Otto Kittel
| Otto Kittel | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
21 February 1917 Kronsdorf, Sudetenland |
| Died | 14 or 16 February 1945 (aged 27) Džūkste, Latvia |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch | Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1939–45 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant |
| Unit | JG 54 |
| Commands held | 2./JG 54 EJGr Ost |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords |
Otto Kittel (21 February 1917 – 14 or 16 February 1945) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. He flew 583 combat missions on the Eastern Front, claiming 267 aerial victories, making him the fourth highest scoring ace in aviation history according to authors John Weal and Jerry Scutts. Kittel claimed all of his victories against the Red Air Force.
Kittel joined the Luftwaffe in 1939, and, in spring 1941, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54) supporting Army Group North on the Eastern Front. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 October 1943, for reaching 120 aerial victories. During the remainder of World War II, Kittel was credited with 144 more aerial victories and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. He was shot down by Soviet aircraft and killed in February 1945. Kittel was the most successful German fighter pilot to be killed in action.
Kittel was born on 21 February 1917 in Sudeten Silesia, Austria-Hungary. After working briefly as an auto mechanic, Kittel joined the Luftwaffe in 1939. Kittel married his fiancé, Edith, in June 1942; the couple had a son, born in 1945.
Kittel's first operations were air superiority missions in support of the German invasion of Yugoslavia, including the bombing of Belgrade. For Operation Barbarossa, JG 54 was moved to East Prussia, in early June 1941. The unit supported Army Group North in its advance through the Baltic states towards Leningrad. On 24 June 1941, Kittel claimed his first two aerial victories, two Tupolev SB-2 bombers. His tally had risen to 19 by May 1942. On 19 February 1943, Kittel achieved his 39th victory.
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