Emil Lang ( fighter ace ) Emil " Bully " Lang ( 14 January 1909 – 3 September 1944 ) was a Luftwaffe " Flying ace " 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 . Lang was credited with 173 aerial victories — 144 on the Eastern Front , 29 on the Western Front — and one Soviet torpedo boat sunk in 403 combat missions . Posted to a fighter wing on the Eastern front , Lang claimed his first aerial victories in March 1943 . He was credited with 72 victories in a three - week period , among them an unsurpassed total of 18 on 3 November 1943 . He received the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) on 22 November 1943 for his 119 victories to that time . By March 1944 , his claims totaled 144 , for which he received the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub " ) on 11 April 1944 . Transferred to the Western front , he claimed his 150th victim during the Normandy Invasion on 14 June 1944 . He scored his last three victories on 26 August 1944 ; on 3 September 1944 , he was killed in action over Belgium . Early life . Emil Lang was born on 14 January 1909 at Thalheim , now part of Fraunberg in the Isar region near Freising of Bavaria , Germany . He was a well - known track - and - field athlete who ran the middle distances . Prior to World War II , he qualified as a civil pilot and flew with Deutsche Luft Hansa . Lang earned the nickname " Bully " from his ' bulldog - like ' looks , characterized by his barrel - chested physique . Career in the Luftwaffe . Having served as a transport pilot since 26 August 1939 with the " Fliegerhorst Kompanie " ( Airfield Company ) at Gablingen , Lang was 33 years old when he was accepted for fighter pilot training in 1942 . He undertook courses at the " Jagdflieger Vorschule 1 " ( 1st Fighter Pilot Preparation School ) ( 3 July 1942 – 14 August 1942 ) and " Jagdfliegerschule 5 " ( 5th Fighter Pilot School ) ( 15 August 1942 – 5 January 1943 ) . He was then assigned to Jagdgruppe Ost ( Fighter Group East ) on 6 January 1943 and then to Jagdgeschwader 54 ( JG 54 — 54th Fighter Wing ) on the Eastern Front on 11 February 1943 . Serving with 1 . / JG 54 ( 1st Squadron of the 54th Fighter Wing ) , " Leutnant " ( Second Lieutenant ) Lang was 34 and considered exceptionally old for a novice fighter pilot . His first three aerial victories were claimed in March 1943 , and within a month he was transferred to 5 . / JG 54 ( 5th Squadron of the 54th Fighter Wing ) of which he became " Staffelkapitän " ( Squadron Leader ) on 20 August 1943 . Before the year ' s end , Lang ' s kill tally stood at over 100 victories , with a remarkable 72 scored around Kiev in just three weeks during October and November 1943 . This series of multiple victories included ten on 13 October 1943 and 12 ( victories 61 – 72 ) in three combat missions on 21 October 1943 , which earned Lang his first of two references in the " Wehrmachtbericht " , an information bulletin issued by the headquarters of the " Wehrmacht " , the name of the unified armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945 . Lang set an all - time world record of 18 aerial victories claimed from four combat missions in one day on 3 November 1943 , making him aviation history ' s leading ace in a day . This achievement led to him appearing on the cover of the 13 January 1944 " Berliner Illustrirte Zeitung " ( Berlin ' s Illustrated Magazine ) . Lang was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) after 119 aerial victories on 22 November 1943 , followed three days later by the German Cross in Gold ( " Deutsches Kreuz in Gold " ) . On 9 April 1944 , " Oberleutnant " ( First Lieutenant ) Lang was appointed " Staffelkapitän " of the 9 . / JG 54 ( 9th Squadron of the 54th Fighter Wing ) engaged in Defense of the Reich on the Western Front . He became the 448th recipient of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub " ) on 11 April 1944 after 144 aerial victories , all claimed on the Eastern Front . In June , Lang claimed 15 aerial victories , including his 150th — a United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) P - 47 Thunderbolt on 14 June 1944 — and four P - 51 Mustang fighters shot down in four minutes on 20 June 1944 , plus another four P - 51s on 24 June . " Hauptmann " ( Captain ) Lang was then made " Gruppenkommandeur " ( Group Commander ) of the II . / Jagdgeschwader 26 " Schlageter " ( JG 26 — 2nd Group of the 26th Fighter Wing ) on 28 June 1944 . On 9 July , he claimed three Royal Air Force ( RAF ) Supermarine Spitfire s ( victories 160 – 162 ) , on 15 August 1944 two P - 47s , and on 25 August 1944 three P - 38 Lightning fighters in five minutes . He claimed three Spitfires in two missions for his final victories ( victories 171 – 173 ) on 26 August . Between 24 May and 28 August 1944 , Lang had claimed 29 aerial victories on the Western Front , including nine P - 51 Mustangs . On 6 June 1944 , his group was the first to reach 100 aerial victories over Normandy , earning him and his group a second and final reference in the " Wehrmachtbericht " on 30 August . Death . On 3 September 1944 , Emil Lang was killed in action when his Fw 190 A - 8 ( " Werknummer " 171 240 — factory number ) " Green 1 " hit the ground and exploded in a field at Overhespen . He had experienced mechanical trouble on the runway when he and the other aircraft of his flight took off at Melsbroek at 1 . 20 pm . Ten minutes later , Lang was still having difficulties raising his landing gear . Flying at an altitude of , his wingman , " Unteroffizier " Hans - Joachim Borreck , called out P - 47 Thunderbolt s to their rear . Lang broke upward , to the left . " Leutnant " Alfred Groß saw Lang ' s Fw 190 diving in flames , its gear extended , but he lost sight of Lang when his own craft was hit and he had to bail out . Examination of both German and American records suggests that Borreck and Groß misidentified their opponents . The P - 51 Mustangs of the 55th Fighter Group ' s 338th Squadron intercepted a flight of three to six Focke Wulfs . Lieutenant Darrell Cramer took a high deflection shot at the Focke Wulf on the left , which fell upside down in a steep dive and crashed hard into the ground ; this undoubtedly was Emil Lang . On 28 September 1944 , Lang ' s commanding officer , " Geschwaderkommodore " ( Wing Commander ) Josef Priller , submitted a request for posthumous promotion to " Major " . In describing Lang ' s character , Priller said : Captain Lang is a fully matured character , serious and calm in his demeanor , yet definite and energetic when strength was needed . Very good attitude as an officer . Demands of himself first . He understands how to reach the men under his command correctly . Captain Lang possesses an exemplary concept of service , has initiative and talent for improvisation to a large degree , well rooted in the National Socialist ideas . The commander of the " II . Jagdkorps " ( 2nd Fighter Corps ) , " Generalmajor " ( Major General ) Alfred Bülowius , concurred with the assessment . Despite these recommendations , Emil Lang did not receive a posthumous promotion to " Major " .