Page written for Aircrew Remembered by Tom Kracker, a friend of Franz.
Franz Mörl Secret Interrogation Reports
After completing Aviation Technical School and Mechanic School, he enrolled in Flight School at Olmutz (Cz.) in May, 1940. In April 1941, he flew the Fieseler Storch, a light Observation plane, in Russia, where he flew courier flights during Operation Barbarossa.
In November 1941, he was assigned to Flugzeugführer (Aircraft Commander) School at Prenzlau, and on to Fighter-Bomber School at Nancy France in May, 1942. Here he flew the Arado 96 and the Me 110. In October 1942, he was assigned to Fighter School at Fürth Germany.
After a brief assignment in 2 Staffel/Fighter Group Süd (2/JG-Süd) in February 1943, he was transferred to 2 Staffel/Fighter Squadron 27 (2/JG-27) at Leeuwarden. It was here that he flew the Bf 109G-6 on patrols over the North Sea. In May 1943, he was transferred to Marseille France, however, no operations were flown while there.
In August 1943, he was transferred to Fels am Wagram, near Krems/Donau, where defensive operations were flown against Allied day bombers. After attacking a B-24, his aircraft heavily damaged, he was forced to belly-land near the Donau (Danube) River. In January 1944, he joined 2 Staffel/Fighter Squadron 3 (2/JG-3 “Udet”) at München-Gladbach. On 10 February, 1944, he was shot down with wounds over Holland by a P-47 Thunderbolt, and spent eight months in a hospital. An explosive shell had hit his left foot. This was his first real dogfight!
Diving away to 100 meters, he evaded the P-51s, but light anti-aircraft fire from the 413th AA Bn. riddled his aircraft so badly, that he force-landed in Eupen Belgium, near Elsenborn Ridge, with the engine still running, and before catching fire. The time was 1230 hours, on his 21st combat mission.
Medical and Infantry personnel ran to his aid and found Franz shaken and bleeding from the scalp. They said he did not seem frightened nor was he arrogant. He was talking in German, more than likely answering questions about his condition. Another eyewitness, ambulance driver Pvt. Walter Sammons, all the while, took six pictures of the event.
Tom Kracker
(Franz Mörl died on the 21st December 2009 in Munich. His wife wrote to Tom to inform him of his passing)
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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