Otto Kittel Otto " Bruno " Kittel ( 21 February 1917 – 14 or 16 February 1945 ) was a World War II Luftwaffe flying ace . He flew 583 combat missions on the Eastern Front , claiming 267 aerial victories , making him the fourth highest scoring ace in aviation history . Kittel claimed all of his victories flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke - Wulf Fw 190 against the Red Air Force . Kittel joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 , at the age of 22 and flew his first combat missions in 1941 . In spring 1941 , he joined " Jagdgeschwader 54 " ( JG 54 ) supporting Army Group North on the Eastern Front . Kittel claimed his first victory on 22 June 1941 , the opening day of " Operation Barbarossa " . Kittel took time to amass his personal tally of aerial victories . By February 1943 , he reached 39 kills , relatively insignificant when compared with some other German aces . In 1943 , his tally began to increase when JG 54 began to operate the Fw 190 . Kittel earned the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) on 29 October 1943 , for reaching 120 aerial victories . By the time he was officially awarded the decoration he had a tally of 123 . A large number of his Soviet victims included the IL - 2 Shturmovik aircraft , leading the German Army to call him the " Butcher Killer " , a nickname they had given to the tough " Shturmovik " . During the remainder of World War II , Kittel was credited with 144 other aerial victories , which earned him the coveted Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords . On his 583rd combat mission , he was shot down and killed by the air gunner of a " Shturmovik " on 14 or 16 February 1945 . Kittel was the most successful German fighter pilot to be killed in action . Personal life . Otto Kittel was born on 21 February 1917 in Kronsdorf ( ) near Krnov in Sudeten Silesia , Austria - Hungary . His father ' s name was Eduard Kittel . Otto had a reserved personality , softly spoken , which did not fit the perceived public image of a fighter pilot . Fascinated with flight at an early age , he joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 at age 22 . After completing his training on 12 February 1941 , Kittel was posted to JG 54 based at Jever , Germany . Kittel was assigned to 2 " Staffel " ( Squadron ) JG 54 at the rank of " Unteroffizier " . During his training he was considered a good comrade on account of his unshakeable calm , presence of mind and sense of duty . Owing to his attributes , his superior officers treated him with respect . During his training and early career Hannes Trautloft became a role model and offered Kittel advice about his techniques . He also formed a friendship with German ace Hans Philipp , who often shared advice about aerial combat . Philipp had served as a pastor when Kittel married his fiancé , Edith in June 1942 at Krasnogvardeysk . Edith had travelled into occupied Soviet territory near the front line to marry Kittel . They had one son , Manfred Kittel , born in 1945 . World War II . Balkans campaign . Kittel ' s first operations were air superiority missions during the Balkans Campaign . The German invasion of Yugoslavia and the bombing of Belgrade were supported by Kittel ' s " Geschwader " ( Wing ) . Little air combat took place and Kittel ' s only combat actions were during strafing missions against Yugoslav Army forces . By the time of the Yugoslavian surrender , on 17 April 1941 , JG 54 had claimed 376 aerial victories during the entire war . Kittel had yet to achieve a kill . During the course of the campaign Kittel acted as wingman for his " staffel " leader , who was the first to engage any enemy aircraft . On 12 May 1941 JG 54 handed over its old Bf 109E fighters to " Jagdgeschwader 77 " ( Fighter Wing 77 ) , and Kittel began intensive training on the new Bf 109F . Barbarossa to Demyansk . The German invasion of the Soviet Union , Operation Barbarossa , began on 22 June 1941 . JG 54 was assigned bomber escort duties against Soviet airfields and the Baltic Fleet in the Baltic Sea ports . On this date he claimed a Yakovlev Yak - 1 and a Soviet bomber . Despite his two victories , Kittel got off to a slow start in combat . On 30 June 1941 he downed his first Ilyushin Il - 2 " Shturmovik " . His third victory earned him the Iron Cross Second Class . The German advance had now taken JG 54 to Staraya Russa , just south of Leningrad . JG 54 was to stay there for nearly two years . By winter 1941 – 1942 , he had 11 victories and was awarded the Iron Cross First Class in October 1941 . In mid - March Kittel claimed two " Shturmoviks " for his 13 – 14 aerial victories . However , his Bf 109 suffered damage and Kittel returned to base , resisting the urge to chase more and risk his life . His motto was to get back in one piece and avoid risks : " Take the safe route and avoid ill - considered and wild offensive tactics " . In the end that alone produced success . Risking himself for a single victory was not Kittel ' s way . Within two months his tally had risen to 17 . Sometime in May 1942 Kittel claimed a further two victories , one bomber and one fighter , in a single mission . During the combat he became involved in a dogfight with two experienced opponents . Using clever tactics , the Soviet fighters tried to force him into a trap ; one chasing the other in an attempt to cut him off . Kittel ' s aircraft was fired on several times and hit . However , he managed to escape , in the process shooting down one of the enemy fighters . During the summer , 1942 , aerial victories were hard to come by . Operating in the northern sector of the front usually meant little action as all the Soviet air activity was now combating German Army Group South ' s summer offensive , Case Blue . Every now and again an enemy aircraft would be sighted and shot down , but Kittel was frustrated . The ground crews kept up his spirits . On 19 February 1943 , " Feldwebel " Kittel achieved his 39th victory , which was also JG 54 ' s 4 , 000th of the war . JG 54 " Geschwaderkommodore " ( Wing Commander ) Hannes Trautloft congratulated Kittel and said the following : " I have instructed that you ' re no longer to be assigned as wingman . Instead you ' re to be sent on " " freie Jagd " " [ combat patrol ] on your own whenever there ' s an opportunity . " In early 1943 , JG 54 had been withdrawn from the frontline to convert to the Fw 190 . With stronger undercarriage for the harsher conditions on the Eastern Front , greater firepower , speed and agility , the fighter was popular among pilots . Kittel , in particular , was pleased . The Fw 190 was an ideal interceptor against the tough and heavily armoured " Shturmovik " , his favourite target . At this point , Kittel ' s victory tally climbed rapidly . By mid - March 1943 , Kittel had reached 46 victories , encompassing all types of aircraft . On 14 or 15 March 1943 while on a mission over the Demyansk pocket , Kittel ' s Fw 190 suffered engine failure . He was behind Soviet lines . He removed his precision board clock , an intricately engineered instrument ( all pilots were ordered to do so ) and landed his Fw 190 which slid to a stop in a snow - covered field . His comrade , and a member of the flight , Herbert Broennle , advised him to hide after landing , to travel only by night and use a compass on a heading of 255 degrees ( north - west ) which would take him to Stayara Russa , towards JG 54 ' s base behind German lines . Broennle himself had been shot down under the same circumstances in 1941 , and had experience . Kittel ran for the nearest forest after landing . Several Russian women and children saw the crash from two houses nearby and came running out . No men were in sight . When Kittel got to the forest he found he had left his emergency rations behind , having only chocolate bar with him . He continued through the forest , able to move through the forest during the day unseen , resting often . Needing to eat , he raided several empty houses and found clothes but no food . Determined to find food , and now looking like a Russian peasant , he passed through several Soviet checkpoints looking for something to eat . Kittel spoke Czech and some Russian and managed to evade detection . On the route he stopped at several points and was given food . Eventually Kittel made it to the edge of Lake Ilmen . At night he crossed the frozen lake and made it to German lines . Kittel was ' recaptured ' three days after crashing by a German sentry . Kittel took leave in March / April 1943 . By the time he returned Walter Nowotny had taken over the " Gruppe " ( Group ) . Hans Philipp had left to take command of " Jagdgeschwader 1 " ( JG 1 ) in Germany . He was killed on 8 October 1943 . On 3 May 1943 , Kittel resumed his combat career with three victories . However he was shot down and forced landed owing to return fire from a bombers ' gunner . On 10 June 1943 Kittel achieved another kill to reach 50 . Kursk and back to the Baltic . JG 54 took part in many of the spring battles over the Crimea Peninsula , Vyazma - Bryansk , Vitebsk , Kharkov , Orsha and Orel regions . As the spring battles ended , the Germans prepared for Operation Citadel , which led to the Battle of Kursk . During the air battles Kittel ' s unit escorted Junkers Ju 87 " Stukas " of III . / " Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 " ( Third Group , StG 2 , or Dive Bomber Wing 2 ) , which achieved fame under the leadership of Hans - Ulrich Rudel . On 5 July 1943 , the Germans launched their attack . By this date , Otto Kittel had claimed 56 victories . During the first day of " Citadel " Kittel claimed six victories . The next day he shot down three more Soviet aircraft . It was at this point Kittel won recognition and become one of the most prominent aces . After the German defeat at Kursk , Kittel continued participating in further battles as the German Army retreated to the Dnieper river . Kittel had achieved a one kill per day average to reach 94 victories on 4 September 1943 . Just 11 days later , on 15 September 1943 , Kittel claimed his 100th aerial victory . He received the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) on 29 October 1943 for 120 victories . By the time he was awarded it on 29 October , he had added three more victories to reach 123 . Baltic and Courland . Between November 1943 through January 1944 Kittel was chief instructor of the Ergänzungs - Jagdgruppe Ost ( Training Group East ) in Biarritz , France , passing on knowledge and experience to the " Jagdflieger " ( fighter pilots ) of the future . Unhappy in a teaching role , Kittel filed several applications to return to combat , and in March 1944 Kittel returned to JG 54 on the Eastern Front . On 2 April 1944 , having achieved 144 victories , Kittel claimed a further six for a total of 150 . Kittel ' s 150th victory was claimed sometime between 4 – 8 April 1944 . On April 14 he was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub " ) for his 152nd aerial victory , claimed on 12 April . Kittel received the Oak Leaves from Adolf Hitler at the Wolf ' s Lair in East Prussia on 5 May 1944 , becoming the 449th German so recognised . Kittel continued to increase his tally , shooting down another 50 aircraft by 26 August 1944 , bringing his overall total to 200 . At this time , Kittel was flying a Fw 190A - 6 , " Yellow 5 " . By the 27 October 1944 , Kittel had achieved 254 victories , a total of 102 in just six months . He earned the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern " ) on 25 November 1944 for 264 victories , only the 113th German serviceman to receive the award . Kittel flew to Hitler ' s Headquarters to receive the award and then continued to Germany to spend his leave there . When he returned in January 1945 he took over 2 . / JG 54 , or 2 " Staffel " ( No . 2 Squadron ) . Kittel added a further three victories during his time as the " Staffel ' s " leader . By 13 February 1945 , Kittel had a personal total of 266 aerial victories . At 12 : 06 on 14 or 16 February 1945 , Otto Kittel took off with his " Geschwader " ( Wing ) flying Fw 190 A - 8 " Black 1 " , " Werknummer " ( airframe number ) 690 282 , to engage a formation of 14 " Shturmovik " aircraft over the Courland Pocket . At 12 : 13 he made contact with the formation at low altitude , no more than 100 – 150 metres ( 328 to 492 feet ) . Kittel attacked , firing at and damaging several " Shturmovik " . Kittel damaged one aircraft and chased it . As he closed in for the kill , his Focke - Wulf was hit by return fire from a rear gunner , and descended towards the ground on fire . Kittel , probably incapacitated and unable to use his parachute , did not bail out and the Fw 190 crashed in flames . The site of the crash is believed to have been six kilometres ( 3 . 7 miles ) south - west of Džūkste in Latvia . Witnesses from Kittel ' s formation reported that a " Shturmovik " had been shot down by Otto before he himself was killed during the air battle having scored his 267th and final victory .