victories. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 59 confirmed aerial victory claims, plus eleven further unconfirmed claims. This figure of confirmed claims includes 32 aerial victories on the Western Front and 27 on the Eastern Front. Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (13 December 1939) 1st Class (10 June 1940) Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 16 September 1940 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 1./Jagdgeschwader 51 11th Oak Leaves on 23 April 1941 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of I./Jagdgeschwader 51 Three named references in the Wehrmachtbericht (22 April 1941, 1 July 1941 and 29 August 1941) Notes References Citations Bibliography 1912 births 1941 deaths Luftwaffe pilots German World War II flying aces Luftwaffe personnel killed in World War II People from the Province of Westphalia Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Aviators killed by being shot down Military personnel from Bochum