He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, and was the 15th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the Century Mark.
In August 1941, now serving in the Stabstaffel of IV./JG 51, Beerenbrock claimed at least 20 victories.
Beerenbrock scored three victories on 30 August to record his 38th through 40th victories.
Unteroffizier Beerenbrock was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 6 October 1941 after 42 victories.
During June and July 1942, Beerenbrock was to claim about 26 victories.
During June and July 1942, Beerenbrock was to claim about 26 victories.
During the month of July 1942, he scored 18 victories. Beerenbrock claimed four enemy aircraft on 6 July 1942 (77-80) and 11 July (88-91).
Feldwebel Beerenbrock was decorated with the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 17 June 1942.
Oberfeldwebel Beerenbrock was awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr 108) and promoted Leutnant on 3 August.
At this time he was the most successful ace of JG 51.
Beerenbrock was then granted leave at the end of September 1942, and would not return to combat duty until the end of October.
Leutnant Beerenbrock was serving as Staffelkapitän of 10./JG 51 in November.
On 9 November 1942, after claiming three enemy aircraft shot down, Beerenbrock was then shot down himself.
He force-landed behind Russian lines in Bf 109 F-2 (W.Nr. 6779) “White 12” and was captured
There is a conflicting story surrounding Kozachenko´s supposed downing of Franz-Josef Beerenbrock:
Beerenbrock lived and was a POW...
Shortly afterwards, German fighters were sighted approaching. The Pe-2 was able to make a second reconnaissance run, and a third; but during the fourth photography run, one Bf 109F came up close behind the Pe-2.
Flying at the same speed as the bomber-reconnaissance aircraft, the 109 opened fire. The Pe-2 crew was caught by surprise and the radio operator was killed. A large hole, about the size of a man's head was blown open in the cockpit.
🇨🇳 Kozacheko was very close, and he saw many markings on the Bf 109s fuselage, especially an indian with a bow near the cockpit. "This is a German ace from Mölder's Regiment" Kozatchenko thought.
Sources however say Kozachenko shot down an Fw 190A.
Source: "Walczyli i polegli za Polske", C.Krzeminski,Warsaw 1977
Pages 143-148
Franz-Josef Beerenbrock was shot down in a Bf 109F-2 (Werk.Nr.6779)
White 12 and crash landed behind enemy lines
Kozachenko was so close that he could see the German ace smiling back at him. The German's smile did not last long, however.
Piotr's fire was completely devastating and the German plane plummeted downwards. After a few seconds, Kozachenko saw the 109 explode as it crashed into the ground.
The Pe-2 was damaged, but able to return to base...
After the war, German POW Captain Gabel (of the "3rd Mölders Squadron") informed the Soviet intellegence that on the same day as Kozachenko had scored this victory, the excellent German ace Beerenbrock was posted as missing."
Kozachenko flew 227 combat missions and downed 12 German planes, and 15 Japanese in China. He was awarded the Soviet Hero Title, and four times was awarded the Order of the Red Flag.
In an Ironic Twist, Kozachenko was killed by a High Ace...
In March 1945, the 2nd White Russian Front fought near Gdansk and Gdynia. On 18 March 1945, Piotr Kozachenko was killed in an aerial combat while escorting reconnaissance Pe-2's. The last words heard from him in the radio, were "I'm hit, going for a 'Taran'!" (air-to-air ramming). This same day, as Kozachenko was killed, Hauptmann Joachim Brendel, the 189-victory ace in III./JG 51, claimed 3 victories over East Prussia...
Beerenbrock was finally repatriated to Germany in mid-December 1949.
After returning home, he joined the post-war Bundesluftwaffe.
Beerenbrock died on December 13th, 2004 (Olfen/North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany).
Franz-Josef Beerenbrock was credited with 117 victories in approximately 400 missions, all on the Eastern Front of which at least 12 were Il-2 Sturmoviks.
Nazi Germany
Luftwaffe
Knight's Cross of
the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Leutnant
