Eckart-Wilhelm von Bonin


Eckart-Wilhelm Max Bogislaw Fürchtegott von Bonin was a German World War II night fighter pilot who served in the Luftwaffe. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He is credited with shooting down 37 enemy aircraft claimed during 150 combat missions.

Early life and career

Von Bonin was born on 14 November 1919 in Potsdam in the Province of Brandenburg of the Weimar Republic. He was the son of Bogislav Gerhard Wilhelm Fürchtegott von Bonin, Major in WWI, later Oberst of the Luftwaffe in WWII, and his wife Pauline Emilie Mathilde, née von Bülow, a daughter of General der Kavallerie Adolf von Bülow.
His older brother, Bogislaw von Bonin served in the Army and later in the Amt Blank, a predecessor of the Federal Ministry of Defence. Two of his brothers also served in the Luftwaffe, 1st Lieutenant Jürgen-Oskar Bogislaw Adolf Fürchtegott von Bonin was killed in action on 8 February 1942 while serving as an observer in a Transportgeschwader. Another brother, Hubertus Bogislav Oskar Adolf Fürchtegott von Bonin, became a fighter pilot and wing commander with 77 aerial victories and was also killed in the war. Von Bonin entered military service with the Luftwaffe in 1937 and was trained as a night fighter pilot.

Night fighter career

Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, RAF attacks shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign. By mid-1940, Generalmajor Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector named a Himmelbett would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942.
In October 1940, von Bonin was posted to 6. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1. This squadron was part of II. Gruppe of NJG 1 commanded by Major Walter Ehle.

"Wheels Down" incident

The United States Army Air Forces targeted the German aircraft industry on 17 August 1943 in the Schweinfurt–Regensburg mission. Two Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers from the 4th Bombardment Wing had been forced to leave their formation on their way to Regensburg. The B-17 "Picklepuss" piloted by Captain Robert M. Knox from the 100th Bomb Group headed back to England when it came under attack by three Messerschmitt Bf 110 night fighters south of Aachen. Von Bonin, accompanied by Oberleutnant Walter Barte and Leutnant Hans Witzke had taken off from Sint-Truiden—Saint-Trond in the French pronunciation—to intercept any stragglers to and from the target area. Von Bonin shot down the B-17 on his first attack but one of his engines was also hit be the left waist gunner. While six of the ten crew members of the B-17 were killed in action, von Bonin landed safely on one engine at Saint-Trond.
Following this engagement, controversy arose whether Knox had lowered his landing gear to signal surrender. Apparently, a B-17 had lowered its landing gears and had then shot down one of the escorting Luftwaffe fighters, becoming the "Wheels Down" incident.

Group commander

On 18 November 1943, von Bonin was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II. Gruppe of NJG 1. He succeeded Major Walter Ehle who was killed in action. He was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 December 1943 and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 February 1944 after 31 aerial victories. On 1 August 1944, he was promoted to Major. In October 1944, he became Gruppenkommandeur of I. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 102.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to Obermaier, von Bonin was credited with 37 aerial victories claimed in roughly 150 combat missions. Two of his claims were over four-engined bombers during daytime operations, the other 35 were claimed during nocturnal missions. Aders and Spick list him with 39 aerial victories claimed in approximately 150 combat missions. Foreman, Parry and Mathews, authors of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 37 nocturnal victory claims. Mathews and Foreman also published Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, listing Von Bonin with 33 aerial victories, plus four further unconfirmed claims.

Awards