Hauptmann Karl Borris
Under Construction
Born:
Units:
01.09.39-05.12.30 Jagdfliegerschule Schleissheim
06.12.39-12.11.41 II. / Jagdgeschwader 26 Werl
13.11.41-22.06.43 III. / Jagdgeschwader 26
23..06.43-28.05.45 I. / Jagdgeschwader 26
Pages 12/13 from Borris's Wehrpas.
Rank:
10.11.41 Staffelkäpitan
01.08.44 Gruppenkommodore
Awards:
00.00.00 Flugzeugführerabzeichen (Pilots Badge)
00.00.40 Eiserne Kreuz 2. Klasse (Iron Cross 2nd Class)
00.00.40 Eiserne Kreuz 1. Klasse (Iron Cross 1st Class)
00.00.00 Frontflug-Spange für Jäger in Gold (Operational flying clasp in Gold for fighters)
00.00.00 Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (German Cross in Gold)
00.00.00 Ehrenpokal fur besondere Leistung im Luftkreig (Honor Goblet)
00.00.00 Frontflug-Spange für Jäger in Gold mit Anhänger Einssatzzahl 300 (Operational flying clasp in Gold with 300 pendant for fighters)
25.11.44 Ritterskreuz des Eisernes Kreuz (Knights Cross of the Iron Cross)
History:
1938
1939-40
5th Staffel's Oberleutnant Hubertus Baron von and Lt. Karl Borris (right) relax
during the Sitzkrieg - Dortmund Winter1939-49 (E. Mombeek)
1940
13 May 40
Six No. 264 Sqn. Defiants and six No. 66 Sqn. Spitfires took off from easternmost England early in the morning to attack Ju 52's grounded on the beach near The Hague. The RAF pilots spotted Ju 87's dive bombing a railroad line, and attacked them successfully, but were then hit by the Messerschmitts of 5th Staffel including Leutnant Borris. At the end of the engagement the 5th staffel pilots would claim seven Spitfires and one Defiant (actual Briish losses were one Spitfire and five Defiants). In the onslaught the Defiants did mange to shoot down one Bf 109E, that being Leutnant Karl Borris who bailed out west of Dordrecht, landed in a polder with injuries, and finally made it back to 5th Staffel on 17 May. Borris later compiled the following account of this engagement in his personal war diary "The telephone shrills-orders from the kommodore. The 5th Staffel is to take off immediately for a Jagdschutz mission in the area around Dordrecht. We hurry to our machines, take off, and roar westward. It is shortly after 0600. Clouds appear at about 2,500 meters (8000 feet); it is somewhat hazy. Below us lies the mouth of hte Rhine. We are south of Dordrecht. Suddenly someone cries on the radio, "Aircraft, Spitfires!" Enemy contact with a mixed British formation... I bank toward a Defiant. I can clearly see the four machine guns in its turret firing; however I do not think they can trace me in a dogfight. I approach closer, and open fire at about seventy meters range. At this moment something hits my aircraft, hard. I immediately pull up into the clouds and examine the damage. The left side of my instrument panel is shot through; a round has penetrated Revi (reflector gunsight); and a fuel line has obviously been hit, the cockpit is swimming in gasoline. The engine coughs and quits, starved of fuel. I push a wing over and drop from the clouds. Unbuckle, canopy off, out! I must first pull myself up against a strong headwind. I finally get out, at an altitude of about 800 meters (2,600 feet)...I turn a few somersaults, find the handle, and open my parachute...A light northwest wind blows me toward the mouth of the Rhine. I slipslide with all my strength and land on the outermost dike wall of the last polder of the delta"
1941
9 August 41
Borris shoots down twenty-six year old Pilot Officer Alex Nitelet who was a Belgian pilot flying with 609 Squadron RAF. Nitelet was one of eight Spitfire pilots shot down during the bomber escort mission known as CIRCUS 68 - and the only one to get back to England before the war ended. Three pilots were killed outright, one died of his wounds and the other three (including Douglas Bader) were taken prisoner of war. Nitelet aircraft crash-landed near the little village of Renty, a few miles inland from Boulogne. His aircraft turned over on landing and Alex suffered severe head injuries which led to the loss of his right eye. He was rescued from the wreckage by a local farmer named Louis Salmon who took him to the home of Vincent Ansel, a member of Norbert Fillerin's organisation.
10 November 41
Oberleutnant Borris is appointed Staffelkäpitan of 8th staffel.
1942
1943
7 February 43
Hauptmann Borris was up in mid-afternoon on a test flight and was vectored to intercept a pair of Typhoons that were strafing a railroad train. Borris managed to intercept the British fighters at low altitude near Staden and shot down one of the Typhoons at approximately 1446 hours. His kill (24th victory) was piloted by F/L P. Nankivell of 609 Sqaudron, Nankivell was killed in the crash of his Typhoon.
23 June 43
Hauptmann Borris is appointed Gruppenkommodore of I Gruppe.
17 August 43
Nose Art of B-17 "Dear Mom" (courtesy of www.94bombgroup.com)
Lost were:
Pilot : Lt Bernard W. Nayovitz (Brooklyn NY) KIA
Copilot : 2nd Lt James F. Smith (Montgomery AL) KIA
Navigator : 2nd Lt Murlyn F. Burnett (Oklahoma city OK) KIA
Bomber : 2nd Lt Robert P. Allison (Moscow PA) KIA
Top gunner : T/SGT Albert V. Beyke (Fort Recovery OH) KIA
Radio Operator : T/SGT Arthur T. Macdonell (?) POW
Ball Turret : S/SGT Jack H. Loveless (Washington DC) KIA
Left waist gunner : S/SGT Jacob J. Dalinsky (?) EVD
Right waist gunner : S/SGT Beverly G. Geier (?) EVD
Tail Gunner : S/SGT James W. Tolbert (?) POW
1944
1 August 44
After Borris's return to Jagdgeschwader 26 he is re-appointed Gruppenkommodore of I Gruppe, a post he will serve in until the end of the war.
25 November 44
After forty one (41) aerial victories Major Borris is awarded the Ritterskreuz des Eisernes Kreuz (Knights Cross of the Iron Cross).
1945
14 January 45
1981
18 August 81
Karl Borris dies in the city of Bornum located in the Wölfenbuttel region.
Victory Claims:
Date
|
Rank
|
Unit
|
Claim #
|
Aircraft
|
Place
|
Time
|
Opponent
|
Confirmed
|
1-25
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
01.06.40
|
Lt
|
5. Staffel
JG26
|
1
|
Spitfire
|
Dunkirk
|
1242
|
|
unknown
|
01.06.40
|
Lt
|
5. Staffel
JG26
|
2
|
Spitfire
|
Dunkirk
|
0910
|
RAF 66, 266 or 611Sqn.
|
yes
|
13.08.40
|
Lt
|
5. Staffel
JG26
|
3
|
Hurricane
|
Maidstone-Detling
|
1705
|
RAF 56 Sqn.
|
yes
|
13.08.40
|
Lt
|
5
|
4
|
Hurricane
|
Maidstone-Detling
|
1707
|
RAF 56 Sqn.
|
unknown
|
06.09.40
|
Lt
|
4
|
5
|
Hurricane
|
Folkstone
|
0955
|
RAF 501 Sqn.
|
unknown
|
25.10.40
|
Lt
|
4
|
6
|
Hurricane
|
Maidstone
|
1104
|
RAF 603 Sqn.
|
|
09.08.41
|
Lt
|
6
|
7
|
Spitfire
|
Campagne
|
1830
|
RAF 403 Sqn.
|
|
20.09.41
|
Oblt.
|
6
|
8
|
Spitfire
|
Mardyck
|
1657
|
RAF ? Sqn.
|
|
21.09.41
|
Oblt.
|
6
|
9
|
Spitfire
|
Etaples
|
1630
|
RAF 315 Sqn.
|
|
13.03.42
|
Oblt.
|
8 CO
|
10
|
Spitfire
|
-
|
1609
|
RAF 602 Sqn.
|
|
04.04.42
|
Oblt.
|
8 CO
|
11
|
Spitfire
|
Pas de Calais
|
1140
|
RAF ? Sqn.
|
|
04.04.42
|
Oblt.
|
8 CO
|
12
|
Spitfire
|
3km N Sangatte
|
1146
|
RAF ? Sqn.
|
|
15.04.42
|
Oblt.
|
8 CO
|
13
|
Spitfire
|
E Cap Gris Nez
|
1904
|
RAF 222 Sqn.
|
|
17.04.42
|
Oblt.
|
8 CO
|
14
|
Spitfire
|
Channel
|
1614
|
RAF 121 Sqn.
|
|
24.04.42
|
Oblt.
|
8 CO
|
15
|
Spitfire
|
75km WNW Ostend
|
1450
|
RAF 122 Sqn.
|
|
28.04.42
|
Oblt.
|
8 CO
|
16
|
Spitfire
|
S Gravelines
|
1134
|
RAF 121, 122 or 317 Sqn.
|
|
28.04.42
|
Oblt.
|
8 CO
|
17
|
Spitfire
|
-
|
1159
|
RAF 401 Sqn.
|
|
17.05.42
|
Oblt.
|
8 CO
|
18
|
Spitfire
|
6km NW Sangatte
|
1150
|
RAF 64 or 122 Sqn.
|
|
01.06.42
|
Oblt.
|
8 CO
|
19
|
Spitfire
|
8km N La Panne
|
1358
|
RAF 71 or 350 Sqn.
|
|
30.07.42
|
Oblt.
|
8 CO
|
20
|
Spitfire
|
-
|
1920
|
RAF ? Sqn.
|
|
19.08.42
|
Oblt.
|
8 CO
|
21
|
Spitfire
|
Dieppe
|
1015
|
RAF 19 or 121 Sqn.
|
|
03.02.43
|
Hptm.
|
8 CO
|
22
|
Spitfire
|
N Poperinghe
|
1521
|
RAF 416 Sqn.
|
|
03.02.43
|
Hptm.
|
8 CO
|
23
|
Spitfire
|
Poperinghe-Bergues
|
1522
|
RAF 416 Sqn.
|
|
07.02.43
|
Hptm.
|
8 CO
|
24
|
Typhoon
|
Staden
|
1446
|
RAF 609 Sqn.
|
|
04.04.43
|
Hptm.
|
8 CO
|
25
|
B-17
|
Rouen-Dieppe
|
1440
|
USAAF 303 or 305 BG
|
|
26-43
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13.05.43
|
Hptm.
|
I CO
|
26
|
Spitfire
|
St. Pol
|
1645
|
RAF ? Sqn.
|
|
25.07.43
|
Hptm.
|
I CO
|
27
|
Spitfire
|
N Ghent
|
1504
|
RAF 165 Sqn.
|
|
25.07.43
|
Hptm.
|
I CO
|
28
|
Spitfrie
|
N Ghent
|
1509
|
RAF 165 Sqn.
|
|
17.08.43
|
Hptm.
|
I CO
|
29
|
B-17
|
10km E. Deest
|
1130
|
USAAF 331 BS,
94 BG
|
|
19.09.43
|
Hptm.
|
I CO
|
30
|
Spitfire
|
E Ipswich
|
1252E. Ipswich
|
RAF 91 Sqn.
|
|
07.01.44
|
Hptm.
|
I CO
|
31
|
P-47
|
SW Cousolre
|
1230
|
USAAF 358 FG
|
|
11.01.44
|
Hptm.
|
I CO
|
32
|
B-17
|
Nordhorn-Zuider Zee
|
1300
|
USAAF 306 BG
|
|
29.01.44
|
Hptm.
|
I CO
|
33
|
B-17
|
E Bonn
|
1140
|
-
|
|
08.02.44
|
Hptm.
|
I CO
|
34
|
P-47
|
Hirson-Thierache
|
1115
|
USAAF 352 FG
|
|
24.02.44
|
Hptm.
|
I CO
|
35
|
P-47
|
Fl. Pl. Rheine
|
1305
|
USAAF 56 FG
|
|
06.03.44
|
Hptm.
|
I CO
|
-
|
P-47
|
SW Oldenburgh
|
1435
|
USAAF 356 FG
|
|
08.03.44
|
|
I CO
|
36
|
Spitfire
|
E Utrecht
|
1650
|
RAF 332 Sqn.
|
|
19.04.44
|
Major
|
I CO
|
37
|
Spitfire
|
ENE Mechelen
|
1905
|
RAF 310 or 312 Sqn.
|
|
14.07.44
|
Major
|
I CO
|
38
|
P-47
|
W Paris
|
1436
|
USAAF 358 Sqn.
|
|
26.08.44
|
Major
|
I CO
|
39
|
Spitfire
|
Rouen
|
0932
|
RAF 602 Sqn.
|
|
16.09.44
|
Major
|
I CO
|
40
|
P-38
|
Bonn1740
|
1740
|
USAAF 370 FG
|
|
23.09.44
|
Major
|
I CO
|
41
|
P-51
|
Wesel
|
1709
|
USAAF 339 FG
|
|
05.12.44
|
Major
|
I CO
|
42
|
B-17
|
W Lingen
|
1335
|
USAAF 452 BG
|
|
14.01.45
|
Major
|
I CO
|
43
|
Spitfire
|
Ibbenbüren
|
1545
|
RAF 331 or 332 Sqn.
|
|
|