Der Stern von Afrika

Der Stern von Afrika The Star of Africa
Directed by	Alfred Weidenmann
Produced by	Rüdiger von Hirschberg
Written by	Herbert Reinecker and Udo Wolter
Starring	Joachim Hansen Marianne Koch Hansjörg Felmy Roberto Blanco Peer Schmidt Horst Frank Carl Lange Alexander Kerst Christian Doermer Siegfried Schürenberg
Music by	Hans-Martin Majewski
Cinematography	Helmut Ashley
Production company	Münchener Lichtspielkunst G.m.b.H.
Release dates	13 August 1957
Running time	99 min.
Country	West Germany Spain
Language	German

Der Stern von Afrika (English: The Star of Africa) is a 1957 black-and-white German war film portraying the combat career of Luftwaffe World War II fighter pilot Hans-Joachim Marseille. It stars Joachim Hansen and Marianne Koch and was directed by Alfred Weidenmann. The film was premièred on 13 August 1957 in Berlin and was very successful at the German box office, although the critics predominantly gave it a fair rating.

Plot

Luftwaffe pilot Hans-Joachim Marseille; note the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

The film begins shortly before the outbreak of World War II when ensign Jochen Marseille is located at a Luftwaffe (Air Force) Kriegsschule (War School) in Berlin, where he makes a negative impression on his superiors with daredevil stunts and undisciplined behavior. His friend and comrade, Robert Franke, helps spare him from severe punishment. His squadron moves to France after the outbreak of World War II. During the Battle of Britain, Marseille experiences the brutality of war for the first time when Franke is shot down over the English Channel and is posted missing for a short while. But after his comrade's return, Marseille is back to a carefree world of flying. A thoughtful conversation in a bar while playing a game of billiards with an elderly French civilian affects him and his fellow pilots only briefly. A short time later, his unit is transferred to the Afrikakorps in the North African Theater of Operations. Marseille, thanks to his outstanding flying skill and talent, quickly becomes the most successful fighter pilot.

As his combat time in Africa lengthens, Marseille loses more and more comrades to the Desert Air Force. In particular, the death of the inexperienced young Sergeant Klein on his first aerial combat sortie and a conversation with the search-and-rescue officer, Krusenberg, cast doubt on the usefulness of his operations. After achieving his 100th aerial victory, Marseille is ordered to Berlin, where he is awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern). After a propaganda event at his former school, he meets a mathematics teacher, Brigitte and falls in love with her. He takes her with him to Rome after he receives an invitation from the Italian High Command to receive the Gold Medal of Military Valor (Italian: Medaglia d'oro al Valore Militarecode: it is deprecated ). The two of them spend a few carefree and happy days in Italy. The distraught Brigitte tries to persuade him to defect, but out of a sense of duty, he returns to his squadron in North Africa.

In North Africa, the intensity of aerial combat continues. During a reconnaissance flight over Egypt, his aircraft suffers an engine failure and only with difficulty does Marseille manage to return to German-controlled airspace. He bails out as the aircraft crashes, but his parachute does not open. His body is later found in the desert. Brigitte receives the news of his death and collapses while teaching a class.

Historical accuracy

Eduard Neumann, the former Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of Jagdgeschwader 27 (27th fighter wing) and Marseille's commanding officer, served as a technical advisor on the film.

The Messerschmitt Bf 109s shown in the film were postwar Hispano built Ha 1109 versions with French-designed Spanish built Hispano-Suiza 12Z 12-cylinder upright-Vee Engines that fitted the sleek contours of the Bf 109 with an inverted-Vee Engine well. A variant of this aircraft starred twelve years later in the well-known movie Battle of Britain. These were Ha 1112 "Buchóns" with the 109 Airframe married to surplus British Rolls-Royce Merlin engines intended for bombers with massive radiators below the propeller. A sturdy while ugly combination of parts not designed to fit together. They were later and are still being converted to Bf 109F Replicas after finding SAAB-built Daimler-Benz Engines in Sweden. Unfortunately none of the earlier "all-Spanish" Ha 1109 from the film seem to have survived in flying condition.

Cast

• Joachim Hansen as Hans-Joachim "Jochen" Marseille
• Marianne Koch as Brigitte
• Hansjörg Felmy as Robert Franke
• Horst Frank as Albin Droste
• Peer Schmidt as Answald Sommer
• Lore Hartling as Marianne Franke
• Carl Lange as Hauptmann Krusenberg
• Werner Bruhns as Werner Heydenreich
• Alexander Kerst as Major Niemeyer
• Albert Hehn as Major Schliemann
• Johannes Grossmann as Unteroffizier Weiss
• Gisela von Collande as Marseille's mother
• Arno Paulsen as Marseille's father
• Christian Doermer as Unteroffizier Klein
• Siegfried Schürenberg as the director of the school
• Erich Ponto as the French billiard player
• Roberto Blanco as Mathias

References

Citations

Bibliography

• Tate, Robert (2008). Hans-Joachim Marseille: An Illustrated Tribute to the Luftwaffe's "Star of Africa" . Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7643-2940-1.
• Wübbe, Walter (2001). Hauptmann Hans Joachim Marseille Ein Jagdfliegerschicksal in Daten, Bildern und Dokumenten (in German). Schnellbach, Germany: Verlag Siegfried Bublies. ISBN 3-926584-78-5.

External links

• Der Stern von Afrika (1957) at IMDb
• "Der Stern von Afrika" at filmportal.de