| Bühlingen, Kurt
- German Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Iron Cross EK I & II |
|
| Rank:
Major |
| Date
of Award: August 14, 1944 |
| Cross
Class: German Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Iron Cross EK I & II |
| Branch
of Service: Luftwaffe |
Description
of Action: Kurt Bühligen (13 December 1917 – 11 August 1985) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1936 until early 1945.
He initially joined the Luftwaffe as a mechanic, before transferring to flying training during 1938-39. In July 1940 he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2) as an Unteroffizier pilot.Bühligen scored his first kill in September 1940 and was awarded the Ritterkreuz a year later after 20 further claims.
In December 1942 Bühligen served with II/JG 2 in Tunisia and North Africa, claiming some 40 Allied kills before returning to Europe in March 1943. By March 1944 he had scored 96 kills and was now a Major in command of II/JG 2. After 12 more kills Bühligen led JG 2 in carrying out operations against the Soviet advance on the Eastern Front. In early 1945, now Geschwaderkommodore of JG 2, an engine failure caused Bühligen to be taken prisoner by the Soviets, being finally released in 1950.
He shot down some 112 enemy aircraft in over 700 operations, becoming the fourth highest Luftwaffe scorer against the Western Allies. All his victories were claimed over the Western Front and North Africa and included 47 Spitfires and 46 United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) victims; 13 P-38, 9 P-47 and 24 four-engine bombers. He was shot down on 3 occasions. His final command was Geschwaderkommodore of the JG 2 fighter wing. Ref Wikipedia |
| Mini
Biography: |
| http://www.ww2awards.com/person/28779 |
| From:
Second World War Award Winners |
| Listing
Date: May 1, 2009 |
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