Wilhelm Crinius Wilhelm Crinius ( 2 December 1920 – 26 April 1997 ) was a German Luftwaffe fighter 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 . Crinius is credited with 114 aerial victories claimed in approximately 400 combat missions . He recorded 100 victories over the Eastern front . Of his 14 victories claimed over the Western front , one was a four - engined bomber . On 23 September 1942 , Crinius became the only German fighter pilot to be awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) and the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub " ) simultaneously . Early life . Wilhelm Crinius was born in Hohenhausen , Kalletal on 2 December 1920 . His father , also named Wilhelm , was a master craftsman and house painter and decorator , his mother née Tölle . Crinius attended the " Volksschule " , a primary school , in Hohenhausen from 1927 until 1935 . In 1935 he started his merchant apprenticeship at the savings and loans bank in Hohenhausen . Parallel to his apprenticeship , he attended the vocational school . He worked at the saving and loans bank in Hohenhausen as an employee from Easter 1938 until November 1938 . Military service . Crinius joined the Luftwaffe in January 1940 to undergo pilot training . In February 1942 , " Gefreiter " ( lance corporal ) Crinius was posted to 3 " Staffel " , Jagdgeschwader 53 ( JG 53 — 53rd Fighter Wing ) based in Sicily . In March and April 1942 , he flew 60 missions over Malta . On 1 April , he was promoted to " Unteroffizier " ( non - commissioned officer ) . In May 1942 , I . / JG 53 was transferred to the Eastern front near Kursk . Crinius achieved his first victories on 9 June when he shot down two Il - 2 " Sturmovik " s . On 8 July , Crinius shot down two Douglas Boston bombers west of Voronezh , although his aircraft was hit by Russian anti - aircraft fire and he was forced to belly - landed his Messerschmitt Bf 109 F - 4 between the enemy lines , where he was rescued by a German patrol and safely returned to his unit . In July 1942 , I . / JG 53 was sent to the southern sector of the Eastern front , where Crinius claimed his 15th kill on 1 August . He claimed his 24th victory on 11 August 1942 . The next day I . / JG 53 relocated from Bereska to Tusov , closer to the front and Crinius shot down three Mikoyan - Gurevich MiG - 3 s , bringing his total to 27 victories . Crinius recorded his 49th victory on 27 August which was also the 1 , 000th victory for I . " Gruppe " ( 1st group ) of JG 53 . After his 55th victory on 1 September he was promoted to " Feldwebel " ( Sergeant ) . Hereafter Crinius was particularly successful , claiming some 40 victories in August and 46 victories in the timeframe 1 – 22 September , including his 100th on 22 September . He was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub " ) on 23 September and promoted to " Leutnant " ( 2nd Lieutenant ) . In November 1942 , Crinius relocated with I . / JG 53 to Tunisia . In Africa , Crinius claimed another 14 victories , including a B - 17 Flying Fortress on 26 December 1942 over Bizerte . On 13 January 1943 , he engaged in aerial combat with Royal Air Force ( RAF ) Supermarine Spitfire fighters near El Kala , Crinius ' aircraft was hit and he was wounded in the thigh . Breaking off combat , he headed for his base but his engine then caught fire . He ditched his damaged Bf 109 G - 2 ( " Werknummer " 10805 — factory number ) in the sea . He spent 24 hours in the water before being rescued by French sailors and Arabs . After hospitalisation for his wounds , Crinius became a prisoner of war . Later life . After World War II , Wilhelm Crinius worked in private industry , serving as a director in the German branch of the Dutch Philips GmbH . He was appointed chairman of the board of directors of the " Ernst Düllmann GmbH " in 1971 . On 18 June 1989 , as a pensioner , Crinius ran for the European Parliament in Hesse as candidate for the right - wing German People ' s Union ( " Deutsche Volksunion " ) . He died on 26 April 1997 in Stuhr - Fahrenhorst , Lower Saxony .