Franz Schall Explained

Franz Schall
Birth Date:1 June 1918
Birth Place:Graz, Austria-Hungary
Death Place:Parchim, Nazi Germany
Child:yes
Death Cause:Killed in action
Rank:Hauptmann (captain)
Unit:JG 52, Kommando Nowotny, JG 7
Awards:Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Franz Schall (1 June 1918 – 10 April 1945) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he flew approximately 550 combat missions and claimed 137 aerial victories—that is, 137 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.

He was killed on 10 April 1945, when his aircraft rolled into a bomb crater and exploded during an attempted emergency landing at Parchim.

Career

Schall was born on 1 June 1918 in Graz in Austria-Hungary. He began his military service with the anti-aircraft artillery before in September 1941 he was trained as a fighter pilot. Holding the rank of Leutnant (second lieutenant), Schall was posted to the 3. Staffel (3rd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) on 18 February 1943. At the time, this Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Rudolf Miethig and was part of I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 52 headed by Hauptmann Helmut Bennemann.

War against the Soviet Union

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. Germany had launched Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union on 22 June 1941. In February 1943, I. Gruppe was based at Poltava on the Eastern Front and was subordinated to Luftwaffenkommando Don which supported the fighting in the Third Battle of Kharkov. Schall claimed his first aerial victory on 6 May when he shot down a Lavochkin La-5 fighter near Belgorod.

In preparation for Operation Citadel, I. Gruppe was moved to Bessonovka, a makeshift airfield located approximately 20abbr=offNaNabbr=off on 4 July. On 13 July during the Battle of Kursk, Schall, accompanied by his wingman Oberfeldwebel Franz Woidich, claimed an Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft shot down. On 14 July, he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (German: Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse) and the Iron Cross 1st Class (German: Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse) on 24 August. On 11 November 1943, Schall was shot down and wounded by anti-aircraft artillery in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 410131—factory number) resulting in a forced landing 3abbr=offNaNabbr=off south of Kerch. In December 1943, Schall was temporarily put in command of 3. Staffel of JG 52. He replaced Leutnant Karl-Heinz Plücker who was transferred.

Schall was awarded the German Cross in Gold (German: Deutsches Kreuz in Gold) on 20 March 1944. On 11 May, then Oberleutnant Franz Woidich succeeded Schall as commander of 3. Staffel. On 10 June 1944, I. Gruppe was ordered to an airfield named Peloniczna near Lviv. Seven days later, they were moved to Serpneve. On 22 June, Soviet forces launched Operation Bagration, attacking Army Group Centre in Byelorussia, with the objective of encircling and destroying its main component armies. On 24 June, the Gruppe transferred to Galați and again to Peloniczna. The Gruppe reached Grabowiec in eastern Poland on 27 July and Kraków on 1 August. On 12 August they were again relocated and moved to Mzurowa. The day before, Schall was officially appointed Staffelkapitän (Squadron leader) of 3. Staffel after Woidich was transferred.

Fighting across Poland, it led to his most prolific period in the war with a number of multiple victories in a day: three on 12 August (74–76), three more on the 24th (79–81). On 26 August, Schall became a "double ace-in-a-day" for the first time, claiming eleven aerial victories which included six Il-2 ground-attack aircraft. On 31 August, he surpassed this figure, claiming thirteen aerial victories, including his 100th claim, which took his total to 109 victories. He was the 81st Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. In September 1944, Schall left JG 52 and transferred to a jet fighter unit. Command of 3. Staffel was transferred to Leutnant Leonhard Färber on 25 September. Schall was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 10 October 1944 for 117 aerial victories claimed.

Flying the Messerschmitt Me 262

On 25 September 1944, Schall was posted to a specialist unit dubbed Kommando Nowotny, named after Walter Nowotny, for testing and establishing tactics for the newly developed Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter.[1] General der Jagdflieger (General of the Fighter Force) Adolf Galland had hoped that the Me 262 would compensate for the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) numerical superiority. There, following the death of Hauptmann Alfred Teumer on 4 October, Schall was appointed Staffelkapitän of 2. Staffel on 16 October. On 7 October, Schall and Feldwebel Helmut Lennartz were scrambled at 13:45 from Hesepe airfield to intercept a heavy bomber formation. In this encounter, both Schall and Lennartz each claimed a USAAF Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber shot down, the first aerial victories of Kommando Nowotny. Schall claimed a North American P-51 Mustang fighter destroyed on 28 October and a Republic P-47 Thunderbolt fighter on 6 November. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 10 October 1944.

Generals Alfred Keller and Galland had scheduled an inspection of Kommando Nowotny for the afternoon of 7 November 1944. Galland had already visited Kommando Nowotny several times and was deeply concerned over the high attrition rate and meager success achieved by the Me 262. After inspecting the two airfields at Achmer and Hesepe, he stayed in the Penterknapp barracks discussing the problems of the past few weeks. Several pilots openly expressed their doubts as to the readiness of the Me 262 for combat operations. When the Generals arrived again at Nowotny's command post the next morning a large bomber formation was reported. Two Rotten of Me 262 were prepared for take-off, Erich Büttner and Schall at Hesepe, and Nowotny and Günther Wegmann at Achmer. At first only Schall and Wegmann managed to take off because Büttner had a punctured tire during taxiing and Nowotny's turbines initially refused to start. Schall and Wegmann both made contact with the Americans, claiming a P-51 and P-47 respectively. By the time the Americans returned from their bomb run, Nowotny, his aircraft now serviceable, and Schall took off alone and made contact with the bomber force at an altitude of 10000abbr=offNaNabbr=off. Schall shot down two P-51s before suffering engine failure. Attempting to glide his aircraft to Hesepe, Schall was shot down by Lieutenant James W. Kenney of the 357th Fighter Group. While Schall managed to bail out safely, Nowotny was killed in action.

Following Nowotny's death, the pilots of Kommando Nowotny were moved to Lechfeld where they were joined by 20–25 pilots from III. Gruppe of Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 2, also known as Erprobungskommando Lechfeld, a replacement training unit which had also trained on the Me 262. On 19 November, Kommando Nowotny became the III. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7 - 7th Fighter Wing), the world's first operational jet fighter wing, and was moved to Brandenburg-Briest. JG 7 had been formed in August 1944 and placed under the command of Oberst Johannes Steinhoff. At the time of its creation, III./JG 7 was commanded by Major Erich Hohagen and command of 10. Staffel was handed to Schall.

On 18 March 1945, the USAAF Eighth Air Force attacked Berlin with 1,329 bombers, escorted by 733 fighter aircraft. A number of Me 262s intercepted the bomber formation and its escorts in vicinity of Nauen-Rathenow-Brandenburg-Potsdam. At approximately 11:15, Schall claimed a P-51 shot down. The next day, 374 Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bombers from the 3d Air Division attacked Carl Zeiss AG, a manufacturer of optical systems, in Jena, and the motor vehicle factories at Zwickau and Plauen. In defense of this attack, Schall claimed a B-17 shot down north of Chemnitz. On 21 March 1945, the USAAF Eighth Air Force attacked various Luftwaffe airfields in Germany with approximately 1,300 heavy bombers, escorted by 750 fighter aircraft. That day, Schall claimed another aerial victory over a P-51. The next, the Eighth Air Force again targeted various military installations and airfields in Germany. Yet again Schall claimed a P-51 shot down, that day in the Cottbus-Bautzen-Dresden area. On 24 March, 1,714 bombers, escorted by approximately 1,300 fighter aircraft, targeted 18 Luftwaffe airfields. Schall led 10. Staffel at about 12:00 from Parchim airfield and engaged the bombers south of Berlin. Approximately 15 Me 262s, the majority of them armed with R4M air-to-air rockets, claimed a number of bombers destroyed, including a B-17 by Schall. On 31 March 1945, the Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command targeted Wilhelmshaven, Bremen and Hamburg. The attack force from No. 219, No. 429, No. 431, No. 434, No. 408, No. 415 and No. 425 Squadron had made their target approach by night. In morning hours, the British and Canadians were intercepted by 20 Me 262s from I. Gruppe and seven Me 262s from III. Gruppe who claimed 19 four-engined bombers, two fighters and probable destruction of another bomber. Schall claimed two victories in this engagement.

On 4 April, Schall claimed a P-51 shot down. That day, RAF Bomber Command had targeted Nordhausen with 243 Avro Lancaster bombers while the USAAF Eighth Air Force sent 950 B-17s and B-24s to Luftwaffe airfields at Kaltenkirchen, Parchim, Perleberg, Wesendorf, Faßberg, Hoya, Dedelstorf and Eggebek, as well as the U-boat yards at Finkenwerder and shipyards at Kiel. This bomber force was protected by 800 escort fighters. On 9 April, the RAF targeted the German ships, and moored at Kiel and other targets in northern Germany. That afternoon, Schall claimed a Lancaster shot down. On 10 April 1945, Schall claimed a P-51 shot down. He was then killed when his aircraft rolled into a bomb crater, flipped, and exploded during an attempted emergency landing at Parchim Airfield. That day, the Luftwaffe lost a number of Me 262 pilots, including Oberleutnant Walther Wever. The Americans dubbed this day the "great jet massacre".

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Schall was credited with 133 aerial victories. Forsyth also lists Schall with 133 aerial victories claimed in 530 combat missions. This figure includes 17 claims flying the Me 262 jet fighter, including six four-engined heavy bombers and eleven P-51 fighters. Spick however lists him with 137 aerial victories claimed in approximately 550 combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 133 aerial victory claims, plus four further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 117 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 16 on the Western Front flying the Me 262 jet fighter, including five four-engined bombers.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 61184". The Luftwaffe grid map (German: Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360sqmi. These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3x in size.

Chronicle of aerial victories
ClaimDateTimeTypeLocationClaimDateTimeTypeLocation
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –
Eastern Front — 4 February – 31 December 1943
16 May 194313:14La-5PQ 35 Ost 61184, vicinity of Belgorod
20km (10miles) north-northeast of Belgorod
1327 September 194314:35Il-2 m.H.PQ 34 Ost 66865
vicinity of Wennlowka
13 May 194304:15La-51427 September 194314:43Il-2 m.H.PQ 34 Ost 76772
vicinity of Blagoweschtschenskaja
230 May 194316:12La-5PQ 34 Ost 75232
north of Krymsk
1520 October 194312:07Il-2PQ 34 Ost 58143
northwest of Zaporizhia
311 June 194310:25Il-2PQ 34 Ost 76823
vicinity of Kalabatka
1621 October 194312:05Il-2 m.H.?PQ 34 Ost 58738
45 July 194318:45Il-2PQ 35 Ost 61652, north of Pukroska
15km (09miles) northwest of Vovchansk
1722 October 194313:15Yak-7?PQ 34 Ost 39652
15km (09miles) southeast of Pjatichatki
512 July 194314:47Il-2PQ 35 Ost 61132
10km (10miles) west of Prokhorovka
1823 October 194309:07P-39?PQ 34 Ost 58561
vicinity of Kalinowka
613 July 194308:57Il-2 m.H.PQ 35 Ost 61293
25km (16miles) southeast of Prokhorovka
1924 October 194310:32Il-2 m.H.PQ 34 Ost 58172
10km (10miles) south of Melitopol
715 July 194313:10Il-2 m.H.PQ 35 Ost 62883, 8km (05miles) northeast of Prokhorovka
20km (10miles) northeast of Prokhorovka
2024 October 194313:50Il-2 m.H.?PQ 34 Ost 57171
10km (10miles) south of Melitopol
818 July 194306:50Il-2 m.H.PQ 34 Ost 88431
vicinity of Marienheim (Perekrestovo)
2128 October 194314:15La-5?PQ 34 Ost 48512
25km (16miles) west-southwest of Nikopol
926 July 194318:12Il-2PQ 34 Ost 88267, south of Julizwechino
vicinity of Jalisawehino
227 November 194315:05U-2PQ 34 Ost 47771
vicinity of Gromovka
101 August 194310:38Il-2 m.H.PQ 34 Ost 88283
1km (01miles) south of Jalisawehino
237 November 194315:06U-2PQ 34 Ost 47771
vicinity of Gromovka
4 August 194315:30Il-2?247 November 194315:07U-2PQ 34 Ost 47771
vicinity of Gromovka
117 August 194315:55?La-5?PQ 35 Ost 61595, north of Leskij
30km (20miles) south-southwest of Belgorod
259 November 194314:25U-2PQ 34 Ost 47771
vicinity of Gromovka
1225 September 194308:03LaGG-3?PQ 34 Ost 76533
southwest of Kurtschanskaja
269 November 194314:25U-2?PQ 34 Ost 47771
vicinity of Gromovka
– 3. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 52 –
Eastern Front — 1 January – 31 December 1944
277 January 194414:16Yak-9?PQ 34 Ost 29392
10km (10miles) east of Kropyvnytskyi
7216 July 194415:36Yak-9PQ 25 Ost 41682
30km (20miles) northwest of Brody
289 January 194414:05P-39PQ 34 Ost 29382
10km (10miles) west of Alekandrovka
7316 July 194415:40Yak-9?PQ 25 Ost 41688
30km (20miles) northwest of Brody
2912 January 194411:06P-39?PQ 34 Ost 29492
25km (16miles) west of Kropyvnytskyi
7412 August 194414:10Yak-11?PQ 25 Ost 11379
30km (20miles) northwest of Mielec
3016 January 194409:34Yak-9?PQ 34 Ost 19462
25km (16miles) west-northwest of Kropyvnytskyi
7512 August 194416:57La-5?PQ 25 Ost 11358
20km (10miles) south-southwest of Opatów
3116 January 194411:51P-39PQ 34 Ost 29371
15km (09miles) west of Kropyvnytskyi
7612 August 194417:02Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11388
25km (16miles) north-northwest of Mielec
3216 January 194411:55P-39?PQ 34 Ost 29381
vicinity of Kropyvnytskyi
7722 August 194418:45Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11415
15km (09miles) west of Sandomierz
3316 January 194412:03?La-5?PQ 34 Ost 29523
vicinity of Alekandrovka
7822 August 194418:50Il-2 m.H.?PQ 25 Ost 11335
15km (09miles) south of Opatów
3417 January 194411:52P-39PQ 34 Ost 29383
vicinity of Kropyvnytskyi
7924 August 194411:12Yak-9?PQ 25 Ost 11418
15km (09miles) west of Sandomierz
3526 January 194407:52P-39?PQ 34 Ost 66641
east of Bulganak
8024 August 194414:25Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11755
20km (10miles) south-southwest of Mielec
3628 January 194415:00Il-2 m.H.?PQ 34 Ost 66641
east of Bulganak
8124 August 194414:27Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11764
15km (09miles) south of Mielec
3722 February 194411:35U-2PQ 34 Ost 38664
30km (20miles) southeast of Apostolove
8225 August 194409:12Il-2 m.H.?PQ 25 Ost 11334
15km (09miles) south of Opatów
3824 February 194408:35U-2?PQ 34 Ost 38564
20km (10miles) east of Apostolove
83♠26 August 194411:08Pe-2PQ 25 Ost 11292
20km (10miles) northeast of Sandomierz
3928 March 194414:45R-5?PQ 24 Ost 98174
40km (30miles) west-southwest of Balta
84♠26 August 194411:12Pe-2?PQ 25 Ost 11323
15km (09miles) south-southwest of Opatów
4019 April 194413:48P-39?PQ 24 Ost 78674
8km (05miles) north of Iași
85♠26 August 194415:07P-39PQ 25 Ost 11189
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
4124 April 194418:00Boston?PQ 24 Ost 97343
30km (20miles) north of Leipzig
86♠26 August 194415:15P-39PQ 25 Ost 11331
15km (09miles) south of Opatów
4224 April 194418:20Il-2 m.H.PQ 24 Ost 87634
20km (10miles) north-northwest of Leipzig
87♠26 August 194417:15Il-2PQ 25 Ost 11324
15km (09miles) south-southwest of Opatów
4324 April 194418:26Il-2 m.H.?PQ 24 Ost 87632
20km (10miles) north-northwest of Leipzig
88♠26 August 194417:17Il-2?PQ 25 Ost 11357
20km (10miles) south-southwest of Opatów
4428 April 194411:00P-39PQ 24 Ost 78674
8km (05miles) north of Iași
89♠26 August 194417:18P-39?PQ 25 Ost 11379
30km (20miles) northwest of Mielec
452 May 194410:35P-39PQ 24 Ost 68682
15km (09miles) north of Târgu Frumos
90♠26 August 194418:50Il-2PQ 25 Ost 11183
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
462 May 194415:13P-39PQ 24 Ost 78741
20km (10miles) north-northeast of Roman
91♠26 August 194418:51Il-2PQ 25 Ost 11186
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
472 May 194417:30Il-2 m.H.?PQ 24 Ost 68833, southwest of Târgu Frumos
north of Târgu Frumos
92♠26 August 194418:52Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11189
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
4815 May 194418:15Il-2 m.H.?PQ 24 Ost 97131
25km (16miles) west-northwest of Tiraspol
93♠26 August 194418:54Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11185
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
4915 May 194418:20La-5?PQ 24 Ost 97132
25km (16miles) south-southeast of Grigoriopol
9428 August 194412:30Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11322
15km (09miles) south-southwest of Opatów
5017 May 194418:25Il-2 m.H.?PQ 24 Ost 97233
15km (09miles) south of Grigoriopol
9528 August 194412:31Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11327
15km (09miles) south-southwest of Opatów
5130 May 194404:30Il-2 m.H.?PQ 24 Ost 78675
15km (09miles) north of Iași
9628 August 194412:32Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11185
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
5230 May 194416:00Il-2 m.H.?PQ 24 Ost 78614
15km (09miles) southeast of Țuțora
97♠31 August 194412:54Il-2 m.H.?PQ 25 Ost 11185
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
5330 May 194416:05La-5?PQ 24 Ost 78684
15km (09miles) north of Iași
98♠31 August 194414:10P-39?PQ 25 Ost 11183
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
5431 May 194406:05Il-2 m.H.PQ 24 Ost 78685
15km (09miles) southeast of Țuțora
99♠31 August 194414:11Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11185
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
5531 May 194411:36Il-2 m.H.?PQ 24 Ost 78821
10km (10miles) south of Iași
100♠31 August 194414:12Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11189
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
561 June 194412:35Yak-9PQ 24 Ost 78679
30km (20miles) northeast of Silistra
101♠31 August 194414:20Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11177
20km (10miles) west of Opatów
573 June 194411:50Yak-9?PQ 24 Ost 78674, north of Iași
8km (05miles) north of Iași
102♠31 August 194416:02Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11185
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
583 June 194412:05Il-2 m.H.PQ 24 Ost 78592103♠31 August 194416:03Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11322
15km (09miles) south-southwest of Opatów
594 June 194416:14Il-2 m.H.?PQ 24 Ost 78231104♠31 August 194416:04Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11327
15km (09miles) south-southwest of Opatów
604 June 194416:22P-39?PQ 24 Ost 78231
15km (09miles) northwest of Iași
105♠31 August 194416:08?Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11353
20km (10miles) south-southwest of Opatów
616 June 194409:05?Yak-9?PQ 24 Ost 78649
10km (10miles) south of Țuțora
106♠31 August 194417:50Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11327
20km (10miles) south-southwest of Opatów
6226 June 194415:30P-39PQ 24 Ost 49655
25km (16miles) southwest of Kolomea
107♠31 August 194417:52Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11353
20km (10miles) south-southwest of Opatów
6326 June 194415:33P-39?PQ 24 Ost 49663
20km (10miles) south-southwest of Kolomea
108♠31 August 194417:54Il-2 m.H.?PQ 25 Ost 11362
20km (10miles) south of Opatów
647 July 194416:55B-25?PQ 24 Ost 50598
20km (10miles) south-southwest of Kovel
109♠31 August 194419:01P-39?PQ 25 Ost 11185
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
6514 July 194412:00P-39?PQ 24 Ost 41822
25km (16miles) northwest of Brody
110♠1 September 194410:00Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11411
15km (09miles) west of Sandomierz
6614 July 194412:05Il-2 m.H.PQ 24 Ost 51741
10km (10miles) northeast of Zolkiew
111♠1 September 194410:01Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11415
15km (09miles) west of Sandomierz
6714 July 194412:08Il-2 m.H.?PQ 24 Ost 51751
10km (10miles) northeast of Brody
112♠1 September 194410:04Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11418
15km (09miles) west of Sandomierz
14 July 194414:00~P-39?113♠1 September 194414:04Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11181
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
6815 July 194416:40Il-2 m.H.?PQ 25 Ost 41681
30km (20miles) northwest of Brody
114♠1 September 194414:06Il-2 m.H.?PQ 25 Ost 11321
15km (09miles) south-southwest of Opatów
6915 July 194416:44Yak-9?PQ 25 Ost 41656
40km (30miles) northwest of Brody
1152 September 194410:00P-39?PQ 25 Ost 11181
10km (10miles) west of Opatów
7016 July 194411:02Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 41617
60km (40miles) north of Busk
1162 September 194410:03Il-2 m.H.PQ 25 Ost 11316
25km (16miles) southwest of Opatów
7116 July 194411:03Il-2 m.H.?PQ 25 Ost 41655
40km (30miles) northwest of Brody
117?2 September 194410:06P-51
– 2. Staffel of Kommando "Nowotny" –
Defense of the Reich — October – November 1944
7 October 1944B-24Magdeburg/Rothensee1208 November 194410:36P-51Bielefeld
11828 October 194412:04P-51Coesfeld1218 November 194410:37P-51Osnabrück
1196 November 194410:57P-47Schorlingborsteler Beeke
Lake Dümmer
1228 November 194410:40P-51vicinity of Südmerzen
– 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 7 –
Defense of the Reich — March – 10 April 1945
12318 March 194511:15P-51Nauen-Rathenow-Brandenburg-Potsdam12931 March 194508:37–09:32LancasterHamburg
12419 March 194514:00+B-17vicinity of Chemnitz13031 March 194508:37–09:32P-51Hamburg
12521 March 194509:15~P-51northwest of Dresden1314 April 194509:00+P-51south of Bremen
12622 March 194512:45~P-51Cottbus-Bautzen-Dresden1329 April 1945LancasterHamburg
12724 March 194511:36–12:28B-17vicinity of Wittenberg13310 April 1945P-51
12825 March 194510:10P-51

Awards

References

Bibliography

Notes and References

  1. For a list of Luftwaffe Jet aces see List of German World War II jet aces