Background
Walter Borchers was born on 22 January 1916 in Ofen in Ammerland, Duchy of Oldenburg as the third of three brothers.
Walter Borchers was born on 22 January 1916 in Ofen in Ammerland, Duchy of Oldenburg as the third of three brothers.
Borchers was credited with 59 aerial victories, including 43 nocturnal victories, 10 as a destroyer pilot and 6 four-engined bombers at day time, claimed in roughly 300 combat missions. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. Prior to his death he held the service position Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of the night fighter wing Nachtjagdgeschwader 5.
A second brother, Steamship-Hauptsturmführer Hermann Borchers received the Knight"s Cross on 16 October 1944 as commander of the I. Battalion of the Steamship-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 19.
He became the Staffelkapitän of 5./ZG 76 in the fall of 1940. He claimed 10 aerial victories during the Battle of France and Battle of Britain.
His Staffel was transformed to the 8./Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 (NJG 3) in the fall of 1941, flying night fighter missions in Defence of the Reich. Borchers claimed his first nocturnal aerial victory on the night of 3 March 1943.
He claimed his 12th and 15th against the United States Army Air Forces (United States Army Air Force) heavies—four-engined strategic bombers—in 1943.
Still an Oberleutnant he was made Gruppenkommandeur of the III./Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5) on 22 April 1943, leading the Gruppe (group) until 23 March 1944. In this position he claimed a further six nocturnal victories and four heavy United States Army Air Force bombers shot down. He was promoted to Major and took command of NJG 5 as Geschwaderkommodore.
Having claimed an Avro Lancaster, Borchers was shot down and killed in action on the night of 6 March 1945 by a long-range British night fighter north of Altenburg.
Flying Junkers Ju 88 G-6 "C9+Georgia" (Werknummer 622 319—factory number) his air gunner parachuted to safety while his radio operator Leutnant Friedrich Reul was also killed. Borchers had been nominated for the Oak Leaves to the Knight"s Cross which he never received.
His victor was Wing Commander Walter Gibb and Flying Officer Kendall of Number 239 Squadron, Royal Air Force (Royal Air Force), part of Number. 100 Group Royal Air Force, flying a de Havilland Mosquito night fighter.
Bibliography.
Borchers was a member of the 5th Staffel (squadron) of Zerstörergeschwader 76 (ZG 76) at the outbreak of World World War II on 1 September 1939.