Werner Pichon-Kalau von Hofe was a Luftwaffe ace in WWII claiming a total of 21 aircraft. During his first successful mission during the Battle of Britain, he shot down three RAF Defiant turret fighters on July 19th 1940. Six of nine No. 141 Defiants were shot down that day with ten aircrew killed and it would be the only combat mission flown by the squadron during the battle. Their performance convinced the RAF that the turret fighter was not a viable concept during daylight.
Von Hofe would score three other victories over England, all of them Sptfires, before being transferred to the Eastern Front where he claimed the rest of his victories. An accomplished pilot who served as the Technical Officer for Jagdgeschwader 54 "Grünherz" he was also a keen amateur cameraman and this amateur footage is some of what he shot while serving with the squadron. He claimed five Soviet aircraft shot down in one day on March 16th 1942 and the following month he was shot down behind enemy lines but managed to evade capture. He would go on to survive the war and passed away on September 24th 1999.
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11 май 2024
