Wilhelm Batz (21 May 1916 – 11 September 1988) was a German Luftwaffefighter ace during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.[1] Batz flew 445 combat missions and claimed 237 enemy aircraft shot down. 234 of these victories were achieved over the Eastern Front, including at least 46 Ilyushin Il-2 ground-attack aircraft, but he did claim three victories, including one four-engine bomber, against the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) over the Ploieşti oil fields.
List of aerial victories claimed
According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Batz was credited with 237 aerial victories.[2] According to Spick, Batz was credited with 237 aerial victories claimed in 445 combat missions. Of this figure, 232 aerial victories were claimed on the Eastern Front and five over the Western Allies, including two four-engine bombers.[3] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 233 confirmed and eight unconfirmed aerial victories, numerically ranging from 1 to 233, omitting the 223rd claim. All these victories were claimed on the Eastern Front.[4] The authors Daniel and Gabor Horvath compared Soviet enemy loss reports to Batz's claims over Hungary. In the timeframe 13 to 19 March 1945, Batz claimed eight aerial victories, while the authors found seven matching Soviet losses, a corroboration of 88%.[5]
Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 34 Ost 85131". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km2). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.[6]
♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Batz an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.
– (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Batz did not receive credit.
? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Barbas, Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Balke, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.
! (exclamation mark) indicates that the authors Barbas, Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Balke, Bock, Mathews and Foreman disagree on the time of claim.
& (ampersand) indicates that the authors Barbas, Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Balke, Bock, Mathews and Foreman disagree on the date of claim.
* (asterisk) indicates that the authors Barbas, Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Balke, Bock, Mathews and Foreman disagree on the claimed aircraft type.
^This unconfirmed claim is not listed by Barbas,[13] nor by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike and Bock.[14].
^ abcdAccording to Mathews and Foreman this claim is unconfirmed.[64] Prien, Stemmer, Balke and Bock do not list this claim.[65]
^Prien, Stemmer, Balke and Bock list this claim is listed as his 214 aerial victory.[69] However, neither Barbas nor Mathews and Foreman list this claim.[70][71]
^Prien, Stemmer, Balke and Bock list this claim is listed as his 172nd aerial victory.[58] However, neither Barbas nor Mathews and Foreman list this claim.[59][64]
^This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[71] Barbas labeled this claim as Batz's 225th aerial victory, the same number he assigned to his second aerial victory claimed on 26 October 1944.[70]
^This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[71] Barbas labeled this claim as Batz's 226th aerial victory, the same number he assigned to his aerial victory claimed on 29 October 1944.[70]
^This claim is not listed by Mathews and Foreman.[71]
Barbas, Bernd (2005). Die Geschichte der II. Gruppe des Jagdgeschwaders 52 [The History of 2nd Group of Fighter Wing 52] (in German). ISBN978-3-923457-71-7.
Barbas, Bernd (2010). Die Geschichte der III. Gruppe des Jagdgeschwaders 52 [The History of 3rd Group of Fighter Wing 52] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN978-3-923457-94-6.
Horvath, Daniel; Horvath, Gabor (2022). Verified Victories: Top JG 52 Aces Over Hungary 1944–45. Warwick, UK: Helion & Company. ISBN978-1-915070-87-6.
Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2014). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 1 A–F. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN978-1-906592-18-9.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2012). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 12/II—Einsatz im Osten—4.2. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 12/II—Action in the East—4 February to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN978-3-942943-05-5.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Balke, Ulf; Bock, Winfried (2022). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 15/II—Einsatz im Osten—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 15/II—Action in the East—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Buchverlag Rogge. ISBN978-3-942943-28-4.