authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 78 aerial victory claims, plus one further unconfirmed claim, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front. Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 62773". 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 Pilots Badge Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Fighter Pilots in Gold (31 July 1943) Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (6 August 1943) 1st Class (7 September 1943) Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 13 December 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot German Cross in Gold on 5 February 1944 as Feldwebel in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 52 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 27 July 1944 as Fahnenjunker-Feldwebel and pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 52 Notes References Citations Bibliography German World War II flying aces Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Aviators killed by being shot down Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II 1944 deaths 1920 births Military personnel from Mannheim