Wilhelm Balthasar
| Wilhelm Balthasar | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
2 February 1914 Fulda |
| Died | 3 July 1941 (aged 27) KIA – near Saint-Omer, France |
| Buried at | German war cemetery at Illies, France |
| Allegiance |
 Nazi Germany
|
| Service/branch |
 Luftwaffe
|
| Years of service | 1933–41 |
| Rank | Major |
| Unit |
Condor Legion JG 1, JG 27, JG 3, JG 2 |
| Commands held | JG 2 |
| Battles/wars |
|
| Awards |
Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub |
Major Wilhelm Balthasar (2 February 1914 – 3 July 1941) was a German World War II Luftwaffe flying ace, commander of Jagdgeschwader 2 (JG 2) and a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Legally it was Germany's highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to Wilhelm Balthasar.
During his Luftwaffe career, Wilhelm Balthasar was credited with 47 victories, including 7 in the Spanish Civil War, and 13 destroyed on the ground. Between 1939 and 1941 he flew about 300 combat missions in addition to 465 in Spain.
Balthasar was born in Fulda, Hesse-Kassel. Like his father, who was killed in action on Western Front in World War I, Wilhelm served in the Reichswehr as an artillery officer from 1933 until his transfer to the Luftwaffe in 1935. In November 1936, he volunteered to join Sonderstab W, named after its commander General Helmuth Wilberg, for deployment in the Spanish Civil War.
Following his arrival in Spain, Balthasar served with Kampfgruppe K/88 and Aufklärungsgruppe A/88 flying bomber and reconnaissance missions in Junkers Ju 52 and Heinkel He 70. On 23 November 1936, he brought back information that enabled German forces to successfully bomb the port city of Cartagena and also gained his first victory when he shot down a Spanish Republican Air Force I-16 on 20 January 1937.
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