Wilhelm Mayer

Wilhelm Mayer
Born	5 December 1917 Fürth
Died	4 January 1945(1945-01-04) (aged 27) near Emsland
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	?–1945
Rank	Leutnant
Unit	JG 26
Battles/wars	World War II Operation Donnerkeil Dieppe Raid Defense of the Reich Operation Market Garden
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Wilhelm Mayer (5 December 1917 – 4 January 1945) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. On 4 January 1945, Wilhelm Mayer was killed after being ambushed by RAF Spitfires near Emsland, Germany. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 12 March 1945. During his career he was credited with 27 aerial victories, all on the Western Front.

Awards

• Flugzeugführerabzeichen
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (31 March 1944)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold on 16 April 1944 as Feldwebel in the 7./Jagdgeschwader 27
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 12 March 1945 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 5./Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter"

References

Bibliography

• Caldwell, Donald L (1991). JG 26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe. Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1050-6.
• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.

External links

• Aces of the Luftwaffe
• World War 2 Awards.com