Date of birth:

September 24th, 1915 (Essen/Rhine Province, Germany)

Date of death:

April 2nd, 1942 (Crown Colony of Malta, British Empire)

Nationality:

German (1933-1945, Third Reich)

01.11.1935: joined the Luftwaffe
00.00.1936: KG 158
01.08.1939: promoted to Leutnant (Tr.O./Fl.), RLM, Ob.d.L. pool
01.09.1939: RDA as Leutnant, Ob.d.L. pool
00.09.1939-00.12.1939: began flight training
01.02.1940: 6./ KG 77
24.04.1941: Stab, SKG 210
26.05.1941: returned to KG 77
29.06.1941: achieved his 100th mission
17.08.1941: shot down in Bf 110 D-0 coded '3Z+CY' near Dolshnitzy (Dolzhnitsy) and made his way back to German lines
00.01.1942: Staka, 4./ KG 77
01.04.1942-02.04.1942: Oblt. and Staka, 4./ KG 77, reported MIA and most probably KIA – in Ju 88 A-4 Werknummer 4559 coded '3Z+JM' lost off the coast of Malta during a night raid and believed shot down by a RAF Beaufighter - remaining crew (all MIA):
-Ofw Karl Eppensteiner, Beobachter
-Uffz Wilhelm Kruse, Bordfunker
-Ofw Josef Schmidt, Bordschütze
03.05.1942: Oblt., awarded the Ritterkreuz posthumously as Staka 4./ KG 77
Pilot credited with 225 to 250 missions and sank at least 9,000 GRT of shipping.
Alternate spelling: Bischof

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

1940

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)

Unit:

6. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 77, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

December 15th, 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

with pennant '200'

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)

Unit:

Staffelkapitän, 4. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Kampfgeschwader 77, Luftwaffe

Awarded on:

May 3rd, 1942

Awarded for his successes as a bomber pilot. By the time of his death he had flown about 225-250 sorties, of which 23 were over four hours long and therefore counted double. Among his most notable achievements included the following actions…

- Flying a number of lone attacks against industrial targets in England. One of these was against the Standard Motor Company’s armaments factory in Coventry, and this was mentioned in the OKW communiqué of the 04.10.1940.

- Participating in several attacks against the battleship “HMS Resolution” at the beginning of March 1941.

- Sinking a motor vessel off the coast of England on the 02.04.1941.

- Sinking at least two ships with a combined tonnage of about 9000 GRT in the Gulf of Finland during 1941.

- Flying lone attacks against the locks of the Stalin Canal.

Awarded posthumously.

• Photo: - BISCHOFF, OTTO. : PHOTOS - RITTERKREUZTRÄGER - SAMMLUNG REPRO-PHOTOS : Photos - CA-Collecting and more..., Christiane Arnal e.K.
  
• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - URBANKE, AXEL & KAISER, JOCHEN, Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kampfflieger, Luftfahrtverlag-Start, 2011.
  - Luftwaffe Officer Career