an unknown number of combat missions, including 16 during nocturnal combat. Heaton, Lewis, Olds and Schulze also list him with 75 aerial victories. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 74 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This figure of confirmed claims includes 72 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and two on the Western Front. Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 18282". The Luftwaffe grid map () covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 × 4 km in size. Awards Spanish Cross in Silver with Swords (14 April 1939) Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 1 July 1942 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän German Cross in Gold on 27 July 1942 as Hauptmann in the II./Jagdgeschwader 54 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 21 August 1942 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 5./Jagdgeschwader 54 Notes References Citations Bibliography 1914 births 1942 deaths People from Człuchów German World War II flying aces Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II Aviators killed by being shot down German military personnel of the Spanish Civil War People from West Prussia Condor Legion personnel