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Theodor Weissenberger (21 December 1914 – 11 June 1950) was a German ''Luftwaffe'' military aviator during World War II and a fighter ace credited with 208 enemy aircraft shot down in 375 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed near the Arctic Ocean in the northern sector of the Eastern Front, but he also claimed 33 victories over the Western Front. He claimed eight of these victories over the Western Allies while flying the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Born in Mühlheim am Main in the German Empire, Weissenberger, who had been a glider pilot in his youth, volunteered for service in the ''Luftwaffe'' of the Third Reich in 1936. Following flight training, he was posted to the heavy fighter squadron of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) in 1941. He claimed his first aerial victory over Norway on 24 October 1941. After 23 aerial victories as heavy fighter pilot, he received the German Cross in Gold and was then posted to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing) in September 1942. There he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 13 November 1942 after 38 aerial victories. In June 1943, Weissenberger was appointed ''Staffelkapitän'' of 7. ''Staffel'' of JG 5. Following his 112th aerial victory, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 2 August 1943. He was appointed ''Staffelkapitän'' of 6. ''Staffel'' in September 1943 and in March 1944 he was given command of II. ''Gruppe'' of JG 5 which was operating in Defense of the Reich missions. In June 1944 he took command of I. ''Gruppe'' of JG 5 which defended against the Invasion of Normandy. Weissenberger claimed 25 aerial victories in this theater, which included his 200th victory on 25 July 1944. After conversion training to the Me 262 jet fighter, he was appointed commander of I. ''Gruppe'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 7 "Nowotny" (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing), the first operational jet fighter wing in the world, in November 1944. Promoted to ''Major'' (major), he took command of JG 7 "Nowotny" as a ''Geschwaderkommodore'' in January 1945, a position he held until the end of hostilities. He was killed in a car racing accident on 11 June 1950 at the Nürburgring. == Early life and career == Weissenberger, the son of a plant nursery owner, was born on 21 December 1914 in Mühlheim am Main in the Grand Duchy of Hesse of the German Empire.〔Stockert 1997, p. 277.〕 He had a brother Otto who also served as a pilot in ''Luftwaffe''.〔Stockert 1997, p. 279.〕 As a glider pilot with the German Air Sports Association (ドイツ語:''Deutscher Luftsportverband''), he made his maiden flight on 16 November 1935. On 20 July 1941 he logged his 645th flight as a glider pilot, in total 196 hours and 46 minutes of powerless flight. Most of these flights were made as an instructor over the Rhön Mountains, Silesia and Bavaria.〔 He joined the military service of the ''Luftwaffe'' with 2./''Flieger-Ersatz-Abteilung'' 14 (2nd Company of Flier Replacement Unit 14) in Detmold on 19 October 1936. There he was promoted to ''Feldwebel'' of the Reserves on 1 December 1940.〔 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「Theodor Weissenberger」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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