Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow
World War II Luftwaffe Campaigns:- Norwegian Campaign, Battles of Narvik, North African Campaign, Defense of the Reich
Units: Transport pilot in KGzbV -108, 2./NJG1 (10/43), Stafkpt 1./NJG1 (4/44)
Awards: RK(8/19/44), DK-G(1/1/45), EK 1 & 2, Wound Badge(5/28/40), Transport & Night Fighter Oper.Clasps in Silver
Known Aircraft: Do 26V-1 WNr 791 'P5+AH' (lost 5/40), Bv 222, Me 323, Bf 110 Heinkel He 219 A-0 2./NJG1 'G9+FK'
Remarks: A former Lufthansa pilot. Flew Transport AC over Norway and in the Mediterranean. He was wounded and his Do 26 (4 eng flying boat) sunk by RAF fighters at Rombakenfjord on 28 May, 1940, while unloading equipment. Converted to Night Fighters in October of 1943. 109 Night Fighter combat missions. 259 total combat missions. All his victories were Night victories. One known victory, a Mosquito at Venlo on 7 March, 1944. A double victory on 31 March, 1944; both '4 mots'; one NNW of Abbeville, the other S of Abbeville. Three Lancasters in the Düsseldorf/Gilze-Rijen area on 23 April, 1944. A Mosquito 8 km S of Alkmaar on 11 June, 1944. On the night of 21 June, 1944, he downed 5 Lancasters. A '4 mot' 40 km SW of Beacon 'Biber' on 21 July, 1944. A '4 mot' in the Zoutkamp area on 18-19 August, 1944. Two '4 mots' at Düsseldorf on 23 September, 1944. His 34th, an 'unidentified e/a' on 5 January, 1945. Photo
Additional Remarks: Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow was born on 5 May 1908 at Stettin in Pommern. By 1929, he was a trained pilot. From 1933 to 1937, he flew with the Colombian airline SCADTA in South America. In May 1937, he began flying postal routes in South American for Lufthansa. He continued in this role until August 1939. At the commencement of World War 2, Modrow was posted to KGr. Z.b.V. 108 flying Do 26 four-engine flying boats. He participated in the Norwegian campaign performing general reconnaisance and supply missions to Narvik in support of the German invasion. On 28 May 1940, Modrow was moored in Rombakenfjord unloading equipment when his Do 26 V1 (W.Nr. 791) 'P5+AH' was attacked and sunk by RAF Hurricane fighters. Feldwebel Modrow was badly wounded in the encounter. In March 1941, Modrow was undertaking instructor duties at Blindflugschule 1 based at Brandis. From April 1942 to April 1943, he flew Bv 222 six-engine flying boats, in the Mediterranean theatre, flying 100 supply missions in support of the beleaguered Afrika Korps. Modrow was then attached to the Eprobungsstelle Travemünde. In October 1943, Hauptmann Modrow transferred to the Nachtjagd. Following his conversion training, he was posted to 2./NJG 1. On the night of 7/8 March 1944, Modrow gained his first victory when he claimed a RAF twin-engine bomber shot down near Venlo in Holland. He added two RAF four-engine bombers to his tally on 31 March, both his victims falling near Abbeville in France. Modrow was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./NJG 1 on 1 April 1944. He recorded 10 victories during May and nine in June, including a RAF Mosquito twin-engine bomber on the night of 10/11 June (19), three victories on the night of 12/13 June (20-22) and four victories on the night of 21/22 June (23-26). Hauptmann Modrow was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 19 August for 27 victories. On the night of 23/24 September, he claimed two RAF four-engine bombers shot down near Düsseldorf (29-30). He gained his 34th, and last, victory on the night of 5/6 January 1945.
Asisbiz database list showing Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow 34 aerial victories during World War II
| Date | Pilots Name | Unit | EA Type | Height | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | Mosquito | 9000m | 22:30 | FL-2 South Flugfh Venlo | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 5400m | 04:13 | NNW Abbeville | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 5600m | 04:30 | South of Abbeville | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | Lancaster | 6000m | 01:10 | Dusseldorf | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | Lancaster | 5600m | 01:55 | 30km SE von Gilze-Rijen | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | Lancaster | 5500m | 02:04 | 25km SE Gilze | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | Lancaster | 6200m | 00:05 | 10km NE Luttich | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 5500m | 03:34 | KG-21 in See | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 3200m | 00:25 | 30-50km NW Brussel | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | Lancaster | 4200m | 00:26 | 15km SE Goes | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | Lancaster | 4000m | 01:04 | HF in See | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | n.b. | 3800m | 00:02 | 15km nn Bergen | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | n.b. | 3500m | 01:00 | auf See | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | Lancaster | 4000m | 01:41 | 20km SSW Finthorn | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | Lancaster | 5200m | 01:25 | 2½km S Assen | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | Lancaster | 2000m | 02:25 | Stellung Bisbar | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | Lancaster | 2300m | 02:35 | Stellung Bisbar | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 2./NJG1 | Lancaster | 2200m | 03:28 | PL (Durbuy) | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | Mosquito | 6000m | 02:50 | 8km South Alkmaar | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 2800m | 01:27 | Frisburg | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 2500m | 01:31 | Land b 320˚ | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 1800m | 01:46 | bei Krefeld | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | Lancasters | 5300m | 01:12 | SE FuF Gorilla | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | Lancasters | 6200m | 01:24 | FuF Gorilla | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | Lancasters | 5200m | 01:39 | 330˚ Duisburg | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | Lancasters | 3000m | 02:01 | North of Deelen | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 2000m | 01:57 | 40km SW FuF Biber | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flgz. | 1200m | 03:09 | CN (Zoutkamp area) | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 3000m | 03:51 | 05 Ost N/LT | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 3500m | 22:40 | Dusseldorf | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 3200m | 23:11 | Dusseldorf | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 2500m | 19:24 | GP | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | Stab I./NJG1 | 4-mot. Flzg. | 2200m | 19:28 | GP | |
| Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow | 1./NJG1 | Halifax | - | - |
Bibliography: +
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
- Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
- 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
Web References: +
- http://www.luftwaffe.cz/modrow.html
- http://wikivisually.com/wiki/Ernst-Wilhelm_Modrow