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Me262 |
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Name : Me262 Manufacturer : Messerschmitt Number Built : 1400 |
The Messerschmitt Me-262 Swallow, a masterpiece of engineering, was the first operational mass-produced jet to see service. Prototype testing of the airframe commenced in 1941 utilizing a piston engine. General Adolf Galland, who was in charge of the German Fighter Forces at that time, pressured both Goring and Hitler to accelerate the Me-262, and stress its use as a fighter to defend Germany from Allied bombers. Hitler, however, envisioned the 262 as the aircraft which might allow him to inflict punishment on Britain. About 1400 Swallows were produced, but fortunately for the Allies, only about 300 saw combat duty. While the original plans for the 262 presumed the use of BMW jet engines, production Swallows were ultimately equipped with Jumo 004B turbojet engines. The wing design of the 262 necessitated the unique triangular hull section of the fuselage, giving the aircraft a shark-like appearance. With an 18 degree swept wing, the 262 was capable of Mach .86. The 262 was totally ineffective in a turning duel with Allied fighters, and was also vulnerable to attack during take off and landings. The landing gear was also suspect, and many 262s were destroyed or damaged due to landing gear failure. Despite its sleek jet-age appearance, the 262 was roughly manufactured, because Germany had lost access to its normal aircraft assembly plants. In spite of these drawbacks the 262 was effective. For example, on April 7, 1945 a force of sixty 262s took on a large force of Allied bombers with escort fighters. Armed with their four nose-mounted cannons, and underwing rockets the Swallows succeeded in downing or damaging 25 Allied B-17s on that single mission. While it is unlikely that the outcome of the War could have been altered by an earlier introduction or greater production totals for this aircraft, it is clear to many historians that the duration of the War might have been drastically lengthened if the Me-262 had not been too little too late. |
| Pilots and Aircrew for : Me262 | ||||||
| A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | ||||||
| Name | Info | |||||
| Altner, Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Altner, Herbert | Altner, Herbert German night-fighter Ace who claimed at least 25 victories with NJ3, NJ5 and finally with 10./NJG11. He has two recorded victories with NJG3, on 19th August 1942 and 19th February 1943, before he scored the bulk of his victories with NJG5, beginning with a Flying Fortress on 9th October 1943. By 7th February 1945 when he claimed his last victory with NJG5, he had racked up a score of 24. On 3rd April 1945 he was flying Me262B-1a/U1 111980 Red 12 of 10./NJG11 when he claimed his final victory - a Mosquito over Berlin. | |||||
| Ambs, Alfred Click the name above to see a profile of Ambs, Alfred
| Ambs, Alfred Born in Gladbeck on the 23rd January 1923, Alfred Ambs joined the Luftwaffe on the 10th July 1942. Initiqally attached to a training unit, he flew Ju88s, Me110s, Me109 and Fw190 aircraft. He was in the following units : Flg.Rgt. 53, Luftkriegsschule 3, Flugzeugführerschule C14 in Prague. Flugzeugführerschule B33 (Prague-Rusin), and Zerstörergeschwader 101. As the war situation worsened, Ambs was transferred to train on the new Messerschmitt 262 fighter with JG7 in Lechfeld. Flying with this unit, Ambs shot down 6 Allied aircraft to finish the war an Me 262 jet Ace. He flew his last mission on 23rd March 1945, and had flown a total of nearly 75 missions on the Me262. Sadly, Alfred Ambs passed away on 30th March 2010. | |||||
| Bar, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Bar, Heinz
| Bar, Heinz Lieutenant Colonel Oskar-Heinz Heinrich "Pritzl" Bär born 25 May 1913 was a German Luftwaffe flying ace who served throughout World War II in Europe. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He flew over a thousand combat missions, and fought in all major German theatres of the war, including the Western, Eastern and Mediterranean fronts. On 18 occasions he survived being shot down, and he was credited with 220 aerial victories. Heinz Bär, a Saxon with a strong accent, joined the Reichswehr in 1934 and transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935. Serving first as a mechanic, then as a pilot on transport aircraft, he was informally trained as a fighter pilot. He claimed his first aerial victory in September 1939 on the French border. By the end of the Battle of Britain, his tally of victories had increased to 17. Transferred to the Eastern front to participate in Operation Barbarossa, he quickly accumulated further victories, a feat that earned him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords for 90 aerial victories in February 1942. During the remainder of World War II, Heinz Bär was credited with 130 other aerial victories, including 16 while flying one of the first jet fighters, the Me 262, an achievement which would normally have earned him the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds However, Hermann Göring's personal dislike of Bär, coupled with Bär's insubordinate character and lack of military discipline, deprived him of this award. After World War II, Bär continued his career as an aviator and was killed in a flying accident on 28 April 1957 near Braunschweig. | |||||
| Barkhorn, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Barkhorn, Gerhard
| Barkhorn, Gerhard Gerhard Barkhorn joined II/JG52 in August 1940. In June 1943 he was promoted Kommandeur II/JG52, and in November that year he became only the fifth fighter pilot to reach 200 victories. He achieved his 300th victory on 5th January 1945. Promoted Komodore of JG6 near the end of the war, he was then summoned by Galland to join JV44. Barkhorn flew 1104 missions, and with 301 victories was the second highest scoring Ace in history. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Born 20th May 1919, died alongside his wife 8th January 1983 in a car accident. | |||||
| Bätcher, Hans-Georg Click the name above to see a profile of Bätcher, Hans-Georg
| Bätcher, Hans-Georg Born 13th January 1914, he was flying with KG4 by 1st April 1936 as an observer. He went to pilot training in September 1936, flew with KG27 and by 15th July 1941 was flying with KG100, who he flew with, and commanded until 12th June 1944, including after it was renamed KG4 on 11th January 1943. He then joined KG76 flying the Arado Ar234 bomber, before going on to command KG54 flying the new Me262 jet ffrom 27th February 1945. In his career he was awarded the Iron Cross I and II, the German Cross in Gold and the Knights Cross with Oak Leaves. He died on 23rd April 2003. | |||||
| Biermeier, Alois Click the name above to see a profile of Biermeier, Alois | Biermeier, Alois Injured on 19th February 1945 when his Me262A-1 0111539 of JG7 suffered mechanical failure and crash landed near Stubben. | |||||
| Bob, Hans-Ekkehard Click the name above to see a profile of Bob, Hans-Ekkehard
| Bob, Hans-Ekkehard After success in the Battle of Britain, Hans-Ekkehard Bob took over leadership of 9./JG54 in 1940. The following year he was awarded the Knight's Cross. Transferring to the Eastern Front his victories rose steadily to 50 by September 1942. His Group later transferred back to the West for a short period, where in April 1943, he rammed a B-17 Fortress. Returning to the Eastern Front as Kommander of IV./JG3, he ended the war as Adjutant of Galland's JV44 in the West. In his 700 missions he scored 60 victories. | |||||
| Buttner, E Click the name above to see a profile of Buttner, E
| Buttner, E Killed on 20th March 1945 when his Me262A-1 0501196 of JG7 was shot down by American aircraft and crashed near Holtenau airfield. | |||||
| Csurusky, Georg Click the name above to see a profile of Csurusky, Georg | Csurusky, Georg After completing his pilot training, Georg was posted in January, 1943, to 1.KG51 on the eastern front, flying the JU-88 all-weather medium bomber. In August, 1943, he converted to fly the ME-410 Hornet. On October 3rd 1943 Hauptmann Georg Csurusky was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (The German Cross in Gold). In 1944, 1 Gruppe KG51 converted to train on the ME-262 jet fighter-bomber for the Western Front. Georg flew the 262 on the attack on the Ludendorff Bridge. At the war's end he had flown 209 combat missions on both fronts, 68 of which were in the ME-262. | |||||
| Czypionka, Jorg Click the name above to see a profile of Czypionka, Jorg | Czypionka, Jorg Very few Luftwaffe pilots flew the Me262 jet as a night-fighter. Jorg Czypionka was one of them. In 1944 he flew Fw190 and Me109 night fighters before moving to 10./NJG11 flying high altitude Me109s. In January 1945 he joined a new unit - Kommando Welter - which was formed within 10./NJG11 to counter the RAF Mosquitos flying fast intruder operations. Equipped with single seat Me262 fighters he flew his jet 'Red 6' alongside the top scoring jet ace of all time, Kurt Welter, scoring two confirmed night victories over Mosquitos. | |||||
| Dahl, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Dahl, Walter
| Dahl, Walter Walter Dahl was born on 27 March 1916 at Lug in the Bergzabern region of Pfalz. He joined the army in 1935, initially serving in the infantry, before transferring to the Luftwaffe and becoming a pilot. He became a flight instructor in 1939. In May 1941, Dahl was transferred to the Geschwaderstab of JG 3. He gained his first victory on 22 June during the invasion of Russia. On 10 July, Dahl was transferred to II./JG 3. By the end of October, Dahl had 17 victories to his credit, including three Russian aircraft shot down on 13 September to record victories seven through nine and a further three on 23 October, all Russian fighters (15-17). Dahl was transferred to 4./JG 3 on 13 December 1941 and accompanied the unit to the Mediterranean theatre. He claimed a Spitfire shot down over Malta on 1 April 1942, although this claim could well have occurred on 2 April. However, the victory was not confirmed and the “Spitfire”, actually a RAF Hurricane of 229 Sqn, managed to return to its base on Malta, albeit damaged. On 10 April 1942, Dahl was appointed Staffelkapitän of Ergänzungsgruppe/JG 3. At the end of April 1943, Dahl was transferred to the staff of the General der Jagdflieger. On 15 August, Dahl was appointed Geschwaderadjutant of JG 3 based on the Eastern front where, by mid-April 1943, he had raised his victory total to 51. Dahl shot down four Russian Il-2 ground attack aircraft on 26 October 1942 (34-37). Oberleutnant Dahl was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 2 December 1942 for 42 victories. He shot down two Russian LaGG-3 fighters on 16 April 1943 (50-51). On 20 July 1943, Dahl was posted as Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 3, recently relocated to Münster from deployment around Kursk on the Russian Front. Here Dahl was to battle the bomber formations of the USAAF. He shot down two four-engine bombers on 6 September (52-53). He downed two more four-engine bombers and a USAAF P-38 twin-engine fighter on 23 February 1944 (59–61). Dahl led III./JG 3 against the Schweinfurt and Regensburg raid on 17 August but was intercepted by 222 Squadron RAF Spitfires. Five III./JG 3 Bf 109s were shot down including the aircraft of Leutnant Hans Schleef (99 victories, RK, killed in action 31 December 1944). Dahl himself had to make a belly landing near Capperath when his Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 18 842) suffered an engine failure. Major Dahl was awarded the Knight’s Cross on 11 March 1944 for 67 victories. On 21 May 1944, Dahl was appointed Kommodore of JG z.b.V. He led the unit until 6 June before taking command of JG 300 on 27 June. On 13 September, he brought down a USAAF B-17 four-engine bomber by ramming. Despite the successes achieved against the USAAF four-engine bombers with the use of Sturm tactics employed by JG 300, Dahl was to be relieved of his command by Göring on 30 November 1944. On 26 January 1945, he was appointed Inspekteur der Tagjäger. Oberst Dahl was awarded the Eichenlaub on 1 February for 92 victories. Despite his promotion, Dahl continued to fly operationally. He added 32 Russian aircraft to his tally flying over the Eastern front. He recorded his 100th victory on 28 February 1945. Oberst Dahl ended the war flying Me 262 jet fighters with III./EJG 2. Here he flew under the command of Heinz “Pritzl” Bär (221 victories, RK-S). On 27 March, Dahl claimed two USAAF P-47 fighters shot down. He gained his 128th and last victory, a USAAF P-51 Mustang near Dillingen, on 26 April 1945. Walter Dahl survived the war but died on 25 November 1985 at Heidelberg, aged 69. Walter Dahl shot down 128 enemy aircraft in 678 missions, including about 300 ground-attack missions. He claimed 30, possibly 36, four-engine bombers and 34 Il-2 Stormovik ground attack aircraft. Dahl also achieved 2, possibly as many as 9 victories, flying the Me-262. He recorded 84 victories over the Eastern Front. | |||||
| Dobnig , Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Dobnig , Josef | Dobnig , Josef served in JG 51 Mölders, JG 26 Schlageter and JV 44 (Me 262 fighter-jets with combat missions starting from Berlin-Brandenburg-Briest and later from Munich-Riem) | |||||
| Fahrmann, Gottfired Click the name above to see a profile of Fahrmann, Gottfired | Fahrmann, Gottfired Gottfried Fahrmann had been Macky Steinhoffs longstanding wingman and adjutant in their time together with JG77, which Steinhoff had commanded in Italy. Steinhoff had insisted that Fahrmann be brought into Gallands JV44 unit to continue as his wingman and was one of the original members of the squadron of experts. Together they led the first formation of JV44s Me262s on their journey south to Munich on March 31st 1945. After surviving being shot down by a P51 Mustang, Gottfried was taking off alongside Steinhoff when Macky had his terrible accident. | |||||
| Galland, Adolf Click the name above to see a profile of Galland, Adolf
| Galland, Adolf Adolf Galland fought in the great Battles of Poland, France and Britain, leading the famous JG26 'Abbeville Boys'. He flew in combat against the RAF's best including Douglas Bader, Bob Stanford Tuck and Johnnie Johnson. In 1941, at the age of 29, he was promoted to 'Inspector of the Fighter Arm'. In 1942 Hitler personally selected Galland to organise the fighter escort for the 'Channel Dash'. He became the youngest General in the German High Command but open disagreements with Goering led to his dismissal at the end of 1944. He reverted to combat flying, forming the famous JV44 wing flying the Me262 jet fighter, and was the only General in history to lead a squadron into battle. With 104 victories, all in the West, Adolf Galland received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. Born 19th March 1912, died 9th February 1996. Born in 1911, Adolf Galland learned to fly at a state-sponsored flying club in the early 1930's. In 1933 he was selected to go to Italy for secret pilot training. Galland flew for a brief time as a commercial airline pilot prior to joining the clandestine Luftwaffe as a Second Lieutenant. In April of 1935 he was assigned to JG-2, the Richtofen Fighter Wing, and in 1937 he joined the ranks of the Condor Legion flying the He-51 biplane fighter in support of General Franco during the Spanish Civil War. Despite flying 280 missions, Galland attained no aerial victories, a rather inauspicious start for a pilot would go on to attain more than 100 aerial victories - the highest for any pilot who flew on the Western Front. During Germany's invasion of Poland, Galland was assigned to an attack squadron and he flew over fifty ground sorties. He was promoted to Captain for his efforts, but Galland was anxious to return to a fighter squadron, and he got his wish in October of 1939 when he was transferred to JG-27. It was with JG-27 that Galland first learned to fly the Bf-109. In May of 1940 JG-27 flew in support of the invasion of Belgium, and Galland achieved his first combat victory on May 12. Two months later his score had risen to more than a dozen, and at this time he was once again transferred to JG-26 situated on the Channel Coast. Engaging the RAF on a daily basis during the Battle of Britain, Galland's score rose steadily until it exceeded 40 victories by September. After a short leave Galland rejoined JG-26 in Brittany, where the squadron played a defensive role. Following Germany's invasion of Russia in June of 1941, JG-26 became one of only two German fighter squadrons left on the Channel Coast. This resulted in plenty of flying, and by late in 1941 Galland's victory totals had reached 70. Following a near brush with death when the fuel tank of his 109 exploded, Galland was grounded for a time, and sent to Berlin where he was made the General of the Fighter Arm, reporting directly to Goring and Hitler. Galland spent most of the next few years carrying out inspection tours, and was at odds with his superiors about the need for an adequate fighter defense to negate ever-increasing Allied bombing of Germany's cities. He continued to fly combat missions when the opportunity presented itself, despite Goring's orders to the contrary. In January of 1945 almost 300 fighters were lost in an all-out attack on Allied airfields in France, a mission Galland did not support. He was dismissed as General of the Fighter Arm for his insubordination, but reflecting his flying abilities Hitler ordered Galland to organize JV-44, Germany's first jet-equipped fighter squadron. By March of 1945 Galland had recruited 45 of Germany's best surviving fighter pilots, and this new squadron was given the difficult task of trying to counter the daily onslaught of 15th Air Force bombers coming at Germany from the South. Galland's final mission of the War occurred on April 26 when he attained his 102nd and 103rd confirmed aerial victories prior to crash landing his damaged Me262. Several days later the War was over for both Galland and Germany. General Galland died in 1996. | |||||
| Gehlker, Fritz Click the name above to see a profile of Gehlker, Fritz
| Gehlker, Fritz Killed on 20th March 1945 when his Me262A-1 0110598 of JG7 was shot down by an American Flying Fortress of 303rd Bomb Group and crashed north east of Hamburg. | |||||
| Geisthovel, Click the name above to see a profile of Geisthovel, | Geisthovel, On 30th March 1945 his Me262A-1 of JG7 was shot down by an American P-51 Mustang of 339th Fighter Group and force landed near Hamburg. He was uninjured. | |||||
| Giefing, Ernest Click the name above to see a profile of Giefing, Ernest | Giefing, Ernest Ernest Giefing was born on February 7th, 1924 in Stockerau, Austria. After graduating from flight school he joined the training unit Jagdschule 107 in July, 1943 and later joined Jagdschule 107 as a flying instructor. Five months later, Giefing was posted to Jagdgeschwader 2 Richthofen (JG2) followed by a posting to JG7 in December 1944. Ernest Giefing held the rank of Flight Sergeant by the end of the war, having flown approximately 75 combat missions including 12 in Me262 jets, and gaining four confirmed aerial victories, two in the Me262 and two flying the Me109. Ernest Giefing was shot down four times, the fourth time on March 24th, 1945 - the day of his last combat mission. | |||||
| Glunz, Adolf Click the name above to see a profile of Glunz, Adolf
| Glunz, Adolf Adolf Glunz served with 4/JG-52 on both the Channel Coast and then in Russia. Returning to the English Channel with II./JG-25 he became one of the most successful fighter pilots on the Western Front. Adolf Glunz saw combat continuously right up to the war end and, remarkably, was never shot down or wounded in over 574 missions, many whilst flying the Fw190. Awarded the Knight's Cross in 1943, he acheived a personal score of 71 victories. He died 1st August 2002. | |||||
| Haeffner, Heiner Click the name above to see a profile of Haeffner, Heiner | Haeffner, Heiner After flying with II./KG51 Heiner Haeffner transferred to JG7 flying the Me262 and flew the jet on 58 combat missions over Holland, France, Belgium, Germany and Czechoslovakia. He was one of the pilots who flew the Me262 'Yellow 7' now in the Smithsonian Museum. | |||||
| Hannig, Norbert Click the name above to see a profile of Hannig, Norbert
| Hannig, Norbert Norbert Hannig began operations with JG54 on the Eastern Front near Leningrad in early 1943, flying first the Messerschmitt Bf109G, later converting to the Fw190. He became a Staffelkapitan with JG54, notching up an impressive 42 victories. Towards the end of the war, in early 1945, he converted to fly the new jet fighter, the Me262, and flew it in combat with III./JG7 from their airfield base at Brandenberg-Briest. Norbert Hannig died on 21st February 2014. | |||||
| Heckmann, Alfred Click the name above to see a profile of Heckmann, Alfred
| Heckmann, Alfred Born 24th June 1914. He claimed a total of 71 victories, of which 17 were on the western front. | |||||
| Jansen, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Jansen, Heinrich
| Jansen, Heinrich On 30th March 1945 his Me262A-1 of JG7 was shot down by American aircraft and crashed near Erfde. He was ok. | |||||
| Kaiser, Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Kaiser, Herbert
| Kaiser, Herbert Herbert Kaiser joined the Luftwaffe before the war, and by 1938 he was a fighter pilot with II./JG186. He flew in the invasion of Poland and then during the Battle of France, scoring his first victory in May 1940. He took part in the Battle of Britain before transferring to the Balkans. In August 1941 he was posted to the Russian Front, then North Africa followed by Italy and the Dolomites. In March 1944 he joined JG1 in the defence of the Reich. Seriously wounded in a parachute jump in August 1944 he was hospitalised until February 1945. he then joined Adolf Galland's JV44. He flew over 1000 missions and achieved 68 victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in 1943. He passed away on 5th December 2003. | |||||
| Krupinski, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Krupinski, Walter
| Krupinski, Walter Walter Krupinski first saw combat against the RAF on the Western Front. Transferring to the east, he became a Squadron Commander in the legendary JG52. In 1943 his victories reached 150 but, in March 1944 with 177 victories to his name, he was transferred to Germany to command JG11. Flying high altitude Me109s, he chalked up another 12 victories before being wounded. In September 1944 he was promoted Kommandeur of III./JG26 and led them on Operation Bodenplatte before joining Galland's famous JV44. He completed the war with 197 victories in over 1100 missions. He received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. He died in 2000. | |||||
| Lauer, Rony Click the name above to see a profile of Lauer, Rony | Lauer, Rony Rony Lauer joined the Luftwaffe in 1937 but was still in pilot training at the start of the war. In 1942 he was posted to join KG30, flying the JU-88 on operations over England and later in the Mediteranean theater. In June, 1944, he transferred to 1./KG51 for training on the ME-262 and flew in in combat a few months later. Rony flew one of the lead aircraft in the attack on the Bridge at Remagen, and flew the 262 until the end of the war. Rony Lauer was witness to the first recorded Allied destruction of a Me262, belonging to the unit known as Kommando Schenk, on 28th August 1944, claimed as destroyed by 78th FG pilots Major Joseph Myers and Second Lieutenant Manford O. Croy flying P-47 Thunderbolts. Oberfeldwebel Hieronymus Ronny Lauer of I KG(J) 51, on a landing pattern crash landed his 262 to get away from the Allied fighters, which then destroyed the Me262 in strafing attacks. | |||||
| Leykauf, Erwin Click the name above to see a profile of Leykauf, Erwin | Leykauf, Erwin Born in January 1918, Erwin Leykauf learned to fly at glider school and Luftkriegschule, before being called up to fly at the beginning of the war. He flew with JG21 at the beginning of the Battle of Britain, which soon became JG54 where he scored his first 7 victories. Transferring to the Balkans and later the Eastern Front he was forced into an emergency landing behind enemy lines during Operation Barbarossa, eventually making his way back to rejoin his unit. On the night of 22nd - 23rd June 1942, he claimed 6 victories in less than one hour. In August 1943, Leykauf began converting with JG54 to the Fw190 fighter. At the end of the war he was with JG7, flying the Me262, although he did not get a chance to fly any missions on the jet fighter. Erwin was awarded the Iron Cross I and II and his victories had climbed to 33. | |||||
| Mehn, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Mehn, Hans
| Mehn, Hans Killed on 20th March 1945 when his Me262A-1 0111924 White 7 of JG7 was shot down by an American P-51 Mustang of 33rd Fighter Group and crashed near Kaltenkirchen. | |||||
| Muller, Siegfried Click the name above to see a profile of Muller, Siegfried | Muller, Siegfried Born in 1924, Siegfried Muller first flew with JG1 Molders in the south of France. In 1943 he took part in the air battles over Salerno and Monte Cassino. He joined IV./JG3 Udet in June 1944, where he was promoted to Staffelkapitan of 16 Staffel /IV Sturm Gruppe flying heavily armoured Fw190s. With this Gruppe he took part in the Ardennes Offensive and on 1st January 1945, Operation Bodenplatte. At the end of the war he was attached to JG7 for training on the Me262 jet fighter. Awarded the Iron Cross 1 and 2, he scored 17 victories, including 9 four-engined bombers. | |||||
| Rademacher, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Rademacher, Rudolf
| Rademacher, Rudolf Rudolf “Rudi” Rademacher was born on 19 July 1913 at Lüneburg. Unteroffizier Rademacher served with 3./JG 54 on the Eastern front from 1 December 1941. He achieved his first victory on 9 January 1942 on his fifth combat mission. He was awarded the Ehrenpokal on 19 October 1942. By the end of 1942 he had claimed 22 victories. In March 1943, he was transferred to 1./JG 54, the famous “Nowotny Schwarm” led by Walter Nowotny (258 victories, RK-Br, killed in action 8 November 1944) and also including Anton Döbele (94 victories, RK, killed in action 11 November 1943) and Karl “Quax” Schnörrer (46 victories, RK). Together the pilots of the Schwarm were to total over 500 victories between them. He claimed seven enemy aircraft shot down in one day on 5 July 1943 to record his victories 39 through 45. Rademacher was promoted Oberfeldwebel whilst serving with 1./JG 54. On 30 April 1943 he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz. On 30 August 1944 he was transferred to 1./Jagdgruppe Nord, redesignated Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 1 on 4 November 1944, based at Sagan, to undertake instructing duties. Despite his training duties Rademacher was able to engage in aerial combat and claimed five enemy aircraft shot down, including four four-engined bombers and P-47, during his stay with the unit. On 18 September 1944, during an attack on a formation of USAAF bombers, he was badly wounded when he was shot down in Fw 190 A-8 “White 13”. On 30 September 1944, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross for 81 victories. In January 1945, Leutnant Rademacher transferred to 11./JG 7 where he undertook conversion training on to the Me 262 jet fighter. The training consisted of six flights totalling 150 minutes before he was declared operational. On 1 February 1945, he gained his first victory flying the jet, a RAF Spitfire over Braunschweig. In February 1945, he scored at least seven victories according to some sources. Rademacher was to be credited with at least 16 victories, including several Herausschüsse, flying the Me 262, although sources do differ over his final tally crediting him with scores as low as eight and as high as 24. “Rudi” Rademacher survived the war only to be killed in a glider crash at Lüneburg on 13 June 1953. Rudolf Rademacher’s final score is a matter of some conjecture. Sources claim his total to be 97, 102 and 126 in more than 500 missions. Some claim he had an additional 23 unconfirmed victories. It is thought he gained 76 victories over the Eastern front with JG 54, including 21 Il-2 Stormoviks and 7 Pe-2, and a further five whilst with JGr. Nord. To this can be added his jet victories, at least 16, including 11 four-engine bombers. | |||||
| Rall, Günther Click the name above to see a profile of Rall, Günther
| Rall, Günther A young pilot with III/JG52 at the outbreak of war. He quickly demonstrated his natural ability and leadership qualities, scoring his first air victory early in the Battle of Britain, and by July 1940 was leading 8/JG52. After transfer to the Eastern Front his air victories mounted at an astonishing rate. A crash hospitalised him but within nine months he was back in the cockpit, and, when commanding III/JG52, gained the Wings 500th victory. Gunther fought throughout the war to become the 3rd highest Ace in history with 275 victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Gunther Rall was born on March 10, 1918 in the small Bavarian town of Gaggenau, Baden. Immersing himself in Boy Scout activities during the difficult economic times in Germany following WW 1, Rall finished school in 1936 and joined the German Army. Influenced by a friend, who was a young officer in the Luftwaffe, Rall entered pilot's school in 1938. His initial posting was with JG52. He attained his first aerial victory during the Battle of France in May of 1940. During the Battle of Britain JG52 absorbed many casualties, and Rall was promoted to Squadron Commander at the young age of 22. With his fair-hair and smooth complexion the young officer looked even younger than his years. But behind this pleasant exterior was a fierce competitor with the heart of a tiger. Later, Rall's squadron would support the attack on Crete, followed by deployment to the Southern Sector on the Eastern Front. Rall's victory totals began to mount. Following his 37 th victory, GiInther was himself shot down. He was lucky to survive the crash, but with a badly broken back he would spend most of the next year in various hospitals. In Vienna at the University Hospital he would meet his future wife, Hertha. Miraculously, Rall recovered and returned to the Luftwaffe in August of 1942. By November his score exceeded 100 and he was awarded the Oak Leaves to accompany the Knight's Cross he was awarded only weeks earlier. As the War progressed against Russia, Rall began to encounter ever more experienced Soviet pilots flying better performing aircraft. Despite this fact, and being shot down several more times himself, Rall's victory tally kept rising. By March of 1944 the ace had attained 273 aerial victories. With the War now going badly for Germany, Rall was transferred to the Western Front. He was able to attain only two more victories against the swarms of Allied bombers and fighter escorts which now pounded Germany every day and night. In May of 1944 Rall was shot down by a P-47. Losing his thumb in the battle he remained out of combat until later in 1944. Rall's final assignments included flying 190Ds as Kornmodore of JG300, and flying the Me-262 jet. Rall's 275 aerial victories (attained on less than 700 combat sorties) make him the third highest scoring ace of all time. If not for the down time suffered as a result of his broken back, Rall might have actually equaled or exceeded Erich Hartmann's alltime record of 352 aerial victories. Rall was not much for socializing during the War. He was a fierce competitor with a businessman's attitude about flying. He was an excellent marksman, and possibly the best deflection shot expert of the War. He continued to fly with the Bundeslufwaffe following the War, serving as its Commander-In Chief in 1970-74. Sadly, Gunther Rall died on 4th October 2009.
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| Reinert, Ernst-Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Reinert, Ernst-Wilhelm
| Reinert, Ernst-Wilhelm Ernst Wilhelm Reinert flew with JG77, before transferring to the Eastern Front in 1941. He was posted to Tunisia in January 1943 where he became the most successful Luftwaffe Ace in North Africa during that period. On January 2nd 1945 he was given the leadership of IV./JG27. In March he transferred to III./JG7 flying the Me262. In his 715 missions Reinert scored 174 aerial victories. he was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. Born 2nd February 1919 in Lindenthal, died 5th September 2007. | |||||
| Roell, Werner Click the name above to see a profile of Roell, Werner
| Roell, Werner Werner Roell flew initially in Norway, and was one of the first pilots to land in Norway during that campaign. He later flew operations in Yugoslavia and Crete as Staffelkapitan of 4./St77, subsequently flying in Russia. Transferring to the Ju87, he flew over 400 combat missions in the Stuka, destroying a Soviet cruiser near the Crimea. In early 1945 he was summoned by Adolf Galland to join his famous Me262 Squadron of Experts in JV44, where he served until the end of the war. Werner Roell flew a total of 477 combat missions, and was awarded the Knights Cross. Passed away 10th May 2008. | |||||
| Rudorffer, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Rudorffer, Erich
| Rudorffer, Erich Erich Rudorffer joined I./JG2 'Richthofen' in November 1939, and was soon flying combat patrols. He took part in the Battle of France, and the Battle of Britain, becoming Adjutant of II./JG2 in June 1941. In December 1942 he was transferred to North Africa. In July 1943 he was posted to command II./JG54 in Russia. In February 1945 he took command of I./JG7 flying the Me262. Erich Rudorffer was the master of multiple scoring - achieving more multiple victories than any other pilot. This included 8 RAF aircraft in 32 minutes in December 1943, 7 in 20 minutes a few days later. In Russia he shot down 5 aircraft in only 4 minutes. He ended the war with 222 victories from over 1000 missions. He was awarded the Knight's Cross, with Oak Leaves and Swords. He died on 8th April 2016. | |||||
| Russel, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Russel, Heinz
| Russel, Heinz Killed on 9th March 1945 when his Me109A-1 of JG7 crashed into the sea west of Langeland. | |||||
| Schall, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Schall, Franz
| Schall, Franz Franz Schall was born on 1 June 1918 at Graz in Steiermark, Austria. He was a flak gunner early in the war but, on 1 September 1941, he began flying training. On completion of his training in February 1943, Schall was transferred to JG 52 on the Eastern Front. Leutnant Schall was assigned to 3./JG 52. He gained his first victory on 6 May 1943, when he shot down a Russian LaGG-5 fighter. On 1 August 1943, Schall recorded his 10th victory when he shot down a Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft. He recorded another two Il-2s shot down on 24 October to raise his victory total to 20. Schall’s victory total had reached 26 by the end of 1943. On 16 January 1944, Schall shot down three Russian fighters for his 30th through 32nd victories. He claimed his 40th victim, a Russian P-39 fighter, shot down on 19 April. Schall recorded 11 victories in May, including three P-39s shot down on 2 May (45-47), his 50th victory on 17 May 1944, another Il-2, and three enemy aircraft shot down on 30 May (51-53). He shot down an Il-2 and a P-39 on 4 June to raise his victory total to 60. In July, Schall recorded a further 10 victories, including three enemy aircraft on 14 July (65-67) and four on 16 July (70-73). Schall was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 52 on 11 August 1944. This would herald his most successful period of the war. In August he recorded 38 victories, including three enemy aircraft shot down on 12 August (74-76), three on 24 August (79-81), 11, including six Il-2s, on 26 August (83-93), three further Il-2s on 28 August (94-96) and 13, including 11 Il-2s, on 31 August (97-109). However, Schall was shot down by flak and required to make forced-landings on four occasions, including once behind Russian lines from which he successfully negotiated his way back to his unit. On 25 September 1944, Oberleutnant Schall was transferred to Eprobungskommando Nowotny, commanded by Major Walter Nowotny (258 victories, RK-Br) operating the new Me 262 jet fighter. He was assigned command of 2. Staffel. In the morning of 8 November 1944, he shot down three USAAF P-51 fighters (120-122) escorting a USAAF bomber raid but then suffered flameouts of both engines. While attempting to glide back to his base at Hesepe, he was intercepted by a P-51, piloted by Lt James Kenney of the 357th FG, which badly damaged Schall’s Me 262 A-1a (W.Nr. 110 404) “White 7”. Schall baled out only to see his aircraft explode. Following Major Walter Nowotny’s death on 8 November 1944, the surviving pilots and personnel from Eprobungskommando Nowotny were incorporated into JG 7. Hauptmann Schall led 10./JG 7, based at Oranienburg, and continued scoring with the Me 262 but many of his victories were never confirmed by disintegrating official sources. On 4 April 1945, Schall shot down a P-51 (131) but was then shot down himself. He baled out surviving unharmed. On 10 April 1945, Schall shot down a P-51, for his 133rd, and last, victory, but then attempted an emergency landing at Parchim. His aircraft rolled into a bomb crater and exploded, killing him instantly. Franz Schall was credited with 133 victories in 530 missions. He recorded 116 victories over the Eastern front, including 61 Stormoviks. Of his 17 victories recorded over the Western front, all were gained flying the Me 262 jet fighter and include six four-engine bombers and 10 P-51 fighters. | |||||
| Schenck, Wolfgang Click the name above to see a profile of Schenck, Wolfgang
| Schenck, Wolfgang Born 7th February 1913, Wolfgang Schenck joined the Luftwaffe in 1936. After training he was assigned to JG132 flying Me109s before the squadron was renamed ZG1 and converted to Me110s. He took part in operations against Poland, Norway and France but was hospitalised for three months after being wounded. After recovering, he joined EG210, an experimental squadron, to develop fighter bomber tactics. Renamed as SG210, the squadron later took part in the advance into Russia, where Schenck was awarded his Knights Cross. In March 1942 Schenck took command of 1./ZG1, and was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross with this unit. He went on to command SG2, flying Fw190s in the Mediterranean. Later, from December 1944 to January 1945, Schenck commanded KG51, flying the newly developed Me262 jet fighter-bomber. Flying over 400 missions, Schenck scored 18 aerial victories and sunk 28,000 tons of shipping. Wolfgang Schenck passed away on 5th March 2010. | |||||
| Schneller, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Schneller, Wilhelm
| Schneller, Wilhelm Killed on 15th December 1944 when his Me262A-1 of JG7 crashed near Schwabstedt. | |||||
| Schnorrer, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Schnorrer, Karl | Schnorrer, Karl Injured on 30th March 1945 when his Me262A-1 of JG7 was shot down by an American P-51 Mustang and crashed near Hamburg. | |||||
| Schrey, Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Schrey, Gunther
| Schrey, Gunther On 22nd February 1945, his Me262A-1 of JG7 was damaged in combat with an American aircraft and force landed at Kaltenkirchen airfield. Killed on 18th March 1945 when his Me262A-1 0500224 Yellow 2 of JG7 was shot down by American aircraft and crashed near Eeegenbuttel. | |||||
| Schuck, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Schuck, Walter
| Schuck, Walter Initially with JG3, Walter Schuck was posted north to 7./JG5 in April 1942. On 15 June 1944 he chalked up his 100th victory during a day when he shot down 6 aircraft. Two days later he had his most successful day, achieving 12 victories in twenty-four hours, a feat never surpassed in JG5. On 1 August, he assumed command of 10./JG5. Walter Schuck transferred to fly the Me262 as Staffelkapitan of 3./JG7, and achieved 8 further victories flying the new jet. His final tally was 206 air victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. | |||||
| Schulte, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Schulte, Erich
| Schulte, Erich Killed on 30th March 1945 when his Me262A-1 0111593 of JG7 was shot down by an American P-51 Mustang of 339th Fighter Group and crashed near Hemdingen. | |||||
| Sinner, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Sinner, Rudolf | Sinner, Rudolf Scored 2 of his victories in the Me262 jet. Rudolf “Rudi” Sinner was born in 1915 in Austria. In 1936, he was serving in the Austrian Army in the horsedrawn artillery. During the invasion of Poland, he served with an anti-aircraft artillery unit before transferring to the Luftwaffe in 1940. Sinner began his aerial combat career with JG 3, based on the Western front, but was then transferred to JG 27 serving in North Africa. He was assigned to 2./JG 27. It was with JG 27 that Sinner gained his greatest successes. He claimed his first victory on 12 October 1941, when he shot down a RAF P-40 fighter near Sidi Omar. On 4 June 1942, Sinner was appointed Staffelkapitän of 6./JG 27. On 10 June, Oberleutnant Sinner was shot down near Bir Hacheim by the British Ace, Charles Overton (5.5 confirmed, 1 probable and 0.5 damaged victories), flying a Spitfire Vb fighter of 145 Squadron, RAF. Then, on 24 June, Sinner’s aircraft was hit in the engine during combat with RAF Hurricane fighters and he was forced to make a forced-landing. On 10 July, he shot down a Hurricane fighter with only one of his 7.92mm MG 17 machine-guns functioning. Sinner recorded his 10th victory on 13 July and his 20th on 24 July. On 31 August, Sinner shot down a Hurricane near Alam el Haifa. His victim was South African Ace, John “Harry” Gaynor (5.5 destroyed and 6 damaged victories) of 1 Sqn, SAAF, who crash-landed unhurt. He claimed his 30th victory on 3 September. In June 1943, Hauptmann Sinner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur IV./JG 27 then based at Kalamaki, Greece. However, his stay with the unit was destined to brief. On 30 July 1943, Sinner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV./JG 54, based on the Russian front, taking over from Hauptmann Erich Rudorffer (224 victories, RK-S). Sinner led the Gruppe until 10 February 1944. He added three further victories to his victory total during his time with the unit. In March 1944, Hauptmann Sinner became Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 54 located on the Western front. On 6 March 1944, Sinner shot down a USAAF B-17 four-engine bomber for his 36th victory. However, his aircraft was hit by the bombers’ defensive fire and Sinner was badly wounded. He successfully baled out of his stricken Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 410 557) "2". By 12 June 1944, Sinner was again serving with JG 27, based on the Invasion front in France, in command of I. Gruppe. He was to lead the Gruppe until 1 August 1944. On 1 January 1945, Major Sinner was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 7 flying Me 262 jet fighters. At this time his victory total stood at 36, including 32 victories achieved over North Africa. Sinner was to add three confirmed victories to his tally flying the jet, including two USAAF B-24 four-engine bombers near Rathenow on 3 March. On 4 April, Sinner led seven other Me 262s off from Rechlin. Emerging from the clouds shortly after take-off, the flight was bounced by P-51 fighters of the 339th Fighter Group, USAAF. In the ensuing combat “Rudi” Sinner’s aircraft was hit. With his face and hands badly burned, he baled out at low level. His parachute deployed at the last moment, but did not completely fill, and he was hanging by just the left strap when he hit the ground heavily in a ploughed field and dragged into a barbed wire fence. He reported that the P-51s then attempted to strafe him, but he feigned death and, as the P-51 fighters departed, he made his way to the safety of a deep furrow. Sinner’s wounds were serious enough to keep him out of the rest of war. Rudolf Sinner was credited with 39 victories in 305 missions. 36 of his victories were achieved over the Western front, including three four-engine bombers and three flying the Me 262 jet fighter. Three victories were achieved over the Eastern front. He was shot down 12 times, baling out on three occasions, and was wounded five times. | |||||
| Steinhoff, Johannes Click the name above to see a profile of Steinhoff, Johannes
| Steinhoff, Johannes By early 1940 Macky Steinhoff was leading 4 / JG-52 during the Battle of Britain. He was then transferred to the eastern front where his success continued. In the final stages of the defence of the Reich he joined JV-44 flying the ME 262 in which he scored 6 victories before being seriously burned in a crash. He flew 939 missions scored 178 victories and was awarded the Knights Cross with Oak leaves and swords. | |||||
| Tegtmeier, Fritz Click the name above to see a profile of Tegtmeier, Fritz
| Tegtmeier, Fritz Born in 1917 he joined 2/JG-54 in October 1940, but after being injured in a crash it wasn't until 1941 that he achieved his first victory. A brief time as a fighter Instructor in 1943 he returned to the Russian Front and his score soon started to mount, By May 1944 he had over 100 victories. August 1944 saw his appointment as Staffelkapitan of 3/JG-54. In March 1945 he transferred to JG-7 flying Me262 Jet. By the end of the war he had flown 700 combat missions and had 146 victories. He was awarded the Knights Cross. Fritz Tegtmeier died on 8th April 1999 aged 81. | |||||
| Teumer, Alfred Click the name above to see a profile of Teumer, Alfred
| Teumer, Alfred Born 11th February 1918. He scored a total of 76 victories, of which 10 were on the western front. | |||||
| Waldmann, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Waldmann, Hans
| Waldmann, Hans Hans Dackel Waldmann was born 24 September 1922 in Braunschweig, killed in flying accident 18 March 1945 near Schwarzenbek, Holstein he was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Hans Waldmann voluntarily joined the Luftwaffe in 1940. On 21 August 1942 Unteroffizier Waldmann was assigned to the 6./JG 52 on the Eastern front. On 9 September 1942 Waldmann scored his first aerial victory, and thereafter managed to score rapidly. After 84 victories on 1 September 1943, Waldmann was promoted to Leutnant and assigned to ErgGr. Ost. Here he shot down a B-17 Flying Fortress. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after his 85th aerial victory. In late February 1944 he took command of 4./JG 52 as its Staffelkapitän. He was able to continue his success and claimed victories 98 to 125 by 31 May 1944. In June 1944 his entire staffel was reassigned to 8./JG 3, now fighting against the Allied invasion forces. In August he shot down 7 enemy planes, including one B-24 and five P-47 Thunderbolts. In December 1944 he converted to the Messerschmitt Me 262. He was then transferred to 3./JG 7, flying now the ’’Stormbird’’. On 22 February 1945 he shot down two P-51 Mustangs. Hans Waldmann flew 527 combat missions, being credited with 134 aerial victories, 10 on the Western front and 124 on the Eastern front. His tally on the Eastern front includes 5 bombers, 87 fighters and 32 Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft. On the Western front he claimed 8 fighters and 2 four-engine bombers. He also flew a number of ground attack missions, destroying 33 various vehicles and 8 heavy transports. Climbing in dense fog on 18 March 1945, he collided with his wingman, Leutnant Hans-Dieter Weihs, and crashed near Schwarzenbek south of Hamburg. He was killed in his Me262A-1 0170097 Yellow 3 of JG7. Waldmann was recommended for the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross, but the recommendation was not finalized before the end of the war. | |||||
| Weihs, Hans-Dieter Click the name above to see a profile of Weihs, Hans-Dieter | Weihs, Hans-Dieter On 18th March 1945 his Me262A-1 of JG7 was destroyed after he collided with another Me262 in fog and crashed near Schwarzenbeck. He survived, but Knight's Cross winner Hans Waldmann in the other Me262 was killed. On 21st March 1945 his Me262A-1 of JG7 was damaged by an American B-17 and crash landed near Crimmitschau. On 27th March 1945 his Me262A-1 of JG7 was damaged by American aircraft and force landed at Kaltenkirchen. On both occasions he was unharmed. | |||||
| Weissenberger, Theodor Click the name above to see a profile of Weissenberger, Theodor
| Weissenberger, Theodor Major Theodor Weissenberger was born 21 December 1914 in Mühlheim am Main, he was unfortunately killed in a car racing accident 10 June 1950 on the Nürburgring ring. Major Theodor was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1936 until the end of World War II in 1945. He flew more than 500 combat missions claiming 208 enemy aircraft shot down. 33 claims were made on the Western Front, including some 7 heavy bombers. Pre-war Major Weissenberger was a keen glider pilot and was an instructor in the early war years. He finally managed an operational posting in mid 1941, to I (Z). /JG 77 in Norway. He claimed his first kill in October 1941, and went on to score a further twenty-one kills in the Bf 110, in addition to fifteen locomotives, two flak installations, and numerous ground targets destroyed. In September 1942 he was posted to II./JG 5, based in Northern Finland. Flying with 6 Staffel, and then as commander of 7 Staffel, he had claimed 104 kills by July 1943, and been awarded the Knights Cross. Becoming Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 5 in April 1944, he had claimed some 175 kills by May 1944 in over 350 missions on the Arctic Front. Taking over I./JG 5 on 4 June, the unit transferred to the Western Front in mid 1944 and through June and July 1944, Weissenberger flew twenty-six sorties and was credited with twenty-five victories over the Invasion Front around Normandy (his claims were half the total score by the whole unit, I./JG 5, during this period). He claimed five P-47's on 7 June, two more P-47's on 9 June, and another three P-47's on 12 June. He scored again on 19 July with three Typhoons and a P-51. On 25 July he claimed two more Spitfires shot down. Major Weissenberger converted to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter in the second half of 1944. In November 1944 he was posted to command I./JG 7. | |||||
| Welter, Kurt Click the name above to see a profile of Welter, Kurt
| Welter, Kurt Lieutenant Kurt Welter was Germany’s top jet fighter pilot and the highest scoring jet ace in aviation history. Welter prowled the European skies in his lethal Messerschmitt ME262, in which he shot down a significant portion of his 63 confirmed kills. Welter was the first jet pilot to fly night missions where he made impressive kills, including heavy bombers. Traveling at over 700 kph in pitch black skies, Welter could destroy an enemy aircraft and attack the next target before the formation knew what hit them. Twin engine British Mosquitos modified for night fighting were among his most frequent victims.In July, Welter claimed two United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress four-engined bombers and three North American P-51 Mustangs, two of which claimed on 19 July between Munich and Memmingen,[6] shot down by day. From 25 July 1944, Welter served with 1. Staffel/Nachtjagdgruppe 10 (NJGr 10) performing further Wilde Sau missions. He claimed four Royal Air Force (RAF) Avro Lancaster four-engine heavy bombers shot down on the night of 29 August 1944 to record his 24th through 27th victories.[5] Welter transferred to 10./JG 300 on 4 September 1944. 10. Staffel/JG 300 was established to counter intrusions by the RAF's fast de Havilland Mosquito twin-engined bombers, flying specially optimized for speed Messerschmitt Bf 109G-6/AS fighters. In September, Welter claimed seven Mosquitos downed, including one by ramming. It is thought that during his service with 1./NJG 10 and 10./JG 300, Welter recorded 12 victories in only 18 missions.[7] On the night of 19 September 1944, according to Hinchliffe, Welter may have shot down Wing Commander Guy Gibson who was leading a 300-bomber attack on Mönchengladbach and Rheydt. Gibson's Mosquito crashed near Steenbergen in the Netherlands. Welter was the only German pilot to have claimed a Mosquito.The claim is unlikely. Welter submitted his victory claim north of Wittenberg in eastern Germany, some hundreds of miles away from the place Gibson's Mosquito was found. Recent research suggests that his victim was Mosquito VI serial PZ177 of No. 23 Squadron RAF which was shot down at 8,000 metres (26,000 ft) west of Bad Münder, Holzminden. The crew, F/O. K. Eastwood and Navigator F/L. G.G. Rogers were both killed. Welter was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 18 October 1944 for 33 victories in just 40 missions Welter survived the war, and was awarded the Iron Cross and German Gold Cross | |||||
| Werner, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Werner, Hans
| Werner, Hans Killed on 15th February 1945 when his Me262A-1 0130171 of JG7 suffered engine failure and crashed near Alveslohe. | |||||
| Wieczorek, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Wieczorek, Hermann | Wieczorek, Hermann Hermann Wieczorek joined the Luftwaffe in 1935 and served as a flight mechanic before training as a pilot. Upon qualifying, he served initially as a flying instructor before joining Oberfehlshaber Sud, under General Kesselring, flying photoreconnaissance missions in the ME-110 and JU-88 over Italy and North Africa. In June, 1944, he was transferred to 1./KG51, flying the ME-262 on the Western Front. Hermann flew the 262 in the action against the Bridge at Remagen and afterword until the end of the war. | |||||
| Wilkenloh, Wilhlem Click the name above to see a profile of Wilkenloh, Wilhlem
| Wilkenloh, Wilhlem Killed on 23rd December 1944 when his Me262A-1 of JG7 was shot down by a British Mosquito of No.488 Sqn. | |||||
Died : 30 / 3 / 2010
Historical Notes :
20-03-1945 - Shot down by an American Flying Fortress of 303rd Bomb Group and crashed north east of Hamburg. Oberfahnrich Fritz Gehlker killed.
20-03-1945 - Shot down by an American Flying Fortress of 303rd Bomb Group and crashed north east of Hamburg. Oberfahnrich Fritz Gehlker killed.
Historical Notes :
17-02-1945 - Suffered mechanical fault and damaged in accident at Kaltenkirchen airfield.
17-02-1945 - Suffered mechanical fault and damaged in accident at Kaltenkirchen airfield.
Historical Notes :
19-02-1945 - Suffered mechanical problem and damaged beyond repair in crash landing near Stubben. Feldwebel Alois Biermeier injured.
19-02-1945 - Suffered mechanical problem and damaged beyond repair in crash landing near Stubben. Feldwebel Alois Biermeier injured.
Historical Notes :
17-02-1945 - Suffered engine failure and damaged in forced landing north of Hamburg.
17-02-1945 - Suffered engine failure and damaged in forced landing north of Hamburg.
Historical Notes :
30-03-1945 - Shot down by an American P-51 Mustang of 339th Fighter Group and crashed near Hemdingen. Leutnant Erich Schulte killed.
30-03-1945 - Shot down by an American P-51 Mustang of 339th Fighter Group and crashed near Hemdingen. Leutnant Erich Schulte killed.
Historical Notes :
20-03-1945 - Shot down by an American P-51 Mustang of 33rd Fighter Group and crashed near Kaltenkirchen. Unteroffizier Hans Mehn killed.
20-03-1945 - Shot down by an American P-51 Mustang of 33rd Fighter Group and crashed near Kaltenkirchen. Unteroffizier Hans Mehn killed.
Historical Notes :
15-02-1945 - Suffered engine failure and crashed near Alveslohe. Unteroffizier Hans Werner killed.
15-02-1945 - Suffered engine failure and crashed near Alveslohe. Unteroffizier Hans Werner killed.
Historical Notes :
18-03-1945 - Destroyed in collision near Schwarzenbeck. Oberleutnant Hans Waldmann killed.
18-03-1945 - Destroyed in collision near Schwarzenbeck. Oberleutnant Hans Waldmann killed.
Historical Notes :
18-03-1945 - Shot down by American aircraft and crashed near Eeegenbuttel. Oberfahnrich Gunther Schrey killed.
18-03-1945 - Shot down by American aircraft and crashed near Eeegenbuttel. Oberfahnrich Gunther Schrey killed.
Historical Notes :
20-03-1945 - Shot down by American aircraft and crashed near Holtenau airfield. Oberfeldwebel E Buttner killed.
20-03-1945 - Shot down by American aircraft and crashed near Holtenau airfield. Oberfeldwebel E Buttner killed.
Historical Notes :
03-04-1945 - Flown by Ace Leutnant Herbert Altner when he claimed a Mosquito over Berlin.
xx-xx-1948 - Having been recovered by the British after the war, the aircraft was used in air displays before being scrapped in 1948 after damage from winter storms.
03-04-1945 - Flown by Ace Leutnant Herbert Altner when he claimed a Mosquito over Berlin.
xx-xx-1948 - Having been recovered by the British after the war, the aircraft was used in air displays before being scrapped in 1948 after damage from winter storms.
Known Individual Aircraft : Me262 : | ||||||||
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| Squadrons for : Me262 | ||
| A list of all squadrons known to have flown the Me262. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
| Squadron | Info | |
EJG2 Country : Germany Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of EJG2 | EJG2 Full profile not yet available. | |
JG7 Country : Germany Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG7 | JG7 Nowotny was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II and the first operational jet fighter wing in the world. It was created late in 1944 and served until the end of the war in May 1945, and it operated the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter exclusively. JG 7 was formed under the command of Oberst Johannes Steinhoff, with Kommando Nowotny (the initial Me 262 test wing ) renumbered III./JG 7. Under the command of Major Erich Hohagen III./JG 7 was the only element of JG 7 ready to operate against the Allies. Throughout its existence JG 7 suffered from an irregular supply of new aircraft, fuel and spares. With such a radically new aircraft, training accidents were also common, with 10 Me 262s being lost in six weeks. The technical troubles and material shortages meant initial tentative sorties were only in flight strength, usually no more than 4 or 6 aircraft. Flying from Brandenburg-Briest, Oranienburg and Parchim, the Geschwader flew intermittently against the huge USAAF bomber streams. By the end of February 1945 JG 7 had claimed around 45 four-engine bombers and 15 fighters, but at this stage of war this success rate had no affect whatsoever on the Allied air offensive. During March JG 7 finally began to deliver larger scale attacks against the heavy bomber streams. 3 March saw 29 sorties for 8 kills claimed (one jet was lost). On 18 March III./JG 7 finally managed their biggest attack numerically thus far, some 37 Me 262s engaging a force of 1,200 American bombers and 600 fighters. This action also marked the first use of the new R4M rockets. 12 bombers and 1 fighter were claimed for the loss of 3 Me 262s. The total numbers of aircraft shot down by JG 7 is difficult to quantify due to the loss of Luftwaffe records, but at least 136 aircraft were claimed, and research indicates as many as 420 Allied aircraft may have been claimed shot down. | |
JV44 Country : Germany Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JV44 | JV44 A special fighter unit of top German fighter ace pilots in the Luftwaffe during the last months of World War II. The main aircraft used by the unit was the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. They were known by various nicknames, including Der Galland-Zirkus (The Galland Circus). The commander of JV 44 was General Adolf Galland (103 victories) the former General der Jagdflieger who had recently been sacked from his command by Hermann Göring for attacking the operational policies and tactics used by the Luftwaffe High Command. It was hoped by Galland's superiors that a front line command would result in his death in action, thereby removing the problem of Galland's criticism. This unit was composed of highly experienced pilots who were from Galland's former staff or were otherwise co-opted by Galland from units which had been disbanded or were being re-equipped. It had relatively few operational planes available for any single sortie and was repeatedly forced to relocate due to the approach of Allied ground forces. At war's end the unit was disbanded and its brief history came to an end. | |
KG51 Country : Germany Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of KG51 | KG51 Full profile not yet available. | |
NJG11 Country : Germany Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of NJG11 | NJG11 Full profile not yet available. | |
Last edited : 18:40, December 12, 2017
Last editor : HMS
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