Franz-Josef Beerenbrock, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Franz-Josef Beerenbrock

German World War II fighter pilot

Date of Birth: 09-Apr-1920

Place of Birth: Datteln, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany

Date of Death: 13-Dec-2004

Profession: flying ace

Nationality: Germany

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Franz-Josef Beerenbrock (6 March 1920 – 10 October 1988) was a German fighter pilot during World War II.
He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.
Beerenbrock was credited with 117 aerial victories in approximately 400 combat missions, all on the Eastern Front.
In November 1942 he became a prisoner of war for the rest of the war. Beerenbrock joined a flak artillery unit on 1 October 1938 and in 1939 was trained as a pilot.
In March 1941, Beerenbrock was transferred to 12./Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51).
He achieved his first aerial victory on 24 June 1941.
On 1 August 1942 he claimed nine more victories and reached his 100th aerial victory often flying as wingman of Karl-Gottfried Nordmann.
He was the 15th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark.
At that point he was the most successful fighter pilot of JG 51.
He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Beerenbrock was credited with 117 victories in approximately 400 missions, all on the Eastern Front.
He was shot down over Soviet-held territory on 9 November 1942 and was taken prisoner of war.
Beerenbrock returned to West Germany in mid-December 1949.
In 1955 he joined the air force in the Bundeswehr.