Otto Weßling

Otto Weßling
Born	23 September 1913 Bad Harzburg
Died	19 April 1944(1944-04-19) (aged 30) Eschwege
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1937–1944
Rank	Hauptmann der Reserves
Unit	JG 3
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France Operation Barbarossa Italian Campaign Defense of the Reich †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

The title of this article contains the character ß. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Otto Wessling.

Otto Weßling (23 September 1913 – 19 April 1944) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. 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. Otto Weßling claimed 83 victories, in 500 missions. Otto Weßling was shot down on 19 April 1944, and on 20 July 1944 was posthumously promoted to Hauptmann der Reserves and received the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross.

Awards

• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black
• German Cross in Gold (3 October 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
  • Knight's Cross on 3 September 1942 as Oberfeldwebel and Flugzeugführer 9. / Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"^[1]
  • 530th Oak Leaves on 20 July 1944 as Hauptmann der Reserves and Staffelkapitän 11./Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet"^[2]

References

Citations

1. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 360.
2. ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 72.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 - 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
• Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2.

External links

Military of Germany portal

• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Aces of the Luftwaffe

Persondata
Name	Wessling Otto
Alternative names
Short description	German fighter ace and Knight's Cross recipient
Date of birth	23 September 1913
Place of birth	Bad Harzburg, Germany
Date of death	19 April 1944
Place of death	Eschwege Germany