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JG52

Name : JG52 Country : Germany

The most successful Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II, with a claim total of more than 10,000 victories over enemy aircraft. It was home to the top three scoring Experten of the Luftwaffe, Erich Hartmann, Gerhard Barkhorn and Günther Rall. The unit flew the various marks of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 exclusively through the war.

Known Service Details :
Pilot or Aircrew	Rank	Start of Service	End of Service	Known Dates	Aircraft	Airframes	Notes
Gustav Ahlbrand	Unteroffizier	unknown	22nd August 1943	12th July 1943			Killed in Action
Franz Apelthaler	Unteroffizier	unknown	unknown	22nd October 1942 30th May 1943
Helmut Apfel	Unteroffizier	unknown	unknown	28th October 1942
Adolf Borchers	Hauptmann	unknown	unknown	05th July 1944 26th October 1944
Peter Düttmann	Leutnant	1943	1945
Adolf Dickfeld	Oberleutnant	1941	unknown	26th June 1941 17th September 1942
Heinz Ewald		1943	unknown	29th December 1944
Josef Haibock		unknown	unknown
Wilhelm Hauswirth	Unteroffizier	unknown	5th July 1943				Killed in Action
Heinrich Hoffmann	Unteroffizier	unknown	unknown	15th May 1940
Dieter Hrabak		1942	unknown
Herbert Ihlefeld	Hauptmann	June 1942	unknown
Walter Krupinski	Oberleutnant	unknown	unknown	16th August 1941 16th March 1944
Karl-Heinz Leesmann	Oberleutnant	unknown	unknown	24th August 1940 06th November 1941
Rudolf Miethig	Hauptmann	1942	10th June 1943		Me109		Killed in Action
Willi Nemitz		unknown	unknown
Friedrich Obleser	Oberleutnant	unknown	unknown	28th March 1943 25th October 1944
Werner Quast		unknown	unknown
Günther Rall	Major	unknown	April 1944	18th May 1940
Anton Resch		unknown	unknown
Heinz Sachsenberg	Leutnant	unknown	unknown	21st April 1943 16th March 1945
Hans Waldmann		21st August 1942	June 1944
Walter Wolfrum	Oberleutnant	unknown	1945	May 1944	Me109

Pilots and Aircrew for : JG52
A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this squadron. A profile page is available by clicking their name.
Name	Info
Ahlbrand, Gustav Click the name above to see a profile of Ahlbrand, Gustav    Died : 22 / 8 / 1943	Ahlbrand, Gustav Missing in action, 22nd August 1943.
Ahnert, Heinrich-Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Ahnert, Heinrich-Wilhelm    Died : 23 / 8 / 1942	Ahnert, Heinrich-Wilhelm
Apelthaler, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Apelthaler, Franz	Apelthaler, Franz
Apfel, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Apfel, Helmut	Apfel, Helmut
Bachmann, Johannes Click the name above to see a profile of Bachmann, Johannes	Bachmann, Johannes Born in Aue near Dresden in 1921, Johannes Bachmann joined the Luftwaffe in the spring of 1943. After training as a pilot, he was posted to join 9./JG52 in Russia where in over 40 combat missions on Me109s, he scored 5 confirmed air victories before the war ended.
Bachnick, Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Bachnick, Herbert    Died : 7 / 8 / 1944	Bachnick, Herbert
Barkhorn, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Barkhorn, Gerhard    Died : 8 / 1 / 1983	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.
Batz, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Batz, Wilhelm    Died : 11 / 9 / 1988	Batz, Wilhelm Major Wilhelm "Willi" Batz was born 21 May 1916 in Bamberg died 11 September 1988 in Mauschendorf/Ebern in Unterfranken. Willi Batz flew 445 combat missions and claimed 237 enemy aircraft shot down. 234 victories were achieved over the Eastern front, including at least 46 Il-2 Sturmoviks, but he did claim three victories, including one four-engine bomber against the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) over the Ploie?ti oil fields. He was wounded three times and was shot down four times. Willi Batz joined the Luftwaffe in 1935 and trained as a fighter pilot, becoming an instructor in 1937 at the flying school at Kaufbeuren and the fighter pilot school at Bad Aibling. He was promoted to Leutnant in November 1940, his applications for combat assignment were continually rejected. With some 5,000 flying hours, Batz was finally transferred to 2./Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost in December 1942.[1]. Batz was then transferred to II./JG 52. On 11 March, 1943, Batz claimed his first victory, a Il-2 Sturmovik, while flying a mission over the Strait of Kerch.[2] He was appointed Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 52 in May 1943, and by September, he had claimed 20 victories. By the end of 1943, Willi Batz had 75 victories to his credit. He recorded his 100th in late March 1944, and was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 26 March 1944. In April, Willi Batz was appointed Gruppenkommandeur, III./JG 52. In June, his unit was moved to defend Rumanian targets against the American 15th Air Force. Batz downed two P-51s and a B-24 at this time. Hauptmann Batz was awarded the Eichenlaub on 20 July for 188 victories, 200 being achieved on 17 August, 1944. By the end of 1944, Willi had shot down 224 enemy aircraft. In February 1945, he was transferred to take command of II./JG 52, based in Hungary. Major Batz was awarded the Schwerter on 21 April, 1945. At war’s end he was able to extricate his unit and men from Hungary and Austria back to Germany to surrender to American forces. He was thus able to avoid the prolonged Soviet captivity that befell the personnel of other two JG 52 Gruppen.
Baumgarten, Ewald Click the name above to see a profile of Baumgarten, Ewald    Died : 20 / 11 / 1941	Baumgarten, Ewald
Bennemann, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Bennemann, Helmut    Died : 17 / 11 / 2007	Bennemann, Helmut Helmut Bennemann was born 16th March 1915. During the Battle of Britain Helmut Bennemann was Gruppenadjutant with I./JG52 on the Channel Front. In April 1942 he was Staffelkapitan of 3./JG52 in the east and was appointed Kommandeur of I./JG52 from June 1942 until October 1943. Posted to Italy in November 1943, he was promoted to Kommodore of JG53 (Ace of Spades) in this theatre and in the defence of Germany. He commanded JG53 on Operation Bodenplatte. Helmut Bennemann flew over 400 missions, scoring 92 victories and was awarded the Knight's Cross. He died 17th November 2007.
Berthel, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Berthel, Hans	Berthel, Hans
Beyer, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Beyer, Heinz	Beyer, Heinz
Birkner, Hans-Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Birkner, Hans-Joachim    Died : 14 / 12 / 1944	Birkner, Hans-Joachim
Bonin, Hubertus von Click the name above to see a profile of Bonin, Hubertus von    Died : 15 / 12 / 1943	Bonin, Hubertus von
Borchers, Adolf Click the name above to see a profile of Borchers, Adolf    Died : 9 / 2 / 1996	Borchers, Adolf Adolf Borchers was born on 10th February 1913 in Wendhausen near Lunesburg. In the autumn of 1938 he was in the Legion Condor. He was transferred to JG51 where he flew in the Polish and Western campaign and in the Battle of Britain, during which he scored five victories. By the end of 1941 his score stood at 23. In October 1942 he was promoted to Officer and named squadron leader of 11./JG51. By the end of 1942 his score stood at 38. On 7th May 1943 he scored his 44th to 49th victories. A short time later he was awarded the Knights Cross for 78 victories. He was then neamd Commander of 1./JG52 on 11th June 1944 and on 24th July that year he scored his 110th victory. His 118th victory came on 2nd September, the same time the 10,000th victory of JG52 was recorded. Ercih Hartmann took over 1./JG52 on 1st February 1945 and Borchers was appointed Commander of iii./JG52. He was bitterly disappointed at being replaced by this youngster and carried that resentment to the grave. Borchers flew approximately 800 missions and had 132 victories, including 5 in the west. He was the 53rd ranking ace in Germany. Adolf Borchers died 9th February 1996.
Bunzek, Johannes Click the name above to see a profile of Bunzek, Johannes    Died : 11 / 12 / 1943	Bunzek, Johannes
Burk, Alfred Click the name above to see a profile of Burk, Alfred	Burk, Alfred
Dahne, Paul-Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Dahne, Paul-Heinrich    Died : 24 / 4 / 1945	Dahne, Paul-Heinrich
Düttmann, Peter Click the name above to see a profile of Düttmann, Peter    Died : 9 / 1 / 2001	Düttmann, Peter Peter Düttman joined 5/JG-52 in the spring of 1943 and served with that unit until the end of the war when he was a Staffelkapitan. During those two years on the Russian Front Peter flew 395 missions, had 152 victories, including nine in one day, was shot down or crash landed 17 times but was never wounded. His decorations include the Knights Cross and towards the end of the war was recommended for Oak Leaves. Sadly, Peter Duttmann passed away on 9th January 2001. As far as we are aware Peter Duttmann did not sign many art prints, making his signature very rare and highly collectable, escpecially with his high number of victories, making him the 34th highest scoring German Ace of the war.
Decker, Otto Click the name above to see a profile of Decker, Otto    Died : 27 / 8 / 1942	Decker, Otto
Denk, Gustav Click the name above to see a profile of Denk, Gustav    Died : 13 / 2 / 1943	Denk, Gustav
Dickfeld, Adolf Click the name above to see a profile of Dickfeld, Adolf    Died : 17 / 5 / 2009	Dickfeld, Adolf A highly successful Ace, Adolf Dickfeld was posted to Russia with III/JG52 in 1941. He was one of the first pilots to score 100 victories. Later with JG2 in North Africa, and JG11 in 'Defence of the Reich', bringing his total to 136 victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross. Sadly, Adolf Dickfeld died 17th May 2009.
Eberwein, Manfred Click the name above to see a profile of Eberwein, Manfred	Eberwein, Manfred
Ensslen, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Ensslen, Wilhelm    Died : 2 / 11 / 1940	Ensslen, Wilhelm
Ewald, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Ewald, Heinz	Ewald, Heinz Heinz 'Esau' Ewald joined 5./JG52 in Russia as a young Unteroffizier in the late summer of 1943 and flew with them for the entire duration of the war. Always regarded as one of the finest of the young pilotsof JG52, he flew as wingman to Major Gerhard Barkhorn, Kommandeur of II./JG52 and second highest scoring Ace in history. Heinz Ewald scored his 50th victory on December 29th 1944 when at Veszprem in Hungary. He flew a total of 396 missions and scored 84 victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in April 1945.
Ewald, Wolfgang Click the name above to see a profile of Ewald, Wolfgang	Ewald, Wolfgang
Faust, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Faust, Karl    Died : 12 / 7 / 1941	Faust, Karl
Fernsebner, Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Fernsebner, Josef    Died : 9 / 8 / 1941	Fernsebner, Josef
Fonnekold, Otto Click the name above to see a profile of Fonnekold, Otto    Died : 31 / 8 / 1944	Fonnekold, Otto Otto Fönnekold was born 15 February 1920 – 31 August 1944) was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. Fönnekold was credited with 136 victories. All but three of his victories were claimed over the Soviet Air Forces in about 600 combat missions] Fönnekold claimed three United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) P-51 Mustang's on 31 August 1944. He was bounced on his landing approach at Ssaß-Budak by P-51 Mustang's. One of the .50 caliber projectiles penetrated his heart. Nevertheless he landed his Bf 109 G-6 "black 9" before succumbing to his injury.
Freuworth, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Freuworth, Wilhelm	Freuworth, Wilhelm
Fullgrabe, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Fullgrabe, Heinrich    Died : 30 / 1 / 1945	Fullgrabe, Heinrich
Gerhards, Gunther Click the name above to see a profile of Gerhards, Gunther	Gerhards, Gunther
Gleuwitz, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Gleuwitz, Gerhard	Gleuwitz, Gerhard
Glunz, Adolf Click the name above to see a profile of Glunz, Adolf    Died : 1 / 8 / 2002	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.
Graf, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Graf, Hermann    Died : 11 / 4 / 1988	Graf, Hermann Hermann Graf, born in October 1912, trained to be a pilot from 1936, and in the summer of 1939 joined 2./JG51. With 9./JG52, Graf was transferred around several European stations, including Greece and Romania, eventually transferring to the Ukraine in August 1941. Claiming his first victory in August 1941, by early 1942 he had scored 45 victories, earning him the Knights Cross on 24th January 1942. Rapidly adding to his victories on the eastern front, Hermann Graf became the first pilot to score over 200 victories, earning the Oak Leaves, Sword and Diamonds to his Knights Cross on 17th May, 19th May and 16th September 1942 respectively. Due to the potential morale loss should such a high scoring Ace be shot down, he was subsequently moved to command a pilot training unit. He was injured after a collision with an American fighter in March 1944, recovering to take command of JG52 once again. finally surrendering his unit in May 1945. His total was 212 victories. Hermann Graf died 11th April 1988.
Grassmuck, Berthold Click the name above to see a profile of Grassmuck, Berthold    Died : 28 / 10 / 1942	Grassmuck, Berthold
Gratz, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Gratz, Karl    Died : 14 / 3 / 2002	Gratz, Karl Karl Gratz was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Gratz flew more than 900 missions, scoring 138 aerial victories, of which 17 were scored on the Western Front. Place of birth Wiener Neustadt Place of death Leck Allegiance Nazi Germany (to 1945) West Germany Service/branch Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht) Luftwaffe (Bundeswehr) Years of service 1936–1945, –1970 Rank Leutnant (Wehrmacht) Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr) Unit JG 52 Battles/wars World War II Eastern Front Western Front Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
Griener, Albert Click the name above to see a profile of Griener, Albert	Griener, Albert
Grislawski, Alfred Click the name above to see a profile of Grislawski, Alfred    Died : 19 / 9 / 2003	Grislawski, Alfred Alfred Grislawski joined 9./JG52 in 1940, quickly becoming an Ace. An outstanding fighter pilot, his air victories were 133 in over 800 combat missions until he was severely wounded. he was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves. Died 19th September 2003.
Haas, Friedrich Click the name above to see a profile of Haas, Friedrich    Died : 9 / 4 / 1945	Haas, Friedrich
Haibock, Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Haibock, Josef	Haibock, Josef Flew Me109s & Fw190s in the West & East with JG26, JG52 & JG3 scoring 77 victories.
Hammerl, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Hammerl, Karl    Died : 2 / 3 / 1943	Hammerl, Karl
Hartmann, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Hartmann, Erich    Died : 20 / 9 / 1993	Hartmann, Erich Erich Hartmann started his career as 'Paule' Rossman's wingman, and it was obvious that here was a very special pilot. Promoted Staffelkapitan of 7/JG52 in July 1943, he was shot down and taken prisoner for four hours before escaping. In September he took over 9/JG52. In March 1944 he reached the 200 victory mark. He later le 4/JG52, then briefly I/JG52, and lastly Gruppenkommandeur of I/JG52. Hartmann scored a total of 352 victories, more than any other pilot in history, and was awarded the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. He died 20th September 1993.
Hauswirth, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Hauswirth, Wilhelm    Died : 5 / 7 / 1943	Hauswirth, Wilhelm
Heckes, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Heckes, Helmut	Heckes, Helmut Helmut Heckes joined the Luftwaffe in August 1941, and in October 1943 was posted to I./JG52 based at Novo-Saporozhe in the southern Russian sector. He flew combat in most variants of the Me109. He joined 12./JG11 in 1944. Shortly afterwards, following 72 successful combat missions, he was shot down by a Lagg 5 on June 26th 1944. Spending six months in hospital his wounds were so severe that he was unable to fly again for the rest of the war. He was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class.
Hoffmann, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Hoffmann, Gerhard    Died : 11 / 4 / 1945	Hoffmann, Gerhard Gerhard Hoffmann was a Luftwaffe flying ace of World War II. Hoffmann was credited with 130 aerial victories. Unteroffizier Hoffmann was transferred to the 4./Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) in June 1942 on the Eastern front. His first streak of success was achieved in April and May 1943 over the Cuban bridgehead where he claimed his 42nd aerial victory on 30 May 1943. He was wounded on 25 September 1943 and claimed his century mark in the middle of March 1944 over the Crimea. His victory tally stood at 125 when he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 May 1944. He was transferred to the Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe West at the end of April 1944 as a fighter pilot instructor and promoted to Leutnant. He was put in command of the 4./Ergänzungs-Jagdgeschwader 1 (EJG 1). He claimed 4 aerial victories in March 1945 at the Oder front with this Staffel and was made Staffelkapitän of the 11./JG 52. He shuttling an aircraft to Breslau on 11 April 1945. On this flight he crashed and was killed. The reasons for this crash remain unanswered.
Hoffmann, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Hoffmann, Heinrich    Died : 3 / 10 / 1941	Hoffmann, Heinrich
Hohenberg, Werner Click the name above to see a profile of Hohenberg, Werner    Died : 10 / 2001	Hohenberg, Werner Werner Hohenberg joined JG52 in July 1942, flying with 8th Staffel. On July 9th 1942 he was badly wounded when his aircraft was hit by Russian flak, causing him to be in hospital until November 1st, 1944. He was then posted to JG2 'Richtofen' on the Western Front. On January 1st, 1945 he took part in Operation Bodenplatte, and was again shot down, this time by US flak. Landing behind British lines he was taken POW. Werner Hohenberg flew over 200 combat missions, scoring 33 air victories. He was awarded the Iron Cross. He died in October 2001.
Hrabak, Dieter Click the name above to see a profile of Hrabak, Dieter    Died : 15 / 9 / 1995	Hrabak, Dieter Dieter Hrabak was shot down in his first aerial combat during the Polish Campaign. He survived to become one of the Luftwaffes most respected and popular leaders. He scored his first victory in the Battle of France, and got 15 more during the Battle of Britain. By Eagle Day he was in command of II./JG 54, which he led until taking command of JG 52 in 1942. He was the first JG 54 Ace to be awarded the Knights Cross. He ended the war back in command of JG 54, and was credited with 125 victories. He died on 15th September 1995.
Ihlefeld, Herbert Click the name above to see a profile of Ihlefeld, Herbert    Died : 8 / 8 / 1995	Ihlefeld, Herbert Born 1st June 1914 in Pinnow Pommern and died 8th August 1995 in Wenningen lower Saxony. Joined the Luftwaffe in 1936 and scored nine victories during the Spanish Civil War. Flew 1000 combat missions and claimed 132 enemy aircraft with 56 on the Western Front including 26 spitfires and 67 on the Russian Front. Participated in the air war over Poland, France and the Battle of Britain. In 1941 Ihlefeld was transferred to the Balkans for the invasion of Yugoslavia. He was shot down by AA fire and captured by the Yugoslavian Army. 8 days lated he was rescued by the German troops. Ihlefeld participated in the assault on Crete, claiming his 36th kill, a Hurricane. He then commanded Jagdgeschwader 77 in time for Operation Barbarossa in June 1941. In April 1942 Ihlefeld became the 5th pilot to reach 100 victories and his unit 1/JG77 was credited with 323 enemy aircraft kills compared to the loss of only 17 Bf109s. Ihlefeld then took command of Jagdgeschwader 52 in June 1942 but he was involved in a landing accident and badly injured and was not ready to return to active service until July 1943. In May 1944 he commanded JG11 and then JG1 during the defence of the Reich. In 1945 he took command of Jagdgeschwader 1 equipped with the Heinkel 162.
Köpcke, Manfred Click the name above to see a profile of Köpcke, Manfred	Köpcke, Manfred
Küken, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Küken, Wilhelm	Küken, Wilhelm
Klein, Alfons Click the name above to see a profile of Klein, Alfons	Klein, Alfons
Koppen, Gerhard Click the name above to see a profile of Koppen, Gerhard    Died : 5 / 5 / 1942	Koppen, Gerhard
Korts, Berthold Click the name above to see a profile of Korts, Berthold    Died : 29 / 8 / 1943	Korts, Berthold
Krupinski, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Krupinski, Walter    Died : 7 / 10 / 2000	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.
Leesmann, Karl-Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Leesmann, Karl-Heinz    Died : 25 / 7 / 1943	Leesmann, Karl-Heinz Killed on 25th July 1943 when his Me109G 0020073 White 5 of JG1 was shot down by an American Flying Fortress.
Leisebein, Manfred Click the name above to see a profile of Leisebein, Manfred	Leisebein, Manfred Joining the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1943, aged 18, Manfred Leisebein was posted, after completing his fighter pilots trianing, to 3./JG52 in Russia. Flying Me109s throughout his 37 combat flights, Manfred scored a total of 5 aerial victories with JG52, and was awarded the Iron Cross II
Lipfert, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Lipfert, Helmut    Died : 10 / 8 / 1990	Lipfert, Helmut Helmut Lipfert was born on 6 August 1916 at Lippelsdorf in the Saalfeld region of Thüringen. A former Arbeitdienstführer and Unteroffizier with the Panzerwaffe, Lipfert transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1941 and underwent fighter pilot training. Lipfert was posted to JG 52, based on the Eastern front, on 16 December 1942. On his arrival at Simovniki in Russia, Leutnant Lipfert was assigned to 6./JG 52. He gained his first victory on his 18th combat mission shooting down a Russian LaGG-5 fighter on 30 January 1943. His 10th victory was recorded on 25 June. He achieved his 20th victory on 5 September. During September 1943, Lipfert assumed command of 6./JG 52. On 8 October, he shot down five Russian aircraft to record his 30th through 34th victories. He was to claim 18 victories in October, 21 in November, including his 50th victory on 12 November and his 60th on 27 November, and 16 in December, including four shot down on 5 December (69-72). By the end of 1943 his victory total had reached 80. After his 88th victory on 25 January 1944, he was sent on leave, not returning to the front until the end of March. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 5 April. His 100th victory was achieved on 11 April 1944 and his 150th on 24 October 1944. On 15 February 1945, Hauptmann Lipfert was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 53 based in Hungary. He shot down his 200th victim on 8 April 1945. On 17 April 1945 he was awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr 837) for 203 victories. Following the dissolution of I./JG 53, Lipfert was transferred to JG 52, where he was assigned to 7./JG 52 until the end of the war. Post-war Lipfert became a schoolteacher. He died on 10 August 1990. Helmut Lipfert was credited with 203 victories in over 700 missions. All his victories were recorded over the Eastern front and included two four-engine bombers and 39 Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft. Additionally, he claimed 27 unconfirmed victories.
Marseille, Hans-Joachim Click the name above to see a profile of Marseille, Hans-Joachim    Died : 30 / 9 / 1942	Marseille, Hans-Joachim Hauptmann Hans-Joachim Marseille was born 13 December 1919. He was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II. He is noted for his aerial battles during the North African Campaign and his bohemian lifestyle. Arguably one of the best fighter pilots of World War II, he was nicknamed the "Star of Africa". Marseille claimed all but seven of his "official" 158 victories against the British Commonwealth's Desert Air Force over North Africa, flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 fighter for his entire combat career. No other pilot claimed as many Western Allied aircraft as Marseille. Marseille, of French Huguenot ancestry, joined the Luftwaffe in 1938. At the age of 20 he graduated from one of the Luftwaffe's fighter pilot schools just in time to participate in the Battle of Britain, without notable success. A charming person, he had such a busy night life that sometimes he was too tired to be allowed to fly the next morning. As a result, he was transferred to another unit, which relocated to North Africa in April 1941. Battle of Britain In his first dogfight over England on 24 August 1940, Marseille was involved in a four-minute battle with a skilled opponent, He defeated his opponent by pulling up into a tight chandelle, to gain an altitude advantage before diving and firing. The British fighter was struck in the engine, pitching over and diving into the English Channel; this was Marseille's first kill. Marseille was then engaged from above by more enemy fighters. By pushing his aircraft into a steep dive then pulling up metres above the water, Marseille escaped from the machine gun fire of his opponents: "skipping away over the waves, I made a clean break. No one followed me and I returned to Leeuwarden." Marseille did not take any pleasure in this kill and found it difficult to accept the realities of aerial combat. In a letter to his mother, dated 24 August, he said the following: “Today I shot down my first opponent. It does not sit well with me. I keep thinking how the mother of this young man must feel when she gets the news of her son's death. And I am to blame for this death. I am sad, instead of being happy about the first victory.â€� On his second sortie, he scored another victory, and by the fifth day had claimed his fourth kill. While returning from a bomber-escort mission on 23 September 1940, his engine failed after combat damage sustained over Dover; he tried to radio his position but was forced to bail out over the sea. He paddled around in the water for three hours before being rescued by a Heinkel He 59 float plane based at Schellingwoude. Severely worn out and suffering from exposure, he was sent to a field hospital. Marseille claimed his 7th aerial victory on 28 September 1940 but had to crash land near Théville due to engine failure in his Bf 109 E-7. Days later, Marseille was passed over for promotion and was now the sole Fähnrich in the Geschwader. This was a humiliation for him, suspecting that his abilities were being suppressed so the squadron leaders could take all the glory in the air. Another account recalled how Marseille once ignored an order to turn back from a fight when outnumbered by two to one, but seeing an enemy aircraft closing on his wing leader, Marseille broke formation and shot the attacking aircraft down. Expecting nothing but "a well done Jochen" when he landed, he was thoroughly criticised for his actions, receiving three days of confinement for failing to carry out an order. Shortly afterwards, in early October 1940, after having claimed seven aerial victories all them flying with I. /LG 2 Marseille was transferred to 4./Jagdgeschwader 52, flying alongside the likes of Johannes Steinhoff and Gerhard Barkhorn. He wrote off four aircraft as a result of operations during this period. Steinhoff, later recalled: “Marseille was extremely handsome. He was a very gifted pilot, but he was unreliable. He had girl friends everywhere, and they kept him so busy that he was sometimes so worn out that he had to be grounded. His sometime irresponsible way of conducting his duties was the main reason I fired him. But he had irresistible charm.â€� As punishment for "insubordination"—rumoured to be his penchant for American jazz music, womanising and an overt "playboy" lifestyle—and inability to fly as a wingman, Steinhoff transferred Marseille to Jagdgeschwader 27 on 24 December 1940. When he joined his new unit, it was difficult to foresee his outstanding career. His new Gruppenkommandeur, Eduard Neumann, later recalled: “His hair was too long and he brought with him a list of disciplinary punishments as long as your arm. Of the 7 kills he had claimed fighting along the English Channel, 4 had not been confirmed – a large percentage. On top of it all, he was a Berliner… In trying to create an image, he wasn’t averse from talking about the many girls he had been to bed with, among them a famous actress. He was tempestuous, temperamental and unruly. Thirty years later, he would have been called a playboy.â€� Nevertheless, Neumann quickly recognised Marseille's potential as a pilot. He stated in an interview: "Marseille could only be one of two, either a disciplinary problem or a great fighter pilot." Jagdgeschwader 27 was soon relocated to North Africa. Under the guidance of his new commander, who recognised the hidden potential in the young officer, Marseille started to improve his abilities as a fighter pilot. He reached the zenith of his fighter pilot career on 1 September 1942, when during the course of three combat sorties he claimed 17 enemy fighters shot down, earning him the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. Only 29 days later, Marseille was killed in a flying accident, when an engine failure forced him to abandon his fighter. After he exited the smoke-filled cockpit, Marseille's chest struck the vertical stabiliser of his aircraft, either killing him instantly, or incapacitating him so that he was unable to open his parachute.
Meier, Johann-Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Meier, Johann-Hermann    Died : 15 / 3 / 1944	Meier, Johann-Hermann
Meltzer, Karl-Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Meltzer, Karl-Heinz	Meltzer, Karl-Heinz
Miethig, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Miethig, Rudolf    Died : 10 / 6 / 1943	Miethig, Rudolf
Mink, Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Mink, Wilhelm    Died : 12 / 3 / 1945	Mink, Wilhelm Killed on 12th March 1945 when his Me109G-14 0464454 of EJG1 was shot down by an American P-51 Mustang of 339th Fighter Group and crashed near Hammerslev.
Munz, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Munz, Karl	Munz, Karl
Nemitz, Willi Click the name above to see a profile of Nemitz, Willi    Died : 11 / 4 / 1943	Nemitz, Willi
Obleser, Friedrich Click the name above to see a profile of Obleser, Friedrich    Died : 5 / 6 / 2004	Obleser, Friedrich Friedrich Obleser was born 21 February 1923 in Pottenstein, Austria. He died– 5 June 2004 in Neunkirchen, Austria. Obleser was a German World War II fighter ace and was credited with 127 aerial victories achieved in 500 combat missions. Friedrich Obleser at one point questioned the aerial claims made by Erich Hartmann. Hartmann asked Günther Rall to have Obleser transferred to be Hartmann's wingman for a while. Obleser became a witness on some of Hartmann's claims and no longer questioned Hartmann's claims. After World War II Friedrich Obleser settled in West Germany and continued his career in the Luftwaffe der Bundeswehr after the re-militarization of West Germany in 1955. From October 1, 1978 until his retirement on March 31, 1983, he held the position of Inspekteur der Luftwaffe der Bundeswehr. At the end of his career he had attained the rank of Generalleutnant.
Petermann, Viktor Click the name above to see a profile of Petermann, Viktor    Died : 19 / 5 / 2001	Petermann, Viktor Joining III./JG-52, Viktor Petermann flew in Russia as an Oberfeldwebel and became skilled in low-level attacks, sinking a gun boat and 50 troop ferries. On one of these missions, after being hit by ground fire, his left arm was amputated and he was hospitalized for a long period. After his recovery he was sent back into combat in 1945 with II./JG-52, with an artificial arm, and scored another 4 victories! He finished the war with JG-7, and a total of 64 victories. Viktor Petermann was awarded the Knights Cross.
Plucker, Karl-Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Plucker, Karl-Heinz	Plucker, Karl-Heinz
Quasinowski, Ernst Click the name above to see a profile of Quasinowski, Ernst	Quasinowski, Ernst
Quast, Werner Click the name above to see a profile of Quast, Werner    Died : 12 / 7 / 1962	Quast, Werner
Rall, Günther Click the name above to see a profile of Rall, Günther    Died : 4 / 10 / 2009	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. Gunther Rall signing the print - Eagles Over the Steppes - by Graeme Lothian.
Resch, Anton Click the name above to see a profile of Resch, Anton	Resch, Anton
Resch, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Resch, Rudolf    Died : 11 / 7 / 1943	Resch, Rudolf
Riedmeir, Adolf Click the name above to see a profile of Riedmeir, Adolf	Riedmeir, Adolf
Rossmann, Edmund Click the name above to see a profile of Rossmann, Edmund    Died : 4 / 4 / 2004	Rossmann, Edmund One of the most respected leaders in JG52, 'Paule' flew in the Battle of Britain before transferring to Russia. Hartmann began as Rossmann's wingman. In July 1943 he landed behind enemy lines in an attempt to rescue a fellow pilot but was captured by the Russians. He had scored 93 victories, and been awarded the Knight's Cross. Died 4th April 2004.
Sachsenberg, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Sachsenberg, Heinz    Died : 17 / 6 / 1951	Sachsenberg, Heinz After flight training he was assigned, as a Feldwebel, to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) in the Fall of 1942. He was sent to the front in late 1942 at the Eastern Front, and was assigned to 6./JG 52 On 21 April 1943 he achieved his first air victory, shooting down an Il-2 ground attack aircraft. By the end of July 1943 he had shot down 22 enemy airplanes in heavy air combat over the Kuban bridgehead. His unit was then transferred to cover the retreat from the southern Kursk salient where he scored a further 16 victories. After a spell of leave from September to November due to overstress (when he was also awarded the German Cross in Gold and Ehrenpokal, he returned to the Crimea and the intense air-battles over the Kerch Straits. After 76 victories, and on leave, Sachsenberg was recommended for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) in March 1944. Upon returning to the Crimea at the beginning of May, he shot down 25 aircraft in just a month including 6 planes on 7 May (77-82v.). On 31 May, over Iasi, in the battles for Romania, he claimed four victories and five more were claimed on 8 June 1944, bringing his total to 101 air victories. He was the 76th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve the century mark. Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel Sachsenberg was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 9 June 1944. Returning from leave, his unit was then transferred to cover the Ploiești oilfields in Romania. After claiming one more victory, he was seriously wounded during an air battle with American P-51 Mustang fighters on 23 June 1944 although he managed to successfully belly-land his Bf-109 G-6, (Werknummer 166233—factory number) "Yellow 1". Promoted to Leutnant, he achieved his final victories over Hungary, including a USAAF P-51 (#103, on 3 March) and a Russian P-39 Sachsenberg had a total of 104 victories over a total of 520 flown sorties. Of his 104 air victories, 1 was achieved in the west, 84 of his victories were fighter planes. He also sunk 1 speed boat. He died on 17 June 1951, following complications from wounds he received during the war.
Sahl, Otfried Click the name above to see a profile of Sahl, Otfried	Sahl, Otfried Born in Eigenrode on 17th August 1925, Ottfried was called up for service in 1943, joining the Luftwaffe in July of that year. Trained as a fighter pilot he was posted to the Eastern Front to join 5./JG52, where he undertook 35 combat operations on Me109s before the end of the war.
Schade, Kurt Click the name above to see a profile of Schade, Kurt	Schade, Kurt One of the early JG52 Aces. Kurt Schade led 0/JG52 from November 1941 until 23 March 1942. A moment after his 27th victory - the fourth in a day, the engine of Kurt's Me109 was completely destroyed by Russian gunfire, and burst into flames. Kurt was forced to bail out behind enemy lines. Captured by the Russians, he spent almost 8 years in Russian captivity. In September 1943 Erich Hartmann took over command of the 9th Staffel.
Schall, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Schall, Franz    Died : 10 / 4 / 1945	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 7â€�. 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.
Schelker, Friedrich Click the name above to see a profile of Schelker, Friedrich	Schelker, Friedrich Joining the Luftwaffe in the autumn of 1940, Friedrich Schelker was posted to I./JG52 at Dnepropetrowsk a year later, flying the Me109F. Later when serving with 7./JG51 in the southern sector of Mariupol he was shot down and badly wounded. After hospitalisation, in 1943 he was transferred to fly the Fischler Fil56 Storch. Friedrich served throughout the Eastern Front, in Russia, Rumania and Hungary. He scored 22 victories and was awarded the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class.
Schindler, Adalbert Click the name above to see a profile of Schindler, Adalbert	Schindler, Adalbert
Schmidt, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Schmidt, Erich    Died : 3 / 8 / 1941	Schmidt, Erich
Schmidt, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Schmidt, Heinz    Died : 5 / 9 / 1943	Schmidt, Heinz Heinz Schmidt – nickname: “Johnnyâ€� was born 20 April 1920. He was a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. Heinz Schmidt is credited with 173 aerial victories achieved in 712 combat missions and was posthumously promoted to Hauptmann. Heinz Schmidt was born on 20 April 1920 in Bad Homburg and joined the Luftwaffe on 10 November 1938. After he completed his basic training and fighter pilot training he was assigned to the 2nd Staffel of the Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Merseburg. From here he was posted to 4./Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52) in August 1940. JG 52 at that time was engaged in the Battle of Britain. For a short time Schmidt was acting Staffelführer of 5./JG 52 but returned to the 4. Staffel and was promoted to Feldwebel on 1 April 1941. Beginning in June 1941 Schmidt participated in Operation Barbarossa on the Eastern Front. He was promoted to Oberfeldwebel on 27 August 1941. Schmidt crash landed behind Russian lines in October 1941. He returned to the German lines six days later. Schmidt was promoted to Leutnant on 1 February 1942; he received the Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 6 July 1942, followed by his promotion to Oberleutnant on 1 August 1942. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 51 aerial victories on 23 August 1942. Within only three more weeks he was able to claim an additional 51 victories, for which he was honoured with the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. In February 1943 he was again shot down behind Russian lines but returned after a two-day trek across the frozen Sea of Azov minus one fur-lined flying boot and with a smashed shoulder. He was put in command of 6./JG 52 on 16 August 1943. Heinz Schmidt is posted as missing in action after aerial combat near Markor on 5 September 1943. He was reportedly shot down in error by a Hungarian fighter.
Schumann, August-Wilhelm Click the name above to see a profile of Schumann, August-Wilhelm    Died : 6 / 9 / 1941	Schumann, August-Wilhelm
Schumann, Heinz Click the name above to see a profile of Schumann, Heinz	Schumann, Heinz
Semelka, Waldemar Click the name above to see a profile of Semelka, Waldemar    Died : 21 / 8 / 1942	Semelka, Waldemar
Simsch, Siegfried Click the name above to see a profile of Simsch, Siegfried    Died : 8 / 6 / 1944	Simsch, Siegfried
Steffen, Karl Click the name above to see a profile of Steffen, Karl    Died : 8 / 8 / 1943	Steffen, Karl
Steinbatz, Leopold Click the name above to see a profile of Steinbatz, Leopold    Died : 23 / 6 / 1942	Steinbatz, Leopold Signature of Leopold Steinbatz on a Hoffmann card. Full signature of Leopold Steinbatz.
Steinhilper, Ulrich Click the name above to see a profile of Steinhilper, Ulrich    Died : 20 / 10 / 2009	Steinhilper, Ulrich Ulrich Steinhilper was born on the 14. September 1918 in Stuttgart. In 1936, he succesfully tested for Luftwaffe flight training. As a cadet, he mastered the Heinkel 72 Cadet and the Focke Wulf 44 Goldfinch, received his pilot's badge and then went to an operational unit. Steinhilper was assigned as adjutant to Condor Legion veteran Adolf Galland. at the beginning of 1939, Steinhilper "volunteered" to command the group's radio communications unit and worked hard to integrate this new technology into flying operations. His unit was redesignated I./JG 52 in April 1939 and in the summer moved operation to a airfield east of Bonn. During the invasion of Poland, the group defended the Ruhr industrial region. In September 1939, Steinhilper was assigned a Messerschmitt Bf109 numbered "Yellow 16." and were involved in combat over France until May 1940. In early August 1940, I./JG52 returned to combat in the opening days of the Battle of Britain. Steinhilper destroyed his first three enemy fighters, Spitfires, during a ground attack on RAF Manston. On 19 September, and at the end of the month he got his 4th victory. By the end of October, he had logged over 150 sorties across the Channel and had become an ace.with his 5th victory. On the 27th October 1940, Steinhilper was shot down by the Spitfire of Sgt Bill Skinner of 74 squadron, He became a POW first in England and then in Canada. On the 23 November 1941 Oberleutnant Ulrich Steinhilper escaped from Bowmanvill Ontario and managed to make it to Niagara Falls within two days. Steinhilper unknowingly spent 30 minutes in the neutral United States clinging beneath a train car as it sat idle in a Buffalo, New York railyard. In less than three weeks, he escaped again and made it as far as Montreal, Quebec. Within four months Steinhilper would attempt a third escape. On February 18, 1942 Steinhilper and a friend, disguised as painters, used a ladder to escape over two barbed wire fences. The pair would make it as far as Watertown, New York before being arrested by police. Steinhilper was soon sent to Gravenhurst, Ontario where he attempted two further escapes. Steinhelper is known to be the greatest german escaper of the war. After the war Steinhilper worked for IBM and In 1972, IBM credited Steinhilper for the concept of "word processing." Ulrich Steinhilper also has written three autobiographical books - Spitfire On My Tail, Ten Minutes To Buffalo, and Full Circle. In 1980 the remains of Steinhilpers ME109 was found in a marsh near Canturbury and is now preserved at the kent Battle of Britain Museum at Hawkinge. Sadly, we have learned that Ulrich Steinhilper passed away on 20th October 2009.
Steinhoff, Johannes Click the name above to see a profile of Steinhoff, Johannes    Died : 21 / 2 / 1994	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.
Sturm, Heinrich Click the name above to see a profile of Sturm, Heinrich    Died : 22 / 12 / 1944	Sturm, Heinrich Hauptmann Heinrich Sturm was born born 12 June, 1920 in Dieburg, Hessia, he was unfortunately killed in flying accident 22 December, 1944 in Csorna, Hungary, Strurm was German World War II Luftwaffe 158 victories Flying ace. Joining 6./Jagdgeschwader 52 with the rank of Feldwebel in the summer of 1941 he managed to score his first three victories at the end of the year. Hauptmann Strurm then transferred to a fighter school as instructor and only managed to rejoin frontline service in November 1942. He was assigned to the Staff of II./JG 52. In the period up to 17 December 1942 he scored a further six victories. On the 1 January 1943 he was promoted to Leutnant. He scored his 20th kill on the 15 April 1943, adding five more kills on the 20 April 1943 and reached his 40th kill on the 30 June 1943 and kill total of 75 on the 30 November 1943. From the 1 September 1943 he was in lead of 4./JG 52. Scoring his 100th victory on the 23. March 1944 he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross three days later. Barely a month later, on the 16 April 1944 Strurm was wounded badly by bomb debris on Chersonez (Crimea) airfield. In August 1944 he returned to JG 52 and took over command of 5./JG 52, his score standing at 111. On the 22 December 1944 he scored his last two kills. Taking off for another sortie from Csorna that day, one of the landing gear struts hit a truck killing him in the accident Commands held 4./JG 52, 5./JG 52
Suss, Ernst Click the name above to see a profile of Suss, Ernst    Died : 20 / 12 / 1943	Suss, Ernst
Thomas, Helmut Click the name above to see a profile of Thomas, Helmut	Thomas, Helmut Flying the Ju88, Herbert Thomas fought as a night fighter pilot during the Battle of Britain with I./NJ62. On 8th May 1942 he was shot down and badly wounded over Yorkshire, England. He had 7 victories and was awarded the Iron Cross I and II.
Trübenbach, Hannes Click the name above to see a profile of Trübenbach, Hannes	Trübenbach, Hannes
Trenkel, Rudolf Click the name above to see a profile of Trenkel, Rudolf    Died : 26 / 4 / 2001	Trenkel, Rudolf Rudolf Trenkel was born on 17 January 1918 at Neudorf in the Ballenstedt region of Sachsen. He joined the army in 1936 but transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1939. On 22 February 1942, Trenkel was posted to JG 77 based on the southern part of Eastern front. Unteroffizier Trenkel was assigned to III./JG 77. He flew with 7./JG 77 and on 26 March he claimed his first victory over I-153 biplane fighter. Trenkel was transferred to JG 52 based on the Eastern front on 1 May 1942. He was assigned to the Geschwaderstab. He claimed three victories serving with this unit. On 15 June 1942, Feldwebel Trenkel was transferred to 2./JG 52 based on the Eastern front. Trenkel recorded his 20th victory on 2 November. On 17 December, Trenkel shot down six enemy aircraft to record his 23rd through 28th victories. He recorded five victories on 16 April 1943 (46-50) and four victories on 2 June (73-76). Trenkel was transferred to Ergänzung-Jagdgruppe Ost in June 1943. Reputedly he claimed three victories with the unit. Oberfeldwebel Trenkel was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 19 August for 76 victories. In October 1943, Trenkel returned to front line duty with 2./JG 52. He claimed 18 victories during October. However, on 2 November, he was shot down in Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 140 167) “Black 3â€� by a Russian Yak-9 fighter and badly wounded. Following his recovery from the wounds received in November 1943, Trenkel trained as an officer and transferred to Stab/JG 52 with the rank of Oberleutnant. On 14 July, Trenkel claimed his 100th victory. On 15 August 1944, Trenkel was appointed Staffelkapitän of 2./JG 52. In October, Trenkel claimed 12 victories in 10 days but was shot down five times. On 15 October, Trenkel shot down six enemy aircraft (122-127). He was shot down again on 15 March 1945 by flak. Trenkel baled out of his stricken Bf 109 G-14 (W.Nr. 465 260) “Black 12â€� wounded. Following the surrender, US troops handed over Trenkel to the Russians. However, after four weeks, he was repatriated due to the deterioration of the wounds received in his last combat. He died on 26 April 2001. Rudolf Trenkel was credited with 138 victories in over 500 missions. Of the 138 victories recorded over the Eastern front, at least 42 were Il-2 Sturmovik ground attack aircraft.
Vollgold, Klaus Click the name above to see a profile of Vollgold, Klaus	Vollgold, Klaus Born on 16th October 1925 in Zwickau, Klaus was called up to join the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1943, where he underwent training to qualify as a fighter pilot. Posted to join JG52 in the east flying Me109s, Klaus took part in 30 combat flights, and scored 3 confirmed victories before the war came to an end.
Wachowiak, Friedrich Click the name above to see a profile of Wachowiak, Friedrich    Died : 16 / 7 / 1944	Wachowiak, Friedrich
Waldmann, Hans Click the name above to see a profile of Waldmann, Hans    Died : 18 / 3 / 1945	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.
Walter, Adolf Click the name above to see a profile of Walter, Adolf    Died : 1 / 9 / 1941	Walter, Adolf
Wiese, Johannes Click the name above to see a profile of Wiese, Johannes    Died : 16 / 8 / 1991	Wiese, Johannes Johannes Wiese was born 7 May 1915. – died 16 August 199. He was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 until the end of World War II on 8 May 1945. After the war in 1956 he joined the Bundeswehr and attained the rank of Oberstleutnant. He retired on 30 November 1970. His most successful day was 5 July 1943 when he shot down twelve enemy aircraft in one mission. Johannes Wiese was officially credited with 133 victories claimed in 480 combat missions. Additionally he had 25 more unconfirmed claims. Among his claims are 70 Il-2 Stormoviks. Soviet fighter pilots therefore greatly respected Wiese, and referred to him as the "Lion of Kuban." On December 1, 1944, Wiese became Geschwaderkommodore of the JG 77. Only three weeks later he was severely injured when, following ejection at an altitude of more than 9000 meters after combat with British Spitfires, his parachute ruptured 80 meters above ground. He spent the rest of the winter in hospital, and was replaced as commander by Erich Leie. He surrendered to U.S. forces at the end of the war but was released from captivity only weeks later. However, Wiese spent over four years in Soviet POW camps from September 1945 onward, having been denounced by German communists.
Woidich, Franz Click the name above to see a profile of Woidich, Franz    Died : 5 / 7 / 2004	Woidich, Franz Franz Woidich was posted to North Africa to join II./JG27 in July 1941. In April 1942 he transferred to 3./JG52 in Russia. In August 1944 he was selected as one of a group of elite fighter pilots for training on the Me163 Komet, and joined Erganzunstaffel 400 at Gutenfeld, near Breslau. A month later he joined II./JG400 as Staffelkapitan. Franz Woidich served with JG400 until the end of the war. He was awarded the Knight's Cross in June 1944, flew over 1000 combat missions and achieved 110 victories. Franz Woidich passed away on 5th July 2004.
Woitke, Erich Click the name above to see a profile of Woitke, Erich	Woitke, Erich
Wolf, Albin Click the name above to see a profile of Wolf, Albin    Died : 2 / 4 / 1944	Wolf, Albin Albin Wolf born on 28 October 1920. Wolf was a German World War II Luftwaffe 144 victories Flying ace and a posthumous recipient of the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. He was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and killed in action on 2 April 1944. Wolf was transferred to the 6th squadron of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in May 1942 on the Eastern front.[Notes 1] He achieved his aerial victories 37–40 on 3 August 1943. By 4 September 1943 he had accumulated 78 victories. Wolf received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for 117 victories on 22 November 1943. Wolf crash landed on a transfer flight on 29 December 1943 and was severely wounded. He was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 6./JG 54 on 11 March 1944. Albin Wolf's 135th aerial victory claimed on 23 March 1944 was also Jagdgeschwader 54's 7000th of the war. Wolf was killed in action south-east of Pskov on 2 April 1944. His Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 took a direct hit from an anti-aircraft shell. He was posthumously promoted to Oberleutnant and honoured with the 464th Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 27 April 1944.
Wolf, Hermann Click the name above to see a profile of Wolf, Hermann    Died : 1996	Wolf, Hermann
Wolfrum, Walter Click the name above to see a profile of Wolfrum, Walter    Died : 26 / 8 / 2010	Wolfrum, Walter Walter Wolfrum first saw combat in the Crimea with 5/JG52. He was shot down three times, and wounded twice before scoring his first victory. With his score at 70 he was again wounded, but returned to take command of 1/JG52 in May 1944, taking part in the fiercely fought defence of the Ploesti oilfields. he was again wounded, but returned to command 1/JG52 until the end of the war. he had flown 423 missions, achieved 137 victories, and was awarded the Knight's Cross. Sadly, Walter Wolfrum passed away on 26th August 2010.
Zwernemann, Josef Click the name above to see a profile of Zwernemann, Josef    Died : 8 / 4 / 1944	Zwernemann, Josef Josef Zwernemann initially served in the Kriegsmarine where he completed his basic training. Unteroffizier Zwernemanns' service with 7./JG 52 began on 1 March 1940 and participated in the Battle of France. He claimed his first aerial victory over a Supermarine Spitfire in July 1940. In May 1941 he fought in the Battle of Crete. With the beginning of Operation Barbarossa his tally increased and he became one of the most successful pilots of his Jagdgruppe. By the end of 1941 his score stood at twenty and he was awarded Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 12 December 1941. In May 1942 the number of victories had increased to thirty and he was honored with the German Cross in Gold on 25 May 1942. The Oberfeldwebel received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 57 victories on 23 June 1942. In the month of September 1942 he claimed over thirty victories. On 1 October 1942 claimed four victories increasing his score to 103, for which he received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross. He was promoted to Leutnant in the spring of 1943. One of Zwernemanns' wingmen and students was history's top-scoring ace Erich Hartmann. While serving with 9./JG 52, Zwernemann claimed his 113th victory on 15 April 1943 and victory 117 on 7 May 1943. One of his victories on 15 April 1943 was Starshiy Leytenant Dmitriy Glinka, who had already been recommended to be appointed a Hero of the Soviet Union. At the end of May 1943 he was posted to the fighter pilot training school, Ergänzungsgruppe Ost. He returned to combat service in the fall of 1943, this time serving with 3./JG 77 in Italy. From here he was posted to 1./JG 11 on 15 December 1943 serving in Defense of the Reich duties and claimed a further 9 victories. As of 15 December he was acting Staffelkapitän, representing Hauptmann Siegfried Simsch. Zwernemann was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 April 1944. On 8 April 1944 1st Staffel took off from Rotenburg together with I. and II./JG 11 to intercept an inbound B-24 Liberator bomber formation, which was protected by P-51 Mustang escort fighters. JG 11 reported the destruction of 8 bombers and 6 P-51 Mustangs for the loss of 20 fighters. Eleven pilots were killed in action and three wounded in action. Among those killed in action was Josef Zwernemann. His fellow comrades reported that Zwernemann was shot in his parachute. Josef Zwernemann was killed 8 April 1944 near Gardelegen, Altmark after more than 600 combat missions and 126 aerial victories.

Aircraft for : JG52
A list of all aircraft associated with JG52. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
Aircraft	Info
Fi156 Click the name above to see prints featuring Fi156 aircraft. Manufacturer : Fieseler	Fi156 Full profile not yet available.
Me109 Click the name above to see prints featuring Me109 aircraft. Manufacturer : Messerschmitt Production Began : 1937 Retired : 1945 Number Built : 33984	Me109 Willy Messerschmitt designed the BF109 during the early 1930s. The Bf109 was one of the first all metal monocoque construction fighters with a closed canopy and retractable undercarriage. The engine of the Me109 was a V12 aero engine which was liquid-cooled. The Bf109 first saw operational service during the Spanish Civil War and flew to the end of World War II, during which time it was the backbone of the Luftwaffe fighter squadrons. During the Battle of Britian the Bf109 was used in the role of an escort fighter, a role for which it was not designed for, and it was also used as a fighter bomber. During the last days of May 1940 Robert Stanford-Tuck, the RAF ace, got the chance to fly an Me109 which they had rebuilt after it had crash landed. Stanford-Tuck found out that the Me109 was a wonderful little plane, it was slightly faster than the Spitfire, but lacked the Spitfire manoeuvrability. By testing the Me109, Tuck could put himself inside the Me109 when fighting them, knowing its weak and strong points. With the introduction of the improved Bf109F in the spring of 1941, the type again proved to be an effective fighter during the invasion of Yugoslavia and during the Battle of Crete and the invasion of Russia and it was used during the Siege of the Mediteranean island of Malta. The Bf109 was the main fighter for the Luftwaffe until 1942 when the Fw190 entered service and shared this position, and was partially replaced in Western Europe, but the Me109 continued to serve on the Eastern Front and during the defence of the Reich against the allied bombers. It was also used to good effect in the Mediterranean and North Africa in support of The Africa Korps. The Me109 was also supplied to several German allies, including Finland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Slovakia. The Bf109 scored more kills than any other fighter of any country during the war and was built in greater numbers with a total of over 31,000 aircraft being built. The Bf109 was flown by the three top German aces of the war war. Erich Hartmann with 352 victories, Gerhard Barkhorn with 301 victories and Gunther Rall with 275 kills. Bf109 pilots were credited with the destruction of 100 or more enemy aircraft. Thirteen Luftwaffe Aces scored more than 200 kills. Altogether this group of pilots were credited with a total of nearly 15,000 kills, of which the Messerschmitt Bf109 was credited with over 10,000 of these victories. The Bf109 was the most produced warplane during World War II, with 30,573 examples built during the war, and the most produced fighter aircraft in history, with a total of 33,984 units produced up to April 1945. Bf109s remained in foreign service for many years after World War II. The Swiss used their Bf109Gs well into the 1950s. The Finnish Air Force did not retire their Bf109Gs until March 1954. Romania used its Bf109s until 1955. The Spanish Hispanos flew even longer. Some were still in service in the late 1960s.

Last edited : 15:25, November 18, 2013
Last editor : kc

Latest JG52 Artwork Releases !
Tribute to Peter Düttmann by Ivan Berryman.	Tribute to Walter Krupinski by Ivan Berryman.	Erich Hartmann - The Ace of Aces by Ivan Berryman. (PC)	Hunters at Dawn by Robert Taylor.

JG52 Artwork

Bf109Es of JG52 by Ivan Berryman.

JG52 - Summer 1940 by Ivan Berryman.

Gunther Rall by Ivan Berryman.

Gunther Rall - Black 13 by Ivan Berryman.

Gunther Rall - on the Tail of a Yak by Ivan Berryman.

Snow Warriors by Ivan Berryman.

Gunther Rall - Me109 Ace by Ivan Berryman.

Black 13 - Gunther Rall by Ivan Berryman.

Clipped Signature - Gunther Rall.

Clipped Signature - Franz Woidich.

Clipped Signature - Helmut Bennemann.

Clipped Signature - Werner Hohenburg.

Caucasus Dawn by Graeme Lothian.

The Right of the Line by Graeme Lothian.

Tribute to Hermann Graf by Graeme Lothian.

Dawn Eagles Rising by Robert Taylor.

Into the Fray by Richard Taylor.

Evening Reflection by Richard Taylor.

Steinhoff Tribute by Robert Taylor.

Horrido! by Robert Taylor.

JG-52 by Robert Taylor.

Knight of the Reich by Robert Taylor.

Hunters at Dawn by Robert Taylor.

Erich Hartmann - The Ace of Aces by Ivan Berryman.

Tribute to Walter Krupinski by Ivan Berryman.

Tribute to Peter Düttmann by Ivan Berryman.

Target ahead, Kursk, Central Russia, July 1943 by David Pentland.

Taran over the Kuban by David Pentland.

Early Risers by David Pentland.

Victory Flypast by David Pentland. (P)

The Count by David Pentland. (P)

Birth of a Legend by Robert Taylor.

JG52 by Robert Taylor.

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