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Wilhelm Kuken - Pilot Profile - Wilhelm Küken

Wilhelm Kuken

No Photo Available

Victories : 45
-----------------------------
Country : Germany
Fought in : WW2
Fought for : Axis


Latest Axis Aviation Artwork !
 In early May 1941, in conditions of strict secrecy because the United States was not yet at war, seventeen pilots of the US Navy had arrived in Britain and been attached to Catalina squadrons of Coastal Command.  These experienced PBY pilots were there to assist the Royal Air Force to become familiar with the Catalina, and also to gain operational experience for the US Navy.  On 26th May 1941 Catalina Z of No.209 Sqn, commanded by Flying Officer Dennis Briggs RAF, with Ensign Leonard B Smith USN as co-pilot, joined the search for the Bismarck.  At 1015 the aircraft was being flown in poor visibility at an altitude of 500ft when Ensign Smith sighted the Bismarck at a range of eight miles.  The Catalina was flown towards the contact so that a positive identification could be made and emerged from the cloud only 500 yards from the German ship.  The aircraft met a hail of anti-aircraft fire but was able to make its escape.  As a result of the sighting report from Catalina Z the Bismarck was again engaged by ships and aircraft of the Royal Navy and was sunk at 1040 on 27th May 1941.  Leonard Smith can be considered therefore, the first American to be directly involved in action in World War Two.  He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (American) for his actions.

The Aircraft That Found the Bismarck by Ivan Berryman.
 One of the all time great fighter aces, Adolf Galland is depicted flying Bf 109E-4/N of Stab/JG26 in September 1940.  Galland flew 705 combat missions during World War Two and was credited with a final tally of 104 aerial victories. He survived the war and died peacefully in February 1996.

Tribute to Generalleutnant Adolf Galland by Ivan Berryman.
 Walter Briegleb is shown in his Ju88 G.7 4R+BR as he stalks his prey - on this occasion a Lancaster.  Flying below their target, his crew would aim upward firing cannon at the inner wing of the bomber, igniting the fuel tanks.  For the bomber crews, they were very much defenceless against this type of attack, and often had no idea of the presence of an enemy aircraft in the dark.

Tribute to Walter Briegleb by Ivan Berryman.
 The attack by Leutnant Walter Briegleb and his crew on Lancaster Mk.III ND960 DX-I of No.57 Sqn early on 22nd May 1944.  Flying Me110 with codes D5+BV with his crew of Feldwebel Walter Bräunlich and Bordfunker Feldwebel Brandt, Briegleb flew undetected beneath the bomber and used the deadly 'Schräge Musik' - upward firing cannon - to hit the fuel tanks in the port wing between the fuselage and inner engine.  Pulling away, he watched the aircraft burn and could see both gunners in their turrets but no return fire came.  He wondered why none of the crew escaped by parachute with the bomber doomed - it disintegrated in the air over the coast of the island of Fyn, Denmark, impacting near Emtekær at 00:44hrs.<br><br><center>All of the crew were killed :<br>Flight Lieutenant Arthur Richards (Pilot)<br>Flying Officer William Woodall (Navigator)<br>Pilot Officer Athur Bugden (Flight Engineer)<br>Sergeant Thomas Edwards (Wireless Operator)<br>Flying Officer George Ferguson (Air Bomber)<br>Sergeant Harold Griffiths (Air Gunner)<br>Sergeant Cyril Woodmass (Air Gunner)

The Hunted and the Hunter by Ivan Berryman.

Wilhelm Kuken

Squadrons for : Wilhelm Kuken
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Wilhelm Kuken. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
SquadronInfo

JG51


Country : Germany
Founded : August 1939
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG51
JG51

Jagdgeschwader 51 Mölders was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II, named after the fighter ace Werner Mölders in 1942. JG 51's pilots won more Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes than any other Jagdgeschwader, and flew combat from 1939 in all major theatres of war. Flying Bf 109s and then FW 190s, the wing claimed over 8,000 air victories. Experten included 'Toni' Hafner, Heinz Bär, Richard Leppla, Karl-Gottfried Nordmann, Günther Schack and the legendary Mölders.

Formed in August 1939, and commanded by 48-year-old World War I ace Onkel Theo Osterkamp, the early months of the war JG 51 was based in the West, fighting in the French campaign, and in the Battle of Britain. From late June to mid July JG 51 was the only fighter Geschwader engaged against the RAF constantly. During the whole battle JG 51 lost 68 pilots, the highest casualty rate of the Luftwaffe fighter units engaged. JG 51 was one of the two Geschewader that had four Gruppen. The other being JG 1.

Four Bf 109 of JG 51 in France 1940Whilst based out of the Belgian airfield at Mardyik in late 1940, the German ace Josef Pips Priller was a Staffelkapitän with JG 51, flying Bf 109-E Yellow One. Josef Priller went on to score over 100 victories, the third highest scoring Luftwaffe day fighter ace on the Western Front, fighting solely against the Western Allies.

Against the Western Allies JG 51 had claimed 345 aircraft destroyed by May 1941. JG 51 were therefore one of the Jagdwaffe's elite units, with 'top ten' aces at this time including Werner Mölders with 68 claims, Walter Oesau with 34 claims, and Hermann-Friedrich Joppien with 31. Major Werner Mölders became unit Geschwaderkommodore during July 1940 and led the unit into the invasion of Russia in June 1941.

Barbarossa (1941)

Claiming 69 kills on the first day of the offensive, by 30 June 1941 JG 51 became the first fighter Geschwader to claim 1,000 air victories (113 kills in 157 sorties were claimed for the day). On 24 June JG 51 claimed 57 bombers shot down for the day. Mölders became the first fighter pilot to reach 100 claims in August and in the same month JG 51's Oberfeldwebel Heinz Bär reached 60 claims and was decorated with the Oak Leaves. A total of 500 Soviet claims was reached on 12 July 1941, although 6 pilots had been lost by JG 51 in the intervening 3 weeks since the offensive had started.

After Mölders' departure in September 1941 (and death later that year) the Geschwader adopted his name as a title of honor in early 1942. Jagdgeschwader 51 Mölders was to remain on the centre sector of the Russian front throughout the rest of 1941. However Oberstleutnant Friedrich Beckh ( one of the few fighter pilots to wear spectacles) proved an uncharismatic commander after Mölders, and it was not until Major Karl-Gottfried Nordmann took over in April 1942 that a worthy successor to Mölders was found. In the period 22 June - 5 December 1941 the unit destroyed 1,881 Soviet aircraft, in return for 84 losses in aerial combat and a single aircraft on the ground.

Air support for the Wehrmacht's Army Group Centre was entrusted to General Wolfram Freiherr von Richthofen's VIII. Fliegerkorps. In early January 1942, among the fighter units available to von Richthofen were II, III and IV/ JG 51. With the onset of the sub-zero conditions of the Russian winter, the majority of JG 51's available aircraft became grounded.

The Russian winter counter offensive forced III./ JG 51 into flying numerous fighter-bomber operations in direct support of the infantry, and the gruppe filed few aerial 'kill' claims through January 1942. II./ JG 51 however, accounted for most of VIII. Fliegerkorps's aerial victories during the Soviet offensive. Particularly successful was the duo of Lt. Hans Strelow and Ofw. Wilhelm Mink, both of 5. JG 51. They claimed five MiG-3s of 16 IAP on 4 January (Mink claimed three) and 9 days later Mink claimed a Pe-2 and Strelow destroyed two R-Z biplanes for his 30th and 31st victories. On 4 February, Strelow increased his victories to 36 by shooting down four Russian aircraft. The 19 year-old Strelow claimed his 40th victory on 28 February and claimed 4 victories on both 6 March and 17 March. The next day he was awarded the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes and also shot down seven Soviet aircraft. He was awarded the Eichenlaub on 24 March, his claims total at 66.

Normandy (1944)

7./JG 51, (with Bf 109G-6's) was attached to II./JG 1 in May 1944 from Brest-Litovsk, with pilots arriving at Störmede late in May and hurriedly converting to the FW-190. (It was later renamed 8./JG 1 on 15 August 1944 when the four-Staffeln Gruppe became standard) 7. Staffel was led by Ritterkreuzträger (Knight's Cross winner) Hptm. Karl-Heinz Weber with 136 confirmed kills. Its two other experten were Lt. Friedrich Krakowitzer (23 kills) and Ofhr. Günther Heckmann with 12 kills.

7./JG 51 joined II. Gruppe with 15 pilots on strength at the end of May, and during the first two months of the Normandy campaign the staffel was decimated, with twelve pilots killed, one POW and one severely wounded.

As the war turned against Germany JG 51 was forced to operate closer and closer to Germany, finally staging out of East Prussia.

JG52


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG52
JG52

The most successful Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II, with a claim total of more than 10,000 victories over enemy aircraft. It was home to the top three scoring Experten of the Luftwaffe, Erich Hartmann, Gerhard Barkhorn and Günther Rall. The unit flew the various marks of the Messerschmitt Bf 109 exclusively through the war.

Known Victory Claims - Wilhelm Kuken

DATE

PILOT

UNIT

JG

CLAIMED

LOCATION

TIME

FRONT

25/07/1942Fw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Pe-2-19.32Eastern Front
17/08/1942Uffz. Wilhelm Küken9JG 52I-15385 442: 200m11.44Eastern Front
28/08/1942Uffz. Wilhelm Küken9JG 52LaGG-354 341: 1500m15.03Eastern Front
27/11/1942Uffz. Wilhelm Küken9JG 52I-15344 55110.44Eastern Front
29/11/1942Uffz. Wilhelm Küken9JG 52Il-244 673: 1000m10.47Eastern Front
29/11/1942Uffz. Wilhelm Küken9JG 52LaGG-344 843: 2000m13.39Eastern Front
05/12/1942Uffz. Wilhelm Küken9JG 52Boston III44 723: 1200m10.5Eastern Front
09/02/1943Fw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Il-247 612: 100m9.3Eastern Front
09/03/1943Fw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-563 254: 3500m8.1Eastern Front
09/03/1943Fw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Pe-263 424: 800m11.01Eastern Front
09/03/1943Fw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Pe-263 452: 300m11.13Eastern Front
05/07/1943Fw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Il-463 652: ca. 400m18.28Eastern Front
06/07/1943Fw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Boston III53 656: 1500m5.22Eastern Front
07/07/1943Fw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-563 554: 1500m6.57Eastern Front
18/07/1943Fw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-374 771: 2000m9.27Eastern Front
22/07/1943Fw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Il-2mH.63 217: 800m10.22Eastern Front
28/07/1943Fw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-354 665: 2000m4.32Eastern Front
29/07/1943Fw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-354 684: 500m15.49Eastern Front
03/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-554 768: 1500m11.34Eastern Front
04/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Il-2mH.63 431: 300m9.48Eastern Front
08/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Il-2mH.E. Jarzewo: 200m12.04Eastern Front
08/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Il-2mH.S. Jarzewo: 300m12.02Eastern Front
08/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Il-2mH.E. Buchowschtschina: 400m12.11Eastern Front
08/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-535 439: 4200m18.25Eastern Front
11/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-3NW Spas-Demensk: 1800m12.38Eastern Front
11/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-3NW Spas-Demensk: 800m12.41Eastern Front
14/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-5NE Dukhovshchina: 4000m17.33Eastern Front
16/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Il-2mH.NE Dukhovshchina: 500m13.1Eastern Front
21/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-4NE Ssevsk: 4000m16.26Eastern Front
23/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-344 641: 200m18.32Eastern Front
23/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-354 543: 100m18.38Eastern Front
24/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51DB-3SE Dyatkovo: 2500m7.06Eastern Front
24/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51DB-3NW Podbushye: 2000m7.1Eastern Front
24/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-3SE Podbushye: 300m7.56Eastern Front
26/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Jak-7NW Ssevsk: 3800m9.15Eastern Front
30/08/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Boston IIISSE Shuravka: 500m12.35Eastern Front
01/09/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51BostonVoronezh: 5800m11.35Eastern Front
15/09/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Il-2mH.W. Yelnya: 1000m13.2Eastern Front
17/09/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-5SW Yelnya: 4500m7.1Eastern Front
17/09/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-3S. Yelnya: 3500m7.22Eastern Front
18/09/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51LaGG-5Yelnya: 2500m9.2Eastern Front
18/09/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Jak-9SW Yelnya: 2500m16.12Eastern Front
18/09/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Jak-1S. Yelnya: 5800m16.2Eastern Front
05/10/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Jak-9SE Maqui: 4000m10.22Eastern Front
12/10/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Pe-2Ruduja: 3000m10.3Eastern Front
22/10/1943Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Pe-2Gomel: 2300m11.15Eastern Front
16/01/1944Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Mitchell93 362 etwa 2700m12.4Eastern Front
07/02/1944Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Pe-296 825: 3000m7.35Eastern Front
09/02/1944Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Il-296 682: 300m13.4Eastern Front
21/02/1944Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Il-203 173: tiefflug11.37Eastern Front
21/02/1944Ofw. Wilhelm Küken9JG 51Pe-204 726: 1300m15.42Eastern Front

Known Claims : 51

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