{{Infobox military person

|name=Franz Woidich

|birth_date={{birth date|1921|1|2|df=y}}

|death_date={{death date and age|2004|7|5|1921|1|2|df=y}}

|image=Franz Woidich.jpg

|caption=Franz Woidich

|birth_place=[[Znojmo]]

|death_place=[[Mainz]]

|nickname=

|allegiance={{flag|Nazi Germany}}

|branch={{Luftwaffe}}

|serviceyears=

|rank=[[Oberleutnant]] of the [[Military reserve force|Reserves]]

|unit=[[JG 27]], [[JG 52]], [[JG 400]]

|commands=6./[[JG 400]]

|battles=[[World War II]]

*[[Defense of the Reich]]

*[[North African Campaign]]

|awards=[[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]

|laterwork=''Ingenieurbüro Woidich''}}

'''Franz-Walter Woidich''' (2 January 1921 – 5 July 2004) was a ''[[Luftwaffe]]'' [[flying ace]] of [[World War II]]. Wernitz was credited with 110 aerial victories claimed in roughly 1000 combat missions. He was also a recipient of the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] ({{lang-de|Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes}}). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

==Career==

Woidich was born on 2 January 1921 in [[Znojmo|Znaim]], present-day Znojmo in the Czech Republic, at the time in the German-speaking region of southern [[Moravia]] of the [[First Czechoslovak Republic]]. ''Oberfähnrich'' ([[Ensign (rank)|Ensign]]) Woidich joined the 5./[[Jagdgeschwader 27]] (JG 27–27th Fighter Wing) on 11 July 1941, then stationed in [[North Africa]].<ref group="Note">For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see [[Luftwaffe Organization]]</ref> He claimed two aerial victories in the [[North African Campaign|North African theater of operations]], the first on 22 November 1941.<ref name="Obermaier p226">Obermaier 1989, p. 226.</ref>

[[File:Me163.jpg|thumb|left|Messerschmitt Me 163 at the ''[[Luftwaffenmuseum]]'' in Berlin-Gatow]]

He was transferred to the 3./[[Jagdgeschwader 52]] (JG 52–52nd Fighter Wing) which fought on the [[Eastern Front (World War II)|Eastern Front]] on 1 April 1942. Here he claimed seven aerial victories by the end of 1942. When he took command of the 3./JG 52 on 11 June 1943 his score had increased to 16 aerial victories. His score of enemy aircraft shot down had increased to 56 by the end of 1943. He had claimed four aircraft shot down on both 7 and 13 July 1943. He was decorated with the [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] on 11 June 1944 following his 80th aerial victory. A noteworthy achievement was made on 11 January 1944 when he claimed his 57th to 60th aerial victory. He became an "[[Aviators who became ace in a day|ace-in-a-day]]" on 17 January 1944 when he shot down his 62nd to 66th enemy aircraft. He again claimed four aircraft shot down on 16 April 1944 for victories 72 to 75. His most successful month was July 1944 with 29 aircraft shot down.<ref name="Obermaier p226"/> In July 1944, Woidich was credited with his 100th aerial victory. He was the 84th ''Luftwaffe'' pilot to achieve the century mark.<ref>Obermaier 1989, p. 244.</ref>

Woidich was transferred to ''Ergänzungsstaffel'' (Training/Supplement Squadron) of [[Jagdgeschwader 400]] (JG 400–400th Fighter Wing) for conversion training to the [[Messerschmitt Me 163]] rocket powered aircraft on 11 August 1944.<ref>Ramson & Cammann 2010, p. 97.</ref> As a ''[[Staffelkapitän]]'' (squadron leader) of the 6./JG 400 he claimed one of the very rare aerial victories while flying the Me 163 rocket fighter on 22 April 1945.<ref>Spick 1996, p. 232.</ref>

After World War II in 1953, ''Ing.-grad.'' Woidich together with ''Dipl.-Ing.'' Karl Thress opened the ''Ingenieurbüro Woidich'' (Engineering Office Woidich), an automotive technical engineering bureau, in [[Mainz-Kastel]].<ref group="Note">In German, an [[engineer's degree]] is called ''Diplom-Ingenieur'', abbreviated ''Dipl.-Ing.'' The depreciated graduate engineering degree, ''Ing.-grad.'' (''graduierter Ingenieur'') are no longer awarded.</ref> Woidich's son, Dipl.-Bw. Gerd Woidich, joined the firm in 1981.<ref>{{Cite web|work=Ingenieurbüro Woidich |title=Wir über uns - Qualität mit Tradition |url=http://www.sv-woidich.de/index.php?content=ueberuns |language=German |accessdate=19 September 2013}}</ref>

==Awards==

* [[Iron Cross]] (1939) 2nd and 1st Class

* [[Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe]] on 13 September 1943 as ''Oberfeldwebel'' and pilot<ref>Patzwall 2008, p. 220.</ref>

* [[German Cross]] in Gold on 17 October 1943 as ''[[Oberfeldwebel]]'' in the 3./''Jagdgeschwader'' 52<ref>Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 520.</ref>

* [[Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]] on 11 June 1944 as pilot and [[Leutnant]] of the [[Military reserve force|Reserves]] in the 3./''Jagdgeschwader'' 52<ref>Fellgiebel 2000, p. 451.</ref>{{refn|According to Scherzer as ''[[Leutnant]]''.<ref>Scherzer 2007, p. 794.</ref>|group="Note"}}

==Notes==

{{Reflist|group="Note"}}

==References==

===Citations===

{{Reflist|25em}}

===Bibliography===

{{Refbegin}}

* {{Cite book

|last=Fellgiebel

|first=Walther-Peer

|authorlink=Walther-Peer Fellgiebel

|year=2000

|origyear=1986

|title=Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile

|trans_title=The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches

|language=German

|location=Friedberg, Germany

|publisher=Podzun-Pallas

|isbn=978-3-7909-0284-6

}}

* {{Cite book

|last=Obermaier

|first=Ernst

|year=1989

|title=Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945

|trans_title=The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945

|language=German

|location=Mainz, Germany

|publisher=Verlag Dieter Hoffmann

|isbn=978-3-87341-065-7

}}

* {{Cite book

|last1=Patzwall

|first1=Klaus D.

|last2=Scherzer

|first2=Veit

|year=2001

|title=Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II

|trans_title=The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2

|language=German

|location=Norderstedt, Germany

|publisher=Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall

|isbn=978-3-931533-45-8

}}

* {{Cite book

|last1=Patzwall

|first1=Klaus D.

|year=2008

|title=Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg

|trans_title=The Honor Goblet for Outstanding Achievement in the Air War

|language=German

|location=Norderstedt, Germany

|publisher=Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall

|isbn=978-3-931533-08-3

}}

* Ransom, Stephen; Cammann, Hans-Hermann (2010). ''Jagdgeschwader 400: Germany's Elite Rocket Fighters''. Osprey Publishing. {{ISBN|978-1-84603-975-1}}.

* {{Cite book

|last=Scherzer

|first=Veit

|year=2007

|title=Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives

|trans_title=The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives

|language=German

|location=Jena, Germany

|publisher=Scherzers Militaer-Verlag

|isbn=978-3-938845-17-2

}}

* {{Cite book

|last=Spick

|first=Mike

|year=1996

|title=Luftwaffe Fighter Aces

|location=New York

|publisher=[[Ivy Books]]

|isbn=978-0-8041-1696-1

}}

{{Refend}}

==External links==

*{{Cite web|work=Traditionsgemeinschaft Jagdgeschwader 52 |title=Franz Woidich |url=http://www.jg52.net/ritterkreuztraeger/franz-woidich |language=German |accessdate=11 April 2013}}

*{{Cite web|work=Ritterkreuztraeger.info |title=Franz Woidich |url=http://www.ritterkreuztraeger.info/rk/w/W371Woidich.pdf|format=PDF |language=German |accessdate=11 April 2013}}

*{{Cite web|work=World War 2 Awards.com |title=Franz Woidich |url=http://en.ww2awards.com/person/27843 |accessdate=19 September 2013}}

{{Knight's Cross recipients of JG 52}}

{{Top German World War II Aces}}

{{Subject bar

| portal1=Aviation

| portal2=Biography

| portal3=Military of Germany

| portal4=World War II

}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Woidich, Franz}}

[[Category:1921 births]]

[[Category:2004 deaths]]

[[Category:People from Znojmo]]

[[Category:Luftwaffe pilots]]

[[Category:German World War II flying aces]]

[[Category:Recipients of the Gold German Cross]]

[[Category:Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross]]

[[Category:Czechoslovak people of German descent]]

[[Category:Naturalized citizens of Germany]]