Egon Mayer
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| Egon Mayer | |
|---|---|
| 19 August 1917 — 2 March 1944 (aged 26) | |
 Egon Mayer |
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| Place of birth | Konstanz |
| Place of death | near Montmédy |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1937-1944 |
| Rank | Oberstleutnant |
| Unit | JG 2 |
| Commands held | 7./JG 2, III./JG 2, JG 2 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
Egon Mayer (born 19 August 1917 in Konstanz at the Bodensee, killed in action March 2, 1944 near Montmédy) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1937 until his death in 1944. He shot down 102 enemy aircraft. All his victories were claimed over the Western Front and included 26 four-engine bombers, 51 Supermarine Spitfire and 12 P-47 Thunderbolt. His final command was Geschwaderkommodore of the JG 2 fighter wing.
[edit] World War II
Egon Mayer joined the Luftwaffe in 1937. After a regular peacetime training, Fahnenjunker Mayer was transferred to I./JG 2 on 6 December 1939. He was serving with 6./JG 2 when Mayer shot down a French Morane and claimed first victory on 13 June 1940.
On 10 June 1941, Oberleutnant Mayer was appointed Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 2, based at St Pol-Brias. After 20 victories on 1 August 1941 Mayer was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross.
In November 1942, Hauptmann Mayer was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 2. On 23 November, Mayer claimed his first victories over USAAF four-engine bombers, when he shot down two B-17 Flying Fortress and a B-24 Liberator. Together with Georg-Peter Eder, Mayer developed the head-on attack against the Allied daylight heavy bombers.
Egon Mayer was honored the Oak Leaves to the Knight’s Cross on 16 April 1943[1] after 63 aerial victories. Oberstleutnant Mayer was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of JG 2 on 1 July 1943, thus succeeding Oberst Walter Oesau.
His final score stood at 102, when he was shot down by P-47 Thunderbolt and killed near Montmédy in Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 (W.Nr. 470 468). He was posthumously decorated with the Swords to the Knight's Cross[1].
In An Ace of the Eighth by Norman "Bud" Fortier, the author states that Mayer was shot down by Walter Gresham of the 358th FS. This claim was made based on gun camera footage and recollections of Mayer's wingman, who was forced to bail out during the action.
[edit] Awards
- Wound Badge in Silver
- German Cross in Gold (16 July 1942)
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "300"
- Combined Pilot/Observer Badge
- Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
- Knight's Cross (1 August 1941)
- 232. Oak Leaves (16 April 1943)
- 51. Swords (2 March 1944)
[edit] References
- Aces of the Luftwaffe. Egon Mayer. Retrieved on 15 March 2007.
- Berger, Florian. Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges. Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2006. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Fortier, Norman. "An Ace of the Eighth". Presidio Press-Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-89141-806-7.
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Major Walter Oesau |
Commander of Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen July 1, 1943-March 2, 1944 |
Succeeded by Major Kurt Ubben |
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