june september military aviator world war fighter ace credited enemy aircraft shot combat missions originally austria claimed majority victories eastern western claimed fighter pilot volunteered military service austrian austrian armed forces march following annexation austria nazi_germany transferred luftwaffe posted twin engined heavy fighter wing following outbreak world war claimed aerial victory september invasion poland claimed victory battle bight victories transferred 3rd fighter wing flying single engined aftermath channel claimed sixth final victory western fought aerial battles german invasion soviet_union june appointed group commander 2nd group claimed aerial victories august following 42nd victory awarded knight september october total aerial victories awarded knight oak leaves december temporarily transferred luftwaffe test facility following commander training assignment headquarters unit 54th fighter wing march appointed fighter wing claimed 100th victory june awarded knight oak leaves swords following aerial victory august fighter pilot claim enemy aircraft destroyed awarded knight oak leaves swords diamonds day time presentation germany highest military decoration concerns killed action prohibited flying combat missions october appointed western september appointed responsible tactical fighter command northwestern france april transferred staff january succeeded major general inspector fighters position held end hostilities following world war general secretary political party austria worked sales position married father children died september early life career born june vienna capital austria-hungary father worked academic painter mother née daughter distant relative wife children parents studied mutually befriended gordon american artist scottish descent godfather namesake middle names youth wanted engineer pilot student secondary school built primary experimenting old airfield completed license fly aircraft instructor construction airframe inspector following mechanical engineering joined austrian austrian armed forces officer cadet artillery years trained promoted second lieutenant september served instructor austrian air force commander following march forced incorporation austria nazi_germany transferred luftwaffe nazi german air_force promoted lieutenant june march posted 3rd squadron flying twin engined heavy fighter world war world war europe began friday september german forces invaded poland stationed polish border prior invasion scored aerial victories poland september shooting flew number ground support missions attacking airfield destroying number aircraft ground september awarded 2nd class service poland following campaign poland moved germany defend relocated area september defend western border french british declared war germany september early october middle december operated number airfields regions relocating north december december claimed second aerial victory royal_air_force raf bomber known battle shot killed squadron leader squadron april appointed squadron leader unit took germany assault denmark norway opening operation june based allied expeditionary force composed british french free polish evacuated support evacuation raf targeting german shipping norwegian waters luftwaffe occupied airfields coast june dive bombers naval air squadron launched royal_navy aircraft carrier attempted attack battleship flight intercepted luftwaffe resulting aerial encounter shot day awarded 1st class received night fighter training time recommendations technical improvement single engined fighter based recommendations transferred luftwaffe test facility june july intercepted shot flying boat squadron piloted flight lieutenant patrol norway crashed kilometers southwest day staff sergeant shot patrolling reconnaissance aircraft squadron september transferred headquarters unit 3rd fighter wing based northern france october shot england taken prisoner war days later took command february entire returned germany period rest pilots went ski vacation march housed foot highest point received complement new fighter aircraft april began relocating completed relocation flew mission day raf flew fighter sweeps french coast credited shooting fighter sixth war western june promoted captain began relocation eastern ground elements moved immediately air elements followed june day flew following day continued poland war soviet_union preparation german invasion soviet_union headed east june following unit moved start campaign command command general der general command colonel general air elements supported field marshal von army group south objective capturing ukraine capital june based unit commanders upcoming attack evening group commander informed subordinates attack invasion soviet_union began june flew missions eastern shortly flying low attacks soviet airfields vicinity ukraine fought aerial battles claimed victories victories credited claimed fighter shot june claimed victories credited engaged bombers escorted free chase mission west soviet bombers targeted german advance roads credited victories encounter june killed mid air collision day succeeded position turned command beginning july vicinity northern sector increasingly fluid necessitated relocation time war attrition reduced percent authorized strength reason complete lack new aircraft engines spare parts factor ground crews signs exhaustion apparent flying combat air patrols july claimed victories day claimed tenth aerial victory light bomber following day claimed aerial victories loss combat victory day claimed shot german alias fighter possibly morning mission day claimed attack aircraft shot rapid advance german ground forces required july evening july flying missions east claimed 14th victory july victory victory bomber claimed july took total aerial victories july relocated day later awarded honor luftwaffe der luftwaffe aerial victories july claimed reconnaissance bomber 17th aerial victory day received orders turn remaining aircraft 53rd fighter wing equipped july pilots flown received complement single flight departed following morning transferred days august flew missions combat areas support main german attack soviet forces near approximately south missions subsequently greater area north near soviet forces holding west bank august claimed victories loss victories claimed august took total aerial victories victorious august moved moved forward airfield near days come flew combat missions south flying days claimed aerial victories including august august august august successful day entire summer campaign increased number aerial victories relocate order german advance afternoon august parts air elements flew airfield primary mission protect armored area august claimed victories ace day achievement combat career took total aerial victories august iii took captured end august primary objective help secure east bank support battles scored august fighter aircraft august heavy bomber august taking total aerial victories september 17th army began crossing force moved flying characterized poor weather conditions rain fog result operations kept minimum time primary objective defense crossing defensive battles score 37th victory september opponent classified fighter aircraft later referred day later claimed ground attack aircraft september weather conditions improved flight operations increased flew missions support armored fighter escort missions dive bombers day claimed victories taking total aerial victories september claimed victories soviet bombers ground attack aircraft including shot september german airfield came soviet air attack following attack managed pursue attackers shot victory claimed morning took total aerial victories forced relocate september moved airfield september awarded knight des victories september tasked soviet airfields area day claimed 43rd aerial victory ace day september took score aerial victories day claimed designation fighter aircraft battle moscow september temporarily transferred southern sector eastern new area operation approximately southeast command general der preparations planned assault moscow available german forces concentrated command von attack began october days campaign supported advance northeast 4th army predominantly flying escort missions dive bombers combat air patrols battle zone east claimed enemy aircraft shot october following day including 50th aerial victory claimed shot october second hours later following day victorious taking total aerial victories night snow fell road conditions october german units encircled major soviet forces separate pockets support german ground forces detached pairs fighter aircraft forward airfield approximately south october air elements operated airfields captured german forces october operating airfields claimed 57th victories october aircraft shot missions october support orders received transfer air element small technical ground crew detachment participated conquest peninsula transfer began october bad weather conditions completed october placed command headquarters unit fighter wing missions battle zone flown october flying escort missions combat air patrols separate missions day claimed shot october 11th army began attack flew number combat air patrols day reported aerial victories loss damaged combat accounted claimed victories time ace day successful day combat career course combat missions increased personal score day filed claim shot october achieved ace day fourth time claiming day credited taking total victories days later october ace day fifth time surpassed eighty victories day claimed day later claimed aerial victories october credited victory shot following streak aerial victories october mentioned propaganda radio report mentions october following day awarded knight oak leaves des mit reaching victories 38th member german armed forces honored received adolf_hitler personally wolf hitler headquarters present day poland november october flew combat missions northern ordered return germany stationed airfield arrived early november prior departure remaining aircraft handed iii start operation june claimed aerial victories loss pilots killed missing action pilots injured addition aircraft lost damaged repair aircraft received heavy damaged lightly damaged november posted test facility replaced commander flew numerous test comparison flights latest version fighter aircraft variety types went prototype variant wing commander early general der general fighters colonel recommended wing commander position subsequently sent 54th fighter wing commander training major officially appointed replacing major took operational command arrived day arrival flew combat mission day claimed aerial victories shooting fighter aircraft success continued following day credited destroyed given task supporting german ground forces anonymous pilot described methods flew positioned low altitude beneath soviet formation started climbing carefully maintaining position beneath enemy formation peacefully flying soviets suspected planes formation shot germans gone claimed aerial victories coast reconnaissance bombers led led engaged intense rivalry eager achieve century mark claimed 100th aerial victory day claimed shot taking total aerial victories day later shot aircraft exceeded aerial victories 10th luftwaffe pilot achieve century mark achievement earned second mention radio report saturday june june german romanian forces began catch second assault port city resulted capture july day operation claimed victory shot attack making slow progress june largely artillery deployed fortress battle zone claimed shot day claim victories june fighting ongoing claimed southern sector victories took total june credited victories fighter aircraft achievement june awarded knight mit und score increased aerial victories 13th presentation award july promoted major july 52nd fighter wing major severely injured flight accident surrender command time lent units time spare temporarily took command acting following days departed flew june initiated fall case blue strategic summer offensive southern russia objective secure oil fields advance direction cover flanks advance tasked aerial support offensive time joined late july offensive renamed located don claimed victory july total day shot fighters claimed aerial victory august month combat operations august fighter aircraft credited victories august took score aerial victories claimed days august credited referred boston time combat career achieved ace day sixth time august day claimed success fighter pilot continued shot august august august taking overall total aerial victories following victories august shot august august took total aerial victories claiming boston course days scored victory day boston august august august boston august victories august reached aerial victories luftwaffe highest scoring pilot point awarded knight oak leaves swords diamonds des mit und august member fighter pilot received award fearing lost combat hitler imposed flying ban day mentioned radio report mentions nazi propaganda magazine published luftwaffe reported actions volume september officially replaced command posted 3rd fighter pilot leader high command october responsible tactical fighter command northwestern france renamed 5th fighter pilot leader september command position promoted lieutenant colonel april effective april frequently submitted reports superiors western indicated present state longer adequate service west inferior enemy aircraft learning jet powered aircraft strong advocate employment fighter aircraft hitler interested idea fighter bomber role contributed delays preparing aircraft operational readiness april transferred personal staff general der advise development jet rocket aircraft projects september transferred der headquarters test units years previously command involved development testing airborne radar air air rockets november appointed commander special fighter command offensive ill fated suggested hitler appoint general der intervention luftwaffe affairs commander chief der luftwaffe ambitions expand influence power base luftwaffe aspect jet fighter units control later ordered prepare report conclusion required close supervision responsible post early january summoned estate northeast berlin read selected excerpts report infuriated ordered informed dismissal meeting postponed decision position receive sent vacation news dismissal soon spread leading failed insurrection small group high ranking luftwaffe pilots including war chairman aimed general der january officially appointed general der new role worked general der responsible fighting enemy engined bombers responsible air armament manufacturing objective deploy arm defensive weapon allied air offensive hitler decision use fighter bomber role revised gathered data hoped meet hitler order convince better suited fighter aircraft fighter bomber meeting occurred april frustrated lack progress submitted written request released office general der request approved left berlin april staff left southern germany time needed urgent treat underwent surgery hospital present day borough days departure berlin april transferred luftwaffe hospital middle called met commander chief luftwaffe female pilot injury sustained flight encircled city berlin april taken prisoner war elements united_states_army command general shortly transferred custody 42nd commanded prisoner war later life june released parole arrested home austrian acting authorities taken camps flown england england held interrogated combat operations released forces imprisoned french home region french occupation zone finally released captivity living contributor aircraft magazines general secretary der austrian political party dismissed party following internal strife liberal approach founders german nationalist faction centered wife married february sons daughter son born november second son born january daughter born march following dismissal family moved wife hometown november started working sales role company making motors vehicles health regularly flew powered aircraft died lower september aerial victory credits credited aerial victories claimed combat missions eastern lost combat shot ace indicates aerial victories ace day term fighter pilot shot single day awards 2nd class september 1st class june january flying luftwaffe gold der luftwaffe july combined pilots observation badge gold diamonds knight oak leaves swords diamonds knight cross september 38th oak leaves october 13th swords june 3rd diamonds august major mentioned times october june august march
Gordon Gollob