Dieter Meister was serving with KG 40 in September 1942, based in France, operating Ju 88 C twin-engine fighters. Leutnant Meister was assigned to 13./KG 40, tasked with protecting U-boats during their passage across the Bay of Biscay. The unit also preyed upon Allied aircraft enroute from the United Kingdom to Gibraltar and the Mediterranean theatre. He claimed his first victory on 15 September, when he shared in the destruction of a RAF Whitley twin-engine bomber over the Bay of Biscay with Unteroffizier Johann Kaltenbrunner. By the end of 1942, Meister had added two individual victories and another two shared victories. By February 1943, Meister was serving with 15./KG 40. On 9 February, in combat with RAF Beaufighter twin-engine fighter-bombers, he claimed two shot down to record his third and fourth individual victories. Meister had transffered back to 13./KG 40 by July 1943. On 18 September, he shared in the destruction of an unusual victim. V./KG 40 had sent a number of Ju 88 Cs out on patrol over the Bay of Biscay. There they encountered a RAF Halifax four-engine bomber towing a Horsa glider, enroute to North Africa. The Horsa glider immediately disengaged from its tug and was set upon by the Ju 88s and ditching in the sea. The Halifax was able to escape into cloud. On 13 October, 13./KG 40 was redesignated 1./ZG 1. In January 1944, Oberleutnant Meister was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./ZG 1. On 5 August 1944, 3./ZG 1 was disbanded. Following conversion training to single-engine fighters, Meister was appointed Staffelkapitän of 10./JG 2. On 21 November 1944, Meister was killed in action.
    Dieter Meister was credited with at least eight victories in over 200 combat missions. He also gained a number of shared victories. All his victories were recorded over the Western front.
 

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit	Location	Comments
-	15.9.1942	16:20	Whitley	13./KG 40	14W/6813	Shared with Uffz. Johann Kaltenbrunner. Possibly Whitley of 502 Sqn, RAF
-	16.9.1942	17:12	Wellington	13./KG 40	14W/9869	Shared with Hptm. Esch, Uffz. Harms and Uffz. Steurich. Wellington (HF836) “E” of 304 Sqn, RAF flown by F/O M Targowski, returned damaged
1	8.10.1942	16:00	Whitley	13./KG 40	14W/9865	Whitley (AD671) of 10OTU flown by Sgt LH Dean, 6 POW
-	12.10.1942	15:47	Whitley	13./KG 40	24W/1647	Shared with Uffz. Walter Stohl. Whitley (BD564) “L” of 502 Sqn, RAF flown by Sgt WN Moore, 6 missing
2	16.10.1942	16:11	Whitley	13./KG 40	14W/0817	Whitley (Z9153) of 51 Sqn, RAF flown by Sgt RJ Benn, 6 missing
3	9.2.1943	14:55	Beaufighter	15./KG 40	14W/8657	Beaufighter of 248 Sqn, RAF
4	9.2.1943	15:00	Beaufighter	15./KG 40	14W/8658	Beaufighter of 248 Sqn, RAF
5	10.3.1943	12:15	Whitley	15./KG 40	14W/0336	Whitley (BD202) “G” of 10OTU, RAF flown by Sgt JP Ingram, 6 missing
6	7.7.1943	9:25	Beaufighter	13./KG 40	14W/9637	Beaufighter (LX781) of 304 FTU, RAF flown by Lt WL Cox
7	13.8.1943	13:11	Wellington	13./KG 40	14W/0777	Wellington (HZ638) of 304 Sqn, RAF flown by P/O S Kielan, 6 missing
-	30.8.1943	12:17	Sunderland	13./KG 40	14W/0647	Shared with Uffz. Heinz Hommel and Uffz. Jürgen Heicke. Sunderland (JM707) of 461 Sqn, RAAF flown by F/O CR Croft, 11 missing
-	18.9.1943	12:07	Horsa	13./KG 40	340km WSW Cap Finisterre	Shared with Oblt. Hermann Horstmann, Lt. Knud Gmelin and Uffz. Heinz Hommel. Horsa (HS102) flown by Lt JR Prout
8	31.3.1944	14:36	B-24	3./ZG 1	15W/0055	PB4Y-1 (63948/M/B-12) of VB 110, US Navy flown by Lt H Barton, 12 missing

 
Victories : at least 8
Awards : Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (17 October 1943)
Units : KG 40, ZG 1, JG 2