World War II in Pictures
James Bjorkman
Luftwaffe aces of World War II.
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Wilhelm-Ferdinand "Wutz" Galland (23 October 1914 – 17 August 1943) of JG 26. Wutz was killed in action during the Schweinfurt-Regensburg mission. It was a tremendous loss for the Luftwaffe, as he was one of the most well-known of the pilots in the West. When he was in the air, his mates would cry "Wutz! Wutz!" over the radio whenever he scored a victory. The Allies thought this was some kind of code.Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (16 February 1922 – 15 July 1950) was a German Luftwaffe night fighter pilot and is the highest-scoring night fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare. All of his 121 victories were claimed during World War II at night, mostly against British four-engine bombers, which were considered the ultimate targets. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds on 16 October 1944, Germany's highest military decoration at the time. He was nicknamed "The Spook of St. Trond" and truly was one of the most valuable men in the Luftwaffe.The top "Spitfire killer " Oberst Josef "Pips" Priller. Pips was the most successful Luftwaffe pilot in battles with Spitfires, claiming at least 68 of them. Josef “Pips” Priller flew 1,307 combat missions to achieve 101 victories. All his victories were recorded over the Western Front and include 11 four-engine bombers. The spectacular aerial invasion beach footage from "The Longest Day" was a fictional shot from his aircraft during a real-life heroic pass over the beaches on the morning of 6 June 1944 - the only Luftwaffe appearance over the invasion beaches that day. Here's a nod to the men who really made it all possible. Pictured: Erich “Bubi” Hartmann and Heinz “Bimmel” Mertens: "There were so many good friends but my closest relationship was with Heinz “Bimmel” Mertens my crew chief. You rely on your wingmen to cover you in the air, and your teammates in an aerial battle, but the man who keeps your machine flying and safe is the most important man you know. We became best of friends, and none of my success would have been possible if not for Mertens." Erich Alfred "Bubi" HartmannAdolf Galland, who was highly respected but also considered a bit of a dandy by his fellow pilots. Here, he is wearing an Irvin jacket. He got his 104 victories the hard way, on the Western Front, the last few in a Me 262 jet. He was one of the first jet aces.