Walter Nowotny facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Walter Nowotny
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Nowotny being awarded by Hitler, 1943
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| Nickname(s) | Nowi |
| Born | 7 December 1920 Gmünd, Austria |
| Died | 8 November 1944 (aged 23) Epe, Nazi Germany |
| Cause of death | Killed in action |
| Buried |
Vienna Central Cemetery
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| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/ |
 Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1939–44 |
| Rank | Major (major) |
| Service number | NSDAP 6,382,781 |
| Unit | JG 54, JG 101 and Kommando Nowotny |
| Commands held | I./JG 54, JG 101, Kommando Nowotny |
| Battles/wars |
See battles
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| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds |
Walter Nowotny (born December 7, 1920 – died November 8, 1944) was an amazing pilot from Austria who flew for the Luftwaffe (the German air force) during World War II. He was known as a "fighter ace" because he shot down 258 enemy planes in 442 combat missions. Most of his victories (255) happened on the Eastern Front against the Soviet Union. He also shot down three planes while flying one of the very first jet fighters, the Messerschmitt Me 262.
Nowotny joined the Luftwaffe in 1939 and finished his pilot training in 1941. He then joined Jagdgeschwader 54 (a fighter wing) on the Eastern Front. He was the first pilot to reach 250 victories, with 194 of those happening in 1943 alone! Because of his incredible success, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds on October 19, 1943. After this, he was told to stop flying combat missions for a while, partly for propaganda reasons.
In September 1944, Nowotny returned to flying. He helped test and develop new ways to use the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. He shot down three more planes in this jet before he died in a crash on November 8, 1944. This happened after a fight with United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) fighters. People think his engine might have failed. After he died, a new jet fighter wing, Jagdgeschwader 7, was named in his honor.
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Growing Up
Walter Nowotny was born in Gmünd, a small town in Austria. His father, Rudolf Nowotny, worked for the railway. Walter had two brothers, Rudolf and Hubert, who became officers in the Wehrmacht (the German armed forces). Sadly, Hubert Nowotny died in the Battle of Stalingrad.
Walter's family moved a few times when he was young. He went to primary school and then a secondary school where he earned his diploma in May 1938. As a teenager, Walter loved sports. He played football for his school team and was good at javelin throw. He even visited the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. In October 1939, he joined the Luftwaffe. Nowotny had also joined the Nazi Party in 1938.
Joining the Luftwaffe
Nowotny started his military training in October 1939. He trained at different schools and was promoted several times. By July 1940, he was a Fähnrich, which is like a cadet officer. He finished his pilot training and earned his pilot badge in August 1940. He also trained as a fighter pilot at a school in Vienna, where he became friends with other future pilots.
Flying with Jagdgeschwader 54
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In December 1940, Nowotny joined Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54), a fighter wing. He was part of the 9th squadron, known as the "Devils' Squadron," where experienced pilots helped train him. He was promoted to Leutnant (Second Lieutenant) in April 1941.
On July 19, 1941, during his 24th mission, Nowotny shot down his first two enemy planes. However, he was also shot down in the same fight. He spent three days floating in a dinghy in the Gulf of Riga before finally reaching the Latvian coast. This experience was so important to him that he always wore the same trousers he had on during those three days for the rest of his combat career!
In 1942, Nowotny's number of victories grew quickly. On July 11, he shot down his 30th and 31st planes. On July 20, he shot down five planes in one day, which is called an "ace in a day." He did it again on August 2, shooting down seven planes. After reaching 56 aerial victories, he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on September 4. This award allowed him to go home to Vienna, where he saw his brother Hubert for the last time. In October, Nowotny became a Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of the 1st squadron of JG 54.
In January 1943, JG 54 started using the faster Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter plane. With this new aircraft, Nowotny's victories increased even more. He often shot down more than two planes a day for weeks! From February 1943, Nowotny and his friends Karl Schnörrer, Anton Döbele, and Rudolf Rademacher formed a team called the "chain of devils." This team was very successful, claiming 524 combined victories during the war.
Nowotny reached 100 victories on June 15, 1943, on his 344th mission. By August, he had shot down 49 planes in that month alone, bringing his total to 161 victories. On September 1, he shot down ten planes in two flights, reaching 183 victories. Just three days later, he had 189 victories, earning him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. By September 15, he had 215 victories, making him the highest-scoring pilot in the Luftwaffe at that time. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on September 22, 1943, from Adolf Hitler himself.
The Diamonds Award
Nowotny was promoted to Hauptmann (Captain) on September 21, 1943. On October 14, 1943, he became the first pilot to reach an incredible 250 victories after 442 combat missions. While celebrating, he received a phone call from Hitler, who told him he had been awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. This was a very rare and high honor, given to only 27 people.
Nowotny received the "Diamonds" award from Hitler on October 19, 1943. He then took a short break in Vienna before returning to his unit. He continued to fly, helping his wingman Karl Schnörrer get more victories. On November 11, his friend Anton Döbele died in a mid-air crash. The next day, Schnörrer was badly hurt after bailing out of his plane. Nowotny claimed his last two victories on the Eastern Front on November 15, 1943, bringing his total to 255 confirmed kills. After this, he was taken off combat duty and sent on a tour around Germany for propaganda purposes.
In April 1944, Nowotny was made commander of Jagdgeschwader 101 (JG 101) and also led a fighter pilot training school in France.
Kommando Nowotny and His Death
In September 1944, Nowotny was put in charge of a special unit called Kommando Nowotny. This unit flew the brand-new Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighters. They not only had to fight the enemy but also had to figure out how to use these new jets and develop new flying tactics. On October 7, Nowotny shot down a B-24 Liberator bomber, which was his first victory on the Western Front.
On November 8, 1944, Nowotny took off to fight a large group of enemy bombers. He was flying alone because his wingmen had problems or had to leave the fight. Nowotny reported that he had shot down a B-24 Liberator and a P-51 Mustang. Then, he said one of his engines was failing, and his last words were "I'm on fire" or "it's on fire."
It's not completely clear what caused his death. Some believe his engine failed, while others think he was shot down by American P-51 Mustang pilots. Witnesses saw his Me 262 jet dive straight down and crash near Epe.
Nowotny was given a state funeral in Vienna. He was buried in a special grave of honor at the Vienna Central Cemetery. However, in 2003, the city decided to remove the "honor" status from his grave after debates about honoring war heroes. His grave is sometimes visited by people with different political views.
A stone memorial was built at the crash site in Epe, which included parts of his jet. The original plaque said he "fell for the people and the fatherland." In August 2017, after much discussion, the plaque was replaced with new text that talks about remembering the victims of war and those who resisted the Nazis.
Walter Nowotny's Achievements
Aerial Victories
Walter Nowotny is officially credited with 258 aerial victories. He achieved 255 of these victories on the Eastern Front and three while flying the Me 262 jet fighter on the Western Front.
Awards and Honors
- Order of the Cross of Liberty 1st Class
- Ehrenabzeichen der finnischen Luftwaffe (Honor Badge of the Finnish Air Force)
- Combined Pilots-Observation Badge in Gold with Diamonds
- Eastern Front Medal
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Fighter Pilots in Gold with pennant "400"
- Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on July 20, 1942
- Wound Badge (1939) in Black
- Vienna's city ring of honor (January 11, 1944)
- Iron Cross (1939)
- 2nd Class (July 23, 1941)
- 1st Class (August 19, 1941)
- German Cross in Gold on August 21, 1942
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds
- Knight's Cross on September 4, 1942
- 293rd Oak Leaves on September 4, 1943
- 37th Swords on September 22, 1943
- 8th Diamonds (October 19, 1943)
Promotions
| July 1, 1940: | Fähnrich (Cadet Officer) |
| April 1, 1941: | Leutnant (Second Lieutenant) |
| February 1, 1943: | Oberleutnant (First Lieutenant) |
| September 21, 1943: | Hauptmann (Captain) |
| September 1, 1944: | Major (Major) |
See also
In Spanish: Walter Nowotny para niños
