8 November 1944(1944-11-08) (aged 23) Epe, Nazi Germany
Cause of death
Killed in action
Buried
Vienna Central Cemetery
Allegiance
Nazi Germany
Service/branch
Luftwaffe
Years of service
1939–44
Rank
Major (major)
Service number
NSDAP 6,382,781
Unit
JG 54, JG 101 and Kommando Nowotny
Commands held
I./JG 54, JG 101, Kommando Nowotny
Battles/wars
See battles
World War II
Eastern Front
Operation Barbarossa
Defense of the Reich †
Awards
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
Walter Nowotny (7 December 1920 – 8 November 1944) was an Austrian-born fighter ace of the Luftwaffe in World War II. He is credited with 258 aerial victories—that is, 258 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—in 442 combat missions. Nowotny achieved 255 of these victories on the Eastern Front and three while flying one of the first jet fighters, the Messerschmitt Me 262, in the Defense of the Reich. He scored most of his victories in the Focke-Wulf Fw 190, and approximately 50 in the Messerschmitt Bf 109.[1] Nowotny scored an "ace in a day" on multiple occasions, shooting down at least five airplanes on the same day, including two occurrences of "double-ace in a day" (scored at least ten kills) in mid-1943.
Nowotny joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 and completed his fighter pilot training in 1941, after which he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 54 "Grünherz" (JG 54) on the Eastern Front. Nowotny was the first pilot to achieve 250 victories – 194 in 1943 alone – earning him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds on 19 October 1943. For propaganda reasons, he was ordered to cease operational flying.
Reinstated to front-line service in September 1944, Nowotny tested and developed tactics for the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. He was credited with three victories in this aircraft type before being killed in a crash following combat with United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) fighters on 8 November 1944. It is thought his engine might have failed. After his death, the first operational jet fighter wing, Jagdgeschwader 7 "Nowotny", was named in his honour.[2]
WalterNowotny (7 December 1920 – 8 November 1944) was an Austrian-born fighter ace of the Luftwaffe in World War II. He is credited with 258 aerial victories—that...
created and first commanded by WalterNowotny, from whom it drew its name. Kommando Nowotny (Kdo. Nowotny—Commando Nowotny) was formed on 26 September 1944...
victories). Notable pilot aces (Experten) that flew with JG 54 included WalterNowotny, Walter Boerner,Otto Kittel, Hans-Ekkehard Bob, Max-Hellmuth Ostermann,...
Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7) Nowotny was a Luftwaffe fighter wing during World War II and the first operational jet fighter unit in the world. It was created...
Stopford. Major WalterNowotny was assigned as commander after the death of Thierfelder in July 1944, and the unit redesignated Kommando Nowotny. Essentially...
and again three Yak-7 fighters on 28 April. Barkhorn thus surpassed WalterNowotny who at the time was credited with 256 aerial victories. On 25 May, Barkhorn...
Max Stotz claimed ten Soviet aircraft shot down on 30 December 1942. WalterNowotny, the first fighter pilot to claim 250 aerial victories, twice shot down...
out of disciplinary reasons. His three-roommates at the school were WalterNowotny, Paul Galland, the brother of Adolf Galland, and Peter Göring, a nephew...
ace WalterNowotny took off with a force of Me 262s in an overcast to engage a USAAF raid. Galland listened over the radio then watched as Nowotny's aircraft...
WalterNowotny (7 December 1920 – 8 November 1944) was an Austrian-born fighter ace of the Luftwaffe in World War II. He is credited with 258 aerial victories—that...
Kleinheisterkamp August Krakau Hans Kreysing Karl von Le Suire Fanni Luukkonen WalterNowotny Friedrich Paulus Georg Radziej Elisabeth Rehn Herbert Rieckhoff August...
composer Karl Eugen Neumann (1865–1915), European pioneer of Buddhism WalterNowotny (1920–1944), World War II Luftwaffe pilot Georg Wilhelm Pabst (1885–1967)...
School) in Wien-Schwechat where he befriended WalterNowotny. At the JFS 5, his roommates were Nowotny, Walter Krupinski, and Peter Göring, a nephew of the...
Jagdgeschwader 7 "Nowotny" (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing) "Nowotny" was the first operational jet fighter wing in the world and was named after WalterNowotny, who was...
1943, Rademacher joined Schwarm, flight of four aircraft, headed by WalterNowotny, the most successful fighter pilot team in the Luftwaffe. In September...
267 Top Focke-Wulf Fw 190 ace Killed in action on 16 February 1945. WalterNowotny † Germany Luftwaffe 258 Double-ace in a day on two different occasions...
lived here Benno Mengele (1898–1971), electrical engineer, born here WalterNowotny, (1920-1944), Luftwaffe officer, lived here Peter Härtling, (born 1933)...
aerial victories. JG 7 "Nowotny" was the first operational jet fighter wing in the world and was named after WalterNowotny, who was killed in action...
Walter "Gulle" Oesau (28 June 1913 – 11 May 1944) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. A fighter ace, he served in the Luftwaffe from 1934 until...
his students became some of the most successful aces of World War II: WalterNowotny (258 victories) and Hans-Joachim Marseille (158 victories). Their ability...
Scott Speicher Stanisław Skalski Tetsuzō Iwamoto Władysław Turowicz WalterNowotny Werner Mölders Rashid Minhas Abhinandan Varthaman Yekaterina Budanova...
Global Information
Nazi Germany
Luftwaffe