Wilhelm Balthasar

Wilhelm Balthasar (2 February 1914 – 3 July 1941) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II.

As a fighter ace, he is credited with seven aerial victories during the Spanish Civil War and further 40 aerial victories on the Western Front of World War II.

He flew about 300 combat missions during World War II in addition to 465 in Spain.

Born in Fulda, Balthasar grew up in the Weimar Republic.

Balthasar was born on 2 February 1914 in Fulda, Hesse-Kassel.

He was the son of forester August Balthasar who on 25 October 1914 was killed in action as a Hauptmann on the Western Front of World War I. In 1933, Balthasar joined the Reichswehr with Artillerie Regiment 3, an artillery regiment of the 3rd Division.

Following graduation from school, he volunteered for military service in the Reichswehr in 1933.

Initially serving with the Army, he transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1935.

During the Spanish Civil War, he volunteered for service in the Condor Legion.

In 1935, he transferred to the Luftwaffe and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 20 April 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 in mid-October 1936, Balthasar served with Kampfgruppe K/88 and Aufklärungsgruppe A/88 flying bomber and reconnaissance missions in Junkers Ju 52 and Heinkel He 70.

On 16 March, he made a forced landing at Almorox following combat damage sustained by his He 70.

Balthasar was also involved in the testing of the Heinkel He 112 V4 under combat conditions.

In Spain, he claimed his first aerial victory on 20 January 1937.

For his service in Spain, he was decorated with the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds.

On 20 January 1937, he was credited with his first aerial victory when he shot down a Spanish Republican Air Force Polikarpov I-16 on 20 January 1937.

During the Battle of Alfambra, Balthasar claimed four Tupolev SB bombers shot down.

Balthasar flew 465 missions in Spain and returned to Germany on 23 March 1938.

For his service in Spain, he was awarded the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds (Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten).

He then served at the Jagdfliegerschule (fighter pilot school) in Werneuchen.

On 1 August 1938, Balthasar was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 1.

Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 130 (JG 130–130th Fighter Wing) on 1 November and was again renamed on 1 May 1939 and was referred to 1.

Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 1 (JG 1–1st Fighter Wing) from then on.

In early 1939, Balthasar, together with Rolf Kaldrack and Anhäuser, flew a Siebel Fh 104 Hallore twin-engined transport aircraft on one of the longest flights to Africa, covering 40000 km. In mid-August 1939, 1.

Staffel of JG 1 was ordered to move from Jesau, near present-day Bagrationovsk, to Schippenbeil, present-day Sępopol, in preparation for the German Invasion of Poland.

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

On 6 September, I. Gruppe (1st group) of JG 1, to which 1.

On 23 September 1939, Balthasar received the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse).

He was promoted to Hauptmann (captain) on 1 December 1939.

During World War II, Balthasar claimed his first victory on 11 May 1940 during the Battle of France.

Balthasar emerged as Germany's leading fighter pilot of the Battle of France and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 14 June 1940.

In September 1940, Balthasar was given command of III.

Gruppe (3rd group) of Jagdgeschwader 3 (JG 3–3rd Fighter Wing) which was fighting in the Battle of Britain.

Staffel was subordinated, was withdrawn and ordered to Lübeck-Blankensee and then on 15 September to Vörden where the unit stayed until January 1940.

There, the Gruppe flew fighter protection during the "Phoney War" on the German border to the Netherlands.

In February 1941, he was appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" (JG 2–2nd Fighter Wing) and claimed his 40th aerial victory during World War II on 27 June.

For this achievement he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II, on 2 July 1941.

The next day, Balthasar was killed in action near Saint-Omer, France.

Staffel (1st squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 131 (JG 131–131st Fighter Wing), this unit became 1.