Robert “Bazi” Weiss was born on 21 April 1920 at Baden near Wien in Austria. In 1939, Weiss was serving with a flak regiment but then transferred to the Luftwaffe and learned to fly in 1940. On 1 January 1941, Leutnant Weiss was serving with 6./JG 26 on the Channel Front. He recorded his first victory when he shot down a RAF Spitfire fighter between Étaples and Berck on 21 September. In September 1942, Weiss was transferred to JG 54. He was assigned to 1./JG 54 based on the Eastern Front. By March 1943 he was serving with 3./JG 54. On 8 April 1943, Weiss recorded his 30th victory. He was awarded the Ehrenpokal on 8 May. Weiss fell ill in May 1943 and was withdrawn from combat until July when he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 54. On 2 August 1943, he was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold. On 11 September, Weiss had to make an emergency landing in Fw 190 A-6 (W.Nr. 530 337) following aerial combat. By the beginning of October he had 68 victories to his credit and had been appointed Staffelkapitän of 10./JG 54. Oberleutnant Weiss was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 98 confirmed victories on 26 March 1944.
In May 1944, Weiss was transferred to III./JG 54
engaged in Reich Defence. On 6 June the unit was transferred Villacoublay-Süd
on the Invasion Front. On 6 June 1944, Weiss was appointed Gruppenkommandeur
of III./JG 54. Weiss added nine victories to his tally in June. Under
leadership of Hauptmann Weiss, III./JG 54 was the most successful fighter
unit over the Invasion Front, claiming 100 Allied aircraft shot down (100th
victory claimed by Feldwebel Wilhelm Müller of Stab III./JG 54 on 15 August
1944) for the loss of 50 aircraft in aerial combat. By early August, Weiss
was credited with 118 victories. He was the fourth most successful German
ace over the Invasion Front. On 16 August, III./JG 54 was ordered
to withdraw for rest, replenishment and re-equipment with the surviving
pilots proceeding by ground transport to Oldenburg. By 25 September, III./JG
54 had re-equipped with the Fw 190 D-9, becoming the first operational
Gruppe of the Luftwaffe to receive the new type. On 28 September “Bazzi”
shot down a Spitfire reconnaissance aircraft of the RAF`s 541 Squadron.
The first confirmed victory of the Fw 190D-9. On 29 December 1944, III./JG
54 were ordered up against British fighter-bombers in the Osnabrück, Münster
and Rheine areas. Weiss led Stab III JG 54 and 11./JG 54 into a large formation
of Spitfires from 331 and 501 Squadrons. During the subsequent aerial combat
Typhoons from 168 and 438 Squadrons arrived to re-enforce the British fighters.
None of Weiss’s Schwarm returned. In the blackest day of JG 54 “Grünherz”
history, 17 aircraft were lost and 13 pilots, including Weiss, were killed
and two pilots were injured while claiming six RAF fighters. It is assumed
that Weiss was shot down in Fw 190 D-9 (W.Nr. 210 060) “Black 10” by F/Sgt
Haanes of 331 (Norwegian) Squadron, RAF. During this engagement he achieved
one further victory that due to lack of witnesses was credited to a nearby
Flak unit. He was posthumously awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr. 782) on 12 March
1945.
“Bazi” Weiss is credited with 121 aerial victories
in 471 missions. 26 of his victories were scored over the Western
Front. Included in his total are 40 Sturmoviks,
12 Spitfires and five Lightnings.
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21.9.1941
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Spitfire | 6./JG 26 | Étaples-5km NW Berck / Spitfire of 315 Sqn, RAF |
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9.3.1942
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Spitfire | 6./JG 26 | 4km W Boulogne |
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31.5.1942
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Spitfire | 6./JG 26 | Abbeville / Spitfire of 486 Sqn, RAF |
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12.1.1943
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Il-2 | 1./JG 54 | 10 191 |
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12.1.1943
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Il-2 | 1./JG 54 | 00 262 |
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14.1.1943
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Il-2 | 1./JG 54 | 10 112 |
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14.1.1943
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I-153 | 1./JG 54 | 10 322 |
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15.1.1943
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Su-2 | 1./JG 54 | 10 143 |
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15.1.1943
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Yak-1 | 1./JG 54 | 00 252 |
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23.1.1943
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P-40 | 1./JG 54 | 10 324 |
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24.1.1943
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Il-2 | 1./JG 54 | 00 412 |
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29.1.1943
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Il-2 | 1./JG 54 | 10 153 |
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10.2.1943
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Il-2 | 1./JG 54 | 10 151 |
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11.2.1943
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LaGG-5 | 1./JG 54 | 00 412 |
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14.2.1943
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I-153 | 1./JG 54 | 00 414 |
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17.2.1943
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Il-2 | 1./JG 54 | 10 611 |
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23.2.1943
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Il-2 | 1./JG 54 | 00 283 |
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7.3.1943
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LaGG-5 | 3./JG 54 | 18 350 |
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7.3.1943
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I-180 | 3./JG 54 | 18 391 |
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14.3.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | 00 264 |
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16.3.1943
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MiG-3 | 3./JG 54 | 18 274 |
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17.3.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | 18 143 |
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20.3.1943
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P-40 | 3./JG 54 | 00 283 |
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22.3.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 00 421 |
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22.3.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 00 238 |
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22.3.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 00 253 |
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24.3.1943
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LaGG-5 | 3./JG 54 | 10 332 |
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30.3.1943
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MiG-3 | 3./JG 54 | 00 224 |
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3.4.1943
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P-39 | 3./JG 54 | 00 271 |
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8.4.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | 1 774 |
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13.4.1943
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Pe-2 | 3./JG 54 | 00 154 |
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2.8.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 54 593 |
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2.8.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 54 623 |
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3.8.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 44 831 |
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4.8.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 54 532 |
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7.8.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | 54 593 |
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12.8.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 41 691 |
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13.8.1943
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La-5 | 3./JG 54 | 51 81 |
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14.8.1943
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La-5 | 3./JG 54 | 51 832 |
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14.8.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 50 214 |
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14.8.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 50 213 |
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14.8.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 51 872 |
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17.8.1943
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Pe-2 | 3./JG 54 | 41 491 |
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17.8.1943
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Pe-2 | 3./JG 54 | 41 484 |
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19.8.1943
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P-39 | 3./JG 54 | 51 551 |
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19.8.1943
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La-5 | 3./JG 54 | 51 581 |
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19.8.1943
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P-39 | 3./JG 54 | 51 554 |
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20.8.1943
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MiG-3 | 3./JG 54 | 51 581 |
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22.8.1943
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La-5 | 3./JG 54 | 41 691 |
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22.8.1943
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P-39 | 3./JG 54 | 61 773 |
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23.8.1943
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Pe-2 | 3./JG 54 | 60 123 |
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23.8.1943
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Pe-2 | 3./JG 54 | 60 133 |
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23.8.1943
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Pe-2 | 3./JG 54 | 60 132 |
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24.8.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 60 183 |
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25.8.1943
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La-5 | 3./JG 54 | 51 713 |
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28.8.1943
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La-5 | 3./JG 54 | 43 792 |
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30.8.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | 35 531 |
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1.9.1943
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La-5 | 3./JG 54 | 35 391 |
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2.9.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | 35 512 |
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4.9.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | 35 574 |
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6.9.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | 26 851 |
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7.9.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 34 234 |
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7.9.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | 45 773 |
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10.9.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | 44 171 |
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10.9.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | 34 263 |
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15.9.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | 35 341 |
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22.9.1943
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Yak-9 | 1./JG 54 | 12 514 |
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24.9.1943
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LaGG-3 | 1./JG 54 | 02491 |
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17.10.1943
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LaGG-3 | 10./JG 54 | E Oranienbaum |
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17.10.1943
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LaGG-3 | 10./JG 54 | 00 152 |
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5.11.1943
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | S Nevel |
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12.11.1943
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Yak-9 | 10./JG 54 | W Nevel |
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17.11.1943
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P-40 | 10./JG 54 | 97 562 |
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17.11.1943
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P-40 | 10./JG 54 | 97 562 |
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17.11.1943
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 97 483 |
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17.11.1943
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 97 483 |
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8.12.1943
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Pe-2 | 10./JG 54 | 15km NE Asen |
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14.12.1943
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LaGG-3 | 10./JG 54 | 90 272 |
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29.12.1943
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La-5 | 10./JG 54 | 90 423 |
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8.1.1944
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P-40 | 10./JG 54 | 00182 |
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15.1.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 90 283 |
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15.1.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 90 414 |
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15.1.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 90 421 |
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17.1.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 00 323 |
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17.1.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 00 331 |
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17.1.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 00 411 |
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19.1.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 19 343 |
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19.1.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 19 372 |
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24.1.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 90623 |
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24.1.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 00382 |
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25.1.1944
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Pe-2 | 10./JG 54 | 00 443 |
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25.1.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 00 373 |
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25.1.1944
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Pe-2 | 10./JG 54 | 00 354 |
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25.1.1944
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Pe-2 | 10./JG 54 | 00 342 |
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15.2.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 99 661 |
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15.2.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 99 661 |
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15.2.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 99 661 |
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15.2.1944
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Il-2 | 10./JG 54 | 99 661 |
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19.5.1944
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P-38 | III./JG 54 | Oschersleben |
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27.5.1944
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B-17 | III./JG 54 | 20km NW Colmar |
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7.6.1944
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Spitfire | III./JG 54 | 3km SE Caen |
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7.6.1944
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P-51 | III./JG 54 | Guyancourt |
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10.6.1944
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P-47 | III./JG 54 | Caen |
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17.6.1944
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Spitfire | III./JG 54 | Carpiquet |
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17.6.1944
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Spitfire | III./JG 54 | SE St Pierre-sur-Dives |
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22.6.1944
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P-51 | Stab III./JG 54 | Bernay |
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23.6.1944
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Spitfire | Stab III./JG 54 | Caen |
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23.6.1944
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Spitfire | Stab III./JG 54 | Caen |
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27.6.1944
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Spitfire | Stab III./JG 54 | Trun |
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4.7.1944
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Spitfire | Stab III./JG 54 | Carentan-St Lô |
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12.7.1944
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P-47 | Stab III./JG 54 | Conches |
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12.7.1944
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P-47 | Stab III./JG 54 | Conches |
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23.7.1944
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P-38 | Stab III./JG 54 | Limours |
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23.7.1944
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P-38 | Stab III./JG 54 | Limours |
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28.7.1944
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B-26 | Stab III./JG 54 | Vimoutiers |
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6.8.1944
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B-24 | Stab III./JG 54 | Mantes |
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6.8.1944
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B-24 | Stab III./JG 54 | Mantes-Pontoise |
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8.8.1944
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P-38 | Stab III./JG 54 | Mortain |
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28.9.1944
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Spitfire | Stab III./JG 54 | 1km NW Apelstedt / Spitfire (PL904) of 541 Sqn, RAF flown by F/Lt D McCuaig, killed |
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6.11.1944
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P-38 | Stab III./JG 54 | near Nordeney / F-5 (42-67395) of 13 PRS, USAAF flown by 1/Lt Buderich, killed |
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29.12.1944
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Spitfire | Stab III./JG 54 | Gersten / Spitfire (PT704) of 331 Sqn, RAF flown by Capt Reader, killed |
Victories : 121
Awards : Ehrenpokal (8 May 1943)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (2 August 1943)
Ritterkreuz (26 March 1944)
mit Eichenlaub (12 March 1945)
Units : JG 26, JG 54