Hubert Strassl

Hubert Straßl (24 May 1918 – 8 July 1943) was an Austrian-born German fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe and fought during World War II. He was credited with 67 aerial victories—that is, 67 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft—claimed in 221 combat missions. He was "ace-in-a-day" four times, shooting down five or more aircraft on a single day. On 8 July 1943, during the Battle of Kursk, Straßl was killed in aerial combat with Soviet fighters near Ponyri.

Career Straßl was born on 24 May 1918 at Linz, Austria. Following completion of flight and fighter pilot training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) in late 1941.

On 5 July 1943, he became a triple-ace in a day when he shot down 15 enemy aircraft in four missions south of Orel in Russia during the Battle of Kursk. Over the course of the three days, Straßl shot down 30 enemy aircraft. He was forced to bail out of his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4 (Werknummer 2351—factory number) following combat with a Lavochkin-Gorbunov-Gudkov LaGG-3 south of Ponyri on 8 July. His parachute failed to fully deploy and he fell to his death. On 12 November 1943, Straßl was awarded a posthumous Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross .

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Straßl was credited with 67 aerial victories. Spick also lists Straßl with 67 enemy aircraft shot down, claimed in 221 combat missions, all of which on the Eastern Front. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces – Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 67 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 47722". The Luftwaffe grid map 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 . These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area in size.

Chronicle of aerial victories Claim Date Time Type Location Claim Date Time Type Location – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Eastern Front — 1 May 1942 – 3 February 1943 1 6 July 1942 06:35 Pe-2 8 19 August 1942 18:37 Pe-2 PQ 47722 southwest of Rzhev 2 4 August 1942 12:25 Il-2 PQ 37832 northeast of Bely 9 19 August 1942 18:40 Pe-2 PQ 47762 southwest of Zubtsov 3 4 August 1942 17:07 Pe-2 northeast of Bely 10 19 August 1942 18:41 Pe-2 PQ 47762 southwest of Zubtsov 4 5 August 1942 11:58 LaGG-3 PQ 57782 southeast of Zubtsov 11 26 August 1942 06:10 LaGG-3 PQ 47824 east of Zubtsov 5 12 August 1942 09:45 Pe-2 PQ 47561 north of Rzhev 12 2 September 1942 08:50 Il-2 east-northeast of Sychyovka 6 13 August 1942 09:40 Pe-2 PQ 47562 north of Rzhev 13 26 November 1942 12:27 Il-2 PQ 46132 north of Konaja 7 19 August 1942 18:35 Pe-2 PQ 47583 west of Rzhev – 9. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Eastern Front — 4 February – June 1943 14 30 May 1943 16:15 Pe-2 PQ 35 Ost 64183 southeast of Belyov 17 2 June 1943 04:02 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63883 southeast of Zolotukhino 15 1 June 1943 16:40 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ot 63854 east-southeast of Zolotukhino 18 2 June 1943 04:10 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63782 southwest of Zolotukhino 16 1 June 1943 16:42 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63851 east-southeast of Zolotukhino 19 2 June 1943 07:35 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 62133 north-northeast of Kursk – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Eastern Front — June – 8 July 1943 20 6 June 1943 14:55 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63884 southeast of Zolotukhino 44♠ 5 July 1943 10:36 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63544 south-southeast of Trosna 21 6 June 1943 14:58 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63842 southeast of Zolotukhino 45♠ 5 July 1943 10:42 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 63542 south-southeast of Trosna 22♠ 8 June 1943 10:47 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63573 south-southeast of Trosna 46♠ 5 July 1943 10:46 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63551 west of Maloarkhangelsk 23♠ 8 June 1943 10:50 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63721 west of Zolotukhino 47♠ 5 July 1943 10:49 Boston PQ 35 Ost 63564 southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 24♠ 8 June 1943 10:51 Yak-1 PQ 35 Ost 63722 west of Zolotukhino 48♠ 5 July 1943 10:51 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63532 west of Maloarkhangelsk 25♠ 8 June 1943 19:04 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 64722 south of Telchje 49♠ 5 July 1943 18:24 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63562 southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 26♠ 8 June 1943 19:06 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 64751 northeast of Oryol 50♠ 5 July 1943 18:27 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63621 east-northeast of Maloarkhangelsk 27♠ 8 June 1943 19:17 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63171 west of Zmiyovka 51♠ 5 July 1943 18:31 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63551 west of Maloarkhangelsk 28 11 June 1943 10:58 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 64352 south-southeast of Belyov 52♠ 5 July 1943 18:33 Il-2 m.H. PQ 35 Ost 63522 west-northwest of Maloarkhangelsk 29 11 June 1943 11:05 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 64354 south-southeast of Belyov 53 6 July 1943 12:34 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63654 east-southeast of Maloarkhangelsk 30 11 June 1943 11:11 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 64382 northeast of Bolkhov 54 6 July 1943 12:37 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63652 east-southeast of Maloarkhangelsk 31 14 June 1943 08:12 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 64383 northeast of Bolkhov 55 6 July 1943 12:40 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63653 east-southeast of Maloarkhangelsk 32 20 June 1943 18:12 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 64643 north of Mtsensk 56 6 July 1943 19:35 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63582 southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 33 28 June 1943 07:06 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 635571 south-southeast of Trosna 57♠ 7 July 1943 04:20 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63751 west-southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 34 28 June 1943 07:08 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63581 southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 58♠ 7 July 1943 04:25 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 63527 west-northwest of Maloarkhangelsk 35 28 June 1943 07:15 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63592 south-southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 59♠ 7 July 1943 09:10 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63561 southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 36 30 June 1943 06:25 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 54121 south-southwest of Sukhinichi 60♠ 7 July 1943 09:24 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63583 southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 37 3 July 1943 17:38 Il-2 PQ 35 Ost 64521 north of Telchje 61♠ 7 July 1943 09:26 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63573 south-southeast of Trosna 38♠ 5 July 1943 03:48 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63651 east-southeast of Maloarkhangelsk 62♠ 7 July 1943 18:36 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63714vicinity of Zalegoshch 39♠ 5 July 1943 03:50 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63631 east-northeast of Maloarkhangelsk 63♠ 8 July 1943 12:20 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63387 southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 40♠ 5 July 1943 07:18 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63651 east-southeast of Maloarkhangelsk 64♠ 8 July 1943 12:25? Boston PQ 35 Ost 63675 41♠ 5 July 1943 07:25 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63613 northeast of Maloarkhangelsk 65♠ 8 July 1943 17:35 LaGG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63584 southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 42♠ 5 July 1943 07:28 MiG-3 PQ 35 Ost 63652 east-southeast of Maloarkhangelsk 66♠ 8 July 1943 17:50 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63582 southwest of Maloarkhangelsk 43♠ 5 July 1943 10:34 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63543 south-southeast of Trosna 67♠ 8 July 1943 17:51 La-5 PQ 35 Ost 63582 southwest of Maloarkhangelsk

Awards Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (22 July 1943) German Cross in Gold on 16 August 1943 as Feldwebel in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 51 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 12 November 1943 (posthumously) as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 8./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"