Date of birth:

June 26th, 1917 (Düsseldorf/Rhineprovince, Germany)

Date of death:

November 23rd, 1988 (Münster/Westernphalia, Germany)

Nationality:

German

1938 : Fähnrich in the J.G. 26
1st August 1939 : Leutnant in the 1./J.G. 1 - Poland and Western campaigns
11 May 1940: both 1st victories
June 1940 : 9 victories (included 2 x french LeO 2-engine bombers)
9 July 1940 : transferred to the 7./J.G. 27
October 1940 : Adjutant in the 1./J.G. 27.
Beginning 1941 : 14 victories and sent with his Geschwader in North Africa.
14 June 1941 : 1 x 2-engine RAF Maryland Bomber shot down in the Lybian desert together with 1 x escorting Hurricane flown by the ace Captain Ken Diver credited with 10 victories (SAAF Squadron) and who bailed out and was captured.

23 July 1941 : Oberleutnant awarded the RK for his 22nd victories in Afrika (204 air missions)
6 December 1941 : nominated Staffelkapitän in the I./J.G. 27
25 Dezember 1941 : wounded when his Me 109 was shot down 40km southward of Agedabia
11 April 1942 : downed 2 x P-40 : 30th air victory
29 October 1942 : wounded again in dogfight with Spitfires, downed with his aircraft in flames, escaped with one broken leg.
Ende 1942 : 39 air victories (25 in African campaign).
1 July 1943 : chef der 1./Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Süd and took part in a Jagdflieger-Führer-Lehrgang and promoted Gruppenkommandeur der I./J.G. 27 for the Defense of the Reich (Reichsverteidigung).
14 October 1943 : 2 x USAF 4-engine B-17 bomber over Schweinfurt.
12 May 1944 : seriously wounded in dogfight with many 4-engine bombers over Bad
15. 12. 1944 : appointed to the staff og the J.G. 27.
30 December 1944 : promoted Kommodor of the J.G. 27 until May 1945.

He survived the war while achieving a total of 500 sorties and 43 aerial victories (including 25 in Africa and 4 four-engined bombers).

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• Photo 1: Source known to STIWOT
• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
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  - OBERMAIER, E., Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe, Hoffmann, 1989.
  - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
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