Wilhelm Balthasar

Who was Wilhelm Balthasar?

Major Wilhelm Balthasar was a German World War II Luftwaffe flying ace, commander of Jagdgeschwader 2 and a winner of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. 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. Legally it was Germany's highest military decoration at the time of its presentation to Wilhelm Balthasar.

A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. During his Luftwaffe career, Wilhelm Balthasar was credited with 47 victories—including 7 in the Spanish Civil War—and 13 aircraft on the ground. Between 1939 and 1941 he flew about 300 combat missions in addition to 465 he flew in Spain.