Wilhelm Crinius was born on 1 December
1920 at Hohenhausen in Lipper Bergland. He joined the Luftwaffe in January
1940 and underwent fighter pilot training. In February 1942, Crinius was
posted to JG 53 based in Sicily. Gefreiter Crinius was assigned to 3./JG
53. Between mid-March and the end of April, he flew 60 missions over Malta.
On 1 April, he received promotion to the rank of Unteroffizier. In May
1942, I./JG 53 was relocated to the Eastern front. Operating from Kursk,
Crinius achieved his first victories on 9 June when he shot down two Russian
Il-2
Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft. On 8 July, Crinius shot down two
Russian Boston twin-engined bombers attacking a bridge west of Voronezh.
During the engagement his aircraft was hit by Russian anti-aircraft fire.
He belly-landed his Bf 109 F-4 trop (W.Nr. 10 243) between the lines where
he was rescued by a German army patrol and returned to his unit. In late
July 1942, I./JG 53 was relocated to the southern sector of the Eastern
front. Crinius claimed his 15th victory on 1 August. He shot down three
Russian aircraft on 12 August to record his 25th through 27th victories.
Crinius recorded his 49th victory on 27 August which was also the 1,000th
victory for I./JG 53. He recorded his 55th victory on 1 September and was
promoted to the rank of Feldwebel. Flying with Wolfgang Tonne (122 victories,
RK-EL, killed in action 20 April 1943) and Friedrich-Karl “Tutti” Müller
(140 victories, RK-EL, killed in flying accident 29 May 1944) in I./JG
53, Crinius was particularly successful, recording 40 victories in August
and 46 victories between 1 and 22 September, including 100th victory on
22 September. He was awarded the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub (Nr 127) on
23 September and promoted to the rank of Leutnant. In November 1942, Crinius
transferred with I./JG 53 to Tunisia. Here he was to record 14 victories,
including his only four-engined bomber on 26 December and his 110th victory
on 4 January 1943. On 13 January 1943, in aerial combat with RAF Spitfire
fighters near La Calle, Crinius’ aircraft was hit and he was wounded in
the thigh. Breaking off combat , he headed for his base but his engine
then caught fire. He ditched his stricken Bf 109 G-2 (W.Nr. 10805) in the
sea. He spent 24 hours in the water before being rescued by French sailors
and Arabs. After hospitalisation for his wounds, Crinius became a prisoner
of war.
Wilhelm Crinius was credited with 114 victories
in approximately 400 missions. He recorded 100 victories over the Eastern
front. Of his 14 victories recorded over the Western
front, one was a four-engined bomber.
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9.6.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 53 | |
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9.6.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 53 | |
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21.6.1942
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 53 | |
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23.6.1942
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 53 | |
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23.6.1942
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R-5 | 3./JG 53 | Near Yelets |
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23.6.1942
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MiG-3 | 3./JG 53 | |
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28.6.1942
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R-10 | 3./JG 53 | |
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3.7.1942
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P-39 | 3./JG 53 | |
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3.7.1942
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P-39 | 3./JG 53 | |
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5.7.1942
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MiG-3 | 3./JG 53 | |
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8.7.1942
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Boston | 3./JG 53 | |
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8.7.1942
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Boston | 3./JG 53 | W Voronezh |
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8.7.1942
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Boston | 3./JG 53 | W Voronezh |
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27.7.1942
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R-5 | 3./JG 53 | |
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1.8.1942
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 53 | |
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1.8.1942
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 53 | |
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3.8.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 53 | |
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3.8.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 53 | |
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3.8.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 53 | |
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5.8.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 53 | |
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6.8.1942
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R-5 | 3./JG 53 | |
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6.8.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 53 | |
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8.8.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 53 | |
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8.8.1942
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MiG-3 | 3./JG 53 | |
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11.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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12.8.1942
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MiG-3 | 3./JG 53 | |
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12.8.1942
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MiG-3 | 3./JG 53 | |
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12.8.1942
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MiG-3 | 3./JG 53 | |
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13.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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16.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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16.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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17.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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17.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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17.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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18.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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18.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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19.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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19.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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19.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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19.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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20.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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20.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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21.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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21.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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23.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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23.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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24.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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24.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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27.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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28.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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28.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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28.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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29.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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30.8.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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1.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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2.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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5.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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6.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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8.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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8.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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8.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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8.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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9.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | I./JG 53 1,000th victory |
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9.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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9.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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10.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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10.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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10.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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10.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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11.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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12.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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12.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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12.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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13.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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13.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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13.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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14.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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14.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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14.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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14.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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15.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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15.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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15.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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16.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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16.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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16.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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16.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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17.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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17.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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17.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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17.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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18.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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18.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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18.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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18.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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19.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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20.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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21.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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21.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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22.9.1942
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E/a | 3./JG 53 | |
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1.12.1942
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Spitfire | 3./JG 53 | 15km SW Scaramia, Spitfire of 229 Sqn, RAF |
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1.12.1942
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Spitfire | 3./JG 53 | 25km S Scaramia, Spitfire of 229 Sqn, RAF |
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18.12.1942
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P-38 | 3./JG 53 | 9866: |
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18.12.1942
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P-38 | 3./JG 53 | 9859: |
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26.12.1942
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B-17 | 3./JG 53 | 9714: 15 |
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28.12.1942
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Spitfire | 3./JG 53 | 5km S Souk el Arba |
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29.12.1942
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Spitfire | 3./JG 53 | 5km ENE Bone |
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1.1.1943
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Spitfire | 3./JG 53 | Bone |
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1.1.1943
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Spitfire | 3./JG 53 | Bone |
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4.1.1943
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Boston | 3./JG 53 | Fondouk area |
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6.1.1943
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Hurricane | 3./JG 53 | |
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7.1.1943
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Spitfire | 3./JG 53 | |
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8.1.1943
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P-38 | 3./JG 53 | |
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8.1.1943
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Spitfire | 3./JG 53 |
Victories : 114
Awards : Knight`s Cross with Oak Leaves
Units : JG 53