Willi Unger
Leutnant
Willi Unger was born on 27 March 1920 at Warstein
in the Sauerland region of Westfalen. He became an accomplished glider
pilot. He trained as an engineer and passed his Facharbeiterprüfung on
1 September 1939. He joined the Luftwaffe at the start of World War 2 where
he served as a Flugzeugmechaniker despite his flying qualifications. He
was finally accepted for pilot training in December 1941, commencing flying
training with Flugzeugführerschule A/B 10 at Warnemünde. At the end of
May 1943, he transferred to I./JG 104, based at Herzogenaurach, to undergo
fighter pilot training. In December 1943, he was promoted to Unteroffizier
and completed his fighter pilot’s training with the Ergänzungsgruppe, based
at Laleu in France. Unger was posted to JG3 on 10 March 1944. Unteroffizier
Unger was assigned to 11./JG 3, based at Salzwedel. His first victory was
achieved during his seventh mission on 11 April, when he shot down a USAAF
B-17 four-engined bomber, from a formation that had attacked Rostock, near
Warnemünde. In April, he was to down a total of eight four-engine bombers.
On 29 April 1944, IV./JG 3 and Sturmstaffel 1 were amalgamated and redesignated
IV.(Sturm)/JG 3 under the command of Hauptmann Wilhelm
Moritz (44 victories, RK). Unger was assigned to 12.(Sturm)/JG 3. On
8 May, after claiming a B-24 shot down, he was himself shot down but carried
out a successful belly landing. In aerial combat over Oschersleben on 7
July, Feldwebel Unger shot down two USAAF B-24 four-engine bombers, his
10th and 11th victories. He was shot down again on 18 July, after shooting
down a B-17 for his 12th victory, when coming into land at Memmingen by
USAAF fighters. He managed to bale out landing in a tree! On 3 August,
Unger shot down two B-24s, but was himself shot down by defensive fire
from the bombers over the Lechtal Alps, baling out safely from his damaged
Fw 190A-8 “Yellow 7” + ~. In August, he received the Deutsches Kreuz in
Gold and promotion to the rank of Oberfeldwebel. By September 1944, Unger
had transferred to 15.(Sturm)/JG 3. Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel Unger was awarded
the Ritterkreuz on 23 October for 19 victories. He was given home leave,
during which time he was married on 24 December. In December, he was promoted
to the rank of Leutnant and attended a formation leaders course at Gütersloh.
In February 1945, IV./JG 3 moved to the Eastern Front. Unger was appointed
Staffelführer of 14.(Sturm)/JG 3 and led the Staffel on freie-Jagd
and ground attack missions over the Oder front, He recorded his last three
victories there. At the beginning of April 1945, Unger joined JG 7, based
at Brandenburg, flying Me 262 jet fighters. Within two weeks he had completed
his conversion training, however he achieved no further victories before
being captured by American troops and taken to Regensburg for imprisonment.
He was released on 28 May 1945. Post-war Unger was an active sports flyer
winning a number of gliding competitions. He resumed his vocation as a
fitter working for a local quarrying operation. He retired on 31 December
1981.
Willi Unger was credited with 24 confirmed victories
in 59 missions. He recorded at least 21 victories over the Western
Front, all four-engine bombers.
|
No
|
Date
|
Time
|
A/c
Type
|
Unit
|
Location
/ comments
|
|
-
|
9.4.1944
|
-
|
B-24 |
11./JG
3 |
not
confirmed |
|
1.
|
11.4.1944
|
13:27
|
B-17 |
11./JG
3 |
NW
Warnemünde |
|
2.
|
13.4.1944
|
14:05
|
B-17 |
11./JG
3 |
W
Schweinfurt |
|
3.
|
13.4.1944
|
14:07
|
B-17 |
11./JG
3 |
Aschaffenburg |
|
4.
|
18.4.1944
|
14:32
|
B-17 |
11./JG
3 |
NW
Nauen |
|
5.
|
18.4.1944
|
14:38
|
B-17 |
11./JG
3 |
25km
SW Neuruppin |
|
6.
|
19.4.1944
|
10:47
|
B-17 |
11./JG
3 |
15-45km
E Kassel |
|
7.
|
22.4.1944
|
19:46
|
B-24
HSS |
11./JG
3 |
SW
Siegen |
|
8.
|
24.4.1944
|
13:35
|
B-17 |
11./JG
3 |
S
Landshut |
|
9.
|
29.4.1944
|
13:20
|
B-17
HSS |
11./JG
3 |
W
Gardelegen |
|
10.
|
8.5.1944
|
10:07
|
B-24 |
11./JG
3 |
S
Sülze-Südheide |
|
11.
|
7.7.1944
|
9:42
|
B-24 |
11./JG
3 |
Ochersleben
area |
|
12.
|
7.7.1944
|
9:43
|
B-24 |
11./JG
3 |
Ochersleben
area |
|
13.
|
18.7.1944
|
10:50
|
B-17 |
12.(Sturm)/JG
3 |
30km
SE Memmingen |
|
14.
|
29.7.1944
|
10:30
|
B-17 |
12.(Sturm)/JG
3 |
Zeitz-Groitsch |
|
15.
|
3.8.1944
|
11:40
|
B-24 |
12.(Sturm)/JG
3 |
Füssen |
|
16.
|
3.8.1944
|
11:41
|
B-24 |
12.(Sturm)/JG
3 |
Füssen |
|
17.
|
29.8.1944
|
10:46
|
B-17 |
12.(Sturm)/JG
3 |
Brünn |
|
18.
|
29.8.1944
|
10:47
|
B-17 |
12.(Sturm)/JG
3 |
Brünn |
|
19.
|
11.9.1944
|
12:02
|
B-17 |
15.(Sturm)/JG
3 |
Hettstedt |
|
20.
|
12.9.1944
|
11:45
|
B-17 |
15.(Sturm)/JG
3 |
N
Berlin |
|
21.
|
7.10.1944
|
12:06
|
B-17 |
15.(Sturm)/JG
3 |
|
|
22.
|
19.2.1945
|
13:18
|
P-39 |
15.(Sturm)/JG
3 |
7km
SE Stargard |
|
23.
|
15.3.1945
|
13:55
|
Pe-2 |
15.(Sturm)/JG
3 |
Griefenberg
area |
|
24.
|
15.3.1945
|
13:58
|
Pe-2 |
15.(Sturm)/JG
3 |
Griefenberg
area |
Victories : 24
Awards : Ehrenpokal (21 June 1944)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (1 January 1945)
Ritterkreuz (23 October 1944)
Units : JG 3, JG 7
