serviceyears branch death_place death_date birth_place allegiance unit awards battles birth_date nickname rank article_title name
1940 -- 1944 18px luftwaffe wilkowischken , lithuania 10 august 1944 brakel , germany nazi germany jg 51 knight 's cross of the iron cross world war ii 23 february 1920 `` paul '' oberfeldwebel fritz lüddecke
 fritz lüddecke
fritz lüddecke

fritz lüddecke -lrb- 23 february 1920 - 10 august 1944 -rrb- was a luftwaffe -lrb- german air force -rrb- fighter ace during the second world war .
he scored 51 victories in over 600 missions , including 150 fighter-bomber missions , all over the eastern front .
on 10 august 1944 lüddecke was shot down near wilkowischken , and killed when his aircraft exploded as he was attempting an emergency landing .
oberfeldwebel lüddecke was posthumously awarded the knight 's cross of the iron cross .
the knight 's cross of the iron cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership .
