Wilhelm Bromen

Wilhelm Bromen
Born	26 August 1915 Dülmen
Died	1 October 1990 (aged 75) Innsbruck
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1941–45
Rank	Oberleutnant of the Reserves
Unit	StG 2 SG 2 SG 151 SG 9
Battles/wars	World War II Operation Barbarossa Battle of Kursk Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Wilhelm Bromen (26 August 1915 – 1 October 1990) was a highly decorated Oberleutnant of the Reserves in the Luftwaffe during World War II, and a recipient of 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.

Bromen was born on 26 August 1915 in Dülmen, Westphalia . In the autumn of 1941 after flight training he was posted to II./StG. 2 "Immelmann". He flew his 500th mission in December 1942, and after his 600th was awarded the Knight's Cross in April 1943.

During his career he flew 965 missions and was also credited with the destruction of 76 tanks, 4 armoured trains, 12 supply trains and 7 aerial victories.^{[Notes 1]}

On 30 April 1945, Bromen was wounded when the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 he was flying was bounced and shot down by a Royal Air Force Spitfire XIV from 350 Squadron as he was attempting to land near Schwerin. During the same attack, Knight's Cross recipients Andreas Kuffner and Rainer Nossek were killed.

Awards and decorations

• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "900"
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (13 September 1942)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold on 17 November 1942 as Oberfeldwebel in the 6./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 April 1943 as Leutnant of the Reserves and pilot and z.b.V. Offizier in the 4./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2 "Immelmann"^[2]

Notes

1. For a list of Luftwaffe ground attack aces see List of German World War II Ground Attack aces

References

Citations

1. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 62.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 124.

Bibliography

• Brütting, Georg (1992) [1976]. Das waren die deutschen Stuka-Asse 1939 – 1945 [These were the German Stuka Aces 1939 – 1945] (in German) (7th ed.). Stuttgart, Germany: Motorbuch. ISBN 978-3-87943-433-6.
• 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 (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Band II Stuka- und Schlachtflieger [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe 1939–1945 Volume II Dive Bomber and Attack Aircraft] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-021-3.
• 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.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945
• Luftwaffe 1939-1945 History