Georg-Peter Eder
| Georg-Peter Eder | |
|---|---|
Georg-Peter Eder
|
|
| Nickname(s) | Schorsch |
| Born |
8 March 1921 Oberdachstetten |
| Died | 11 March 1986 (aged 65) Wiesbaden |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch |
 Luftwaffe
|
| Years of service | 1938–45 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit |
JG 51, JG 2, JG 1, JG 26, EKdo 262, Kommando Nowotny, JG 7 |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Georg-Peter Schorsch Eder (8 March 1921 – 11 March 1986) was a German fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves of Nazi Germany. Eder flew 572 combat missions claiming 78 enemy aircraft shot down.
Eder joined the Luftwaffe as Fahnenjunker at the age of 17 in 1938. In the beginning of April 1939 Eder enrolled in the Luftkriegsschule 2 (air war school) at Berlin-Gatow. His first combat appointment was to 1 Staffel, Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) on 1 September 1940. He flew all through the Battle of Britain but did not claim any victories.
In May 1941 he joined 4./JG 51 and claimed his first aircraft, a Spitfire, on 7 May. Eder then flew with JG 51 in the opening months of the campaign on the Eastern Front, destroying two Russian aircraft on 22 June. However, on 24 July he was shot down and slightly wounded. On 22 August, after 10 victories, Eder's fighter collided with a Junkers Ju 52 on the ground at Ponjatowska. Eder suffered a skull fracture.
After recovery, Eder served as a flight instructor with Jagdfliegerschule 2 (fighter pilot school) at Zerbst from November 1941 to November 1942.
In November 1942 Eder was sent to 7./Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing), named after the after World War I fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen, in France, and participated in the battle against the American Eighth Air Force day bombing offensive. With Hauptmann Egon Mayer of III./JG 2 "Richthofen", Eder developed the head-on attack strategy to combat the formations of Boeing B-17s and Consolidated B-24s. The concept was based on a Kette (chain), three aircraft flying in a "V" formation, attacking from ahead and to the left. When in range, the attackers opened fire with a deflection burst, aiming in front of the enemy aircraft. Following the attack, the pilots would pull up sharply to the left or right. This gave the attacking fighters the best chance of avoiding the massed firepower of the bombers' guns.
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