missions. In one of these missions against the Allied invasion forces, Waldmann claimed to have damaged a P-51 Mustang on 31 July 1944. He was credited with the destruction of numerous trucks during ground support missions over the period of 2–5 August 1944. Waldmann's claimed his first aerial victory in the west, his 126th in total, over a B-24 Liberator on 6 August 1944. Waldmann had taken off at 11:43 on a free-fighter sweep mission against heavy bombers. His unit spotted a formation of B-24s after 45 minutes flying time. Waldmann attacked and with his first pass at an altitude of had hit one of the B-24 between the two starboard engines, which immediately set the bomber on fire. The B-24 was observed to crash southeast of Méry. His final tally for August was seven Allied planes, including the B-24, one Auster on 7 August, and five P-47 Thunderbolts (two on 14 August, two on 18 August and one on 19 August). This took his total to 132 aerial victory claims. Flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 and death On 25 November 1944, II. Gruppe was detached from JG 3. The Gruppe was converted to fly the Messerschmitt Me 262 "Stormbird" jet fighter and became the I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing), the first operational jet fighter wing. Conversion training was held at Landsberg am Lech and Kaltenkirchen in December 1944. The pilots first learned to fly the Siebel Si 204 and Messerschmitt Bf 110 to familiarize themselves with the characteristics of a twin-engine aircraft. In consequence, Waldmann was transferred to 3./JG 7, now flying the "Stormbird", as its Staffelführer (squadron leader on probation). Together with his wingman‚ Oberfähnrich Günter Schrey, Waldmann took off at 11:39 on 22 February 1945 from Oranienburg on an offensive counter-air mission against inbound Allied heavy bombers. The Anglo-American attack was codenamed Operation Clarion. About 20 minutes into the flight, roughly west of Berlin, they spotted an American P-51 Mustang flying at . Closing fast, Waldmann shot down the Mustang at 12:02 before proceeding west for Magdeburg. Near Oschersleben they spotted another Mustang at . Waldmann shot it down at 12:17, achieving his 134th and final aerial victory. The Mustang was observed crashing into a forest northeast of the Brocken, the highest peak of the Harz mountain range. On Sunday, 18 March 1945, the lower cloud ceiling at Kaltenkirchen was less than and