37 Facts About Wilhelm Batz

Wilhelm Batz was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II.

Wilhelm Batz claimed three victories, including one four-engine bomber against the United States Army Air Forces over the Ploiesti oil fields.

Wilhelm Batz then served as a flight instructor before he was trained as fighter pilot.

Wilhelm Batz claimed his first aerial victory on 11 March 1943.

Wilhelm Batz was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords in April 1945.

Wilhelm Batz retired in 1972 and died on 11 September 1988 in Ebern in Unterfranken.

Wilhelm Batz was born on 21 May 1916 in Bamberg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria.

Wilhelm Batz was the son of a Beamter, a civil servant.

Wilhelm Batz grew up between the world wars, with the Red Baron as his ideal of a fighter pilot.

In November 1939, Wilhelm Batz was posted to at Juterbog-Damm and later to Reinsdorf Airfield.

In June 1940, Wilhelm Batz returned to Fliegerausbildungs-Regiment 23 in Kaufbeuren.

On 1 November 1940, Wilhelm Batz was promoted to Leutnant.

Wilhelm Batz continued to serve as a flight instructor, logging more than 5,000 flying hours, until 31 October 1942.

Wilhelm Batz was credited with the destruction of an Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft.

On 26 May 1943, Wilhelm Batz was appointed Staffelkapitan of 5.

Wilhelm Batz sustained injuries to his shoulder and was sent on home leave.

Wilhelm Batz's home leave and convalescence ended in February 1944.

On 28 January 1944, Wilhelm Batz received the German Cross in Gold.

Wilhelm Batz claimed his first three aerial victories of 1944 on 10 February when he shot down a Yak-1 and two Yakovlev Yak-9 fighters.

Wilhelm Batz was the 67th Luftwaffe pilot to achieve a hundred victories.

Wilhelm Batz was promoted to Hauptmann on 1 April 1944.

That morning, the airfield came under aerial attack and Wilhelm Batz was wounded by bomb splinters.

Gruppe arrived at Leipzig where Wilhelm Batz took command of the Gruppe.

Wilhelm Batz's unit defended Romanian targets against the United States Army Air Forces Fifteenth Air Force.

Wilhelm Batz was the 526th member of the German armed forces to be so honored.

On 1 February 1945, Wilhelm Batz was transferred to take command of II.

Wilhelm Batz succeeded Hauptmann Hartmann who had temporarily led the Gruppe after its former commander Major Gerhard Barkhorn had been transferred.

Wilhelm Batz was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 21 April 1945.

Wilhelm Batz presented evidence of the conferment which was confirmed by the Gemeinschaft der Jagdflieger.

Wilhelm Batz was taken to Bad Aibling where the ground personnel had surrendered and released shortly after.

In 1955, Wilhelm Batz applied for service in the West German Air Force, at the time referred to as the Bundesluftwaffe of the Bundeswehr, joining in 1956 holding the rank of Major.

Wilhelm Batz later commanded this training facility at Diepholz Air Base from 1 January 1959 to 15 December 1961.

Wilhelm Batz was succeeded by Oberstleutnat Karl-Horst Meyer zum Felde.

Wilhelm Batz was then appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Lufttransportgeschwader 63 stationed at the Hohn Air Base in Schleswig-Holstein.

Wilhelm Batz commanded the wing from 15 December 1961 to 31 January 1964, surrendering command to Horst Rudat.

Wilhelm Batz died on 11 September 1988 in a hospital Ebern in Unterfranken.

Wilhelm Batz was buried on the cemetery in Quettingen, a borough of Leverkusen-Opladen.