[4]

Later life

Following World War II, Broch became an employee with Agfa in Leverkusen.^[5] He was a prolific autograph signer, and signed many memorabilia items.^[6]^[7] At age 95, he fulfilled a long-held ambition to fly in a Spitfire, the two seat Tr.9 MJ627.^[8] On 6 January 2022, he turned 100.^[9]

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

Broch was credited with 81 aerial victories claimed in 324 combat missions. All of his victories were recorded over the Eastern Front.^[10] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 81 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.^[11]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 35371". 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.^[12]

Chronicle of aerial victories
This and the – (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Broch did not receive credit. This and the ? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Schumann, Mehwitz, Mathews and Foreman.
Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –^[13] Eastern Front — 4 February – 31 December 1943
— ^{[Note 1]}	7 March 1943	—	LaGG-3^[16]		23	2 September 1943	10:01	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 35371, west of Yelnya^[17] 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Yelnya
1	13 March 1943	15:18	Il-2	PQ 36 Ost 20122, north of Volkhov^[14] west of Volkhov	24	5 September 1943	15:35	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 35372, northwest of Yelnya^[18] 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Yelnya
2	19 March 1943	15:37	Il-2	PQ 36 Ost 00451, northwest of Ulyanovka^[14] 15 km (9.3 mi) east-southeast of Slutsk	25	7 September 1943	10:55	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 26812, northeast of Dukhovshchina^[18] 20 km (12 mi) north-northwest of Yartsevo
3	21 March 1943	12:00	LaGG-3	PQ 36 Ost 00192, northwest of Kolpino^[14] 10 km (6.2 mi) north of Pushkin	26	10 September 1943	10:05	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 26813, east of Dukhovshchina^[18] 20 km (12 mi) north-northwest of Yartsevo
4	1 June 1943	05:10	LaGG-3	PQ 36 Ost 20123, northwest of Volkhov^[19] west of Volkhov	27	14 September 1943	12:05?^{[Note 2]}	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 35372, northwest of Yelnya^[18] 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of Yelnya
5	16 July 1943	04:35	LaGG-3	west of Bolkhov^[21]	28	14 September 1943	16:37	Pe-2	PQ 35 Ost 25672, west of Shatalovka^[18] 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Shatalovka
6	21 July 1943	13:34	Yak-7	PQ 35 Ost 64794, east of Oryol^[21] 25 km (16 mi) east-northeast of Oryol	29	15 September 1943	08:44	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 26813, east of Dukhovshchina^[18]
7	22 July 1943	15:21	Yak-7	southwest of Troitskoye^[21] Oryol	30	15 September 1943	13:13	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 35511, southwest of Yelnya^[18] 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Yelnya
8	2 August 1943	08:54	Il-2	PQ 36 Ost 10172^[22] vicinity of Mga	31	15 September 1943	17:35	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 35512, west of Yelnya^[18] 15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Yelnya
9	12 August 1943	08:00	Yak-7	PQ 35 Ost 54763, east-northeast of Kirov^[23] 25 km (16 mi) east of Karachev	32	25 October 1943	15:34	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 10132^[24] east of Shlisselburg
10	12 August 1943	12:50	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 35621, southeast of Kijuschki^[23] 20 km (12 mi) west-northwest of Spas-Demensk	33	26 October 1943	14:50	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 10131^[24] east of Shlisselburg
11	14 August 1943	05:02	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 45752, northwest of Kirov^[23] 5 km (3.1 mi) northwest of Kirov	34	26 October 1943	15:02	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 11783^[24] over Lake Lagoda
12	19 August 1943	16:25	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 45744, northwest of Kirov^[23] 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Kirov	35	28 October 1943	12:07	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 01474^[24] 65 km (40 mi) northeast of Zelenogorsk
13	19 August 1943	16:38	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 35864^[23] 25 km (16 mi) west of Kirov	36	28 October 1943	12:15	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 01623^[24] 60 km (37 mi) north-northeast of Leningrad
14	21 August 1943	16:46	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 43813, northwest of Sevsk^[23] 10 km (6.2 mi) northeast of Sevsk	37	29 October 1943	09:09	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 01663^[24] 60 km (37 mi) northeast of Leningrad
15	22 August 1943	13:05	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 43223, southwest of Rushnoje^[23] 15 km (9.3 mi) west-southwest of Tschaikowka	38	2 November 1943	13:20	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 10123^[24] east of Shlisselburg
16	22 August 1943	16:23	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 43823, east-northeast of Sevsk^[23] 15 km (9.3 mi) east-northeast of Sevsk	39	2 November 1943	15:07	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 01441^[24] Lake Lagoda
17	23 August 1943	18:39	LaGG-3	PQ 35 Ost 44664^[17] 25 km (16 mi) north-northwest of Karachev	40	2 November 1943	15:12	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 01413^[24]
18	24 August 1943	07:03	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 44481, east of Kalino^[17] 25 km (16 mi) south of Sevsk	41	5 November 1943	10:46	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 01561^[25] 45 km (28 mi) northeast of Zelenogorsk
19	24 August 1943	14:43	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 54553, east of Krassnaja^[17] 30 km (19 mi) north-northeast of Karachev	42	5 November 1943	10:50	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 01564^[25] 45 km (28 mi) northeast of Zelenogorsk
20	28 August 1943	11:49	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 43683, northeast of Sevsk^[17] 20 km (12 mi) northeast of Sevsk	43	5 November 1943	13:05	Il-2	PQ 35 Ost 01533^[25] 55 km (34 mi) northeast of Zelenogorsk
21	31 August 1943	15:33	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 35523^[17] 5 km (3.1 mi) south of Yelnya	44	6 November 1943	15:20	Yak-9	PQ 35 Ost 01564^[26] 45 km (28 mi) northeast of Zelenogorsk
22	31 August 1943	17:43	La-5	PQ 35 Ost 35384, southwest of Yelnya^[17] 5 km (3.1 mi) southeast of Yelnya
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –^[20] Eastern Front — 16 August – 30 September 1944
45	17 August 1944	13:09	La-5	southeast of Melikorna^[27] Lake Peipus	53	14 September 1944	18:42?^{[Note 3]}	Yak-9	west of Priipalu^[27] 20 km (12 mi) north of Walk
46	21 August 1944	18:11	La-5	south of Antsla^[27] 20 km (12 mi) west-southwest of Võru	54	16 September 1944	17:35	Pe-2	west of Engekarti^[27] 40 km (25 mi) north-northwest of Kreutzburg
47	21 August 1944	18:15	La-5	east of Antsla^[27] south of Võru	55	16 September 1944	17:39	Pe-2	west of Engekarti^[27] 40 km (25 mi) north-northwest of Kreutzburg
48	25 August 1944	09:33	Yak-9	west of Ruli^[27]	56	16 September 1944	18:00	La-5	south of Lake Kalu^[27] 40 km (25 mi) north of Kreutzburg
49	25 August 1944	09:34	Il-2	southwest of Ruli^[27]	57	20 September 1944	11:42	Il-2	PQ 69116^[27] 25 km (16 mi) east-northeast of Weissenstein
50	30 August 1944	17:55	La-5	west of Tartu^[27] 15 km (9.3 mi) west of Tartu	58	23 September 1944	12:35	La-5	PQ 58625^[27] west of Jēkabpils
51	6 September 1944	12:55	Yak-9	northwest of Kaarli^[27] northeast Tartu	59	30 September 1944	12:22	La-5	PQ 57115^[27] 10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of Mālpils
52	14 September 1944	18:41?^{[Note 4]}	Yak-9	north-northwest of Soe^[27] 20 km (12 mi) north of Walk
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 54 –^[20] Eastern Front — 1 – 31 October 1944
60	10 October 1944	10:18	Pe-2	east of Tilti^[27] 15 km (9.3 mi) southeast of Liepāja	63	28 October 1944	11:46?^{[Note 5]}	Il-2	west of Liepāja^[27]
61	22 October 1944	14:25	Yak-9	northeast of Alpeni^[27] 20 km (12 mi) south of Liepāja	64	28 October 1944	15:15	Il-2	south of Priekule^[27] 30 km (19 mi) southeast of Liepāja
62	28 October 1944	11:46	Il-2	west of Libau^[27]
– 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 54 –^[28] Eastern Front — November 1944 – 8 May 1945
65	14 December 1944	12:22	Il-2	south of Liepāja^[27]	74	20 January 1945	14:42	Yak-9	west of Skrunda^[27]
66	14 December 1944	12:23	Il-2	southwest of Liepāja^[27]	75	26 January 1945	09:40	P-39	PQ 27397^[27]
67	15 December 1944	10:58	Pe-2	east of Tilti^[27]	76	29 January 1945	12:15	Il-2	PQ 17569^[27]
68	15 December 1944	11:00	P-39	south of Tilti^[27]	77	21 February 1945	12:33	Pe-2	PQ 17611^[27]
69	21 December 1944	11:58	Il-2	south of Gubas^[27]	78	23 March 1945	16:14	Yak-9	PQ 17478^[27]
70	22 December 1944	11:46	Yak-3	west of Bernali^[27]	79	23 March 1945	16:19	Il-2	PQ 17479^[27]
71	26 December 1944	12:29	Il-2	southwest of Frauenstadt^[27]	80	26 March 1945	08:02	Yak-3	PQ 07732^[27]
72	20 January 1945	14:26	Pe-2	southeast of Skrunda^[27]	81	26 March 1945	08:03	Yak-3	PQ 07733^[27]
73	20 January 1945	14:29	Yak-9	west of Skrunda^[27]

Awards and decorations

Aviator badge (28 November 1941)^[29]
Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
- in Bronze (26 March 1943)^[30]
- in Silver (10 June 1943)^[31]
- in Gold (23 August 1943)^[32]
Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class (7 April 1943)^[33]
- 1st Class (11 August 1943)^[32]
Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 8 November 1943 as Unteroffizier and pilot^[34]^{[Note 6]}
German Cross in Gold on 26 November 1943 as Unteroffizier in the 6./Jagdgeschwader 54^[37]
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 12 March 1945 as Feldwebel and pilot in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 54^[38]^[39]
Courland Cuff Title (20 April 1945)^[40]

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

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[13]

[Note 1]

[16]

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[14]

[18]

[19]

[Note 2]

[21]

[22]

[23]

[24]

[25]

[26]

[20]

[27]

[Note 3]

[Note 4]

[Note 5]

[28]

[29]

[30]

[31]

[32]

[33]

[34]

[Note 6]

[37]

[38]

[39]

[40]

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