Gerhard 'Gerd' Friedrich

Units: KGzvb-106, Stab III/NJG-1 (6/43), 10/NJG-4, Stab II/NJG-4, Kdr I & II/NJG-6 (7/44 Mainz-Finthen)

Awards: RK(3/15/45), DK-G(10/1/44), EK 1 & 2, Wound Badge (4/17/43), Night Fighter Operational Clasp

Known Aircraft: Ju 52, in KG-106, Ju 88G-6a, Bf 110 & Ju 88G in I/NJG-6, Ju 88G-6 WNr 621801 '2Z+LB' (lost 3/45)

Remarks: KIA 16/17 March, 1945 when the bomb load of a Lancaster, 'PB 785' of RAF No. 576 Sq., he had hit, exploded, killing him as well as 7 Lancaster crew and the 3 others in his Ju 88 Wk# 621801. Remaining crew (all KIA): Lt Lewerenz, Ofw Giesen and Uffz Meyer. WIA 16/17 April, 1943 when he was shot down at Hochspeyer. All victories were Night victories. One known victory, a Halifax 2 km E of Xanten on 23 June, 1943. Another, a Lancaster at Seeburh, NW of Murrhardt on 26 February, 1944. A Halifax 60 km S of Saarbrücken on 2 March, 1944. A '4 mot' NW of Kaiserlautern on 18 March, 1944. A Halifax III NW of Nürnberg on 31 March, 1944. A Lancaster and a Halifax at Montdidier on 11 April, 1944. A Halifax W of Friedrichshafen on 28 April, 1944. A 2nd Halifax, same day, at Schaffenhausen. A Lancaster near Deelen on 13 June, 1944. A Lancaster S of Darmstadt on 12 September, 1944. Magnus, 33 victories.

Gerhard 'Gerd' Friedrich was born on 16 September 1917 at Berlin-Johannisthal. Friedrich initially served as a transport pilot. He participated in the invasion of Crete with KG z.b.v. 106. He underwent conversion training as a night fighter pilot and was posted to III./NJG1 at the beginning of 1942. Friedrich claimed his first victory on the night of 16/17 June when he shot down a RAF Wellington twin-engine bomber.

By October 1942, Oberleutnant Friedrich was serving with II./NJG2. He gained at least one victory with this unit, when he shot down a RAF Halifax four engine bomber near Bar-le-Duc on the night of 24/25 October as his fourth victory. Friedrich was serving with 8./NJG4 by December 1942. He gained one victory with this unit claiming another Halifax shot down near Courouvre on the night of 6/7 October as his fifth victory.

On 1 January 1943, Friedrich was appointed Staffelkapitän of 10./NJG4. Friedrich gained a further three victories with 10./NJG4. However, on the night of 16/17 April, his Bf-110F-4 (W.Nr. 4755) was hit by return fire from RAF bombers he was attacking and he and his bordfunker were wounded. Both managed to bale out of the stricken aircraft near Hochspeyer. On 1 August 10./NJG4 was redesignated 1./NJG6. On the night 25/26 February 1944, Hauptmann Friedrich claimed a RAF Lancaster four-engine bomber shot down near Seeburg as his 10th victory. Friedrich was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./NJG6 on 12 July 1944. He had 18 victories to his credit at this time.

On the night of 11/12 September, Friedrich claimed a Lancaster shot down near Darmstadt to record his 20th victory. He claimed four Lancasters shot down near Pforzheim on the night of 23/24 February 1945 (26-29). On the night of 14/15 March, he claimed a further three Lancasters shot down (30-32). On 15 March 1945, Friedrich was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 29 victories. On the night of 16/17 March 1945, Friedrich collided with a RAF Lancaster four-engine bomber near Stuttgart at 21:00 hours. Friedrich and his crew were killed in Ju 88G-6 (W.Nr. 621801) (2Z+LB) along with the seven crew of the British bomber.

“Gerd” Friedrich was credited with 33 victories. All his victories were recorded at night.