| Martin Fiebig | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | May 7, 1891 |
| Died | October 23, 1947 (aged 56) |
| Place of birth | Rösnitz, district of Lobschütz Silesia |
| Place of death | Belgrade |
| Allegiance |
 German Empire (to 1918) Weimar Republic (to 1933) Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Heer |
| Years of service | 1910–1945 |
| Rank | General der Flieger |
| Commands held |
KG 4 VIII.Fliegerkorps |
| Battles/wars |
World War I World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Martin Fiebig (7 May 1891 – 23 October 1947) was a German general of Luftwaffe, serving during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German language: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Early life and World War I[]
Martin Fiebig was born on 7 May 1891 in Rösnitz, Upper Silesia. He served in World War I, and was promoted to Oberleutnant on 18 June 1915. From August 1914 to 1915, he served in the 18th Infantry Regiment. Sometime during 1915, he was transferred from the infantry to become a pilot. From 1915 to 1 August 1918, he was a pilot and Squadron-Leader in the 3rd Bomber Wing.
World War II[]
He commanded Kampfgeschwader 4 (KG 4 or Bomber Wing 4) in the Battle of the Netherlands, but was shot down and captured by the Dutch on the 10 May 1940, during the initial attack on Rotterdam-Waalhaven airfield. Fiebig commanded the attack of II./KG 4 leading his Stabsschwarm and was one of the two first planes shot after dropping its marker bombs. Most of the first squadron that followed the Colonel's bomber were shot down too by Dutch fighters and AAA. Colonel Fiebig was lucky to escape being expedited by the Dutch to the UK, a fate that around 1,250 of his fellow Luftwaffe and army comrades in captivity couldn't escape.
He later commanded the wing in the Battle of Belgium, the Battle of France, and the Battle of Britain. In 1941 he took part of the German invasion of Yugoslavia and subsequent Bombing of Belgrade. During Battle of Stalingrad, he was commander of the VIII Fliegerkrops in the Stalingrad sector.
Fiebig was executed in Belgrade for war crimes.
Awards[]
- Iron Cross (1914) 2nd and 1st Class
- Clasp to the Iron Cross (1939)
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 8 May 1940 as Oberst and commander of KG 4 "General Wever"
- 168th Oak Leaves on 23 December 1942 as Generalleutnant and commanding general of the VIII. Fliegerkorps
- German Cross in Gold (4 May 1942)
References[]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Kaiser, Jochen (2010). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kampfflieger—Band 1 (in German and English). Bad Zwischenahn, Germany: Luftfahrtverlag-Start. ISBN 978-3-941437-07-4.
- Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2299-6.
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