Fritz Gromotka

Fritz Gromotka (2 June 1915 – 2 November 1979) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Fritz Gromotka was credited with 29 aerial victories, 27 on the Western Front and 2 on the Eastern Front.

Career
Gromotka was born on 2 June 1915 in Kronschkow, present-day Krążkowy, in the Prussian Province of Posen within the German Empire. In November 1940, he was posted to 6./JG 27, and during the Balkans Campaign of March–April 1941 claimed three victories over Greece, including two RAF Bristol Blenheim bombers of No. 211 Squadron on 13 April 1941. His first claim was Blenheim L8604 piloted by Flying Officer E. V. Thompson. His second claim was Blenheim L4819 piloted by flown by Flying Officer R. V. Herbert, in which Wing Commander Patrick Coote was flying. In both instances, all crew members died.

Unteroffizier Gromotka participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941, claiming two DB-3 twin-engine bombers shot down on 25 June 1941 near Wilna. While returning from this mission, he ran out of fuel and forced-landed his Bf 109 E-8 near Minsk. He returned to his unit on 28 June.

Gromotka was posted to North Africa with II./JG 27 in September 1941. He was shot down in combat on 21 May 1942, but was unhurt after crash-landing. By June 1942 he had claimed a further four victories over the Desert Air Force. In July 1942 Gromotka served as instructor at Jagdfliegerschule 4.

He returned to JG 27 in December 1942, with 9. Staffel based in the Mediterranean theatre. From September to December 1943, Gromotka claimed another nine victories. He claimed a USAAF four-engine B-24 bomber on 5 October near Eratini.

In March 1944, III./JG 27 departed the Mediterranean for Reichsverteidigung duties and deployment in June to the Normandy Invasion front. On 2 July, Gromotka was shot down and wounded in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 during aerial combat. Gromotka was commissioned to Leutnant and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernes Kreuzes) on 28 January 1945 for 29 victories.

On 1 February 1945, Gromotka was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9. Staffel of JG 27, succeeding Oberleutnant Kurt Heidenreich in this function. He held this position until the end of the war.

Later life
Gromotka died on 2 November 1979 at the age of 64 in Remscheid, West Germany.

Aerial victory claims
According to Obermaier, Gromotka was credited with 29 aerial victories claimed in 438 missions, and included 10 four-engined heavy bombers. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 22 aerial victories, plus seven further unconfirmed claims, achieved in 438 combat missions. This figure includes two aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 20 over the Western Allies, including eight four-engined bombers.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 23 Ost 2951". 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 sqmi. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 x in size.

Awards

 * Aviator badge
 * Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
 * Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class and 1st Class
 * Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 6 March 1944 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot
 * German Cross in Gold on 25 May 1944 as Oberfeldwebel in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 27
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 28 January 1945 as Leutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 9./Jagdgeschwader 27