Wolfgang Böwing-Treuding

Wolfgang Böwing-Treuding (28 January 1922 – 11 February 1943) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. Böwing-Treuding was credited by Nazi propaganda with 46 aerial victories, all over the Eastern Front. He was killed by the Red Army ground-fire on 11 February 1943 and was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 24 March 1943.

Career Böwing-Treuding was born on 28 January 1922 in Hamburg, at the time a sovereign state of the Weimar Republic. Following flight training, Böwing-Treuding was posted to 8. Staffel (8th squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing), a squadron of III. Gruppe (3rd group) of JG 51.

On 10 August 1942, Böwing-Treuding was temporarily appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 11. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing). He replaced Oberleutnant Georg Seelmann who had been wounded in combat on 3 August. Böwing-Treuding held this position until 20 August when Oberleutnant Adolf Borchers was given official command of the Staffel. On 17 December, Böwing-Treuding was given command of 10. Staffel after its former commander, Leutnant Rolf Kickert, was killed in action.

On 11 February 1943, Böwing-Treuding was killed in action when his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-4 (Werknummer 5777—factory number) was hit and shot down by anti-aircraft artillery in a location northwest of Velikiye Luki. In consequence, command of 10. Staffel was passed to Oberleutnant Horst-Günther von Fassong. Posthumously, Böwing-Treuding was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 March 1943 for 46 aerial victories claimed.

Summary of career Aerial victory claims According to Obermaier, Böwing-Treuding was credited with 46 aerial victories. Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 46 aerial victory claims, all of which claimed on the Eastern Front.

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 47872". 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 – 8. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Operation Barbarossa — July 1941 1 13 July 1941 09:55 DB-3 2 29 July 1941 04:20 SB-3 – 12. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 –Operation Barbarossa — August – 5 December 1941 3 28 August 1941 13:00 SB-2 7 4 November 1941 08:55 DB-3 4 15 October 1941 07:21 I-61 8 5 November 1941 09:15 I-16 5 23 October 1941 14:25 I-61 9 4 December 1941 07:55 LaGG-3 6 24 October 1941 13:19 I-18 – 12. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Eastern Front — 6 December 1941 – 30 April 1942 10 17 December1941 13:30 I-61 14 21 March 1942 15:55 Pe-2 11 30 December1941 14:57 Pe-2 15 28 March 1942 13:40 Pe-2 12 8 January 1942 10:35 R-10 16 5 April 1942 12:21 Pe-2 13 18 January 1942 14:22 R-5 17 17 April 1942 08:54 Pe-2 – Stab IV. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Eastern Front — 1 May – 13 August 1942 18 5 June 1942 18:21 Il-2 23 5 August 1942 10:22 Il-2 PQ 47872 south of Zubtsov 19 6 July 1942 19:35 I-16 24 6 August 1942 18:54 Il-2 PQ 56381 20 1 August 1942 12:34 Il-2 PQ 46212 north-northeast of Konaja 25 9 August 1942 08:15 MiG-3 PQ 56144 21 2 August 1942 14:58 Pe-2 PQ 47564 north of Rzhev 26 13 August 1942 18:52 Il-2 PQ 56182 22 2 August 1942 17:35 Pe-2 PQ 47561 north of Rzhev – 11. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Eastern Front — 13 August – 16 December 1942 27 23 August 1942 14:42 Il-2 PQ 47594 32 10 September 1942 14:14 Pe-2 PQ 56541 28 2 September 1942 07:15 Il-2 northwest of Rzhev 33 13 September 1942 17:24 Il-2 PQ 45513 29 5 September 1942 11:21 Il-2 north-northwest of Rzhev 34 30 October 1942 09:25 Il-2 Puschyanik 30 7 September 1942 16:56 Pe-2 west of Rzhev 35 30 October 1942 09:27 Il-2 Kurino 31 10 September 1942 07:08 Pe-2 PQ 47843 36 30 October 1942 10:45 Il-2 Schogussowo – 10. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders" –Eastern Front — 17 December 1942 – 11 February 1943 37 17 December 1942 10:55 MiG-3 east of Ischewosew 42 6 January 1943 10:41 Pe-2 PQ 07583 38 17 December 1942 10:59 Il-2 east of Petruschino 43 6 January 1943 10:58 Pe-2 PQ 07594 39 29 December 1942 09:50 Il-2 PQ 07593 44 7 January 1943 12:09 Pe-2 PQ 07593 40 6 January 1943 08:50 Il-2 PQ 07593 45 26 January 1943 13:55 Pe-2 PQ 07892 41 6 January 1943 10:40 Pe-2 PQ 07714 46 3 February 1943 14:01 Pe-2 PQ 25462 west-northwest of Yelnya

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (13 September 1942) German Cross in Gold on 15 October 1942 as Leutnant in the II./Jagdgeschwader 51 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 March 1943 as Oberleutnant and as Staffelführer of the 10./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders".