Wilhelm Johnen was a German night fighter ace in the Luftwaffe during World War II.
29 Facts About Wilhelm Johnen
1.
2.
In 1941 Johnen joined the German night fighter force and participated in the Defence of the Reich campaign.
3.
Wilhelm Johnen achieved his first success on 26 March 1942.
4.
Wilhelm Johnen became a night fighter ace on 25 June 1943 after achieving his fifth victory.
5.
Wilhelm Johnen was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 October 1944 for the destruction of 33 Royal Air Force bombers.
6.
Wilhelm Johnen ended the war with 34 aerial victories, all of these claims were made at night.
7.
Wilhelm "Wim" Johnen was born on 9 October 1921 in Homberg, near Duisburg.
8.
Wilhelm Johnen joined the Luftwaffe and was accepted as a Fahnenjunker.
9.
Wilhelm Johnen began his training at Pardubice, Czechoslovakia, with Fliegerausbildungsregiment 32.
10.
Wilhelm Johnen then received Zerstorer training on the Messerschmitt Bf 110.
11.
On 18 May 1941 Wilhelm Johnen volunteered for the night fighter arm.
12.
Wilhelm Johnen achieved his second victory against another Wellington at 01:00 on 17 June 1942.
13.
The Berlin anti-aircraft artillery had permission to fire up to 24,000 feet and Wilhelm Johnen was forced to fly through it.
14.
Wilhelm Johnen achieved his 8th and final victory of the year on 1 September 1943 at 00:58 when he claimed a Lancaster southwest of Berlin.
15.
Wilhelm Johnen achieved this success again on 15 February 1944.
16.
Wilhelm Johnen was appointed to the position of Staffelkapitan on 29 March 1944.
17.
On 28 April 1944 Wilhelm Johnen downed another Halifax at 01:31 southwest of Strasbourg for his 19th victory.
18.
Wilhelm Johnen was forced to land his damaged Bf 110G-4, C9+EN, at Zurich-Dubendorf and was captured by personnel of the Swiss Air Force and was interned.
19.
Wilhelm Johnen fired a distress flare but lost his bearings.
20.
Wilhelm Johnen arranged an ad hoc unit at Memmingen and planned to use them to fly into the airbase in a transport from Kampfgeschwader 200 and confiscate or destroy the Bf 110.
21.
Wilhelm Johnen examined the aircraft and noticed one of the SN-2 aerials had been removed and replaced.
22.
Wilhelm Johnen achieved his first victory in this area on 26 June 1944 at 00:22 southwest of Lake Balaton for his 20th victory.
23.
Wilhelm Johnen scored is 21st and 22nd victories at 01:17 and 01:25 south of Fels am Wagram in the early hours of the 7 July 1944.
24.
Wilhelm Johnen claimed a B-25 Mitchell on 11 August 1944 at 02:08 and another at 22:59 on 15 August 1944.
25.
At 22:23 the following night Wilhelm Johnen claimed a Halifax south of Sombor.
26.
Wilhelm Johnen achieved his 30th victory on 29 August 1944 at 22:12 north of Mohacs.
27.
Wilhelm Johnen was the only German night fighter pilot to file a claim this night.
28.
Wilhelm Johnen worked for Willi Messerschmitt for a short time, and then started his own company.
29.
Wilhelm Johnen died on 7 February 2002 at Uberlingen, at the age of 81.