Hans-Joachim Birkner was born on 22 October
1921 at Schönwalde in the Samland region of Ostpreußen. Birkner
was posted to JG 52, based on the Eastern front, in summer 1943. Feldwebel
Birkner was assigned to 9./JG 52. He undertook his first combat mission
on 30 August. He recorded his first victory on his 54th combat mission
on 1 October. By the end of 1943 his victory total had risen to 24. On
15 January 1944, Birkner claimed five Russian P-39 fighters shot down to
record his 28th through 32nd victories. In April, he claimed 29 victories,
including four enemy aircraft shot down on 15 April (33-36), another four
on 18 April (39-42) and six on 19 April (43-48). In May he claimed 17 victories,
including four enemy aircraft shot down on 28 May (66-69) and five on 30
May (71-75). June was to prove equally successfully with Birkner claiming
14 victories to raise his victory total to 92. Included in his total were
four Russian aircraft shot down on 4 June (82-85), a further four on 8
June (87-90) and a USAAF P-51 fighter shot down over Rumania on 24 June
(92). Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel Birkner was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 27
July for 98 victories. Birkner had often flown as Rottenflieger to Günther
Rall (275 victories, RK-S) and Erich Hartmann
(352 victories, RK-Br) and had achieved many of his victories whilst flying
with them. On 1 October 1944, Birkner was appointed Staffelkapitän
of 9./JG 52. In October, Birkner claimed 18 victories, including his 100th
victory on 14 October and five enemy aircraft shot down on 16 October (101-105).
Birkner was killed on 14 December 1944, when he suffered an engine failure
while landing at Krakau in Bf 109 G-14 (W.Nr. 510 531).
Hans-Joachim Birkner was credited with 117 victories
in 284 missions of which 121 resulted in aerial combat. All his victories
were recorded over the Eastern front. Included
in his total are at least 15 Il-2 Sturmoviks.
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Location / Comments |
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1.10.1943
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 58 842 at 2500m |
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4.10.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 58 191 at 2000m |
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5.10.1943
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Boston III | 9./JG 52 | 59 582: at 2500m |
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9.10.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 59 732:at 2000m |
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11.10.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 58 182: at 1000m |
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11.10.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 58 182: at 1000m |
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21.10.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 39 481: at 4500m |
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24.10.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 58 392: at 1000m |
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24.10.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 58 391: at 1000m |
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25.10.1943
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 39 462: at 4500m |
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25.10.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 39 483: at 1000m |
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29.10.1943
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 29 524: at 200m |
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29.10.1943
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 39 362: at 4500m |
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27.11.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 49 784: at 400m |
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27.11.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 48 782: at 1200m |
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28.11.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 48 783: at 400m |
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28.11.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 48 782: at 1000m |
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28.11.1943
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 48 472: at 800m |
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15.12.1943
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | NE Novgorodka: at 250m |
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17.12.1943
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | S Novgorotka: at 1000m |
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19.12.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 48 654: at 700m |
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19.12.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | Bolschoi-Tokmak: 1500m |
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19.12.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | W Malaya-Tomatshka: 300m |
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20.12.1943
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | SSE Novo-Nikolayevka: at 250m |
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3.1.1944
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LaGG-3 | 9./JG 52 | 38 623 at 1000m [Novo Krasnoye] |
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3.1.1944
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LaGG-3 | 9./JG 52 | 48 114 at 500m [Novo Krasnoye] |
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9.1.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 29374 at 1500m |
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15.1.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 19 491 at 1800m |
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15.1.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 19 493 at 1700m |
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15.1.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 19 462 at 500m |
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15.1.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 29 341 |
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15.1.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | - |
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15.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 262: at 1000m |
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15.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 254: at 200m |
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15.4.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 35 322: at 200m |
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15.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 242 |
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16.4.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 35 561: at 300m |
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16.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 132: at 500m |
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18.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 823: at 700m |
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18.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 442: at 2500m |
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18.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 454: at 2000m |
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18.4.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 35 472: at 500m |
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19.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 471: at 4500m |
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19.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 472: at 4000m |
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19.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 472: at 4000m |
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19.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 472: at 3000m |
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19.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 611: at 3500m |
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19.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 611: at 3500m |
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22.4.1944
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Boston III | 9./JG 52 | 25 481: at 600m |
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22.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 172: at 800m |
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23.4.1944
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Pe-2 | 9./JG 52 | 35 194: at 200m |
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23.4.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 35 481: at 600m |
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23.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 441: at 900m |
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24.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 472: at 200m |
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24.4.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 35 391: at 600m |
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25.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 611: at 1000m |
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25.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 332: at 500m |
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25.4.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 35 454: at 1300m |
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27.4.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 35 474: at 400m |
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27.4.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 35 474: at 6000m |
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27.4.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 35 452: at 800m |
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21.5.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 78 562: at 5000m |
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22.5.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 78 792 |
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23.5.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 67 163: at 1200m |
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23.5.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 20 754: at 800m |
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28.5.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 78 811: at 1000m |
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28.5.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 78 415: at 1000m |
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28.5.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 78 511: at 1000m |
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28.5.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 68 833: at 600m |
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29.5.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 78 543: at 5500m |
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30.5.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 78 599: at 2500m |
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30.5.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 78 644: at 3000m |
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30.5.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 78 652: at 4100m |
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30.5.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 78 643: at 2000m |
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30.5.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 78 811: at 500m |
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31.5.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 78 679: at 700m |
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31.5.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 78 679: at 800m |
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31.5.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 78 676: at 800m |
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3.6.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 78 733: at 500m |
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3.6.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 78 733: at 500m |
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3.6.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 78 811: at 500m |
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4.6.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 78 589 |
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4.6.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 78 723: at 200m |
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4.6.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 78 559 |
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4.6.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 78 595: at 2000m |
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6.6.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 78 593: at 3000m |
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8.6.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 78 587: at 1000m |
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8.6.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 78 585: at 500m |
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8.6.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 78 586: at 500m |
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8.6.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 78 546 |
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14.6.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 78 547: at 2000m |
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24.6.1944
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P-51 | 9./JG 52 | 65 133: at 6000m |
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1.7.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 85 841: at 5500m |
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9.7.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 45 462: at 1000m |
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20.7.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 41 569: at 1500m |
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20.7.1944
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P-39 | 9./JG 52 | 40 141: at 4000m |
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21.7.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 30 262: at 1500m |
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21.7.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 30 261: at 1000m |
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21.7.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 40 154 |
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14.10.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 16 316: at 800m |
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16.10.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 26 767: at 200m |
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16.10.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 26 733: at 800m |
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16.10.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 25 468: at 3200m |
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16.10.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 25 455: at 4100m |
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16.10.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 35 517: at 200m |
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17.10.1944
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Pe-2 | 9./JG 52 | 25 356: at 5000m |
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18.10.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 26 632: at 3000m |
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18.10.1944
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Il-2 | 9./JG 52 | 25 634: at 800m |
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18.10.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 25 639: at 2000m |
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23.10.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 25 314: at 400m |
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25.10.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 25 586: at 2000m |
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25.10.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 25 597: at 1700m |
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27.10.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 25 529: at 1200m |
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27.10.1944
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LaGG | 9./JG 52 | 25 533: at 3000m |
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??.??.1944
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E/a | 9./JG 52 | - |
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??.??.1944
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E/a | 9./JG 52 | - |
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??.??.1944
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E/a | 9./JG 52 | - |
Victories : 117
Awards : Ehrenpokal (24 April 1944)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (20 March 1944)
Ritterkreuz (27 July 1944)
Units : JG 52