Kurt Dombacher


Kurt Dombacher was a German Luftwaffe ace during World War II. Kurt Dombacher was credited with 68 victories in 800+ missions, with 1 over Western forces and 67 over Soviet forces. He was captured by Soviet forces in May 1945 and was held until 1950.

World War II

On 10 September 1944, Dombacher was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51. He succeeded Leutnant Gerhard Mai who had temporarily led the Staffel after its former commander Hauptmann Joachim Brendel had been transferred on 2 September. Dombacher was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 8 April 1945, ending the war with 68 aerial victories claimed.

Later life

In 1958, Dombacher, together with Erwin Rohm, participated in the , a cross-country flight contest for pilots, flying a Piper PA-18 Super Cub. The two pilots finished in second place, behind Adolf Galland and Peter Erhardt flying a Klemm Kl 107.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Dombacher was credited with 68 aerial victories. Spick also lists him with 68 aerial victories claimed in approximately 300 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 68 aerial victory claims, 67 of which on the Eastern Front and one four-engined heavy bomber on the Western Front.
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference, for example "PQ 35 Ost 34333". The Luftwaffe grid map 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. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.

Awards