Walter Matoni Walter Matoni ( 27 June 1917 – 26 June 1988 ) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( ) during World War II . The Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership . Career . Matoni was born on 27 June 1917 in Duisburg . " Feldwebel " Matoni was assigned to 9 . / Jagdgeschwader 27 ( JG 27 — 27th Fighter Wing ) in the summer of 1940 and his first claim , a Hawker Hurricane followed on 30 September . During mid 1941 Matoni operated over Russia and claimed three victories ( Two DB - 3 ' s and an R - 10 ) . On 17 August 1941 Feldwebel Matoni was posted to 5 . / Jagdgeschwader 26 ( JG 26 — 26th Fighter Wing ) based on the Channel front . He was soon transferred to 7 . / JG 2 ( JG 2 — 2nd Fighter Wing ) in September . He was badly wounded in aerial combat resulting in a lengthy convalescence , following which he served as an instructor with " Jagdgruppe West " from October 1942 to February 1943 , when Leutnant Matoni returned to II . / JG 26 . He shot down a Supermarine Spitfire on 17 June as his fifth victory . On 31 August , Oberleutnant Matoni ' s Focke Wulf Fw 190 A - 5 was hit and he was wounded by return fire from United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) B - 17 bombers , force - landing at Montdidier . In December he claimed a Spitfire near Boulogne on 21 December as his 8th victory . In an action against USAAF B - 26 twin - engine bombers on 14 January 1944 Matoni shot down a Spitfire escorting the bombers , probably flown by Austrian - born S / L . Franz Colloredo - Mansfeld DFC ( 3 destroyed ) of No . 132 Squadron RAF , who was killed . On 24 February Matoni shot down a USAAF B - 24 four - engine bomber near Frankfurt for his 13th and JG 26 ' s 2 , 000th victory . Matoni was appointed " Staffelkapitän " ( squadron leader ) 5 . / JG 26 in February 1944 , and on 10 May was awarded the German Cross in Gold for 20 victories . On 15 August 1944 , Hauptmann Matoni was appointed " Gruppenkommandeur " ( group commander ) of I . / Jagdgeschwader 11 ( JG 11 — 11th Fighter Wing ) before being appointed " Gruppenkommandeur " of I . / JG 2 on 24 September . On 5 December , Matoni was so seriously injured in a crash he was unfit to undertake any further combat flying . Despite this , he was appointed " Gruppenkommandeur " of II . / JG 2 in January 1945 until 28 February . Matoni was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross on 2 January 1945 . Walter Matoni was credited with 34 victories in over 400 missions . He recorded three victories over the Eastern Front , and of 31 victories claimed over the Western front , 14 were four - engine bombers . He ended the war at the Fighter Pilot ' s rest - home at Bad Wiessee . Matoni died on 26 June 1988 in Frankfurt . Just three years before his death , Matoni appeared on the British television show " This Is Your Life " on the 8 May 1985 , the 50th anniversary of the German capitulation . He was guest on the Johnnie Johnson episode , celebrating the RAF ace ' life . Matoni ' s presence owed to a British media - created legend that Johnson personally challenged the German to a duel over Normandy .