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Original Postwar Signature on a Postwar Photo of Günther Frenzel. Leutnant Günther Frenzel (19.03.1919 † 12.03.2011) earned the Ritterkreuz on December 23, 1942 as Feldwebel und Staffelführer in the 11. Staffel/ Kampfgeschwader zur besonderen Verwendung 1. Good condition. Measuring: 10×15 cm.

“Frenzel was one of the pilots that operated in captured Vickers Wellington bombers. On an operation he landed his plane on an airfield in Belgian-Congo, tanked his plane, took off again and bombarded the airfield he had just landed. When he was taken prisoner, the British sentenced him to death, but he managed to escape with a stolen plane on the same day as his conviction.”

Ritterkreuz awarded for: “Awarded in recognition of his ~200 flights flown, but even more so for his remarkable record of individual achievements as a transport pilot, which included the following notable events…

1) Volunteering to find a bomber crew that had been shot down down in enemy territory, which he was able to accomplish due to being trained in navigation by the stars.

2) Being pressed into service on a special mission which involved flying captured Wellington bombers against an Allied fuel depot in the Congo.

3) Narrowly escaping captivity during Operation Crusader. Frenzel had landed at Derna airfield, but found it already under the control of the British. He was taken prisoner, but before he was shipped off the airfield came under attack from German ground attack aircraft. Frenzel and his flight mechanic seized the opportunity, and despite British small-arms fire they were able to board their Ju-52, start the engine and take off.

4) Being the sole survivor of a flight of 13 Ju-52s that were attacked by a strong group of British fighters while in transit over the Mediterranean. Every single transport except Frenzel’s was shot down, but Frenzel was able to carry on with his heavily damaged plane all the way to the coast. Here he made an emergency landing in the ocean right next to the beach, upon which his plane washed up. Despite being heavily wounded, he had managed to keep the plane airborne for 45 minutes, reach friendly territory, and save the lives of everyone aboard his transport. He received a visit in the hospital from Kesselring himself in light of this accomplishment.”