Fritz Gromotka was born on 2 June 1915 at Kronschkow
in the Kempen region of Posen. In November 1940, Gromotka was posted to
6./JG 27. During the Balkans campaign he gained his first three victories
over Greece, including two RAF Blenheim twin-engine bombers shot down on
13 April 1941. Unteroffizier Gromotka participated in the invasion of Russia.
He recorded two further victories in this theatre, both Russian DB-3 twin-engine
bombers shot down on 25 June 1941 near Wilna. However, while returning
from this mission he ran out of fuel necessitating a forced-landing in
Bf 109 E-8 (W.Nr. 4890) “Yellow 2” west of Minsk. He was initially posted
missing in action but returned to his unit on 28 June. Gromotka relocated
to North Africa with II./JG 27 in September 1941. He was shot down in aerial
combat on 21 May 1942, but emerged unhurt from the subsequent crash-landing.
By June 1942, he had claimed a further four victories. In July 1942, Gromotka
undertook a spell of instructing at Jagdfliegerschule 4. In December 1942,
he was transferred to 9./JG 27 based in the Mediterranean theatre. Between
September and December 1943, Gromotka claimed nine victories including
three RAF Spitfire fighters shot down on 27 September for his ninth through
11th victories. He recorded his first four-engine bomber victory on 5 October,
when he shot down a USAAF B-24 near Eratini. In March 1944, III./JG 27
finally departed the Mediterranean for Reichsverteidigung duties and deployment
to the Invasion front. Gromotka received promotion to the rank of Leutnant
and was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 28 January 1945 for 29 victories. On
1 February 1945, Gromotka was appointed Staffelkapitän of 9./JG 27, a position
he held until the end of the war. During his combat career, Gromotka had
had to bale out five times. Gromotka died on 2 November 1979 at Remscheid.
Fritz Gromotka was credited with 29 victories in
438 missions. He recorded two victories over the Eastern
front. Included in the 27 victories recorded over the Western
front are 9 four-engine bombers.
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13.4.1941
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Blenheim | 6./JG 27 | SW Bitolj-Kenali: Balkans / Blenheim (L8604) of 211 Sqn, RAF flown by F/O CEV Thompson, all killed |
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13.4.1941
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Blenheim | 6./JG 27 | SW Bitolj-Kenali: Balkans / Blenheim (L4819) of 211 Sqn, RAF flown by F/O RV Herbert, all killed |
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14.4.1941
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Gladiator | 6./JG 27 | S Florina |
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25.6.1941
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DB-3 | 6./JG 27 | NE Wilna |
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25.6.1941
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DB-3 | 6./JG 27 | WSW Wilna |
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29.10.1941
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Hurricane | 6./JG 27 | Hurricane of 208 Sqn, RAF flown by F/O Cotton, crash-landed |
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29.11.1941
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Hurricane | 6./JG 27 | SW El Adem |
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23.2.1942
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Blenheim | 6./JG 27 | W Sidi Barrani / Blenheim of 14 Sqn, RAF |
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18.3.1942
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P-40 | 6./JG 27 | SE Tobruk |
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10.6.1942
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Hurricane | 6./JG 27 | Sidi Rezegh / Hurricane of 73 or 213 Sqn, RAF |
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27.9.1943
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Spitfire | 9./JG 27 | 1-2km N Insel Kos |
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27.9.1943
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Spitfire | 9./JG 27 | NW Kos airfield (Dodecanese) |
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28.9.1943
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Spitfire | 9./JG 27 | N Gyali (Dodecanese) |
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5.10.1943
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B-24 | 9./JG 27 | Eratini (Salonika) |
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8.10.1943
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P-38 | 9./JG 27 | 6-8km NNW Akrotiri Pappas |
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10.11.1943
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Beaufighter | 9./JG 27 | WSW Karpathos |
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4.12.1943
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Baltimore | 9./JG 27 | Insel Kéa (Aegean) |
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6.12.1943
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B-24 | 9./JG 27 | NW Eleusis |
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6.12.1943
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B-24 | 9./JG 27 | W Milos |
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19.3.1944
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B-24 | 9./JG 27 | 25km SE Marburg |
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12.4.1944
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B-17 | 9./JG 27 | NW Neusiedler See |
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12.5.1944
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B-17 | 9./JG 27 | 30km NNE Hanau |
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12.5.1944
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B-17 HSS | 9./JG 27 | 30km NNE Hanau |
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12.5.1944
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B-17 HSS | 9./JG 27 | Frankfurt-Hanau-Gelnhausen |
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28.5.1944
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B-17 | 9./JG 27 | Wittemberg |
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10.6.1944
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P-47 | 9./JG 27 | NE Lisieux |
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12.6.1944
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P-47 | 9./JG 27 | Paris |
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17.8.1944
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Typhoon | 9./JG 27 | Dreux |
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19.8.1944
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P-47 | 9./JG 27 | Mantes |
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26.11.1944
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P-51 | 9./JG 27 | N Osnabrück |
Victories : 29
Awards : Ehrenpokal (19 January 1944)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (25 May 1944)
Ritterkreuz (28 January 1945)
Units : JG 27