Iro Ilk

Iro Ilk
Born	18 October 1919 Nassau an der Lahn, Germany
Died	25 September 1944 (aged 24) near Moers, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1937–1945
Rank	Major
Unit	LG 1, JG 300
Commands held	1./LG 1, III./JG 300
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of Britain Siege of Malta Mediterranean Theater Defense of the Reich †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Iro Ilk (18 October 1919 – 25 September 1944) was a German World War II Luftwaffe bomber pilot, fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.^[1] Ilk is credited with 10 aerial victories claimed in more than 300 missions as a bomber and fighter pilot.^[2]

Ilk was killed in action on 25 September 1944 near Moers in combat with Supermarine Spitfires flying Bf 109 G-14 (Werknummer 782295—factory number).^[3]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (23 August 1943)
• German Cross in Gold on 27 March 1942 as Leutnant in the 1./LG 1^[4]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 21 October 1942 as Oberleutnant and pilot in the 1.(K)/LG 1^[5]

References

Citations

1. Spick 1996, pp. 3–4.
2. Schumann 2007, p. 103.
3. Schumann 2007, p. 101.
4. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 204.
5. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 239.

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.
• Kaiser, Jochen (2010). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kampfflieger—Band 1 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Bomber Fliers—Volume 1] (in German and English). Bad Zwischenahn, Germany: Luftfahrtverlag-Start. ISBN 978-3-941437-07-4.
• 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.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
• 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.
• Schumann, Ralf (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 des LG 1 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 of LG 1] (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-86619-013-9.

External links

"Iro Ilk". Aces of the Luftwaffe. Retrieved 29 April 2010.