Air Force headed for industrial targets near Berlin. The USAAF 3rd Bombardment Division was intercepted in the area of Rathenow and Nauen. During the course of a 20 minute aerial battle, Wessling claimed two B-17 bombers shot down, his last claims. The USAAF Eighth Air Force attacked the German aircraft manufacturing and aircraft engine industry as well as various Luftwaffe airfields in Westphalia and Hesse on 19 April. IV. Gruppe took off at 09:30 and met up with the other two Gruppen of JG 3 near Göttingen and Kassel. That day, Wessling was killed in action when his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 412052) was shot down in aerial combat near Eschwege. He had managed to make an emergency landing and had just escaped from his burning aircraft when he was shot by strafing P-51 fighters. He was succeeded by Leutnant Werner Gerth as commander of the recently formed 11. Sturmstaffel. On 20 July 1944, Wessling was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (), the 530th soldier or officer of the Wehrmacht to receive this award. Wessling was also posthumously promoted Hauptmann (captain) of the Reserves. Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Wessling was credited with 83 aerial victories. Spick also lists Wessling with 83 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number of combat missions. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 80 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim. This figure includes 55 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 25 over the Western Allies, including 15 four-engined bombers. Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 39364". 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 Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (22 June 1940) 1st Class (1 July 1940) German Cross in Gold on 11 May 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 3 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 3 September 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" 530th