Gustav Denk was born on 24 January 1915 at Soest in Westfalen. At the outbreak of World War 2, Denk was serving with JG 52. Oberfeldwebel Denk was assigned to 6./JG 52. He participated in the invasions of Poland and France. However, he did not claim his first victory until the Battle of Britain, when, on 13 July 1940, he shot down a RAF Blenheim twin-engine bomber off Borkum. At the end of 1940, he was posted for training as an officer. Denk claimed his greatest successes over the Eastern front flying with the Stabsstaffel of II./JG 52, commanded at this time by Hauptmann Johannes Steinhoff (176 victories, RK-S). Leutnant Denk recorded his 10th victory on 23 August 1942, when he shot down a Russian LaGG-3 fighter. In September, he claimed 11 victories, including three Russian LaGG fighters shot down on 9 September (11-13) and a further two LaGG fighters shot down on 25 September (20-21). Denk claimed two victories on 12 November (29-30). In December, he claimed 15 victories, including three Russian fighters shot down on 8 December (40-42), a further three Russian fighters on 19 December (45-47) and his 50th, a Russian La-5 fighter shot down on 26 December. In January 1943, Leutnant Denk was appointed Staffelführer of 5./JG 52. He recorded 10 victories with the unit, raising his victory total to 61, before transferring to a similar role with 6./JG 52 on 12 February. Denk’s first day with his new unit saw him claim five enemy aircraft shot down (62-66). On 13 February 1943, Oberleutnant Denk made a strafing attack on the Russian airfield at Tschernigow and destroyed two aircraft on the ground. However, his Bf 109 G-2 (W.Nr. 14 554) “Black 13” was then hit by flak and exploded, killing Denk instantly.
    Gustav Denk was credited with 67 victories in over 500 missions. He recorded one confirmed victory over the Western front. He was posthumously awarded the Ritterkreuz on 14 March 1943.
 

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit	Location / Comments
1	13.7.1940	19:50	Blenheim	6./JG 52	NW Borkum
-	1.5.1941	14:28	Blenheim	6./JG 52	Not confirmed
2	25.8.1941	16:35	I-18	6./JG 52	-
3	7.9.1941	18:30	I-16	6./JG 52	-
4	13.9.1941	16:05	DB-3	6./JG 52	E Klimowka
5	21.9.1941	5:55	I-153	6./JG 52	-
6	22.8.1942	10:56	I-153	II./JG 52	49 334
7	23.8.1942	5:40	LaGG-3	II./JG 52	49 661
8	23.8.1942	17:30	LaGG-3	II./JG 52	49 271
9	7.9.1942	8:18	E/a	II./JG 52	-
10	7.9.1942	12:05	I-16	II./JG 52	44 651
11	9.9.1942	5:38	LaGG	II./JG 52	54 651
12	9.9.1942	14:08	LaGG	II./JG 52	44 482
13	9.9.1942	14:44	LaGG	II./JG 52	44 444
14	10.9.1942	14:07	LaGG-3	II./JG 52	44 454
15	12.9.1942	14:14	LaGG-3	II./JG 52	44 453
16	16.9.1942	16:20	LaGG-3	II./JG 52	54 414
17	16.9.1942	16:21	LaGG-3	II./JG 52	54 414
18	18.9.1942	14:15	I-153	II./JG 52	54 442
19	18.9.1942	14:16	I-153	II./JG 52	54 442
20	25.9.1942	16:28	LaGG	II./JG 52	95 743
21	25.9.1942	16:31	LaGG	II./JG 52	95 743
22	26.10.1942	14:20	Yak-1	II./JG 52	44 784
23	30.10.1942	12:22	Yak-1	II./JG 52	94 161
24	30.10.1942	12:37	Yak-1	II./JG 52	94 161
25	2.11.1942	11:56	R-5	II./JG 52	94 152
26	2.11.1942	11:56	LaGG-3	II./JG 52	94 152
27	3.11.1942	11:32	Pe-2	II./JG 52	94 481
28	3.11.1942	12:00	LaGG-3	II./JG 52	94 152
29	12.11.1942	14:04	I-16	II./JG 52	95 723
30	12.11.1942	14:06	Il-2	II./JG 52	95 753
31	15.11.1942	9:14	Yak-1	II./JG 52	96 161
32	28.11.1942	12:06	Il-2	II./JG 52	49 382
33	28.11.1942	12:10	Il-2	II./JG 52	49 353
34	30.11.1942	13:09	Yak-1	II./JG 52	39 143
35	30.11.1942	13:12	Yak-1	II./JG 52	39 153
36	30.11.1942	13:15	Il-2	II./JG 52	29 432
37	1.12.1942	8:57	P-40	II./JG 52	39 311
38	2.12.1942	12:14	Yak-1	II./JG 52	49 354
39	2.12.1942	12:16	Il-2	II./JG 52	49 354
40	8.12.1942	9:45	Yak-1	II./JG 52	39 651
41	8.12.1942	9:46	Yak-1	II./JG 52	39 654
42	8.12.1942	9:58	P-40	II./JG 52	39 491
43	18.12.1942	10:33	Yak-1	II./JG 52	39 823
44	18.12.1942	10:34	Yak-1	II./JG 52	39 733
45	19.12.1942	13:14	La-5	II./JG 52	49 534
46	19.12.1942	13:15	Yak-1	II./JG 52	49 641
47	19.12.1942	13:17	Yak-1	II./JG 52	49 671
48	20.12.1942	10:54	Il-2	II./JG 52	39 853
49	22.12.1942	10:51	La-5	II./JG 52	39 823
50	26.12.1942	10:28	La-5	II./JG 52	39 812
51	28.12.1942	10:27	La-5	II./JG 52	38 351
52	26.1.1943	10:35	Pe-2	5./JG 52	8 613
53	27.1.1943	14:25	R-5	5./JG 52	7 442
54	31.1.1943	13:07	LaGG-3	5./JG 52	99 601
55	31.1.1943	13:10	LaGG-3	5./JG 52	9 541
56	1.2.1943	12:00	La-5	5./JG 52	18 544
57	2.2.1943	6:50	LaGG-5	5./JG 52	12 842
58	2.2.1943	13:32	Yak-1	5./JG 52	8 842
59	7.2.1943	12:54	Yak-1	5./JG 52	99 662
60	11.2.1943	6:00	Yak-1	5./JG 52	86 460
61	11.2.1943	6:02	Yak-1	5./JG 52	86 490
62	12.2.1943	7:50	I-153	6./JG 52	85 174
63	12.2.1943	7:53	I-153	6./JG 52	85 311
64	12.2.1943	14:35	I-153	6./JG 52	85 482
65	12.2.1943	14:37	I-153	6./JG 52	85 624
66	12.2.1943	14:42	R-5	6./JG 52	85 833
67	13.2.1943	9:38	Boston	6./JG 52	86 522

 
Victories : 67
Awards : Ehrenpokal (23 October 1942)
                Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (23 December 1942)
                Ritterkreuz (14 March 1943)
Units : JG 52