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Quiz about Aces of the Luftwaffe
Quiz about Aces of the Luftwaffe

Aces of the Luftwaffe Trivia Quiz


As they generally flew until they were killed, made prisoner, seriously wounded or the war ended, it's not surprising that the Luftwaffe produced so many high scoring fighter pilots. Here are some of them, in biographical form; good luck

A multiple-choice quiz by iron2. Estimated time: 12 mins.
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Author
iron2
Time
12 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
277,365
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Very Difficult
Avg Score
4 / 10
Plays
808
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
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Question 1 of 10
1. *Note that I have used the kill figures as credited by Luftwaffe AAR's and as awarded by the RLM throughout this quiz. I'm well aware of the controversy that surrounds the claims records of II./JG2 in Tunisia, JG52 and JG54 in Russia etc, and don't wish to be bombarded by P.M.'s in regards to this matter.
Thanks, Ron
Now, on with the show...
I first went on ops in October 1940 with 6./JG52. Although I was in combat with the RAF on numerous occasions, it was not until September 1941 that I recorded my first victory, this coming after my unit's transfer to the Eastern front. In May 1943 I was promoted to Staffelkapitän of 7./JG52 and five months later, I recorded the Staffel's 1000th victory, my 154th. In April 1944 I left JG52 and Russia behind for short-lived Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) duties as Staffelkapitän of 1./JG5. After a few weeks (which included downing a B-17 and three "Indianer") I was on the move again, this time to command II./JG11. I gained a further 10 "Ami's", (including 3 P-47's in three minutes) before being wounded for my seventh (and final) time on 12 August, 1944. Upon recovery, I was re-assigned as Gruppenkommodore of III./JG26, where I was to serve until the unit was disbanded in late March, 1945. In April, I joined many of my fellow eagles in JV44. After a hasty conversion course, scored my final two kills (#'s 196 and 197) flying the Me-262 Schwable. Who am I?
Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. I was posted to 2./JG2 on 1 November, 1939 and scored my first victory on 14 May, 1940. I remained with this staffel until 11 November, 1942 when I was given command of 6./JG2; at this point my score stood at 45 victories. II/JG2 was posted to Tunisia and I was appointed as acting Gruppenkommodore during this period. On February 9, 1943 I was credited with six P-40s and two P-38s in the space of 23 minutes; six days later I claimed three Spitfires and four P-38's in one mission, six of these in a fifteen minute span. Following further duties in the Reich (March/April 1943) , forming a new unit (IV./JG54), I was given command of II./JG54. In the east I was to realize even greater exploits; among these were: four missions where I scored five kills, three missions with six kills, two with seven, one of eleven and one with thirteen. This last feat puts me in the company of only two others; fellow "Grünherzflieger" Emil Lang, and the renowned Hans-Joachim Marseille. I finished my combat career in command of II./JG7, accumulating my final twelve victories (inc. 10 B-17s) at the controls of the Me-262. I was among the first to be certified as a "double" jet ace. I am (by far) one of the most controversial pilots of WW II as with regards to my claims record. Who am I? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. I was commissioned with the rank of Leutnant on 1 September, 1938 while flying the Ar 68 with II./JG134. With the advent of war, I recorded my first kill (JG2's first or second, depending on which source you trust), on 22 November, 1939. On 5 June, 1940 I scored 4 victories (three Bloch 151s and an MS 406) in 13 minutes; the following day I got two more 151s. My star rose quickly from this point forward. I was given command of my Staffel, (3./JG2) on 1 August and received the Ritterkreuz on the 27th. On 9 September, after being promoted Hauptmann on the fourth, I was made Gruppenkommodore I./JG2. This is a mute testimony to the severity of both the fighting, and of our personnel losses, at the height of the "Angriff auf England". On 5 October I scored 5 kills in two missions. For this feat I was awarded the 4th Eichenlaub of the war and shortly thereafter, promoted Major and given command of JG2; all this coming at the ripe old age of 25yrs (making me the youngest major in the entire Wehrmacht). On the morning of 28 November 1940, I scored my 55th victory, making me (at the time) the leading ace in the war . At about 17:00 (local time) that same day I scored my 56th, and final, victory. Who am I? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. I spent my entire combat career in the west, fighting with JG2 from December 1939, until my final flight on 2 March, 1944. I was somewhat of a "slow starter" as I spent much of my early career on TD (Temporary Detachment) with non-combat duties. This changed on 10 June, 1941 when I was made Staffelkapitän of 7./JG2, a position I would hold for the next sixteen months. In November 1942 I was made Grupppenkommodore of III./JG2. It was in this period that a fellow pilot and I developed the "head on" attack, that brought much initial success against the USAAF "Viermots" (literally- four-motors). On 5 February, 1944, I was the first Jagdflieger to achieve 100 victories while operating exclusively on the Channel front; among these were 26 B-24's & B-17's, making me the leader in "Viermot" kills at the time. Who am I? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. While the western Allies adopted the practice of awarding "partial" kills, the Luftwaffe employed a more rigorous points system for aerial combat scoring. Under this system, one particular category of victory was the "Herauschuss", awarded for separating a bomber from its formation ("pulk"). How many points were awarded for this feat when the targeted aircraft was a four engined bomber? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Of all the *major* scorers in the Luftwaffe, I hold the distinction of the highest kill per sortie ratio, almost 74 percent. I received the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten (Diamonds), one of only ten combat aviators to achieve this distinction. My entire operational career was spent in the seat of a Bf 110. Who am I? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Due to my skill as a pilot, I served as a flight instructor for most of my career in the Luftwaffe. As the war situation continued to deteriorate, I was eventually called into combat service, initially with 5./JG301. At the time, this unit operated the Fw 190A-5 and A-6 in a mission profile known as "Wilde Sau" (literally: Wild Boar). For the next ten months I stayed primarily assigned to this role, also serving with 1./NJG10 and 5./JG300 in the period. In September 1944 I was reassigned to 10./JG300, which operated a stripped down version of the Bf 109G-6/AS to hunt the RAF's Mosquito intruders. In November an administrative reorganization transfered the Mosquito mission to II./NJG11 and we initially operated as "Sonderkommando Stamp", then later as a Sonderkommando bearing my name, up until January 1945. Re-equipment with the Me 262 brought a further re designation, this time to 10./NJG11. I was responsible for testing of the Me 262B-1a/U1 but most of my jet kills were achieved while flying the standard day fighter "Schwable" which equipped my unit. Who am I? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Although I was selected for multi-engine training, I managed to persuade the "powers that be" to assign me to fighters; this was the first of many victories I would score. On the outbreak of war my unit, I./JG51, was assigned to fly defensive patrols on the western frontier of the Reich. Although I got plenty of flight time I saw no combat. Early in 1940 I was reassigned as an instructor and served as such for the next sixteen months, seven of these on exchange to Romania with 3./JG28 (9./JG52). In late May 1941 I finally flew my first combat missions (CAP and strafing, no air-to-air) in support of Operation Merkur. III./JG52 finally moved forward into the Ukraine on the first of August; I scored my first kill on the fourth. One year later I was Staffelkapitän, had 112 kills and wore the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwerten around my neck. Within the next 52 days I would shoot down 90 aircraft, becoming the first person to break the 200 mark, earn the fifth set of Brilliante of the war and be "asked" to cease flying combat missions. Who am I? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. I entered the Luftwaffe in 1935 and completed my fighter pilot training in 1937. Upon graduation I was assigned as an instructor. Repeated requests for an operational transfer were denied and eventually I logged over 5,000 flying hours in an instructional capacity. The advent of the USAAF's appearance in 1942 brought a rise in the need for operational fighter pilots; my transfer to Jagdgruppe Ost for advanced combat training came on 20 December,1942. Upon receiving operational status I was posted to Stab II./JG52, assigned as Adjutant to Gruppenkommodore Johannes Steinhoff. As such, my duty was to focus on the administrative aspects of the Gruppe's operations! I still managed to fly the odd operational sortie, and scored my first kill on 11 March, 1943. Persistence finally got me assigned as Staffelkapitan of 5./JG52 in May 1943. By the following April I had scored 120 kills and was given command of III./JG52 on the nineteenth of the month. I was to remain at the helm of this unit until 31 January 1945, flying alongside such luminaries as Erich Hartmann and Walter Wolfrum. Following this I was assigned as Gruppekommodore of II./JG52, then based at Veszprem, Hungary. Conditions were chaotic by this point and a good portion of my time was again dedicated to administrative duties. As the end drew nearer I laid the foundations for the final flight of II./JG52, husbanding resources that made it possible for the Gruppe to escape Russian captivity by relocating to the München area in the period May 4-8, 1945. Who am I? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. All of my 301 credited victories were achieved while flying with II./JG52 although I held other commands towards the end of the war. All of these victories came while on the Ostfront and I was awarded the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwerten for my exploits. My last mission came to an ignominious end when I was severely injured while crash landing my Me-262 in a clearing, near my units airbase at Riem. I am the second highest all time scorer; who am I? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. *Note that I have used the kill figures as credited by Luftwaffe AAR's and as awarded by the RLM throughout this quiz. I'm well aware of the controversy that surrounds the claims records of II./JG2 in Tunisia, JG52 and JG54 in Russia etc, and don't wish to be bombarded by P.M.'s in regards to this matter. Thanks, Ron Now, on with the show... I first went on ops in October 1940 with 6./JG52. Although I was in combat with the RAF on numerous occasions, it was not until September 1941 that I recorded my first victory, this coming after my unit's transfer to the Eastern front. In May 1943 I was promoted to Staffelkapitän of 7./JG52 and five months later, I recorded the Staffel's 1000th victory, my 154th. In April 1944 I left JG52 and Russia behind for short-lived Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) duties as Staffelkapitän of 1./JG5. After a few weeks (which included downing a B-17 and three "Indianer") I was on the move again, this time to command II./JG11. I gained a further 10 "Ami's", (including 3 P-47's in three minutes) before being wounded for my seventh (and final) time on 12 August, 1944. Upon recovery, I was re-assigned as Gruppenkommodore of III./JG26, where I was to serve until the unit was disbanded in late March, 1945. In April, I joined many of my fellow eagles in JV44. After a hasty conversion course, scored my final two kills (#'s 196 and 197) flying the Me-262 Schwable. Who am I?

Answer: Walter Krupinski

"Graf Punski" Krupinski was awarded the Ritterkreuz (Knight's Cross) on 29 October, 1942 and the Eichenlaub (Oak Leaves) on 2 March, 1944. He was shot down numerous times, bailing out on four occasions and surviving a few serious crash landings as well. Following the war, he served with distinction in the Bundeswehr, retiring with the rank of Generalleutnant. Walter Krupinski passed away on 7 October, 2000 at the age of 79.
2. I was posted to 2./JG2 on 1 November, 1939 and scored my first victory on 14 May, 1940. I remained with this staffel until 11 November, 1942 when I was given command of 6./JG2; at this point my score stood at 45 victories. II/JG2 was posted to Tunisia and I was appointed as acting Gruppenkommodore during this period. On February 9, 1943 I was credited with six P-40s and two P-38s in the space of 23 minutes; six days later I claimed three Spitfires and four P-38's in one mission, six of these in a fifteen minute span. Following further duties in the Reich (March/April 1943) , forming a new unit (IV./JG54), I was given command of II./JG54. In the east I was to realize even greater exploits; among these were: four missions where I scored five kills, three missions with six kills, two with seven, one of eleven and one with thirteen. This last feat puts me in the company of only two others; fellow "Grünherzflieger" Emil Lang, and the renowned Hans-Joachim Marseille. I finished my combat career in command of II./JG7, accumulating my final twelve victories (inc. 10 B-17s) at the controls of the Me-262. I was among the first to be certified as a "double" jet ace. I am (by far) one of the most controversial pilots of WW II as with regards to my claims record. Who am I?

Answer: Erich Rudorffer

Rudorffer claimed a total of 224 victories, eighty-six of these in operations against the western democracies. This total ranks him seventh on the all time list of aces. Of particular note is the fact that 58 of his 138 Ostfront victims were the well armored Il-2's, a testimony to both his skill as a marksman and to the devastating firepower of the Fw-190A-6's four 20mm cannon and two rifle caliber MG's.

He received his Ritterkreuz on 1 May, 1941 upon achieving the (then) 20 "points" required for this award.

His Eichenlaub were awarded on 11 April, 1944 and he was the 126th recipient of the Schwerten (Swords), this coming on 26 January, 1945. Rudorffer flew over a thousand missions, entering combat in more than three hundred of them. He was shot down 16 times, taking to the silk on no less than nine of these occasions!
3. I was commissioned with the rank of Leutnant on 1 September, 1938 while flying the Ar 68 with II./JG134. With the advent of war, I recorded my first kill (JG2's first or second, depending on which source you trust), on 22 November, 1939. On 5 June, 1940 I scored 4 victories (three Bloch 151s and an MS 406) in 13 minutes; the following day I got two more 151s. My star rose quickly from this point forward. I was given command of my Staffel, (3./JG2) on 1 August and received the Ritterkreuz on the 27th. On 9 September, after being promoted Hauptmann on the fourth, I was made Gruppenkommodore I./JG2. This is a mute testimony to the severity of both the fighting, and of our personnel losses, at the height of the "Angriff auf England". On 5 October I scored 5 kills in two missions. For this feat I was awarded the 4th Eichenlaub of the war and shortly thereafter, promoted Major and given command of JG2; all this coming at the ripe old age of 25yrs (making me the youngest major in the entire Wehrmacht). On the morning of 28 November 1940, I scored my 55th victory, making me (at the time) the leading ace in the war . At about 17:00 (local time) that same day I scored my 56th, and final, victory. Who am I?

Answer: Helmut Wick

As the leading Luftwaffe scorer in what has since come to be known as the "Battle of Britain", Wick was accorded a status somewhat akin to that of a modern day rock star. His Ritterkreuz was awarded by Göring at Karinhall, his Eichenlaub at the Berghof by the big guy himself; as in the case of Mölders, Wick was also a perfect poster boy for the regime.

It took the young man only 168 combat missions to accumulate his victory tally, a very formidable achievement considering the prevailing conditions under which most of his scoring was done. Wick's end came in the Isle of Wight area, most likely at the hand of RAF ace (13.3 kills) F/Lt John Dundas of 609 Squadron. Wick was observed to exit his Bf 109E-4 and got a good chute, yet search and rescue efforts by both sides turned up no trace of him.

He was declared MIA by the Luftwaffe and was subsequently classified as "presumed dead", on 4 December, 1940.
4. I spent my entire combat career in the west, fighting with JG2 from December 1939, until my final flight on 2 March, 1944. I was somewhat of a "slow starter" as I spent much of my early career on TD (Temporary Detachment) with non-combat duties. This changed on 10 June, 1941 when I was made Staffelkapitän of 7./JG2, a position I would hold for the next sixteen months. In November 1942 I was made Grupppenkommodore of III./JG2. It was in this period that a fellow pilot and I developed the "head on" attack, that brought much initial success against the USAAF "Viermots" (literally- four-motors). On 5 February, 1944, I was the first Jagdflieger to achieve 100 victories while operating exclusively on the Channel front; among these were 26 B-24's & B-17's, making me the leader in "Viermot" kills at the time. Who am I?

Answer: Egon Mayer

Egon Mayer scored a total of 102 victories while operating in the increasingly "difficult" conditions that prevailed on the Channel front. His total included 51-53? Spitfires, this largely achieved during the period from June 1941 to August 1942, when the Fw 190A ruled the skies over France and the Channel.

Interestingly enough, Georg-Peter Eder, the pilot with whom he developed the head on attack strategy, would later become the all-time killer of USAAF heavies (36 kills awarded, some sources say as few as 21!). Mayer's "Schwerten" were awarded posthumously, coming on the same day as his death.
5. While the western Allies adopted the practice of awarding "partial" kills, the Luftwaffe employed a more rigorous points system for aerial combat scoring. Under this system, one particular category of victory was the "Herauschuss", awarded for separating a bomber from its formation ("pulk"). How many points were awarded for this feat when the targeted aircraft was a four engined bomber?

Answer: 2

This system was devised solely for the purpose of awarding decorations. As the war developed, it evolved into a way of acknowledging the fact that causing sufficient damage to force a "viermot" from its combat box was far a more significant achievement than was killing it as a straggler.

When it came to these two categories (Herrauschuss & Entgültige Vernichtung), four engined machines were worth twice the value of twin engined ones . Absolute destruction (abschuss) of a B-17, B-24 or RAF heavy was worth three points; abschuss of a twin earned a pilot two. Victory claims were a separate matter, provided for by another set of rules and administered by the RLM.

The points system was applied universally, but the required levels for awards were different, depending on where the pilot was posted. Awards came at a much lower point totals for those in the west, where the combat conditions were generally much tougher.

The awards for "Herrauschuss" fizzled out towards the end of 1944 as the administrative apparatus of the Third Reich began to crumble, leading to instances of doubled (or worse) kill claims being awarded.
6. Of all the *major* scorers in the Luftwaffe, I hold the distinction of the highest kill per sortie ratio, almost 74 percent. I received the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten (Diamonds), one of only ten combat aviators to achieve this distinction. My entire operational career was spent in the seat of a Bf 110. Who am I?

Answer: Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer

Schnaufer's record is (by far) one of the most credible of all the major scorers in the Luftwaffe, this borne out by cross-referencing with RAF loss lists. As is known of Helmut Lent, Schnaufer's record for conservative, accurate marksmanship is equally well known.

A look at his operational record shows that generally, whenever he got into the bomber stream, he was able to score multiple times; this leads directly to his high kill/sortie ratio. There is solid evidence from loss lists to support his tenth claim for 21 February, 1945 (which was denied at the time by the RLM). Schnaufer was appointed Kommodore of NJG 4 on 4 November, 1944 at the age of 22, the youngest man to ever hold a command at this level. Tragically, having beaten the odds in the war, he was killed in a road accident in 1950, at the age of only 28.
7. Due to my skill as a pilot, I served as a flight instructor for most of my career in the Luftwaffe. As the war situation continued to deteriorate, I was eventually called into combat service, initially with 5./JG301. At the time, this unit operated the Fw 190A-5 and A-6 in a mission profile known as "Wilde Sau" (literally: Wild Boar). For the next ten months I stayed primarily assigned to this role, also serving with 1./NJG10 and 5./JG300 in the period. In September 1944 I was reassigned to 10./JG300, which operated a stripped down version of the Bf 109G-6/AS to hunt the RAF's Mosquito intruders. In November an administrative reorganization transfered the Mosquito mission to II./NJG11 and we initially operated as "Sonderkommando Stamp", then later as a Sonderkommando bearing my name, up until January 1945. Re-equipment with the Me 262 brought a further re designation, this time to 10./NJG11. I was responsible for testing of the Me 262B-1a/U1 but most of my jet kills were achieved while flying the standard day fighter "Schwable" which equipped my unit. Who am I?

Answer: Kurt Welter

As with so many of the Nachtjagdflieger, Welter's kill/sortie ratio was very respectable. The conditions in which they operated were a huge advantage to highly experienced blind fliers like Kurt, particularly when one considers the relative inexperience of their prey.

The fact that only the skilled pilots got the fuel and spares as things became tighter, only served to make things worse for Bomber Command. There is a great deal of controversy surrounding Welter's claims record, mainly as with regards to his time spent operating the Me 262.

He is largely acknowledged as being the all time high scorer on this type, but his actual number of victories is the subject of much debate. The well known chaos in Germany during this period led to a total collapse of the administrative system and the truth will likely never be known. Likewise, his Mosquito total has a few irregularities but it's generally agreed that he got at least 30, possibly as many as 33 of them.

His death (like Schnaufer's) was a tragic irony when one considers what he had been through and survived.

In 1949, while waiting at a level crossing , his car was crushed when an improperly secured load of logs fell from one of the railway wagons. Welter had turned 33 years of age just 10 days before this one in a million accident took his life.
8. Although I was selected for multi-engine training, I managed to persuade the "powers that be" to assign me to fighters; this was the first of many victories I would score. On the outbreak of war my unit, I./JG51, was assigned to fly defensive patrols on the western frontier of the Reich. Although I got plenty of flight time I saw no combat. Early in 1940 I was reassigned as an instructor and served as such for the next sixteen months, seven of these on exchange to Romania with 3./JG28 (9./JG52). In late May 1941 I finally flew my first combat missions (CAP and strafing, no air-to-air) in support of Operation Merkur. III./JG52 finally moved forward into the Ukraine on the first of August; I scored my first kill on the fourth. One year later I was Staffelkapitän, had 112 kills and wore the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwerten around my neck. Within the next 52 days I would shoot down 90 aircraft, becoming the first person to break the 200 mark, earn the fifth set of Brilliante of the war and be "asked" to cease flying combat missions. Who am I?

Answer: Hermann Graf

A total "character", I could write a book about Graf's exploits (lucky for you, Christer Bergström beat me to it). "Free spirited" would be putting it mildly! Although "retired", Graf saw additional combat in the west, scoring a further ten (some sources say 12) victories. In the first half of 1943 he returned to the training duties that had occupied much of his early career,
commanding Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost, based in Bordeaux, France. With this unit (an early "Top Gun", if you will) he was able to pass on some of the lessons he'd learned in Russia but with the changing air war situation in the west, this vital training soon could no longer be afforded. He was then to lead a short-lived Mosquito hunting unit, before being appointed Kommodore of JG 11 on 11 November 1943. Despite the "no combat" orders, he scored another seven kills, the last coming in a mid-air collision with a P-51 between Hanover and Hamburg on 29 March 1944. He was severely injured and was not deemed fit for service until 1 October. His last command would find him back on the Ostfront, in charge of a very much changed JG52. The situation required staying one step ahead of the Red Army, while attempting to cover the retreating German Army against overwhelming odds; not an enviable task. As is well known, JG52 surrendered to the US Army, only to be immediately handed over to the Russians. Long periods of captivity ensued for most of the leading figures from the squadron, Graf was an exception, being released 29 December, 1949. This led to accusations of collaboration with his Russian captors and resulted in him largely being "blackballed" by his fellow Jadgfliegers for much of the rest of his life. Hermann Graf was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, likely as the result of violent ACM (Air Combat Manovering)... you'd be surprised at the number of modern day fighter pilots that are dealing with this in their retirement, I know two myself. Hermann Graf passed away on 4 November, 1988.
9. I entered the Luftwaffe in 1935 and completed my fighter pilot training in 1937. Upon graduation I was assigned as an instructor. Repeated requests for an operational transfer were denied and eventually I logged over 5,000 flying hours in an instructional capacity. The advent of the USAAF's appearance in 1942 brought a rise in the need for operational fighter pilots; my transfer to Jagdgruppe Ost for advanced combat training came on 20 December,1942. Upon receiving operational status I was posted to Stab II./JG52, assigned as Adjutant to Gruppenkommodore Johannes Steinhoff. As such, my duty was to focus on the administrative aspects of the Gruppe's operations! I still managed to fly the odd operational sortie, and scored my first kill on 11 March, 1943. Persistence finally got me assigned as Staffelkapitan of 5./JG52 in May 1943. By the following April I had scored 120 kills and was given command of III./JG52 on the nineteenth of the month. I was to remain at the helm of this unit until 31 January 1945, flying alongside such luminaries as Erich Hartmann and Walter Wolfrum. Following this I was assigned as Gruppekommodore of II./JG52, then based at Veszprem, Hungary. Conditions were chaotic by this point and a good portion of my time was again dedicated to administrative duties. As the end drew nearer I laid the foundations for the final flight of II./JG52, husbanding resources that made it possible for the Gruppe to escape Russian captivity by relocating to the München area in the period May 4-8, 1945. Who am I?

Answer: Wilhelm Batz

Major Batz ended the war with 237 victories in 445 operational sorties, a very respectable 53% kill/sortie ratio. The "final mission", a daunting series of cross-country hops through the heart of the Tyrolean Alps was no small feat; a true testament to Batz' leadership. Starting from the airbase at Hörsching (just west of Graz), they staged through Zeltweg, then Kaprun (Zell am See), finally landing at Neubiberg (southeast of München) on 8 May. Pilots: Trace the route on google maps and try to imagine yourself flying it in a single engined aircraft in crappy weather, with minimal fuel! (not to mention enemies trying to kill you) By organizing and leading this mission (which also encompassed a motorized withdrawl of the ground elements, under air cover), Batz allowed his Gruppe to become the only part of the Geschwader to avoid a lengthy captivity in Soviet hands. Postwar, Batz served in the Bundesluftwaffe, rising to the rank of Oberst. "Willi" Batz is the sixth highest scorer; he scored about 150 of his victories in one year, 1944.

He passed away on 11 September 1988, at the age of 72.
10. All of my 301 credited victories were achieved while flying with II./JG52 although I held other commands towards the end of the war. All of these victories came while on the Ostfront and I was awarded the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwerten for my exploits. My last mission came to an ignominious end when I was severely injured while crash landing my Me-262 in a clearing, near my units airbase at Riem. I am the second highest all time scorer; who am I?

Answer: Gerhard Barkhorn

The incorrect answers are all German aces from the "Great War".
Many Luftwaffe veterans stand by the assertion that Barkhorn was "the man" when it came to the matter of naming the definitive "best" day-fighter pilot. With the relatively recent access to VVS loss figures, his record seems to stand up much better than Hartmann's under serious scrutiny. This is not surprising as Barkhorn was known to be extremely meticulous with regards to his legacy, throughout his incredible career. He was shot down and very seriously wounded in the end of May 1944 and would not return to operations until the end of October. It was during this period that his tally was surpassed by Hartmann. Although he scored a further 28 victories in the time following his return to operations and wars end, Gerd never truly recovered from his wounds and was constantly in and out of the hospital during this period. The above noted crash landing on 21 April, 1945 (while on his second operational sortie in the Me 262, with JV44), put him back in the hospital for another very lengthy period. This accident probably saved him from the fate of most of his high scoring comrades in JG52: Russian captivity. Gerd served with distinction in the Bundesluftwaffe postwar, rising to the rank of Generalleutnant. His last assignment prior to retirement in 1976 was as overall commander of 4ATAF (Allied Tactical Air Force), a NATO formation tasked with the defense of the south central portion of the cold war "front" in the FRG. On 6 January 1983 Gerhard and his wife Christl (the name on his 109) were in a serious auto accident. Christl was killed outright, Gerd succumbed to his injuries two days later. He was 63 years old at the time.

Thanks for playing my quiz. I know it wasn't easy but I wrote it for the purpose of bringing many of the lesser known (but equally important) players into the spotlight. I hope you found it informative!
Source: Author iron2

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