Kurt Bühlingen

=Kurt Bühligen=

Infobox Military Person
name=Kurt Bühligen
lived=birth date|1917|12|13|df=y — death date and age|1985|8|11|1917|12|13|df=y
placeofbirth=Granschütz, Province of Saxony
placeofdeath= Nidda, Hesse


caption=Kurt Bühligen
nickname=
allegiance=flagicon|Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
branch=Luftwaffe
serviceyears=1936-1945
rank=Oberstleutnant
commands= 4./JG 2, II./JG 2, JG 2
unit=JG 2
battles=World War II
*Battle of Britain
*North African campaign
awards="Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords"
laterwork=

Kurt Bühligen (13 December 1917 – 11 August 1985) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe from 1936 until early 1945.

He initially joined the Luftwaffe as a mechanic, before transferring to flying training during 1938-39. In July 1940 he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 2 as an Unteroffizier pilot.Bühligen scored his first kill in September 1940 and was awarded the" Ritterkreuz" a year later after 20 further claims.

In December 1942 Bühligen served with II/JG 2 in Tunisia and North Africa, claiming some 40 Allied kills before returning to Europe in March 1943. By March 1944 he had scored 96 kills and was now a Major in command of II/JG 2. After 12 more kills Bühligen led JG 2 in carrying out operations against the Soviet advance on the Eastern Front. In early 1945, now "Kommodore" of JG 2, an engine failure caused Bühligen to be taken prisoner by the Soviets, being finally released in 1950.

He shot down some 112 enemy aircraft in over 700 operations, becoming the fourth highest Luftwaffe scorer against the Western Allies. All his victories were claimed over the Western Front and North Africa and included 47 Spitfires and 46 USAAF victims; 13 P-38, 9 P-47 and 24 four-engine bombers. He was shot down on 3 occasions. His final command was Geschwaderkommodore of the JG 2 fighter wing.

Awards

* Wound Badge in Silver
* Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (24 July 1941)
* Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "700"
* Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
* German Cross in Gold (25 June 1943)
* Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
* Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
** Knight's Cross (4 September 1941)
** 413. Oak Leaves (2 March 1944)
** 88. Swords (14 August 1944)

References

*cite web | title=Lexikon der Wehrmacht| work= Kurt Bühligen| url=http://www.lexikon-der-wehrmacht.de/Personenregister/BuehlingenK-R.htm| accessdate=16 March| accessyear=2007
* Berger, Florian, "Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges". Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2006. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II". Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.