Oberst
Günther “Franzl” Lützow was born on 4 September 1912 at
Kiel to an illustrious German naval family. He was descended from an old
Prussian family of the same name. In 1931, he learned to fly at the Deutschen
Verkehrsfliegerschule at Schliessheim. Later, he underwent fighter pilot
training at the clandestine German base at Lipetsk in Russia. 1934 saw
Lützow serving as a Leutnant with an Infantry Regiment before transferring
to the newly formed Luftwaffe. Initially, he served with I./JG 132 “Richtofen”.
Lützow commenced his operational career as a fighter pilot as Staffelkapitän
of 2./J 88 of the Condor Legion during the Spanish
Civil War. Between March and September 1937, Oberleutnant Lützow accumulated
five victories, including the first ever recorded by the Bf 109, and was
awarded the Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwerten und Brillanten. From November
1938, Lützow undertook instructing duties at Jagdfliegerschule 1, based
at Werneuchen, before being appointed Gruppenkommandeur of I./JG 3 on 3
November 1939. He led the Gruppe through the French
campaign recording nine victories, including his first in World War
2, on 14 May 1940, when he shot down two French Curtiss Hawk 75 fighters
near Dinant. Lützow led I./JG 3 into the Battle of Britain.
On 21 August 1940, Oberstleutnant Lützow was appointed Kommodore of JG
3. He recorded eight further victories during the aerial battles over England.
Lützow was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 18 September. In spring 1941, Stab/JG
3 was relocated to Mannheim-Sandhofen in Germany for rest and refit. Here
the unit received new Bf 109 F-2 fighters before again being relocated
to the Channel front on 4 May 1941. Lützow led JG 3 during the invasion
of Russia. On 17 July 1941, he recorded his 40th victory. He was awarded
the Eichenlaub (Nr 27) on 20 July. On 17 September, he shot down his 72nd
victim. He was shot down by flak on 23 September, force-landing behind
enemy lines. He successfully returned unhurt. In October, he recorded 29
victories, including five Russian twin-engine bombers shot down on 8 October.
He was awarded the Schwerten (Nr 4) on 11 October 1941, after his 92nd
victory. He became the second Experte to achieve 100 victories, when he
downed three Russian fighters in the Moscow area on 24 October to record
victories 99 through 101. Lützow was promptly grounded on orders from above.
On 4 November, he led Stab/JG 3 back to Germany and a base at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim
to rest and re-equip. In May 1942, Lützow led JG 3 back to the Russian
front commencing operations in the Kharkov area. There followed much action
in the Crimea and before Stalingrad. Lützow added one additional victory
when he shot down a Russian I-61 fighter on 21 May 1942 for his 107th victory.
On 11 August 1942, Lützow was posted to the staff of the General der Jagdflieger
where he took up the role of Inspector of Day Fighters, Eastern area. In
July 1943, Oberst Lützow was appointed Kommandeur of Jagdabschnittsführer
Italien, based at Naples. In September, the unit was absorbed into Jagdfliegerführer
Oberitalien. He then commanded 1. Jagddivision based at Döberitz from 15
September until 23 March 1944, where he assumed overall command for day
and night fighter operations in north western Germany, Holland and Belgium.
By January 1944, he was commanding 4. Fliegerschuldivision based at Strassburg,
responsible for the training of new fighter pilots. Lützow would become
known as the prinicipal architect behind the so-called “Fighter Pilots’
Mutiny”. In fact the “Mutiny” was a valiant and well-intended attempt to
“save” Adolf Galland who had been dismissed as General der Jagdflieger
for his outspokeness of the Luftwaffe high command. Lützow’s part in the
affair was regarded as “mutiny” by Göring who relieved him of his command
of 4. Fliegerschuldivision and had him posted, in exile, to Italy to take
over Jagdfliegerführer Oberitalien. He was later granted approval to join
Adolf Galland’s JV 44. Lützow recorded two additional victories flying
the Me 262 jet fighter, but then went missing
on 24 April 1945 near Donauworth attempting to intercept a USAAF B-26 twin-engine
bomber raid. His body was never recovered and his aircraft never found…
Günther Lützow was credited with 110 victories achieved
in over 300 combat missions. He scored 5 victories during the Spanish
Civil War. He recorded 20 victories over the Western
Front, including at least one four-engine bombers,
and 85 victories over the Eastern Front.
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6.4.1937
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I-15 | 2. J/88 | Spain |
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22.5.1937
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I-15 | 2. J/88 | Spain |
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28.5.1937
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I-15 | 2. J/88 | Spain |
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18.8.1937
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I-15 | 2. J/88 | Spain |
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22.8.1937
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I-16 | 2. J/88 | Spain |
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14.5.1940
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Curtiss | I./JG 3 | NW Dinant |
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14.5.1940
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Curtiss | I./JG 3 | NW Dinant |
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15.5.1940
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Curtiss | I./JG 3 | SE Charleroi |
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19.5.1940
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Hurricane | I./JG 3 | N Arras |
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31.5.1940
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Morane 406 | I./JG 3 | S Amiens |
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31.5.1940
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Morane 406 | I./JG 3 | S Amiens |
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3.6.1940
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Curtiss | I./JG 3 | Compiegnie-Meaux |
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6.6.1940
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Blenheim | I./JG 3 | St Valéry-Abbeville |
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8.6.1940
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Blenheim | I./JG 3 | Abbeville |
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16.8.1940
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Spitfire | I./JG 3 | - |
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26.8.1940
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Defiant | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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26.8.1940
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Defiant | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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7.9.1940
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Hurricane | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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9.9.1940
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Hurricane | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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15.9.1940
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Hurricane | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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5.10.1940
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Curtiss | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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5.10.1940
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Curtiss | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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5.11.1940
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Spitfire | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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22.6.1941
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I-18 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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23.6.1941
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SB-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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23.6.1941
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SB-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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24.6.1941
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I-153 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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26.6.1941
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SB-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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26.6.1941
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SB-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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26.6.1941
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Pe-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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27.6.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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28.6.1941
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Pe-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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7.7.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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10.7.1941
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V-11 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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10.7.1941
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I-53 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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10.7.1941
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I-53 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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10.7.1941
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I-53 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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11.7.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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15.7.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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15.7.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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15.7.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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16.7.1941
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SB-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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16.7.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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16.7.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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17.7.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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20.7.1941
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V-11 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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20.7.1941
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V-11 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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29.7.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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31.7.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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31.7.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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31.7.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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7.8.1941
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I-153 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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7.8.1941
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I-153 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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8.8.1941
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I-153 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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9.8.1941
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Pe-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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9.8.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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11.8.1941
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R-5 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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12.8.1941
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I-153 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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12.8.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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13.8.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | Kanev region / I-16 of 88IAP VVS flown by Mladshiy Lt Ivan Novikov |
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13.8.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | Kanev region / I-16 of 88IAP VVS |
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6.9.1941
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R-10 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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6.9.1941
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R-10 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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7.9.1941
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SB-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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7.9.1941
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SB-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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7.9.1941
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I-153 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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7.9.1941
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I-153 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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8.9.1941
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R-10 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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9.9.1941
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I-26 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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9.9.1941
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SB-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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11.9.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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11.9.1941
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I-61 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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12.9.1941
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SB-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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13.9.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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13.9.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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14.9.1941
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I-26 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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17.9.1941
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PS-84 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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5.10.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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5.10.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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5.10.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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5.10.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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6.10.1941
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I-153 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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6.10.1941
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I-153 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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6.10.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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7.10.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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8.10.1941
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Pe-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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8.10.1941
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Pe-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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8.10.1941
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Pe-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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8.10.1941
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DB-3a | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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8.10.1941
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DB-3a | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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9.10.1941
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I-18 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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9.10.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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9.10.1941
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Il-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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9.10.1941
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Pe-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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10.10.1941
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I-18 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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10.10.1941
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I-18 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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11.10.1941
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I-61 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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12.10.1941
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Pe-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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12.10.1941
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Pe-2 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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12.10.1941
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TB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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14.10.1941
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I-61 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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14.10.1941
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DB-3 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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23.10.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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24.10.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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24.10.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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24.10.1941
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I-16 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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21.5.1942
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I-61 | Stab/JG 3 | - |
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29.7.1942
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LaGG-3 | Stab/JG 3 | NE Kalatsch |
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?.4.1945
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Viermot | JV 44 | - |
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24.4.1945
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B-26 | JV 44 | Augsburg area |
Victories : 110
Awards : Ritterkreuz (18 September 1940)
Eichenlaub (20 July 1941)
Schwerten (11 October 1941)
Units : J/88, JG 3, JG 51, JV 44
