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Wilhelm Balthasar - Pilot Profile - Wilhelm Balthasar

Wilhelm Balthasar

No Photo Available

Victories : 54
-----------------------------
Country : Germany
Fought in : WW2
Fought for : Axis
Died : 3rd July 1941

This pilot scored 5 or more victories during the Battle of Britain, 10th July - 31st October 1940.

Awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron CrossAwarded Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross
Knights
Cross
Oak Leaves


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 Balthasar

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

JG1


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG1
JG1

German World War II fighter unit or wing which used the Messerschmitt Bf 109 and Focke-Wulf Fw 190 aircraft, between 1940–1944. The name of the unit derives from Jagd, meaning hunt and Geschwader, meaning wing. First formed in May 1939 in eastern Prussia, I./JG 1 was one of the original groups created by the Luftwaffe as part of its expansion plans.

Between 1940 and 1942, JG 1 operated primarily over the Western Front and northern occupied Europe. During the initial days of the war, JG 1 faced little resistance, apart from occasional Royal Air Force (RAF) excursions. The unit was rarely engaged in large-scale confrontations during this time. From late 1942 onwards it was tasked with defense of the Reich duties. After D-Day, elements of JG 1 were moved to France and were tasked with air support to the army Wehrmacht, along with their air defense role. Operation Bodenplatte severely reduced the strength of JG 1.

Towards the end of the war, the unit was disbanded and its remaining pilots and aircraft were re-organized. What remained of these groups surrendered to Allied forces at the end of the war.

JG 1 was the first unit to attempt 'aerial bombing' techniques against the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) heavy bomber formations. It was the only unit to be equipped with the Heinkel He 162 jet fighter.

In 1944 the Oesau suffix was added to the unit's title, after its late Geschwaderkommodore Oberst Walter Oesau (127 kills), who was killed in action. Some 700 enemy aircraft were claimed shot down during the war.

JG2


Country : Germany
Founded : 1st May 1939
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG2
JG2

Jagdgeschwader 2 was formed from parts of Jagdgeschwader 131 Richthofen on 1 May 1939 in Döberitz and its first commander was Oberst Robert Ritter von Greim. At the outbreak of the war JG 2 was tasked with defence of the Reich and based in the Berlin area under Luftgaukommando III. Stab and II. Gruppe were equipped with the Bf 109E and were located at Döberitz with 10.(N) staffel flying the Bf 109D in Straussberg.

10.(N) Staffel was one of the first night fighter units formed in the Luftwaffe. Later this staffel was expanded into IV.(N) Gruppe. This Gruppe gained the Luftwaffe’s first night kill over the RAF Bomber Command on the night of 25/26 on April 1940 when Ofw Förster shot down a Handley Page Hampden.

The unit saw little combat until the Western offensive against France and the Low Countries from 10 May 1940 onwards. During the campaign against France, JG 2 was tasked with escorting raids and defending German airspace to the south of Heinz Guderian's Panzer forces which were encircling the French and the British Expeditionary Force further north. Leutnant Helmut Wick, who later became part of a trio of outstanding aces (including Adolf Galland from Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26) and Werner Mölders from Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51)) in the Battle of Britain, attained his first and the Geschwader's second kill on 22 November 1939, a French Curtiss Hawk Model 75. The first victory for the JG 2 was scored by Oberfeldwebel Kley (3. Staffel) at the same day.

JG 2 took part in the Battle of Britain, operating Bf 109Es over the South Coast of England and the English Channel from bases in Cherbourg and Normandy. Major Helmut Wick emerged as one of the Battle’s top Luftwaffe aces, claiming 31 kills for a personal total of 56, before being killed (MIA) in action versus Spitfires of No. 609 Squadron in November 1940. Wick was seen to bail out successfully but was not found by German Air/Sea Rescue attempts. The Spitfire who dispatched him was immediately shot down by Oberleutnant Rudolf Pflanz. Ofw. Schnell, Ofw. Machold and Olt. Hans Assi Hahn also claimed heavily during this period, with 16 kills each. Some 42 JG 2 pilots were killed or made POW during the battle.

JG3


Country : Germany
'Ace of Hearts'

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of JG3
JG3

Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3) Udet was a Luftwaffe fighter-wing of World War II. The Geschwader operated on all the German fronts in the European Theatre of World War II. It was named after Ernst Udet in 1942.

Commanders of IV./JG 3

Major Franz Beyer, 1. June 1943
Hauptmann Heinz Lang , 11 February 1944
Major Friedrich-Karl Müller, 26 February 1944
Hauptmann Heinz Lang , 11 April 1944
Major Wilhelm Moritz, 18 April 1944
Hauptmann Hubert-York Weydenhammer, 5 December 1944
Major Erwin Bacsila, 5 January 1945
Oberleutnant Oskar Romm, 17 February 1945
Hauptmann Gerhard Koall, 25 April 1945
Hauptmann Günther Schack, 1 Mai 1945

Known Victory Claims - Wilhelm Balthasar

DATE

PILOT

UNIT

JG

CLAIMED

LOCATION

TIME

FRONT

20/01/1937Oblt. Wilhelm BalthasarJ/88Rata--Spanish Civil War
20/01/1938Oblt. Wilhelm Balthasar1J/88Rata--Spanish Civil War
07/02/1938Oblt. Wilhelm Balthasar2J/88SB-2--Spanish Civil War
07/02/1938Oblt. Wilhelm Balthasar2J/88SB-2--Spanish Civil War
07/02/1938Oblt. Wilhelm Balthasar2J/88SB-2--Spanish Civil War
07/02/1938Oblt. Wilhelm Balthasar2J/88SB-2--Spanish Civil War
11/05/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1GladiatorRaum Maastricht6.55Western Front
11/05/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1GladiatorRaum Maastricht-Western Front
11/05/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1GladiatorRaum Maastricht6.58Western Front
11/05/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1MoraneW. Maastricht19.51Western Front
13/05/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1HurricaneJodoigne6.15Western Front
17/05/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1CurtissCompiègne13.55Western Front
19/05/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1LysanderAmiens13.5Western Front
23/05/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1HurricaneDouai14.1Western Front
23/05/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1HurricaneDouai14.2Western Front
23/05/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1HurricaneDouai14.4Western Front
26/05/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1SpitfireRaum Calais-Western Front
26/05/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1SpitfireRaum Calais10.03Western Front
05/06/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1LeO 451Montdidier10.4Western Front
05/06/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1Potez 63Nesle10.48Western Front
05/06/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1LeO 451Nesle10.5Western Front
05/06/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1Morane 406Roye21.2Western Front
05/06/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1Morane 406Roye21.3Western Front
06/06/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1Morane 406Roye16.4Western Front
06/06/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1LeO 451Roye16.5Western Front
06/06/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1LeO 451Roye16.55Western Front
06/06/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1LeO 451Ham17.05Western Front
13/06/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1Potez 63Provins17.5Western Front
13/06/1940Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar1JG 1BlenheimSézanne18.2Western Front
04/09/1940Hptm. Wilhelm BalthasarStab III.JG 3SpitfireSE London11Western Front
23/09/1940Hptm. Wilhelm BalthasarStab III.JG 3SpitfireS. Chatham11.06Western Front
23/09/1940Hptm. Wilhelm BalthasarStab III.JG 3SpitfireN. Cap Gris Nez11.2Western Front
27/09/1940Hptm. Wilhelm BalthasarStab III.JG 3Spitfire-14.25Western Front
29/10/1940Hptm. Wilhelm BalthasarStab III.JG 3Spitfire-16.4Western Front
29/10/1940Hptm. Wilhelm BalthasarStab III.JG 3Spitfire-16.45Western Front
17/05/1941Major Wilhelm BalthasarStabJG 2SpitfireÄrmelkanal18.55Western Front
19/05/1941Major Wilhelm BalthasarStabJG 2BlenheimS. Insel Wight20.2Western Front
22/06/1941Major Wilhelm BalthasarStabJG 2Blenheim-16Western Front
22/06/1941Major Wilhelm BalthasarStabJG 2Blenheim-16.02Western Front
23/06/1941Major Wilhelm BalthasarStabJG 2Blenheim10km N. Dünkirchen20.33Western Front
23/06/1941Major Wilhelm BalthasarStabJG 2Blenheim10km N. Dünkirchen20.3Western Front
24/06/1941Major Wilhelm BalthasarStabJG 2Spitfire-20.5Western Front
25/06/1941Major Wilhelm BalthasarStabJG 2Spitfire-13Western Front
25/06/1941Major Wilhelm BalthasarStabJG 2Spitfire-16.45Western Front
27/06/1941Major Wilhelm BalthasarStabJG 2Blenheim-22.07Western Front
27/06/1941Major Wilhelm BalthasarStabJG 2Spitfire-22.03Western Front

Known Claims : 46

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