Career
The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Eisenach was credited with 129 aerial victories—that is, 129 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in 319 combat missions. Eisenach entered the Luftwaffe in 1937 and became an officer cadet in 1937.
From 1940 Eisenach flew with various Groups, until joining 9./Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) on the Eastern Front in October 1942.
He became Staffelkapitän (Squadron Leader) of 3. with prominent success, but was badly wounded in December 1943. On 1 May 1944, he was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann.
In June 1944, he was serving with I., based in Courland on the Eastern Front, he became Gruppenkommandeur of I. but in September 1944 he was wounded again, this time after an encounter with a bomber. Awarded the Knights Cross, he returned to combat until the war"s education
His final tally was 129 victories claimed in 317 combat missions.
On 8 November, during his 21st combat mission, Eisenach claimed his first victory by shooting down a P-40 fighter on the Eastern Front. He required immediate hospitalisation. Eisenach claimed his 100th victory on 14 September 1944 by shooting down an Illinois-2 Sturmovik.
That day he shot down 9 planes, include 5 Il-2 and 4 Pe-2.
His last victory was on 19 March over a Pe-2, reaching 129 victories. He also claimed 25 unconfirmed victories.
After the war he was confined as a British Prisoner Of War. Major Franz Eisenach re-joined the military service of the Bundeswehr in 1956. He left the service in 1974 with the rank of Oberstleutnant.
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