Ludwig-Wilhelm “Lutz” Burkhardt was born on 5 February 1919 at Bremen. Up to June 1940, Burkhardt served with a Flak regiment. Following fighter pilot training, he was posted to the Stabsstaffel of II./JG 77, based on the Eastern front. He recorded his first victory on 9 May 1942, when he shot down a Russian I-153 biplane fighter over the Crimea. On 1 June, Burkhardt provided fighter escort to Generaloberst Wolframm Freiherr von Richtofen’s Fi 156 Storch near Sevastopol. His aircraft was hit by Russian ground fire necessitating a belly-landing close to the Russian lines. He survived without injury but had to suffer Russian infantry fire in making his escape. Shortly afterwards, Leutnant Burkhardt was transferred to 6./JG 77. His score increased rapidly gaining 24 victories in July, including six victories on 12 July to record his 16th through 21st victories, four victories on 13 July (22-25) and three victories on 23 July (28-30) and 11 victories in August, including four victories on 13 August (36-39) and three victories on 18 August (42-44). By the time he received the award of the Ritterkreuz on 15 October, Leutnant Burkhardt’s victory total stood at 53. During this period, Burkhardt had survived many forced landings or damage to his own aircraft as a result of enemy action, each time escaping major injury. For example, on 10 August, he suffered engine failure resulting in a forced-landing in no-man’s land. His wingman reported, on his return to base, that Burkhardt’s aircraft had overturned before the pilot had got out. However, Burkhardt was able to return, uninjured, three days later. II./JG 77 was relocated to North Africa in late 1942. Burkhardt was appointed Staffelkapitän of 4./JG 77 on 12 November. Much of the time he was unfit for flying due to malaria. However, he shot down a RAF Spitfire fighter near Buerat on 7 January 1943 to record his 54th victory. However, next day he was seriously hurt when he stepped on an explosive device shortly after landing  at Bir Dufan. On his recovery, Burkhardt was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 77, based in Italy, on 19 August 1943, replacing Heinrich “Heinz” Bär (221 victories, RK-S). On 1 December, he was transferred to 1./Jagdgruppe Süd, for a short period as an instructor, having added three victories while operating with I./JG 77. Burkhardt was transferred as Staffelkapitän to 6./JG 1, based in Holland, on 25 December 1943, replacing Hauptmann Harry Koch (30 victories, DKiG), who had been  killed in an aerial collision with his wingman on 22 December. The unit was equipped with Fw 190s and Burkhardt, having always flown Bf 109s, was moved to become Staffelkapitän of 7./JG 1, which operated the type, on 19 February 1944. Having added 11 further victories to his victory total, all Allied fighters, Burkhardt was obliged to relinquish command of the unit on 2 July, when he was struck down by a bout of malaria that was to see him forego any further combat flying for the remainder of the war. On his recovery from illness, Burkhardt was assigned various staff duties. At the end of the war he was serving with III./EJG 2 where he underwent training on the Me 262 jet fighter.
    “Lutz” Burkhardt was credited with 69 victories in 245 missions. He recorded 53 victories over the Eastern front, including 15 Il-2 Sturmovik ground attack aircraft. Of the 16 victories he recorded over the Western front, six were USAAF P-51 fighters and six were USAAF P-47 fighters.
 

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit	Location / Comments
1	9.5.1942	-	I-153	Stab II./JG 77	-
2	12.5.1942	-	Il-2	Stab II./JG 77	-
3	13.5.1942	-	Il-2	Stab II./JG 77	-
4	17.5.1942	-	I-153	Stab II./JG 77	-
5	17.5.1942	-	I-16	Stab II./JG 77	-
6	18.5.1942	-	R-5	Stab II./JG 77	-
7	8.6.1942	13:14	I-16	6./JG 77	35 392
8	8.6.1942	16:52	MiG-1	6./JG 77	35 363
9	17.6.1942	-	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	-
10	5.7.1942	-	I-180	6./JG 77	-
11	6.7.1942	-	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	-
12	8.7.1942	-	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	-
13	8.7.1942	-	Il-2	6./JG 77	-
14	9.7.1942	-	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	-
15	9.7.1942	-	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	-
16	12.7.1942	-	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	-
17	12.7.1942	-	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	-
18	12.7.1942	-	MiG-3	6./JG 77	-
19	12.7.1942	-	Il-2	6./JG 77	-
20	12.7.1942	-	Il-2	6./JG 77	-
21	12.7.1942	-	Il-2	6./JG 77	-
22	13.7.1942	-	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	-
23	13.7.1942	-	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	-
24	13.7.1942	-	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	-
25	13.7.1942	-	Il-2	6./JG 77	-
26	15.7.1942	-	R-5	6./JG 77	-
27	20.7.1942	-	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	-
28	23.7.1942	15:58	Il-2	6./JG 77	82 222
29	23.7.1942	16:00	Il-2	6./JG 77	83 881
30	23.7.1942	-	Il-2	6./JG 77	-
31	25.7.1942	-	MiG-3	6./JG 77	-
32	31.7.1942	17:02	Il-2	6./JG 77	92 344
33	31.7.1942	17:10	MiG-1	6./JG 77	92 154
34	8.8.1942	6:21	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	92 471
35	8.8.1942	6:36	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	92 442
36	13.8.1942	8:48	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	92 771
37	13.8.1942	9:00	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	93 791
38	13.8.1942	13:44	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	83 728
39	13.8.1942	13:52	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	93 511
40	14.8.1942	-	Il-2	6./JG 77	-
41	16.8.1942	17:52	Il-2	6./JG 77	83 881
42	18.8.1942	15:11	Pe-2	6./JG 77	93 782
43	18.8.1942	17:16	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	82 272
44	18.8.1942	17:19	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	82 263
45	3.9.1942	4:51	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	93 873
46	12.9.1942	12:48	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	92 811
47	14.9.1942	12:09	P-39	6./JG 77	2 513
48	15.9.1942	6:54	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	92 323
49	15.9.1942	7:04	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	92 183
50	15.9.1942	7:18	Pe-2	6./JG 77	82 263
51	20.9.1942	9:45	Il-2	6./JG 77	92 153
52	20.9.1942	9:48	Il-2	6./JG 77	92 213
53	22.9.1942	16:22	LaGG-3	6./JG 77	92 133
54	7.1.1943	12:05	Spitfire	4./JG 77	2km SSE Buerat
55	16.9.1943	-	Spitfire	Stab I./JG 77	-
56	16.10.1943	-	Spitfire	Stab I./JG 77	-
57	17.11.1943	-	P-51	Stab I./JG 77	-
58	2.3.1944	14:30	P-47	7./JG 1	S Verviers
59	23.3.1944	-	P-47	7./JG 1	-
60	9.4.1944	-	P-47	7./JG 1	-
61	11.4.1944	-	P-51	7./JG 1	-
62	13.4.1944	14:10	P-51	7./JG 1	Darmstadt
63	22.4.1944	18:10	P-51	7./JG 1	NE Rothaargebirge
64	4.5.1944	-	P-47	7./JG 1	-
65	7.5.1944	-	P-47	7./JG 1	-
66	22.5.1944	-	P-51	7./JG 1	-
67	22.5.1944	-	P-38	7./JG 1	-
68	29.5.1944	-	P-47	7./JG 1	-
69	10.6.1944	-	P-51	7./JG 1	-

Victories : 69
Awards : Ehrenpokal (19 October 1942)
                Ritterkreuz (15 October 1942)
Units : JG 77, JGr Süd, JG 1, EJG 2