Otto Weßling was born on 23 September 1913 at Bad
Harzburg in Harz. Weßling was posted to JG 3 in March 1940. Gefreiter Weßling
was assigned to 9./JG 3. He claimed his first victory on 30 June when he
claimed a RAF Spitfire fighter shot down near St Omer. He had increased
his tally to four by the time the unit was withdrawn from France to prepare
for the invasion of Russia. By the end of 1941, now operating over the
Eastern front, Weßling had eight victories to his credit. He claimed 18
victories in March 1942, including his 10th, a Russian I-61 fighter, on
6 March, three Russian I-301 fighters shot down on 17 March to record his
15th through 17th victories and two more I-61s shot down on 20 March (19-20).
On 1 April 1942, Oberfeldwebel Weßling was transferred to 3./JG 3. On 22
June, he shot down four Russian MiG-1 fighters (35-38). On 29 June, Weßling
claimed his 40th victory, when he shot down a Russian Il-2 Sturmovik
ground attack aircraft, but was then shot down by Russian ground fire necessitating
an emergency landing in Bf 109 F-4 (W.Nr. 10 222) behind enemy lines, south
of Belayev. Despite being wounded, Weßling succeeded in evading capture,
returning to German lines several days later. On 17 July, he claimed three
enemy aircraft shot down (45-47) and repeated the feat on 21 July (48-50).
On 28 August, Weßling claimed two Russian fighters shot down (59-60). Oberfeldwebel
Weßling was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 4 September for 62 victories. Weßling
was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost for a spell of instructing.
Here, he also received promotion to the rank of Leutnant. On 1 June 1943,
Weßling was transferred to 10./JG 3 based in Italy. He shot down two USAAF
B-24 four-engine bombers on 2 July (68-69). On 12 July, Weßling claimed
three RAF Spitfires shot down over Sicily (65-67). Weßling was appointed
Staffelkapitän of 10./JG 3 on 17 July 1943. On 21 July, he was badly wounded
by bomb fragments during an air raid on his airfield at Leverano. On his
recovery Weßling was appointed Staffelkapitän of 11./JG 3. At the end of
September 1943, IV./JG 3 was relocated to Germany to perform Reichsverteidigung
duties. Weßling had 70 victories to his credit at this time. During early
April 1944, he was particularly successful against USAAF four-engine raids
claiming three B-17s shot down on 11 April (78-80) and nine in total up
to 18 April. On 19 April 1944, Weßling was shot down and killed in aerial
combat near Eschwege in Bf 109 G-6 (W.Nr. 412 052). He was posthumously
awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr 530) on 20 July.
Otto Weßling was credited with 83 victories in approximately
500 missions. He claimed 56 victories over the Eastern
front, including eight Il-2 Sturmoviks.
Of the 27 victories he recorded over the Western
front, 15 were four-engine bombers. In addition
he claimed six aircraft destroyed on the ground.
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30.6.1940
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Spitfire | 9./JG 3 | W St Omer |
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10.7.1940
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Blenheim | 9./JG 3 | 20km W Arras |
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27.9.1940
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Spitfire | 9./JG 3 | - |
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1.12.1940
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E/a | 9./JG 3 | - |
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5.2.1941
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Hurricane | 9./JG 3 | W Calais |
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21.5.1941
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Blenheim | 9./JG 3 | N St Pol |
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3.10.1941
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I-17 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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5.10.1941
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Il-2 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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4.3.1942
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I-61 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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6.3.1942
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I-61 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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7.3.1942
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I-61 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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8.3.1942
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I-61 | 9./JG 3 | 20km SE Staraya Russa |
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8.3.1942
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I-61 | 9./JG 3 | 20km SE Staraya Russa |
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15.3.1942
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I-301 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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17.3.1942
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I-301 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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17.3.1942
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I-301 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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17.3.1942
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I-301 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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19.3.1942
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U-2 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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20.3.1942
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I-61 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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20.3.1942
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I-61 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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22.3.1942
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Il-2 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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22.3.1942
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Il-2 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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28.3.1942
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I-301 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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28.3.1942
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I-301 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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30.3.1942
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I-61 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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31.3.1942
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I-61 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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1.4.1942
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P-2 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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1.4.1942
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P-2 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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4.4.1942
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I-61 | 9./JG 3 | - |
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5.4.1942
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I-301 | 9./JG 3 | 1km W Borki |
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3.6.1942
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MiG-1 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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11.6.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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13.6.1942
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 3 | NE Kupjansk |
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13.6.1942
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MiG-1 | 3./JG 3 | NW Kupjansk |
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22.6.1942
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MiG-1 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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22.6.1942
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MiG-1 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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22.6.1942
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MiG-1 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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22.6.1942
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MiG-1 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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28.6.1942
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MiG-1 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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29.6.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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3.7.1942
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MiG-1 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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5.7.1942
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Yak-4 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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9.7.1942
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MiG-1 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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12.7.1942
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U-2 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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17.7.1942
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R-5 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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17.7.1942
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MiG-1 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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17.7.1942
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MiG-1 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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21.7.1942
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MiG-1 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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21.7.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 3 | - |
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21.7.1942
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Il-2 | 3./JG 3 | Stalino |
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8.8.1942
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Su-2 | 3./JG 3 | 39 364 |
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12.8.1942
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 3 | 39 460 |
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12.8.1942
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 3 | 49 310 |
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13.8.1942
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LaGG-3 | 2./JG 3 | 39 423 |
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13.8.1942
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MiG-1 | 2./JG 3 | 49 312 |
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16.8.1942
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MiG-1 | 2./JG 3 | 40 772 |
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21.8.1942
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MiG-1 | 2./JG 3 | 30 822 |
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21.8.1942
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Pe-2 | 2./JG 3 | 39 264 |
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26.8.1942
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Yak-7 | 2./JG 3 | 49 241 |
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28.8.1942
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MiG-1 | 2./JG 3 | 49 251 |
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28.8.1942
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I-180 | 2./JG 3 | 49 214 |
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31.8.1942
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Il-2 | 2./JG 3 | - |
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2.7.1943
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B-24 | 10./JG 3 | 30km SE Lecce |
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2.7.1943
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B-24 | 10./JG 3 | 60-70km SW San Cesaria |
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12.7.1943
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Spitfire | 10./JG 3 | 5km W Syracuse |
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12.7.1943
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Spitfire | 10./JG 3 | 30km S Licata |
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12.7.1943
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Spitfire | 10./JG 3 | 10km S Catania |
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16.7.1943
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B-24 | 10./JG 3 | 15km N Bari |
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16.7.1943
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B-24 | 10./JG 3 | 15km SE Palazzo San Pervaria |
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18.7.1943
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P-38 | 10./JG 3 | 70494 |
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23.3.1944
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B-17 | 11./JG 3 | 3-5km N Hamm |
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23.3.1944
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P-38 | 11./JG 3 | 5km NW Ahlen |
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29.3.1944
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B-17 | 11./JG 3 | Steinhüder Meer |
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29.3.1944
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P-51 | 11./JG 3 | Syke-Bassum |
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8.4.1944
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B-17 | 11./JG 3 | NW Braunschweig |
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8.4.1944
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B-24 | 11./JG 3 | N Braunschweig |
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9.4.1944
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B-24 | 11./JG 3 | N Rügen |
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11.4.1944
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B-17 | 11./JG 3 | S Oebisfelde |
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11.4.1944
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B-17 | 11./JG 3 | Near Miesterhorst |
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11.4.1944
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B-17 | 11./JG 3 | Rostock |
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13.4.1944
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B-17 | 11./JG 3 | SW Wertheim |
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18.4.1944
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B-17 | 11./JG 3 | Nauen area |
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18.4.1944
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B-17 | 11./JG 3 | Nauen area |
Victories : 83
Awards : Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (11 May 1942)
Ritterkreuz (4 September 1942)
Eichenlaub (20 July 1944)
Units : JG 3