Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant (Pilot Officer)

Unit:

Flugzeugführer Stab/Kampfgruppe z.b.V. 100

Awarded on:

December 23rd, 1942

Awarded for his successes as a transport pilot while flying in the Mediterranean and Eastern theatres. In this time achieved a reputation of bringing his machine out of seemingly impossible situations. On one occasion, after being forced to make an emergency landing in the desert, he was able to make his damaged Ju-52 airworthy after 4 days despite being assured such a thing was impossible. He then managed to make it back to base, long after the aircraft had been written off as missing. He would thus earn the nickname “Master of Lost Machines.”

His total of missions flown by the time of his receiving the Knight’s Cross is not known. It is known however that by that time he had flown 168 missions in the east plus an unknown number in the Mediterranean. After being taken off active flying in early 1943 he had flown a total of 270 sorties.