eman , ▁authors ▁of ▁Luft wa ffe ▁A ces ▁— ▁Bi ograph ies ▁and ▁Vict ory ▁Cla ims , ▁research ed ▁the ▁German ▁Federal ▁Archives ▁and ▁found ▁records ▁for ▁ 4 4 ▁aer ial ▁vict ories ▁claimed ▁ 2 6 0 ▁combat ▁miss ions . ▁This ▁figure ▁includes ▁one ▁aer ial ▁vict ories ▁on ▁the ▁Eastern ▁Front ▁and ▁ 4 3 ▁over ▁the ▁Western ▁Al lies , ▁including ▁six ▁four - eng ined ▁bom bers . ▁ ▁Vict ory ▁claims ▁were ▁logged ▁to ▁a ▁map - reference ▁( P Q ▁= ▁Plan quad rat ), ▁for ▁example ▁" P Q ▁ 3 5 ▁Ost ▁ 4 4 1 8 4 ". ▁The ▁Luft wa ffe ▁grid ▁map ▁() ▁covered ▁all ▁of ▁Europe , ▁western ▁Russia ▁and ▁North ▁Africa ▁and ▁was ▁composed ▁of ▁rect angles ▁meas uring ▁ 1 5 ▁minutes ▁of ▁latitude ▁by ▁ 3 0 ▁minutes ▁of ▁longitude , ▁an ▁area ▁of ▁about ▁. ▁These ▁se ctors ▁were ▁then ▁sub div ided ▁into ▁ 3 6 ▁smaller ▁units ▁to ▁give ▁a ▁location ▁area ▁ 3 ▁× ▁ 4   km ▁in ▁size . ▁ ▁Awards ▁ ▁German ▁Cross ▁in ▁Gold ▁on ▁ 2 3 ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁as ▁Le ut nant ▁in ▁the ▁ 8 ./ J ag d gesch w ader ▁ 2 6 ▁ ▁Knight ' s ▁Cross ▁of ▁the ▁Iron ▁Cross ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁as ▁Ober le ut nant ▁of ▁the ▁Res erves ▁and ▁pilot ▁in ▁the ▁ 8