1. Josef Zwernemann was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II and a fighter ace credited with 126 enemy aircraft shot down in over 600 combat missions.
25 Facts About Josef Zwernemann
1. 2.
Josef Zwernemann participated in the Battle of France and Battle of Britain where he claimed his first three aerial victory on 24 July 1940.
3.
In December 1943, Josef Zwernemann was appointed Staffelkapitan of the 1.
4.
Josef Zwernemann claimed nine more victories before he was killed in action in combat with a North American P-51 Mustangs on 8 April 1944.
5.
Josef Zwernemann was born on 26 March 1916 in Kirchworbis in the province of Thuringia.
6.
Josef Zwernemann was the son of a cordwainer who later worked as a miner.
7.
Josef Zwernemann joined the military service of the Kriegsmarine on 1 October 1935 with the 2nd department of the standing ship division of the Baltic Sea in Stralsund.
8.
On 1 April 1938, Josef Zwernemann was promoted to Unteroffizier and was trained as a pilot.
9.
Josef Zwernemann participated in the Battle of France on 10 May 1940.
10.
Josef Zwernemann was replaced by Oberleutnant Wilhelm Keidel who was killed the next day.
11.
Four days later, Josef Zwernemann claimed his second aerial victory when he shot down a Soviet Ilyushin DB-3 bomber near Constanta.
12.
Josef Zwernemann received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 57 victories on 23 June 1942.
13.
On 1 October 1942, Josef Zwernemann was promoted to Leutnant with a rank age date 1 October 1941.
14.
Sources differ as to exactly when Josef Zwernemann claimed his 100th aerial victory.
15.
Irrespective, Josef Zwernemann was awarded Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 31 October 1942.
16.
Josef Zwernemann was the 141st member of the German armed forces to be so honored.
17.
On 9 May 1943, Josef Zwernemann was temporarily appointed Staffelfuhrer of 5.
18.
Josef Zwernemann was then posted to the fighter pilot training school Erganzungsgruppe Ost.
19.
In November 1943, Josef Zwernemann was transferred to Defense of the Reich duties in Germany.
20.
Josef Zwernemann claimed his first aerial victory in this theater of operations on 10 February 1944.
21.
Josef Zwernemann claimed the destruction of a Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter that day.
22.
Staffel, reported that Josef Zwernemann had bailed out but was shot in his parachute by a P-51 pilot.
23.
Josef Zwernemann was given a military funeral and buried at the cemetery in Kirchworbis on 11 April 1944.
24.
Josef Zwernemann's grave was ordered leveled by the authorities of East Germany in 1988.
25.
Posthumously, Josef Zwernemann had been promoted to Hauptmann, his rank age backdated to 1 April 1944.