Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. *Note that I have used the kill figures as credited by Luftwaffe AAR's and as awarded by the RLM throughout this quiz. I'm well aware of the controversy that surrounds the claims records of II./JG2 in Tunisia, JG52 and JG54 in Russia etc, and don't wish to be bombarded by P.M.'s in regards to this matter.
Thanks, Ron
Now, on with the show...
I first went on ops in October 1940 with 6./JG52. Although I was in combat with the RAF on numerous occasions, it was not until September 1941 that I recorded my first victory, this coming after my unit's transfer to the Eastern front. In May 1943 I was promoted to Staffelkapitän of 7./JG52 and five months later, I recorded the Staffel's 1000th victory, my 154th. In April 1944 I left JG52 and Russia behind for short-lived Reichsverteidigung (Defense of the Reich) duties as Staffelkapitän of 1./JG5. After a few weeks (which included downing a B-17 and three "Indianer") I was on the move again, this time to command II./JG11. I gained a further 10 "Ami's", (including 3 P-47's in three minutes) before being wounded for my seventh (and final) time on 12 August, 1944. Upon recovery, I was re-assigned as Gruppenkommodore of III./JG26, where I was to serve until the unit was disbanded in late March, 1945. In April, I joined many of my fellow eagles in JV44. After a hasty conversion course, scored my final two kills (#'s 196 and 197) flying the Me-262 Schwable. Who am I?
2. I was posted to 2./JG2 on 1 November, 1939 and scored my first victory on 14 May, 1940. I remained with this staffel until 11 November, 1942 when I was given command of 6./JG2; at this point my score stood at 45 victories. II/JG2 was posted to Tunisia and I was appointed as acting Gruppenkommodore during this period. On February 9, 1943 I was credited with six P-40s and two P-38s in the space of 23 minutes; six days later I claimed three Spitfires and four P-38's in one mission, six of these in a fifteen minute span. Following further duties in the Reich (March/April 1943) , forming a new unit (IV./JG54), I was given command of II./JG54. In the east I was to realize even greater exploits; among these were: four missions where I scored five kills, three missions with six kills, two with seven, one of eleven and one with thirteen. This last feat puts me in the company of only two others; fellow "Grünherzflieger" Emil Lang, and the renowned Hans-Joachim Marseille. I finished my combat career in command of II./JG7, accumulating my final twelve victories (inc. 10 B-17s) at the controls of the Me-262. I was among the first to be certified as a "double" jet ace. I am (by far) one of the most controversial pilots of WW II as with regards to my claims record. Who am I?
3. I was commissioned with the rank of Leutnant on 1 September, 1938 while flying the Ar 68 with II./JG134. With the advent of war, I recorded my first kill (JG2's first or second, depending on which source you trust), on 22 November, 1939. On 5 June, 1940 I scored 4 victories (three Bloch 151s and an MS 406) in 13 minutes; the following day I got two more 151s. My star rose quickly from this point forward. I was given command of my Staffel, (3./JG2) on 1 August and received the Ritterkreuz on the 27th. On 9 September, after being promoted Hauptmann on the fourth, I was made Gruppenkommodore I./JG2. This is a mute testimony to the severity of both the fighting, and of our personnel losses, at the height of the "Angriff auf England". On 5 October I scored 5 kills in two missions. For this feat I was awarded the 4th Eichenlaub of the war and shortly thereafter, promoted Major and given command of JG2; all this coming at the ripe old age of 25yrs (making me the youngest major in the entire Wehrmacht). On the morning of 28 November 1940, I scored my 55th victory, making me (at the time) the leading ace in the war . At about 17:00 (local time) that same day I scored my 56th, and final, victory. Who am I?
4. I spent my entire combat career in the west, fighting with JG2 from December 1939, until my final flight on 2 March, 1944. I was somewhat of a "slow starter" as I spent much of my early career on TD (Temporary Detachment) with non-combat duties. This changed on 10 June, 1941 when I was made Staffelkapitän of 7./JG2, a position I would hold for the next sixteen months. In November 1942 I was made Grupppenkommodore of III./JG2. It was in this period that a fellow pilot and I developed the "head on" attack, that brought much initial success against the USAAF "Viermots" (literally- four-motors). On 5 February, 1944, I was the first Jagdflieger to achieve 100 victories while operating exclusively on the Channel front; among these were 26 B-24's & B-17's, making me the leader in "Viermot" kills at the time. Who am I?
5. While the western Allies adopted the practice of awarding "partial" kills, the Luftwaffe employed a more rigorous points system for aerial combat scoring. Under this system, one particular category of victory was the "Herauschuss", awarded for separating a bomber from its formation ("pulk"). How many points were awarded for this feat when the targeted aircraft was a four engined bomber?
6. Of all the *major* scorers in the Luftwaffe, I hold the distinction of the highest kill per sortie ratio, almost 74 percent. I received the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub, Schwertern und Brillianten (Diamonds), one of only ten combat aviators to achieve this distinction. My entire operational career was spent in the seat of a Bf 110. Who am I?
7. Due to my skill as a pilot, I served as a flight instructor for most of my career in the Luftwaffe. As the war situation continued to deteriorate, I was eventually called into combat service, initially with 5./JG301. At the time, this unit operated the Fw 190A-5 and A-6 in a mission profile known as "Wilde Sau" (literally: Wild Boar). For the next ten months I stayed primarily assigned to this role, also serving with 1./NJG10 and 5./JG300 in the period. In September 1944 I was reassigned to 10./JG300, which operated a stripped down version of the Bf 109G-6/AS to hunt the RAF's Mosquito intruders. In November an administrative reorganization transfered the Mosquito mission to II./NJG11 and we initially operated as "Sonderkommando Stamp", then later as a Sonderkommando bearing my name, up until January 1945. Re-equipment with the Me 262 brought a further re designation, this time to 10./NJG11. I was responsible for testing of the Me 262B-1a/U1 but most of my jet kills were achieved while flying the standard day fighter "Schwable" which equipped my unit. Who am I?
8. Although I was selected for multi-engine training, I managed to persuade the "powers that be" to assign me to fighters; this was the first of many victories I would score. On the outbreak of war my unit, I./JG51, was assigned to fly defensive patrols on the western frontier of the Reich. Although I got plenty of flight time I saw no combat. Early in 1940 I was reassigned as an instructor and served as such for the next sixteen months, seven of these on exchange to Romania with 3./JG28 (9./JG52). In late May 1941 I finally flew my first combat missions (CAP and strafing, no air-to-air) in support of Operation Merkur. III./JG52 finally moved forward into the Ukraine on the first of August; I scored my first kill on the fourth. One year later I was Staffelkapitän, had 112 kills and wore the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwerten around my neck. Within the next 52 days I would shoot down 90 aircraft, becoming the first person to break the 200 mark, earn the fifth set of Brilliante of the war and be "asked" to cease flying combat missions. Who am I?
9. I entered the Luftwaffe in 1935 and completed my fighter pilot training in 1937. Upon graduation I was assigned as an instructor. Repeated requests for an operational transfer were denied and eventually I logged over 5,000 flying hours in an instructional capacity. The advent of the USAAF's appearance in 1942 brought a rise in the need for operational fighter pilots; my transfer to Jagdgruppe Ost for advanced combat training came on 20 December,1942. Upon receiving operational status I was posted to Stab II./JG52, assigned as Adjutant to Gruppenkommodore Johannes Steinhoff. As such, my duty was to focus on the administrative aspects of the Gruppe's operations! I still managed to fly the odd operational sortie, and scored my first kill on 11 March, 1943. Persistence finally got me assigned as Staffelkapitan of 5./JG52 in May 1943. By the following April I had scored 120 kills and was given command of III./JG52 on the nineteenth of the month. I was to remain at the helm of this unit until 31 January 1945, flying alongside such luminaries as Erich Hartmann and Walter Wolfrum. Following this I was assigned as Gruppekommodore of II./JG52, then based at Veszprem, Hungary. Conditions were chaotic by this point and a good portion of my time was again dedicated to administrative duties. As the end drew nearer I laid the foundations for the final flight of II./JG52, husbanding resources that made it possible for the Gruppe to escape Russian captivity by relocating to the München area in the period May 4-8, 1945. Who am I?
10. All of my 301 credited victories were achieved while flying with II./JG52 although I held other commands towards the end of the war. All of these victories came while on the Ostfront and I was awarded the Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwerten for my exploits. My last mission came to an ignominious end when I was severely injured while crash landing my Me-262 in a clearing, near my units airbase at Riem. I am the second highest all time scorer; who am I?
Source: Author
iron2
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bloomsby before going online.
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