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Günther Lützow (4 September 1912 – 24 April 1945) was a German ''Luftwaffe'' military aviator during Spanish Civil War and World War II, a fighter ace credited with 110 enemy aircraft shot down in over 300 combat missions. He claimed 5 victories in Spain, the majority of his victories of World War II were claimed over the Eastern Front, with 20 over the Western Front, including two victories flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter and one four-engined bomber. Born in Kiel, Lützow volunteered for military service in the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic in 1931. In parallel, he was accepted for flight training with the ''Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule'', a covert military-training organization and at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school. Following flight training, he was posted to ''Jagdgeschwader'' "Richthofen" (Fighter Wing "Richthofen") in 1934. In 1937, he volunteered for service with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War where he was appointed ''Staffelkapitän'' of 2. ''Staffel'' (2nd squadron) of ''Jagdgruppe'' 88 (J/88—88th Fighter Group). From April–September 1937, he claimed five aerial victories. For his service in Spain he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds, Germany's highest decoration of the Spanish Civil War. After an assignment as fighter pilot instructor he was appointed ''Gruppenkommandeur'' (group commander) of I. ''Gruppe'' (1st group) of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 3 (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) following the outbreak of World War II on 3 November 1939. He led the ''Gruppe'' through the Battle of France and claimed his first victory of World War II on 14 May 1940. Lützow became ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (wing commander) of JG 3 on 21 August 1940. During the height of the Battle of Britain on 18 September 1940, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after 15 aerial victories in World War II. Lützow commanded JG 3 in the aerial battles of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. There, after 42 aerial victories of World War II, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 20 July 1941. Three months later, following his 92nd aerial victory of the war, Lützow was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 11 October 1941. On 24 October, he claimed victories 99–101 of World War II, the second fighter pilot after Werner Mölders to claim 100 aerial victories. From September to November 1941, he also served as acting commander of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing), replacing Friedrich Beckh who had been injured in combat until the position was filed in by Karl-Gottfried Nordmann. Subsequently he was instructed not to fly operationally anymore. Ignoring the order, he added two more victories before he was posted to the staff of ''General der Jagdflieger'' (General of Fighters) Adolf Galland serving as "Inspector of Day Fighters, East" on 11 August 1942. In July 1943, Lützow was tasked with commanding fighter operations in Italy. From September 1943 to March 1944, he led the 1. ''Jagd Division'' (1st Fighter Division), commanding all day and night fighter operations in north western Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. Lützow's role in the "Fighter Pilots Revolt" was considered mutiny by Hermann Göring and he exiled Lützow to Italy. In April 1945, he joined Galland's ''Jagdverband'' 44 (JV 44—44th Fighter Detachment). He was posted missing in action flying the Me 262 on 24 April 1945 while attempting to intercept a United States Army Air Forces B-26 Marauder raid near Donauwörth. His body was never recovered. ==Early life and career== Lützow was born on 4 September 1912 in Kiel, at the time the capitol of the Province of Schleswig-Holstein, a province of the Kingdom of Prussia. He was the third of five children of Friedrich Lützow, a naval officer, and his wife Hildegard, née Kinzel. He had an older brother, Werner, an older sister, Liselotte (Elisabeth Charlotte), a younger brother, Hildegard, and the youngest brother, Joachim. The family at the time lived at the Reventlouallee 23 on the west bank of the Kieler Förde. This was close to the German Imperial Naval Academy where his father attended a two-year Admiralty Staff training course. Following the outbreak of World War I, his father was posted to the staff of the ''Führer der Unterseeboote'' (Commander of Submarines) ''Fregattenkapitän'' (Frigate Captain) Hermann Bauer, and the family had to move to Wilhelmshaven. Lützow graduated with his ''Abitur'' on 31 March 1931 from the Schulpforta, a boarding school for academically gifted students. Unlike his brothers, who both pursued a naval career, Lützow joined the military service of the ''Reichswehr'' (Army of the Weimar Republic) following his graduation from school. This decision had been influenced by his mother's youngest brother, Eberhard Kinzel, at the time an officer in the ''Reichswehr'' and later General der Infantrie (General of the Infantry) in the ''Heer'' (German Army). On 7 April 1931 Lützow began his pilot training at the ''Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule'' (DVS—German Air Transport School) at Schleißheim. The DVS was headed by Karl Bolle, a World War I fighter pilot. His flight instructor was Wilhelm Stör, another World War I fighter pilot. He and 29 other trainees attended what was called ''Kameradschaft'' 31 (camaraderie of 1931), abbreviated "K 31". Among the members of "K 31" were future ''Luftwaffe'' staff officers Bernd von Brauchitsch, Wolfgang Falck, Günther Radusch and Hannes Trautloft. Lützow graduated from the DVS on 19 February 1932. In late September 1931, Lützow and three other students made a cross country flight from Schleißheim to Berlin. The flight was made with two two-seat Klemm Kl 26 training aircraft. Lützow, as the best air navigation student of his class, flew in the navigator position. In the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of World War I, the pilot was called "Emil" and the navigator was called "Franz". Since then, Lützow was nicknamed "Franz", alternatively by the diminutive "Franzl". From "K 31" Lützow and nine others were recommended for ''Sonderausbildung'' (special training) at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school. Following his return from flight training, Lützow joined 5. (''Preußisches'') ''Infanterie-Regiment'' (5th (Prussian) Infantry Regiment), at first in Greifswald (15 October 1932 – 31 January 1933) as a ''Offizieranwärter'' (officer candidate). There he completed his basic training. From 1 February – 31 March 1933, he served with 5. (''Preußisches'') ''Infanterie-Regiment'' in Stettin. He then attended the ''Kriegsschule'' (war school) in Dresden and was promoted to ''Leutnant'' (second lieutenant) on 1 October 1934. In 1935, he officially transferred to the newly formed ''Luftwaffe'', at first serving as a fighter pilot instructor at Schleißheim (8 March 1935 – 31 March 1936) and was then posted to II. ''Gruppe'' (2nd group) of ''Sturzkampfgeschwader'' 162 (StG 162—162nd Diver Bomber Wing) at Lübeck-Blankensee (1 April – 3 November 1936). In parallel, from 1 May to 1 November 1936, Lützow held the position of ''Staffeloffizier'' (squadron officer) with 4. ''Staffel'' (4th squadron) of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 132 "Richthofen" (JG 132—132nd Fighter Wing) at Jüterbog-Damm. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Günther Lützow」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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