Eberhard Bock

Eberhard Bock began his service with JG 3 in May 1940. He achieved his first victory on May 15, shooting down a French Morane 406. By the end of the French campaign, he had accumulated 4 victories. During the Battle of Britain, he shot down another four enemy aircraft, at one point becoming the most successful pilot of I./JG 3.

On September 1, Oberleutnant Bock became Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 3. On December 2, 1940, returning from a raid on the British Isles, he ran out of fuel and made an emergency landing on the French side of the Channel.

Early Victories and the Eastern Front

By the end of 1940, he had shot down 8 enemy aircraft. He led 3./JG 3 during the invasion of the USSR. On June 24, during a sortie over the Lutsk area, his Bf 109 F-2 (W.Nr. 5477) “yellow 3” was shot down by anti-aircraft artillery; the pilot made an emergency landing behind enemy lines, managed to evade capture, and returned to the airfield the next day.

He achieved his 10th victory on June 29, shooting down a Pe-2, and his 20th on July 10. However, on the same day, during another sortie over the Kyiv area, his Bf 109 F-2 (W.Nr. 6818) was damaged and the pilot barely managed to land the damaged aircraft at Vasylkiv airfield. In early October, I./JG 3 returned to Germany.

Shifting Theaters of War

In Magdeburg, the pilots received Bf 109 F-4s. From December 1941, the pilots began to be based in Holland. On January 15, 1942, 3./JG 3 became 6./JG 1. Bock achieved two victories during the operation to cover the “Scharnhorst” and “Gneisenau” on February 12, 1942.

After the death of his brother on the front, he was recalled to the rear, serving as an instructor in 2./JG 104. With the onset of massive bombings, his unit was involved in repelling raids. Here, he managed to shoot down three American bombers.

Final Combat and Legacy

From May 2, 1944, he began flying with 5./JG 27. He achieved his last two victories (27th and 28th) over Herausschuss, shooting down a B-17.

Bock was shot down and killed on May 28, 1944, in combat with a USAAF P-51. The pilot managed to parachute from his BF 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 441 324) “black 6”, but hit his head on the tail and died.