Wolf - Dietrich Wilcke Wolf - Dietrich Wilcke ( born 11 March 1913 in Schrimm , Posen , killed in action 23 March 1944 near Schöppenstedt ) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1935 until his death . A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat . He was also a recipient of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords . The Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership . Military career . In early 1939 , after service in Spain with the Condor Legion , Wilcke was sent back to Germany to serve with III . / Jagdgeschwader 53 ( JG 53 ) . He gained his first victory in November 1939 when he claimed a French Potez 637 twin - engined fighter . After the commencement of the Battle of France , on 18 May 1940 , Wilcke was shot down by a French Hawk 75 fighter , being captured but released after the fall of France . Wilcke then participated in the Battle of Britain , becoming " Gruppenkommandeur " of III . / JG 53 in August 1940 . On 12 August , Wilcke ' s Bf 109 E - 4 suffered engine failure , and he bailed out into the sea , being rescued by a Do 18 flying boat . By this time he had recorded some 13 victories . III . / JG 53 then took part in Operation Barbarossa , the invasion of Soviet Russia . On 22 June 1941 , III . / JG 53 encountered a formation of I - 15bis biplane fighters , Wilcke claiming three of the fighters . He recorded two more victories later that day to take his total to 18 . Hauptmann Wilcke was awarded the " Ritterkreuz " on 6 August 1941 for 25 victories . In December 1941 , III . / JG 53 were transferred into Sicily to operating over Malta . Wilcke added four Royal Air Force ( RAF ) fighters to his score . In May 1942 , III . / JG 53 switched to North Africa . On 18 May 1942 , Wilcke was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 3 ( JG 3 ) operating on the Eastern front , before becoming Kommodore of JG 3 in August . His 100th claim on 6 September led to the Eichenlaub award . Wilcke was heavily involved in the organisation of fighter defence during the Battle of Stalingrad . Based at Pitomnik Airfield he directed day fighter operations over the city . During the intensive summer offensive the Geschwaderstab of JG 3 recorded 137 victories of which Wilcke claimed some 97 . In September 1942 Wilcke claimed 32 victories . When Russian forces encircled Stalingrad , the Stab . / JG 3 was transferred to Morozovskaya - Öst , outside the pocket in order for Wilcke to direct the escort missions for the transport aircraft supplying the encircled 6th Army . Wilcke became the fourth German fighter pilot to reach 150 victories and was awarded the " Schwerter " . He then led the unit to Morozovskaya - Süd to escape the advance of the Russian armour . A further move to Tazinskaya on 3 January 1943 ensued before the unit withdrew from the area . During this time the unit claimed 25 victories for the loss in action of two pilots . In March 1943 , Wilcke led JG 3 during operations against the Kuban bridgehead before withdrawal to Germany in May 1943 , based at Mönchengladbach . Oberst Wilcke was under instructions not to fly operationally . However , he still flew unofficially through February 1944 and claimed four victories over USAAF B - 17 bombers and a single P - 51 . On 6 March , his Bf 109G - 6 was crippled in combat and had to make an emergency landing . On 23 March 1944 , Wilcke led JG 3 in an attack on an United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) bomber formation near Braunschweig . During the ensuing combat , Wilcke shot down his last victory , a P - 51 Mustang fighter , but was then shot down near Schöppenstedt . He died in the wreckage of his Bf 109 G - 6 , possibly the victim of notable American aces Captain Don Gentile and Captain John Trevor Godfrey of the 4th Fighter Group . By the time of his death Wilcke had shot down 162 enemy aircraft in 732 combat missions . 137 of his victories were claimed over the Eastern front . Of his 25 victories claimed over the Western front , four were four - engine bombers .