Hans Schleef Hans Schleef ( 19 July 1920 – 31 December 1944 ) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II . He is one of the two pilots that most probably shot down the famous Soviet female fighter pilot , Lydia Litvyak . During the war . Schleef was born in Groß Börnecke , today part of Hecklingen , in the Province of Saxony , a province of the Free State of Prussia . In late 1940 , " Unteroffizier " Schleef was posted to 7 . / JG 3 ( 7th " staffel " of Jagdgeschwader 3 ) then flying over the Channel front . He claimed his first victory on 5 February 1941 , when he shot down a Hurricane over St Omer . His second claim was on 31 May , a Bristol Blenheim . Transferring with the unit to the Eastern Front , Schleef claimed 14 victories in July and on 4 August , he then claimed three Russian I - 16 ' Ratas ' downed . From November , over the winter , III . / JG 3 was rotated from the front for recuperation , and including a short stint in Italy in January before returning to the Eastern Front in February . Quickly re - acclimatising to the Russian conditions , Hans scored 13 victories in March 1942 and two more unconfirmed . On 7 April Schleef was shot down in combat and managed to bale out safely behind enemy lines . He evaded capture , and returned to his unit four days later . " Feldwebel " Schleef was awarded the " Ritterkreuz " on 9 May 1942 for 41 victories . He was then transferred to " Ergänzungs - Jagdgruppe Ost " as an instructor in May 1942 . Now commissioned , " Leutnant " Schleef returned to 7 . / JG 3 in January 1943 , and in April recorded his 60th victory , his 70th following on 2 June . For Operation " Zitadelle " , the attack on the Kursk salient , III . / JG 3 was stationed at Bessonovka supporting the southern flank . On 5 July , the opening day , he shot down a Lavochkin La - 5 at 6 : 30am in the morning , but was forced to make a crash - landing in the German lines . However , he got back to his unit and later that same day he shot down another three enemy aircraft . The next day , Schleef claimed his 80th and 81st victories . But within a week , his unit was transferred and fighting defensive battles in the Ukraine . He achieved his 90th on 30 July . Two days later , on August the 1st , he claimed his final victory on the Mius Front - a LaGG - 3 that was , most probably , the Yak - 1 flown by Soviet female ace , Lydia Litvyak . A few days after that , in early August 1943 , 7 . / JG 3 was transferred to Germany to fly anti - bomber sorties in the Defense of the Reich . Hans Schleef arrived in Germany with 93 victories to his name . He shot down his first B - 17 bomber on 12 August , though he himself was shot down on 17 August ( Bf 109G - 6 " White 4 " " Werknummer " 20444 — factory number ) . On 15 October 1943 , Oberleutnant Schleef was appointed " Staffelkapitän " of 3 . / JG 3 . On 23 March , Schleef inadvertently taxied his Bf 109G - 5 " Yellow 4 " ( " Werknummer " 110215 ) into the slipstream of an Heinkel He 177 just as it was taking off , which flipped Schleef ’ s aircraft over ; Schleef was rescued with only minor injuries . On 21 July 1944 Schleef was transferred as " Staffelkapitän " of 8 . / JG 5 in August , which was redesignated as 16 . / JG 4 in October 1944 . Schleef was killed in aerial combat with Royal Air Force Spitfires near Bad Durkheim in his Bf 109 G - 10 " Blue 4 " ( " Werknummer " 490758 ) on 31 December 1944 . Hans Schleef was credited with 99 victories ( and at least 2 more unconfirmed ) in over 500 missions . He recorded 91 victories over the Eastern front , including 15 Il - 2 Sturmoviks . Of his eight victories recorded over the Western front , 2 were four - engine bombers .