december march military aviator world war fighter ace credited enemy aircraft shot combat missions majority victories claimed western claims eastern aerial victories achieved fighters born strong ambitions track field athlete volunteered military service initially serving army transferred luftwaffe air force following flight training posted fighter wing october transferred 26th fighter wing year later appointed adjutant iii fought received knight following 20th aerial victory serving squadron leader fought aerial battles siege malta balkans campaign received knight oak leaves italian gold medal military italian aerial victories briefly served north_africa support field marshal transferring france given command september posted 51st fighter wing operating eastern july serving wing commander training wing commander claimed 100th aerial victory september awarded swords knight cross september score aerial victories october given command fighter wing operating died wounds following mid air collision combat near tunisia march childhood education early career born december near time province today administrative district poland second child farmer wife née sister half years older father served cavalry officer reserves world war forced father sell farm started elementary schooling father able old farm family moved completed elementary school walked rode horse drawn wagon kilometres way school transferred type secondary school graduated diploma talented sports athletics played football youth team early 1930s attended sports school weeks spent summer vacation bulgaria places stayed monastery early attended course completed compulsory labour service october department district athlete especially excelled daily practised different disciplines aged attended summer camp held conjunction summer olympics berlin youth interested flying technical things interest flying cousin pilot world war took berlin airfield flights volunteered service newly emerging luftwaffe started recruit training december spent winter vacation attended iii 3rd training course 4th student company 1st air war school dresden officer april june year later completed flight training promoted december transferred luftwaffe attended fighter pilot school command colonel posted 1st group fighter wing stationed cologne september promoted second lieutenant november stationed cologne trained sports club cologne spare time competed national international track field events training field built family estate time strong ambitions compete summer olympics commanding officers supported athletic vision gave additional time practice olympics owned mother bred named dog accompanied start world war death march equipped december designated 26th fighter wing named transferred 11th squadron 2nd demonstration wing formed august experimented night fighting techniques pilots excellent flying abilities especially blind flying chosen world war world war europe began friday september german forces invaded poland designated led lieutenant iii formed september appointed adjutant iii relocated early november war period october april airfield claimed victory november royal_air_force raf bomber squadron raf piloted achievement earned iron cross 2nd class november german invasion france low countries began iii flew close air support missions support german airborne landings netherlands filed claim second victory shot air northwest antwerp iii moved present day closer border netherlands belgium surrender netherlands iii moved peer belgium moved time near brussels operating air base claimed fifth aerial victory achievement earned iron cross 1st class time iii providing fighter escort dive bombers heavy fighters operating held june iii relocated near second decisive phase case red began june major major adolf appointed group commander iii june adjutant relocated june time june near paris flew ground support missions retreating french forces time france surrendered june iii moved germany total claimed allied aircraft shot invasion france including bringing total moved july provide fighter protection berlin time repair upgrade july received orders relocate preparation actions britain adolf_hitler issued august strategic objective engage defeat raf achieve air supremacy air superiority preparation proposed amphibious invasion great_britain iii flew fighter protection bomber formations attacking allied shipping english channel july missions referred channel combat germans unit flew mission day later providing fighter protection targeting shipping promoted july claimed 10th aerial victory july shot squadron hurricane kilometres northeast dover claim german pilot claimed hurricane time loss suffered squadron wounded raf records shot hours claim credited 11th victory august claiming piloted flight sergeant shot claim unlikely war diary shows claim afternoon pilots squadron lost day flown phillips british records phillips killed action squadron mission morning hours earlier day germans lost aircraft shot damaged british lost aircraft shot damaged iii lost raf losses occurring time claim hurricanes belonging squadron flight lieutenant flying officer killed action roughly iii continued fly combat air patrols august claim aircraft shot days fighting reached climax august eagle day launched code claimed hurricane shot squadron squadron august following day filed claim squadron august fighter escort mission 1st bomber wing 2nd bomber wing appointed wing commander august consequence led appointed iii given command squadron leader replacing prisoner war shot flying fighter escort mission august attack south london claimed victory hurricane squadron hurricane august brought total aerial victories increased day september awarded knight day achieved 20th aerial victory achievement earned reference total information bulletin issued headquarters following award presentation sent weeks home leave returned early october phase luftwaffe targeted british airfields come end claimed victory following vacation october free french air force october relocated november claimed victory november claimed combat squadron squadron 23rd victory claimed southeast dover weather deteriorated fog heavy rain prevented flight operations hitler visited christmas hitler selected group pilots war attrition raf cost lost pilots entire moved germany reform equip early iii stationed received new aircraft men sent skiing vacation malta balkans north_africa february informed relocate sicily support command general der general actions strategically important island malta opening new north_africa british air sea forces based island attack axis ships transporting vital supplies reinforcements europe north_africa counter threat luftwaffe italian royal_air_force tasked bombing raids effort raf defences ports following brief rome arrived sicily february received factory new factory number marked white claimed victory siege malta february south malta february claimed 26th victory squadron hurricane ace flight lieutenant severely wounded lost arm returned combat late claimed slow flying hurricane assumed hurricane engine trouble february flying fighter protection targeting airfield claimed hurricane second day claimed 33rd victory march combat mission celebrated entire elements support ground personnel relocated airfield near taranto april pilots learned invade yugoslavia greece april support invasion pilots attacked airfield claimed yugoslav bomber april pilot lieutenant killed claimed fury destroyed ground given credit aircraft destroyed aerial combat fact balkan short detachment relocated beginning april claimed hurricanes squadron april april reconnaissance detected engine short april led attack destroying victory credited individual pilot considered april provided fighter protection bombers attacking malta claimed hurricanes shot loss german actress star wife bomber pilot mission provide entertainment troops visited pilots according especially attracted actress personally accompanied visit surpassed aerial victories downing aircraft early morning mission feat earned second honourable mention afternoon flew fighter cover bombers aerial combat hurricanes airfields far shot opponent day total credited victories day entire time awaiting announcement awarded knight oak leaves following hurricanes shot total victories received news award early morning 12th member honoured hours later received news awarded gold medal military german receive award hitler sent message 40th aerial victory began series eventually took north african theatre operations relocated greece end ground personnel shipped airfield southern tip region original intent participate relatively quick costly victory plans obsolete given weeks rest moving pilots initially tasked long range combat air patrols operation british_army operation goal clearing eastern german italian forces initiated june immediately ordered relocate north_africa 1st group 27th fighter wing command north_africa barely escaped killed speakers shot small arms fire low level attack total claimed victories theatre victories hurricanes june claimed pilots squadron squadron victory june pilot officer squadron killed engagement opponent july squadron squadron raf pilot final victories north_africa july squadron took total aerial victories channel operations received orders august africa aircraft remaining aircraft relocate france arrived france stopped rome received gold medal military travelled wolf hitler headquarters present day poland presentation following presentation went weeks vacation following return north_africa france pilots given newer aircraft replacement older type claimed victory august 50th overall august claimed september squadron days later september promoted rank following death day aerial combat fighters position passed equipped new luftwaffe completely equipped number victories continued increase 55th september squadron hurricane claimed replaced december appointed general der general fighters following death december achieved 60th aerial victory announced mention claimed 62nd overall victory year december went lengthy vacation early returning march participate operation february air superiority operation support kriegsmarine german_navy claimed victory following vacation march squadron absence replaced newer variant squadron fell guns march brought score claimed victory april minutes combat time referred boys raf pilots based airfield stationed april probably shot killed wing raf leader polish ace wing commander june intercepted squadron fighter bomber mission credited destruction taking total aerial victories achievement announced june followed presentation gold june claimed final victories june combat squadron credited destruction enemy aircraft destroyed suffering losses eastern following aerial victory summoned commanding officer informed transfer 51st fighter wing eastern destined prior receiving command serve training went weeks home leave staying parents home received orders head east july way eastern travelled berlin briefly served staff general der discussing air combat tactics lead fighter wing july participated german track field championships starting finally arrived eastern early august welcomed major initially believed combat eastern child play comparison western weeks aircraft twice severely damaged combat major task leadership fighter wing eastern equip type claimed victories east august shooting dive bomber near quickly achieved victories reaching victories august surpassing victories september 19th luftwaffe pilot achieve century mark september awarded knight oak leaves swords following victory 19th member 13th fighter pilot received award claimed victory theatre september claiming victories total russian aircraft took overall score aerial victories ordered wolf hitler presented swords following award ceremony granted home leave appointed fighter wing replacing role north_africa death took command october time deployed southern sector eastern scheduled relocate north_africa command arrived october leadership headquarters unit equipped new arrived october scored piloted november overall promoted major november claimed victory december forced landing factory number damage following combat fighter squadron march second german fighter pilot achieve aerial victories anglo american adversaries killed action march tunisia victim 52nd exploded close burst cannon fire piloted captain managed bail landed severely wounded search team quickly recovered died way field hospital captain shot engagement later stated deliberately rammed burning buried originally remains moved later 1950s announced death march aerial victory credits credited aerial victories claimed combat missions western including malta yugoslavia north_africa eastern tally includes fighter aircraft shot dash indicates aerial victory claims receive credit awards honours 2nd class september 1st class gold june flying luftwaffe fighter pilots gold pennant combined pilots observation badge knight oak leaves swords knight cross september 12th oak leaves 19th swords september deputy mentioned times dates rank
Joachim Müncheberg