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Otto Fries

Victories : 18
-----------------------------
Country : Germany
Fought in : WW2
Fought for : Axis

Otto Fries was posted to NJG I nightfighter unit in January 1942 as a Gefreiter. He served with them on the Western Front right through until the end of the war, flying continuously against RAF Bomber Command. He was commissioned Leutnant in August 1943. In July 1944 Otto was flying Me110s of II.Gruppe based in St. Trond, St. Dizier and then Arnheim. He later joined I.Gruppe before transferring to Münster-Hansdorf flying the Heinkel 219 Owl. He is one of the last surviving He219 pilots. Shot down four times, on the second of which he escaped by catapult ejection seat out of the He219 during night operations for home defence - it is thought had been shot down by night fighter Mosquito "R" of 85 Sqd flown by F/Lt Vaughan and F/Sgt R D McKinnon. The right hand engine of his He219 suddenly exploded into flames. With the loss of most of the control of the aircraft he jettisoned the aircrafts canopy, his wireless operator Feldwebel Alfred Staffa baled out and was severley wounded on landing with his parachute. Lt Otto Fries could not regain sufficient control of the He219 which was now burning so he ejected. He landed unhurt by means of his parachute. The He219 crashed about 3 kilometres south of Hertogenbosch and was destroyed. This was only the third such ejection in combat in the world. Otto scored 18 air victories by the end of the war.

Otto Fries signing artwork of Graeme Lothian.

Click here for artwork signed by this Ace!


Latest Axis Aviation Artwork !
In early May 1941, in conditions of strict secrecy because the United States was not yet at war, seventeen pilots of the US Navy had arrived in Britain and been attached to Catalina squadrons of Coastal Command. These experienced PBY pilots were there to assist the Royal Air Force to become familiar with the Catalina, and also to gain operational experience for the US Navy. On 26th May 1941 Catalina Z of No.209 Sqn, commanded by Flying Officer Dennis Briggs RAF, with Ensign Leonard B Smith USN as co-pilot, joined the search for the Bismarck. At 1015 the aircraft was being flown in poor visibility at an altitude of 500ft when Ensign Smith sighted the Bismarck at a range of eight miles. The Catalina was flown towards the contact so that a positive identification could be made and emerged from the cloud only 500 yards from the German ship. The aircraft met a hail of anti-aircraft fire but was able to make its escape. As a result of the sighting report from Catalina Z the Bismarck was again engaged by ships and aircraft of the Royal Navy and was sunk at 1040 on 27th May 1941. Leonard Smith can be considered therefore, the first American to be directly involved in action in World War Two. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (American) for his actions.

The Aircraft That Found the Bismarck by Ivan Berryman.		 One of the all time great fighter aces, Adolf Galland is depicted flying Bf 109E-4/N of Stab/JG26 in September 1940. Galland flew 705 combat missions during World War Two and was credited with a final tally of 104 aerial victories. He survived the war and died peacefully in February 1996.

Tribute to Generalleutnant Adolf Galland by Ivan Berryman.		 Walter Briegleb is shown in his Ju88 G.7 4R+BR as he stalks his prey - on this occasion a Lancaster. Flying below their target, his crew would aim upward firing cannon at the inner wing of the bomber, igniting the fuel tanks. For the bomber crews, they were very much defenceless against this type of attack, and often had no idea of the presence of an enemy aircraft in the dark.

Tribute to Walter Briegleb by Ivan Berryman.		 The attack by Leutnant Walter Briegleb and his crew on Lancaster Mk.III ND960 DX-I of No.57 Sqn early on 22nd May 1944. Flying Me110 with codes D5+BV with his crew of Feldwebel Walter Bräunlich and Bordfunker Feldwebel Brandt, Briegleb flew undetected beneath the bomber and used the deadly 'Schräge Musik' - upward firing cannon - to hit the fuel tanks in the port wing between the fuselage and inner engine. Pulling away, he watched the aircraft burn and could see both gunners in their turrets but no return fire came. He wondered why none of the crew escaped by parachute with the bomber doomed - it disintegrated in the air over the coast of the island of Fyn, Denmark, impacting near Emtekær at 00:44hrs.<br><br><center>All of the crew were killed :<br>Flight Lieutenant Arthur Richards (Pilot)<br>Flying Officer William Woodall (Navigator)<br>Pilot Officer Athur Bugden (Flight Engineer)<br>Sergeant Thomas Edwards (Wireless Operator)<br>Flying Officer George Ferguson (Air Bomber)<br>Sergeant Harold Griffiths (Air Gunner)<br>Sergeant Cyril Woodmass (Air Gunner)

The Hunted and the Hunter by Ivan Berryman.

Otto Fries

Aircraft for : Otto Fries
A list of all aircraft associated with Otto Fries. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
SquadronInfo

He219


Click the name above to see prints featuring He219 aircraft.

Manufacturer : Heinkel

He219

Full profile not yet available.

Me110


Click the name above to see prints featuring Me110 aircraft.

Manufacturer : Messerschmitt
Production Began : 1938

Me110

The Bf-110 grew out of Herman Gorings specifications for a multipurpose aircraft capable of penetrating deep into enemy airspace to clear the sky of enemy fighters in advance of German bomber formations. The aircraft would also be utilized as a long range interceptor, and as a ground support and ground attack bomber. The Bf-110 prototype first flew in 1936. The prototype was under powered with its Daimier Benz DB 600A engines. Several months passed before a go ahead was given for large scale production which commenced in 1938. Utilizing improved DB 601 engines, the early production 110s were as fast as any single engine fighter at that time, and had superior fire power. Their biggest apparent weakness was in the areas of armor protection for the crew, and in terms of maneuverability when compared to single seat fighters. The 110 was produced in large numbers and in many different variants. The 110D was the long range model. An additional belly tank was fitted to that aircraft, with several later variants having the more traditional drop tanks. The first serious test for the Bf-110 came during the Battle of Britain. About 300 Bf-110s were involved. They became easy prey for Hurricane and Spitfire pilots, and Bf-109s were often required to assist the 110s in their own defense. On August 15, 1940, which became known as Black Tuesday, the Bf-110s were ravaged by the RAF, and for the month over 100 aircraft were lost. On the Eastern Front the Bf-110 performed admirably in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa. With the Soviet Air Force weakened in the first several weeks of the attack, 110s were effectively utilized in a ground attack role. Ultimately, the Luftwaffe re-equipped a significant number of its 110s as night fighters. The aircraft performed well in this role because it was a good gun platform with sufficient speed to overtake the RAF night bombers. Such night missions were typically carried out with no Allied fighter escort, so the 110 night fighters would not have to engage or elude Allied fighters in this role.

Known Victory Claims - Otto Fries

DATE

PILOT

UNIT

JG

CLAIMED

LOCATION

TIME

FRONT

11/08/1943Fw. Otto Fries5NJG 1LancasterHanzinelle: 3500m [SW Charleroi]2.56Western Front
22/10/1943Ltn. Otto Fries5NJG 1Stirling11km ESE Schleiden: 5200m20.35Western Front
03/11/1943Ltn. Otto Fries5NJG 1HalifaxLanaken: 5700m [Epgrimby/22km SE Genk]19.3Western Front
19/11/1943Ltn. Otto Fries5NJG 1Stirlingbei Tournai: 4100m [bei Horrues]19.59Western Front
29/12/1943Ltn. Otto Fries5NJG 1LancasterS. Jüngenburg: 5600m [bei Lingen]22.16Western Front
14/01/1944Ltn. Otto Fries5NJG 1Halifax3km SE Schalenburg19.3Western Front
14/01/1944Ltn. Otto Fries5NJG 1Lancaster5km E. Bad Munder19.35Western Front
21/01/1944Ltn. Otto Fries5NJG 1Halifax10km NW Scheveningen22.3Western Front
20/02/1944Ltn. Otto Fries5NJG 1SW Eisleben: 6200m2.4Western Front
22/04/1944Ltn. Otto Fries5NJG 1Fu.F: 5000m [19km SW Soissons]23.31Western Front
23/04/1944Ltn. Otto FriesStab II.NJG 1HalifaxFu.F. 'Chameleon': 4000m23.38Western Front
29/07/1944Ltn. Otto Fries2NJG 1100km 150° FuF Kuli: 4500m1.26Western Front
29/07/1944Ltn. Otto Fries2NJG 1W. Stuttgart: 4200m1.46Western Front
06/11/1944Ltn. Otto Fries2NJG 1LancasterHP 2: 3000m {W. Rheine]19.27Western Front
06/11/1944Ltn. Otto Fries2NJG 1LancasterGQ 9: 3000m [W. Rheine]19.38Western Front
06/11/1944Ltn. Otto Fries2NJG 1LancasterGP: 3500m [W. Rheine]19.43Western Front
05/01/1945Ltn. Otto FriesII.NJG 1LancasterN. Groningen19.3Western Front

Known Claims : 17

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