Willi Maximowitz
Oberfeldwebel

Willi Maximowitz

    Willi Maximowitz was born on 29 January 1920 at Wuppertal-Barnen. At the end of 1943, when Major von Kornatzski (6 victories) was looking for volunteers for Sturmstaffel 1, Maximowitz, by this time an Unteroffizier with JG 1, was one of those who enlisted. He had already achieved his first success when he shot down a USAAF B-24 four-engine bomber on 30 January 1944. On 23 March 1944, he shot down his third four-engine bomber, a USAAF B-17, but his Focke-Wulf 190 A-6 (W.Nr. 551 099) “White 10” was hit by return fire from the bombers and a wounded Maximowitz had to bale out near Wuppertal. Following recovery from his wounds he returned to Sturmstaffel 1 and added another B-17, shot down over Helmstedt on 29 April 1944, to his tally. On 8 May 1944, Sturmstaffel 1 was integrated into IV./JG 3 as its 11. Staffel. In June , Maximowitz undertook combat flights in support of the German army in Normandy. These missions were flown with IV.Gruppe from Dreux airfield in France. Maximowitz shot down a B-17 near Leipzig for his 10th victory on 20 July. On 28 July , IV./JG 3 scrambled against USAAF four-engine bombers. Maximowitz was shot down by the fighter escort and was slightly wounded. On 30 July, he was promoted to the rank of Feldwebel, but was wounded in a landing accident in Fw 190 A-8/R2 (W.Nr. 680 756). After recuperating from his injuries, he returned to his unit (renamed 14./JG 3 on 10 August).

Uffz. Willi Maximowitz of 11.(Sturm)/ JG 3 Udet after return from combat sortie with his Focke-Wulf 190 A-8/R-2 black 8. Airfield Dreux. June 1944.
Uffz. Willi Maximowitz of 11.(Sturm)/ JG 3 "Udet" after return from combat sortie with his Focke-Wulf 190 A-8/R-2 "black 8". Airfield Dreux. June 1944.
 
    He flew as Kaczmarek to Gruppenkommandeur, IV./JG 3, Hauptmann Wilhelm Moritz (44 victories, 15 of them four-engine bombers, RK). In February 1945, IV./JG 3 moved to the Russian Front. On 11 March, Maximowitz was credited with three Russian Boston twin-engine bombers and a fighter shot down. On 20 April 1945, Oberfeldwebel Maximowitz of 14./JG 3, failed to return from a combat mission. He was probably killed in aerial combat with Russian fighters around Frankfurt am Oder. He told Feldwebel Oskar Bösch (18 victories, including 8 four-engine bombers) during this mission that he had an MP 40 submachine-gun in his cockpit and he was saving the last round for himself if he got shot down!
    Willi Maximowitz was credited with 27 victories. He recorded 12 victories over the Eastern front. All 15 victories recorded over the Western front were four-engine bombers. He claimed one bomber by ramming on 23 March 1944 and possibly rammed another bomber, date unknown.  Maximowitz was posthumously awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on 1 January 1945.
 
No
Date
Time
A/c Type
Unit
Location / Comments
1
30.1.1944
11:50
 B-24 Sturmstaffel 1 -
2
6.3.1944
12:35
 B-17 HSS Sturmstaffel 1 N Gifhorn- Rathenow 7000 m
3
23.3.1944
11:15
 B-17 Sturmstaffel 1 SE Münster / rammed
4
29.4.1944
11:10
 B-17 Sturmstaffel 1 Hehlingen
5
8.5.1944
10:08
 B-24 11./JG 3 Peine-Braunschweig
6
12.5.1944
12:30
 B-17 11./JG 3 Bad Nauheim-Fulda area
7
24.5.1944
11:24
 B-17 HSS 11./JG 3 Nauern
8
13.7.1944
-
 B-17 11./JG 3 -
9
18.7.1944
10:50
 B-17 11./JG 3 SE Kempten
10
20.7.1944
11:07
 B-17 11./JG 3 20km W Leipzig
11
29.7.1944
-
 B-17 11./JG 3 -
12
27.9.1944
-
 B-24 14./JG 3 -
13
28.9.1944
-
 B-17 14./JG 3 -
14
2.11.1944
-
 B-17 14./JG 3 -
15
2.11.1944
-
 B-17 14./JG 3 -
16
3.3.1945
11:20
 Pe-2 14./JG 3 -
17
11.3.1945
-
 Boston 14./JG 3 -
18
11.3.1945
-
 Fighter 14./JG 3 -
19
11.3.1945
-
 Boston 14./JG 3 -
20
11.3.1945
-
 Boston 14./JG 3 -
21
18.4.1945
-
 Yak 3 14./JG 3 -
22
18.4.1945
-
 Yak 3 14./JG 3 -
23
1945
-
 Pe-2 14./JG 3 -
24
1945
-
 P-39 14./JG 3 -
25
1945
-
 P-39 14./JG 3 -
26
1945
-
 Il-2 14./JG 3 -
27
1945
-
 Il-2 14./JG 3 -

Victories : 27
Awards : Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (1 January 1945)
Units : JG 1, Sturmstaffel 1, JG 3

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