Robert Weiß Robert " Bazi " Weiß ( 21 April 1920 – 29 December 1944 ) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1939 until his death on 29 December 1944 . 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 ( ) . The Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership . Biography . Robert " Bazi " Weiß was born on 21 April 1920 in Baden , Austria . In the beginning of his military career he served with a flak regiment before transferring to learn to fly in early 1940 . In early 1941 , " Leutnant " ( 2nd Lieutenant ) Weiß was a pilot with 6 Staffel , Jagdgeschwader 26 ( JG 26 — 26th Fighter Wing ) flying on the Channel Front . He claimed a Supermarine Spitfire shot down in September 1941 . In September 1942 , Weiß was transferred to 1 Staffel , Jagdgeschwader 54 ( JG 54 — 54th Fighter Wing ) , based on the Eastern Front flying operations on the Leningrad front . His victory score grew slowly , and by April 1943 had claimed 30 victories . Falling ill in May 1943 he was hospitalised until July 1943 when he was made " Staffelkapitän " ( squadron leader ) 3 . / JG 54 . On 2 August 1943 , he was awarded the German Cross in Gold . By October he had 68 claims and was " Staffelkapitän " 10 . / JG 54 . He received the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) for 98 claims in March 1944 . In May 1944 , Weiß was transferred to III . / JG 54 engaged in Defense of the Reich missions against the United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) bombing offensive , although in June the unit transferred to the Invasion Front with Weiß as appointed " Gruppenkommandeur " ( group commander ) . Under " Hauptmann " ( Captain ) Weiß , III . / JG 54 became the most successful fighter unit over the Invasion Front , claiming some 100 Allied aircraft shot down for the loss of 50 of its own aircraft in combat . By August , when the unit was withdrawn from operations for re - equipment , Weiss himself was credited with 118 victories . III . / JG 54 re - equipped with the Fw 190 D - 9 , becoming the first operational Gruppe of the Luftwaffe to receive the ' Dora - 9 ' . On 28 September Weiß shot down a Spitfire of 541 Squadron as the first confirmed victory of the Fw 190 D - 9 . On 29 December 1944 , III . / JG 54 were ordered up against RAF fighter - bombers in the Osnabrück , Münster and Rheine areas . Weiß led the Stab , III . / JG 54 and 11 . / JG 54 into a large formation of Spitfires from 331 and 501 Squadrons . None of Weiß ' s Schwarm returned , with 17 aircraft lost and 13 pilots , including Weiß , killed while claiming six fighters . It is assumed that Weiß was shot down in Fw 190 D - 9 ( " Werknummer " 210 060 — factory number ) " Black 10 " by Flight Sergeant Haanes of No . 331 Squadron RAF ( Norwegian Squadron ) near Lingen . He was posthumously awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub " ) on 12 March 1945 . " Bazi " Weiß is officially credited with 121 aerial victories in claimed 471 missions . 26 of his victories were claimed over the Western Front . Included in his total are 40 Il - 2 Sturmoviks , 12 Spitfires and five P - 38 Lightning s .