Josef Wurmheller

Josef "Sepp" Wurmheller (4 May 1917 – 22 June 1944) was a German Luftwaffe pilot during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 102 enemy aircraft shot down in over 300 combat missions.

He claimed the majority of his aerial victories over the Western Front, and nine over the Eastern Front.

Of his 93 victories over the Western Allies, at least 18–20 were four-engined bombers and 56 were against Supermarine Spitfire fighters.

Wurmheller was born on 4 May 1917 in Hausham in the Kingdom of Bavaria, a federated state of the German Empire.

After growing up on his uncle's farm at Schliersee, he spent four years working as a miner like his father.

On 30 September, elements of I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 53 encountered a formation of five Royal Air Force (RAF) Fairey Battle single-engined bombers in the vicinity of Saarbrücken during the early Phoney War period.

Wurmheller claimed his first victory during this encounter.

The Fairey Battle K9283, of No. 150 Squadron flown by Squadron Leader William MacDonald, was on an aerial reconnaissance mission in the area from Metzing to Saarbrücken and crash-landed at Écury-sur-Coole.

Born in Hausham, Wurmheller was a glider pilot in his youth, and volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1937.

He was also an enthusiastic glider pilot and in 1937 he volunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe.

Following training as a fighter pilot, Wurmheller, holding the rank of Unteroffizier (sergeant), was posted to 2.

Following flight training he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) in 1939.

He claimed his first aerial victory on the Western Front on 30 September 1939, a phase of World War II dubbed the Phoney War.

He then served as a flight instructor before returning to JG 53 for the Battle of Britain.

Staffel (2nd squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) in 1939.

World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland.

For this victory, Wurmheller received the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse) on 19 October 1939.

He was posted to the Jagdfliegerschule (fighter pilot school) at Werneuchen as an instructor in November 1939.

Following a tour as an instructor at the Luftwaffe fighter pilot school, Wurmheller returned to 5.

Staffel of JG 53 in June 1940.

During the Battle of Britain, he flew combat missions as a fighter pilot and as a fighter-bomber pilot.

He claimed four further victories in this campaign and was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse) on 16 October 1940.

He was shot down three times himself by RAF fighters and each time had to bail out.

On the third occasion, he was shot down in Messerschmitt Bf 109 E-4 (Werknummer 5242—factory number) at approximately 5:10 pm on 23 November over the English Channel and had to swim for four-and-a-half hours before he was rescued by a Schnellboot (E-boat) of the Kriegsmarine (Navy).

In June 1941 he participated in Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union.

He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 4 September 1941 after 32 victories.

Following another tour as fighter pilot instructor, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2—2nd Fighter Wing) operating on the Channel Front.

Hospitalized until March 1941, he returned to combat duty and claimed two Supermarine Spitfires shot down on 7 May 1941, his 9th and 10th victories.

Wurmheller's unit was subsequently transferred to the Eastern Front in preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, which began on 22 June 1941.

During Barbarossa he was deployed in the southern sector of the German advance.

He added nine victories—eight bombers and one Polikarpov I-16 "Rata" fighter—in this theater of operations.

His last victory on the Eastern Front, his 19th overall, was claimed on 15 July 1941.

Wurmheller was transferred back to the Channel Front on 20 July 1941.

Wurmheller claimed seven aerial victories during the Dieppe Raid on 19 August 1942 and after his 67th victory was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 1 October 1942.

In April 1943, Wurmheller was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 9.

Staffel (9th squadron) of JG 2 "Richthofen".

On 8 June 1944, two days after the Allied Invasion of Normandy, he was given command of III.

Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 2 "Richthofen".

He and his wingman were killed in a mid-air collision during combat near Alençon, France, on 22 June 1944.

Wurmheller was posthumously promoted to Major (major) and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 24 October 1944.