Herbert Kaiser

Herbert Kaiser
Born	16 March 1916 Jessen
Died	5 December 2003 (aged 87) Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1938–45 1957–72
Rank	Leutnant (Wehrmacht) Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
Unit	JG 3 JV 44 JG 1
Commands held	I./JG 52 III./JG 3
Battles/wars	World War II Annexation of the Sudetenland Battle of the Netherlands Battle of Belgium Battle of France Balkans Campaign Battle of Crete Operation Barbarossa North African Campaign Italian Campaign Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Herbert Kaiser (16 March 1916 – 5 December 2003) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Wolfgang was captured by American troops in May 1945. During his career he flew 1,200 missions and is credited with 68 aerial victories.

Awards

• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Sudetenland Medal
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (9 August 1941)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black
• German Cross in Gold on 30 March 1942 as Leutnant in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 77^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 March 1943 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 77 (later Jagdgeschwader 1)^{[2][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as pilot in the 9./Jagdgeschwader 77.^[3]

References

Citations

1. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 217.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 249.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 429.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [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] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). 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] (in German). 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.

External links

• Luftwaffe 1939–1945 History
• World War 2 Awards.com