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Albin Wolf
AlbinWolf
Albin Wolf
Born (1920-10-28)28 October 1920
Died 2 April 1944(1944-04-02) (aged 23)
Place of birth Naila
Place of death south of Pskov
Allegiance Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Service/branch Balkenkreuz Luftwaffe
Years of service 1940 – 1944
Rank Oberleutnant
Unit JG 54
Battles/wars World War II
Awards Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves (posthumous)

Albin Wolf (28 October 1920 – 2 April 1944) was a German World War II Luftwaffe 144 victories Flying ace and a posthumous recipient of the coveted Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub).[1] A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.[2] He was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and killed in action on 2 April 1944.

Military career[]

Wolf was transferred to the 6th squadron of Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) in May 1942 on the Eastern Front.[Note 1] He achieved his aerial victories 37–40 on 3 August 1943. By 4 September 1943 he had accumulated 78 victories. Wolf received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) for 117 victories on 22 November 1943. Wolf crash landed on a transfer flight on 29 December 1943 and was severely wounded. He was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 6./JG 54 on 11 March 1944.[3]

Albin Wolf's 135th aerial victory claimed on 23 March 1944 was also Jagdgeschwader 54's 7000th of the war. Wolf was killed in action south-east of Pskov on 2 April 1944. His Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 (Werknummer 551142—factory number) took a direct hit from an anti-aircraft shell. He was posthumously promoted to Oberleutnant and honoured with the 464th Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) on 27 April 1944.[3][4]

Awards[]

Notes[]

  1. For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Luftwaffe Organization
  2. According to Scherzer as pilot in the II./JG 54.[8]
  3. According to Scherzer on 25 April 1944.[8]

References[]

Citations
  1. Spick 1996, p. 229.
  2. Spick 1996, pp. 3–4.
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Obermaier 1989, p. 65.
  4. Weal 2001, p. 108.
  5. Patzwall and Scherzer 2001, p. 520.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Thomas 1998, p. 456.
  7. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 451.
  8. 8.0 8.1 Scherzer 2007, p. 794.
  9. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 82.
Bibliography
  • Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) (in German). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 – Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtsteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches]. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. 
  • Obermaier, Ernst (1989) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1941 – 1945]. Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7. 
  • Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001) (in German). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2]. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. 
  • Scherzer, Veit (2007) (in German). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives]. Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. 
  • Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1. 
  • Thomas, Franz (1998) (in German). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 2: L–Z]. Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. 
  • Weal, John (2001). Jagdgeschwader 54 'Grünherz'. Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-286-5.

External links[]



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