4 September 2006(2006-09-04) (aged 84) Santiago de Cali, Colombia
Allegiance
Nazi Germany Colombia
Service/branch
Luftwaffe
Colombian Air Force (Post-war)
Years of service
1940–1945
Rank
Oberleutnant (first lieutenant)
Unit
JG 3, JG 54
Commands held
7./JG 54
Battles/wars
See battles
World War II
Defense of the Reich
Eastern Front
Awards
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Other work
Crop dusting
Gerhard Thyben (24 February 1922 – 4 September 2006) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe from 1940 until the end of World War II and later as an instructor with the Colombian Air Force. As a fighter ace, he claimed 157 enemy aircraft shot down in 385 combat missions, five of which over the Western Allies the other 152 were claimed on the Eastern Front.
Born in Kiel, Thyben volunteered for service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1940. After a period of training at various pilot and fighter pilot schools, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing), operating on the Eastern Front. He claimed his first aerial victory on 26 February 1943. In August 1943, his unit was transferred to Western Front where he claimed five aerial victories. In 1944, Thyben was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) which was based on the Eastern Front. In September 1944, Thyben was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of JG 54 and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for 116 aerial victories in December. Following his 156th aerial victory, he was injured in combat and received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves in April 1945.
Following World War II, Thyben left Germany and moved Spain, later to Argentina and then to Colombia where he worked for the Colombian Air Force as an instructor. He continued to pursue a career in civil aviation until his retirement. Thyben died on 4 September 2006 in Cali, Colombia.
GerhardThyben (24 February 1922 – 4 September 2006) was a German military aviator who served in the Luftwaffe from 1940 until the end of World War II...
Gerhard "Gerd" Barkhorn (20 March 1919 – 11 January 1983) was a German military aviator who was a renowned wing commander in the Luftwaffe during World...
two months, Hartmann claimed over 50 victories. In March 1944, Hartmann, Gerhard Barkhorn, Walter Krupinski and Johannes Wiese were summoned to Adolf Hitler's...
further 24 victories increasing his total to 124. On 2 August, Hauptmann Gerhard Homuth, the commander of I. Gruppe was wounded in combat. In consequence...
His Staffelkapitäns included Joachim Müncheberg, Wilhelm Balthasar and Gerhard Schöpfel. Balthasar, Staffelkapitän of 7. Staffel had mistakenly attacked...
respectively. On 14 September 1944, then again on 22 December 1944, GerhardThyben, Luftwaffe fighter pilot on the Eastern Front, twice became an ace in...
commander). In consequence, command of 4. Staffel was handed to Oberleutnant Gerhard Barkhorn. In Jesau, the Gruppe received many factory new Bf 109 F-4 aircraft...
(second lieutenant) on 1 August 1939. His classmates at Gatow included Gerhard Barkhorn and Julius Meimberg. Mayer was selected for specialized fighter...
the Messerschmitt Bf 109 E. At Merseburg, Krupinski met and befriended Gerhard Barkhorn and Willi Nemitz. On 1 February 1941, Krupinski was transferred...
ISSN 0376-6829. OCLC 698049952. Retrieved 24 December 2018. Von Seemen, Gerhard (1976). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 : die Ritterkreuzträger sämtlicher...
and had strong air cover. At this time, Graf was competing with Leutnant Gerhard Köppen of 7./JG 52 (with 72 victories) as the Gruppe’s top pilot. They...
Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-08-3. Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen...
together with Oberfeldwebel (Staff Sergeant) Herbert Schob and Oberleutnant Gerhard Böhmel, shot down a patrolling Lockheed Hudson reconnaissance aircraft...
which included Ihlefeld, Günther Lützow, Hannes Trautloft, Hermann Graf, Gerhard Michalski, Helmut Bennemann, Kurt Bühligen and Erich Leie, and their antagonist...
Wolf-Dietrich Wilcke (162) Hans-Joachim Marseille (158) Heinrich Sturm (158) GerhardThyben (157) Hans Beißwenger (152) Peter Düttmann (152) Gordon Gollob (150)...
the RLM in Berlin. In consequence of this decision, on 6 December, Major Gerhard Schöpfel, Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of III. Gruppe was appointed...
Flensburg to be captured by the British. In this battle, Lieutenant GerhardThyben shot down the Pe-2 of Davidenko and Grachyov, and other German pilots...
to achieve the century mark. On the morning of 17 April 1945, Leutnant Gerhard Bauer, Lambert, and another pilot were taking off from Kamenz for a mission...
Global Information
Nazi Germany
Colombia
Luftwaffe