to the British troops. Schleinhege survived the war, and in three years flew 484 combat missions, all on the Eastern Front and all with JG 54. He ended with 97 confirmed victories and a number more unconfirmed, including 54 Il-2 and Pe-2 bombers. Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Schleinhege was credited with 97 aerial victories. Obermaier also lists him with 97 aerial victories. Spick however lists him with 96 aerial victories claimed in an unknown number combat missions, all of which on the Eastern Front. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found documentation for 94 aerial victory claims, plus five further unconfirmed claims. Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 35 Ost 28734". 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 Flugzeugführerabzeichen Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 11 October 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot German Cross in Gold on 20 March 1944 as Oberfeldwebel in the Stab/Jagdgeschwader 54 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 28 January 1945 as Leutnant and pilot in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 54 Notes References Citations Bibliography 1916 births 2014 deaths German World War II flying aces Luftwaffe pilots Military personnel from Essen People from the Province of Westphalia Recipients of the Gold German Cross Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross