Franz Eisenach was born on 11 August 1918 at Reetz in the Arnswalde region of Neumark. He became an officer cadet in 1937, and was made a Leutnant in the Luftwaffe in 1939. In 1940, and possibly into 1941, Eisenach served with II./ZG 76. In November 1941, he joined 1.(Erg.)/JG 51. In January 1942, he joined IV./JG 1, later renamed III/JG 5. Oberleutnant Eisenach was appointed Staffelkapitän of 12./JG 1 in June. In October of 1942, Eisenach was transferred to 9./JG 54, based at Krasnogvardeisk on the Eastern Front. On 8 November, during his 21st combat mission, Eisenach shot down P-40 fighter for his first victory. By the end of 1942 he had claimed three more victories. On 17 April 1943, Eisenach was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 54. In May his unit was equipped with the Fw 190 A fighter. On 24 May 1943, Eisenach claimed two Russian Il-2 Sturmovik ground-attack aircraft shot down for his 10th and 11th victories. On 8 July, he shot down a Russian Boston twin-engine bomber (21) but in the subsequent dogfight with escorting enemy fighters his aircraft was damaged necessitating an emergency landing. He sustained injuries in the incident, which required hospitalisation. Eisenach was awarded the Ehrenpokal on 31 August 1943. On 18 December 1943, after claiming two Il-2 Sturmoviks shot down (48-49), he was hit by flak while flying Fw 190A-6 (W.Nr. 530 391) "Yellow 3". Although seriously wounded, he successfully baled out. Oberleutnant Eisenach was awarded the Deutsches Kreuz on 16 January 1944. On 1 May, he was promoted to the rank of Hauptmann. In June 1944, he was serving with I./JG 54, based in Courland on the Eastern front. Eisenach recorded three victories on 26 June, when he shot down two Il-2 Sturmoviks and one Russian Yak-9 fighter (50-52). From July until August, he led 4./JG 54. Eisenach claimed 15 victories in July, including three victories on 24 July (59-61), a further three on 26 July (62-64) and five on 30 July (67-71).
On 8 August 1944, Eisenach was appointed Gruppenkommandeur
of I./JG 54, replacing Horst Ademeit (166 victories,
RK-EL), who went missing in action on 7 August. In August, he claimed 17
victories, including four on 3 August (73-76) and his 80th victory on 15
August. September was to be Eisenach’s most successful month. He claimed
19 victories, including, five Il-2 Sturmoviks and four Russian Pe-2 twin-engine
bombers shot down on 14 September (92-100) and a further two Il-2 Sturmoviks
and a Yak-9 fighter on 17 September (104-106). On 21 September, he was
again seriously wounded during a bombing raid on his command post. He was
awarded the Ritterkreuz on 10 October 1944 for his 107th victory and was
sent on leave. He returned to the front on 15 December. Eisenach was promoted
to the rank of Major on 1 January 1945. By 31 March, he had gained 22 more
victories to achieve his final victory total of 129. Having survived the
war and being incarcerated as a British POW, Major Franz Eisenach joined
the Bundeswehr in 1956. He left the service in 1974 having attained the
rank of Oberstleutant. He passed away on 21 August 1998.
Franz Eisenach was credited with 129 victories in
319 missions. Some sources quote Eisenach’s final victory total as 154.
Included in the total are 52 Il-2 Sturmovik
ground attack aircraft.
Victory list provided by Sean Leeman
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Location |
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8.11.1942
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P-40 | 9./JG 54 | Rjelbitzi/Siverskaya |
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9.12.1942
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Il-2 | 9./JG 54 | Demyansk |
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30.12.1942
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Mig-3 | 9./JG 54 | Demyansk |
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30.12.1942
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Il-2 | 9./JG 54 | Demyansk |
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5.1.1943
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Il-2 | 9./JG54 | Isotscha |
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8.1.1943
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Il-2 | 9./JG 54 | Isotscha |
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13.1.1943
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Il-2 | 9./JG 54 | Isotscha |
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14.1.1943
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LaGG-3 | 9./JG 54 | Isotscha |
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16.1.1943
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LaGG-3 | 9./JG 54 | Isotscha |
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24.5.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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24.5.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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17.6.1943
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P-40 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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17.6.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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5.7.1943
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LaGG-5 | 3./JG 54 | 63 624 |
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5.7.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | 63 393 |
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6.7.1943
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LaGG-5 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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6.7.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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6.7.1943
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LaGG-5 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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7.7.1943
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Yak-7 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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7.7.1943
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P-39 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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8.7.1943
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Boston | 3./JG 54 | - |
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30.9.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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30.9.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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7.10.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | 06 249 |
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9.10.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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9.10.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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11.10.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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12.10.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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13.10.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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15.10.1943
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P-39 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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20.10.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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22.10.1943
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La-5 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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27.10.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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28.10.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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28.10.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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5.11.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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5.11.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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5.11.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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6.11.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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10.11.1943
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La-5 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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10.11.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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10.11.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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17.11.2043
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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15.12.1943
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LaGG-3 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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15.12.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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15.12.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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15.12.1943
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Yak-9 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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18.12.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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18.12.1943
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Il-2 | 3./JG 54 | - |
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26.6.1944
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Il-2 | Stab /JG 54 | 88 471 |
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26.6.1944
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Il-2 | Stab /JG 54 | 88 612 |
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26.6.1944
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Yak-9 | Stab /JG 54 | 88 624 |
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29.6.1944
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P-39 | Stab /JG 54 | PT-4.5 |
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30.6.1944
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P-39 | Stab /JG 54 | PS-8.9 |
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30.6.1944
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P-39 | Stab /JG 54 | OT-4.4 |
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30.6.1944
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Il-2 | Stab /JG 54 | OT-4.6 |
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2.7.1944
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P-39 | Stab /JG 54 | Pyatnitsa |
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4.7.1944
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P-39 | Stab /JG 54 | 05 48 |
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24.7.1944
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Il-2 | 4./JG 54 | 70 861 |
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24.7.1944
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Il-2 | 4./JG 54 | 70 824 |
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24.7.1944
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Yak-9 | 4./JG 54 | 70 694 |
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26.7.1944
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Pe-2 | 4./JG 54 | 50 381 |
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26.7.1944
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Pe-2 | 4./JG 54 | 60 575 |
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26.7.1944
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Pe-2 | 4./JG 54 | 60 581 |
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27.7.1944
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Il-2 | 4./JG 54 | 70 692 |
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28.7.1944
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Il-2 | 4./JG 54 | 60 393 |
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30.7.1944
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Il-2 | 4./JG 54 | 70 682 |
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30.7.1944
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Il-2 | 4./JG 54 | 60 492 |
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30.7.1944
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Il-2 | 4./JG 54 | 70 397 |
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30.7.1944
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Yak-9 | 4./JG 54 | 60 496 |
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30.7.1944
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Il-2 | 4./JG 54 | 70 357 |
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2.8.1944
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La-5 | 4./JG 54 | 70 454 |
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3.8.1944
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Yak-9 | 4./JG 54 | 70 661 |
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3.8.1944
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Il-2 | 4./JG 54 | 70 694 |
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3.8.1944
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Il-2 | 4./JG 54 | 70 613 |
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3.8.1944
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Il-2 | 4./JG 54 | 70 653 |
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4.8.1944
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Il-2 | 4./JG 54 | 70 692 |
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5.8.1944
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 50 433 |
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5.8.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 50 268 |
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15.8.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | LF-8.7 |
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15.8.1944
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P-39 | Stab I/JG 54 | LF-5.3 |
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23.8.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 57 267 |
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24.8.1944
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Yak-9 | Stab I/JG 54 | 37 395 |
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26.8.1944
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Yak-9 | Stab I/JG 54 | 37 366 |
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27.8.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 58 897 |
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27.8.1944
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Yak-9 | Stab I/JG 54 | 57 235 |
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28.8.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 57 237 |
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29.8.1944
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Yak-9 | Stab I/JG 54 | 37 525 |
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12.9.1944
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 553 |
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12.9.1944
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P-39 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 572 |
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12.9.1944
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 587 |
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14.9.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 57 215 |
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14.9.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 57 251 |
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14.9.1944
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 37 264 |
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14.9.1944
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 37 239 |
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14.9.1944
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 37 263 |
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14.9.1944
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 555 |
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14.9.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 376 |
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14.9.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 394 |
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14.9.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 531 |
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15.9.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 372 |
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15.9.1944
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Yak-9 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 346 |
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15.9.1944
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P-39 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 397 |
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17.9.1944
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Yak-9 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 451 |
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17.9.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 356 |
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17.9.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 365 |
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19.9.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 47 148 |
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14.12.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 7466 |
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14.12.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 7635 |
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15.12.1944
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 17358 |
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15.12.1944
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 17397 |
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15.12.1944
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 17522 |
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15.12.1944
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 17523 |
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23.12.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 27346 |
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23.12.1944
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 27347 |
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26.12.1944
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 37191 |
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29.12.1944
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Yak-9 | Stab I/JG 54 | 27386 |
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6.1.1945
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 37322 |
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6.1.1945
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Yak-9 | Stab I/JG 54 | 37188 |
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6.1.1945
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 37323 |
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21.2.1945
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 17624 |
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23.2.1945
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 17475 |
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23.2.1945
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 17671 |
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5.3.1945
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 27459 |
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5.3.1945
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Il-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 27481 |
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5.3.1945
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Yak-3 | Stab I/JG 54 | 27465 |
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6.3.1945
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Yak-3 | Stab I/JG 54 | 27464 |
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19.3.1945
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 24361 |
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19.3.1945
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Pe-2 | Stab I/JG 54 | 24354 |
Victories : 129
Awards : Ehrenpokal (31 August 1943)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (16 January 1944)
Ritterkreuz (10 October 1944)
Units : ZG 76, JG 1, JG 5, JG 54