Hans Beißwenger Hans Beißwenger ( 8 November 1916 – 6 March 1943 ) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II . A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat . In 500 combat missions , Beißwenger was credited with 152 victories , making him the 34th highest - scoring Luftwaffe fighter pilot of World War II . He was Ace in a Day twice , shooting down five aircraft on a single day . He claimed all but one of his victories over the Eastern front . He was reported missing in action in March 1943 . Military career . Hans Beißwenger was born on 8 November 1916 at Mittelfischach in the district of Schwäbisch Hall in Württemberg , the son of a teacher . In 1937 , he transferred from the army to the Flak artillery , serving with Flak - Regiment 25 in Göppingen . In 1938 , he underwent fighter pilot training and became an instructor and served in this role until winter 1940 . In the winter 1940 , Beißwenger was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 54 ( JG 54 — 54th Fighter Wing ) . " Leutnant " ( Second Lieutenant ) Beißwenger was assigned to 6 . / JG 54 ( 6th squadron ) and claimed his first victory on 7 April 1941 , when he shot down a Yugoslav Royal Air Force Hawker Hurricane fighter during the Balkans Campaign . JG 54 had been moved to the Balkan theater to counter the pro - British " coup d ’ état " in Belgrade , Yugoslavia , known as Operation Marita . On the Eastern front , serving with 3 . / JG 54 ( 3rd squadron ) , Beißwenger became a leading scorer in I . / JG 54 ( 1st group ) . Although he was shot down on 17 July 1941 behind enemy lines , he escaped capture and returned to his base . He claimed his 20th aerial victory over an I - 18 fighter on 24 August 1941 . By the end of 1941 , his total stood at 32 aerial victories . He claimed his 40th victory on 6 April 1942 , on 8 May , he achieved his 50th victory , and the following day , he received the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) on 9 May 1942 for 50 victories claimed . Beißwenger and " Leutnant " Horst Hannig received the Knight ' s Cross from " Generalleutnant " Helmuth Förster at Siverskaya . On 11 August 1942 , Beißwenger was appointed " Staffelkapitän " of 6 . / JG 54 . On 15 August 1942 , he claimed his 75th aerial victory and his 100th on 26 September , for which he was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub " ) on 30 September . He became Ace in a day on 23 August during three combat missions , when for the first time he achieved five aerial victories in one day . On 4 September 1942 , " Hauptmann " Dietrich Hrabak , his group commander , filed an officer efficiency report requesting a preferential promotion to " Oberleutnant " ( First Lieutenant ) . His promotion was approved and , after a short vacation , Beißwenger returned to combat duty and by the end of 1942 , his victory total stood at 119 . He claimed his 125th aerial victory on 23 January 1943 , 135th by 11 February 1943 and five more on 5 March 1943 ( 146th – 150th aerial victories ) He did not return to base after an air combat south of Lake Ilmen near Staraja Russa on 6 March 1943 and " Oberleutnant " Hans Beißwenger , flying Messerschmitt Bf 109 G - 2 ( " Werknummer " 14236 — factory number ) " yellow 4 " , was posted as missing . His " Schwarm " had been engaged in a combat with four Soviet fighters . Beißwenger claimed his last two victories , numbers 151 and 152 , over Lavochkin LaGG - 3 fighters that day . The Messerschmitt Bf 109 of " Unteroffizier " Georg Munderloh was damaged in a midair collision , and Munderloh reported that he would try to reach his base . Eventually , he had to land in enemy territory . Taken prisoner , he was later told by Soviet pilots involved in the action that they had shot down another German fighter , which could have been Beißwenger . Another German pilot observed Beißwenger ' s aircraft flying at low altitude , clearly suffering from engine problems , attempting to return to friendly territory . After that , there was no trace of him . Beißwenger was later listed as missing in action . It may be that Beißwenger was brought down by " Starshiy Leytenant " Ivan Kholodov of 32 GIAP ( Guard Fighter Air Regiment ) . Kholodov rammed the Bf 109 — probably Beißwenger ' s — that was attacking his wingman , " Leytenant " Arkadiy Makarov , and managed to bail out of his own damaged craft before it crashed .