Wilhelm Batz

Infobox Military Person
name=Wilhelm Batz
lived=birth date|1916|5|21|df=y — death date and age|1988|9|11|1916|5|21|df=y
placeofbirth=Bamberg
placeofdeath=Mauschendorf in Unterfranken


caption=Wilhelm Batz
nickname=Willi
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (to 1945)
flagicon|West Germany West Germany
branch=Luftwaffe
serviceyears=1935-1945
rank=Major
commands= III./JG 52 (19 Apr 44 – 31 Jan 45)
II./JG 52 (1 Feb 45 – 8 May 45)
unit= JG 52
battles=World War II
*Operation Barbarossa
awards="Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords"
laterwork= Bundeswehr

Major Wilhelm "Willi" Batz (born 21 May 1916 in Bamberg – died 11 September 1988 in Mauschendorf in Unterfranken) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace. "Willi" Batz flew 445 combat missions and claimed 237 enemy aircraft shot down. 234 victories were achieved over the Eastern front, including at least 46 Il-2 Sturmoviks, but he did claim three victories, including one four-engine bomber over the Western front. He was wounded three times and was shot down four times.

World War II

Batz joined the Luftwaffe in 1935 and trained as a fighter pilot, becoming an instructor in 1937 at the flying school at Kaufbeuren and the fighter pilot school at Bad Aibling. Promoted Leutnant in November 1940, his applications for combat assignment were continually rejected. With some 5,000 flying hours Batz was finally transferred to 2./Ergänzung-Jagdgruppe Ost in December 1942. [Kurowski 1996, p. 173] . Batz was then transferred to II./JG 52. On March 11, 1943 Batz claimed his first victory, a Il-2 Sturmovik, while flying a mission over the Strait of Kerch [Kurowski 1996, p. 174] . He was appointed "Staffelkapitän" of 5./JG 52 in May 1943, and by September, he claimed 20 victories. By the end of 1943, Batz had 75 victories to his credit.

He recorded his 100th in late March 1944, and was awarded the "Ritterkreuz" on 26 March 1944. In April, Batz was appointed "Gruppenkommandeur", III./JG 52. In June his unit was moved to defend Rumanian targets against the Amercican 15th Air Force , and batz downed two P-51s and a B-24 at this time. Hauptmann Batz was awarded the "Eichenlaub" on 20 July for 188 victories, 200 being hit on 17 August 1944.

By the end of 1944 Batz had shot down 224 enemy aircraft. In February 1945 Batz was transferred to take command of II./JG 52, based in Hungary. Major Batz was awarded the "Schwertern" on 21 April 1945. At war’s end he was able to extricate his unit and men from Hungary and Austria back to Germany to surrender to American Forces. He was thus able to elude the prolonged Soviet captivity that befell the personnel of other two JG 52 Gruppen.

Awards

* Wound Badge in Silver
* Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (14 November 1943)
* Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "400"
* Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
* German Cross in Gold (28 Januar 1944)
* Iron Cross
** 2nd Class (11 March 1943)
** 1st Class (1 May 1943)
* Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
** Knight's Cross (26 March 1944)
** 526. Oak Leaves (20 July 1944)
** 145. Swords (21 April 1945)

References

* Berger, Florian. "Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges". Wien, Austria: Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2006. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Kurowski, Franz. "Luftwaffe Aces". J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc, 1996. ISBN 0-921991-31-2.
* Patzwall, Klaus D. & Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II". Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
* Weal, John, Aviation Elite Units "Jagdgeschwader 52 The Experten". Orsprey Publishing Limited, 2004. ISBN 1-84176-786-7.

External links

* [http://www.luftwaffe.cz/batz.html Wilhelm Batz @ Aces of the Luftwaffe]