Willy Kientsch

Willy Kientsch
Nickname(s)	"Willy"
Born	12 May 1921 Kißlegg
Died	29 January 1944 (aged 22) Würrich
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1940–44
Rank	Oberleutnant
Unit	JG 27
Battles/wars	World War II North African Campaign Italian Campaign Defense of the Reich †
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Wilhelm "Willy" Kientsch (12 May 1921 – 29 January 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. He was killed on 29 January 1944 when he became disorientated in Bf 109 G6 "Yellow 3" in a low cloud cover near Würrich, Germany and struck the ground and was killed. Willy Kientsch claimed 53 victories all over the Western Front. He was posthumously awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross on 20 July 1944.

Awards

• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (9 August 1943)
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold on 16 August 1943 as Leutnant in the 6./Jagdgeschwader 27^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 22 November 1943 as Leutnant and Staffelführer of the 6./Jagdgeschwader 27^{[2][Note 1]}
  • 527th Oak Leaves on 20 July 1944 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 6./Jagdgeschwader 27^[3][4]

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as pilot in the II./Jagdgeschwader 27.^[3]

References

Citations

1. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 227.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 255.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 440.
4. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 85.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• 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 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K [The Oak Leaves Bearers 1939–1945 Volume 1: A–K] (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht
• Aces of the Luftwaffe
• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945