Josef Priller
Josef "Pips" Priller was a German military aviator and wing commander in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 101 enemy aircraft shot down in 307 combat missions. All of his victories were claimed over the Western Front, including 11 four-engine bombers and at least 68 Supermarine Spitfire fighters.
Priller joined the military service in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany in 1935. Initially serving in the Army, he transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1936. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 334 and then to Jagdgeschwader 51 on 1 May 1939. On 1 September 1939, the day when Germany invaded Poland, he was appointed squadron leader of the 6. Staffel of JG 51. He flew in the Battle of France and claimed his first aerial victory on 28 May 1940. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in October 1940 following his 20th aerial victory which he claimed during the Battle of Britain.
In November 1940, Priller was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" and was given command of the 1st Squadron. In June and July 1941 he accounted for a further 20 victories, earning him the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 19 October 1941. Priller was appointed group commander of the III. Gruppe of JG 26 "Schlageter" on 6 December 1941. He claimed his 70th victory on 5 May 1942. Priller became wing commander of JG 26 "Schlageter" on 11 January 1943. During the Allied Invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944 he flew one of the few Luftwaffe missions against the Allied beachhead that day. Priller claimed his 100th victory on 15 June 1944. For this achievement he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. During Operation Bodenplatte on 1 January 1945, Priller led an attack on the Allied airfields at Brussels-Evere and Brussels-Grimbergen. On 31 January 1945 Priller was appointed Inspekteur der Jagdflieger West and ceased operational flying. He held this position until the end of the war in May 1945.
Following the war, Priller managed the family brewery and farming business. He died in 1961.
Early life and career
Priller, who was nicknamed Pips since his early youth, was born on 27 July 1915 in Ingolstadt in the Kingdom of Bavaria, a state of the German Empire. After he graduated with his Abitur he joined the military service of the Wehrmacht as a Fahnenjunker with Infantry-Regiment 20 in Amberg of the 10th Infantry Division on 1 April 1935. Against the will of his battalion commander he transferred to the Luftwaffe as an Oberfähnrich on 1 October 1936. He then received flight training at the pilot school in Salzwedel. On 1 April 1937, he was promoted to Leutnant.Following flight training, Priller was posted to the Jagdgruppe Wiesbaden, this unit was later designated I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 334 and then became I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 133 on 1 November 1938. He was then transferred to Bad Aibling, serving with I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 135, a unit which on 1 May 1939 formed I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 51 and was commanded by Major Max Ibel. With JG 51, he served as the Nachrichtenoffizier of I. Gruppe. In July 1939, he was posted to I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 71, which on 1 November was renamed to II. Gruppe of JG 51. Priller was promoted to Oberleutnant on 1 September 1939.
World War II
World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. At the time, II. Gruppe of JG 51 was based at Fürstenfeldbruck and still in its infancy of creation. It was made up of three Staffeln and according to the Luftwaffe nomenclature were named 4., 5. and 6. Staffel. Priller was appointed Staffelkapitän on 20 October and tasked with forming of 6. Staffel at Eutingen im Gäu. On 5 November, 6. Staffel was officially created and became operational. On 9 February 1940, II. Gruppe was moved to Böblingen Airfield where it was subordinated to Jagdgeschwader 52 and tasked with patrolling the Upper Rhine region during the Phoney War phase of World War II.On 11 May 1940, the second day of the Battle of France, II. Gruppe flew ground attack missions in the Alsace region. Following the German advance into Belgium and France, 6. Staffel was moved to Dinant on 26 May. That day, remnants of the French Army and the British Expeditionary Force were retreating towards Dunkirk. To save the BEF, the British under the cover of the Royal Air Force, had launched Operation Dynamo. On 28 May, Priller claimed his first two aerial victories. He was credited with shooting down two RAF fighters over the Dunkirk battle zone. RAF Fighter Command reported eight Hawker Hurricanes shot down, four pilots killed in action and one as a prisoner of war on 28 May. Two Supermarine Spitfires were damaged in combat with Bf 109s. German pilots claimed 26 British aircraft on this date. For this achievement, Priller was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 30 May 1940. In total, Priller was credited with six aerial victories during the French campaign. This number includes a Spitfire and Hurricane claimed on 28 May, a Curtiss P-36 Hawk on 2 June, two Bristol Blenheim bombers on 8 June, and another Spitfire on 25 June. This made Priller one of the leading fighter pilots of JG 51 during the Battle of France. For this, he received the Iron Cross 1st Class on 10 July 1940.
Battle of Britain
In July 1940, the Luftwaffe began a series of air operations dubbed Kanalkampf over the English Channel against the RAF, which marked the beginning of the Battle of Britain. On 14 July, Priller claimed a Hurricane shot down southeast of Dover. Pilot Officer M. R. Mudie, piloting Hurricane L1584, No. 615 Squadron was killed in combat with a JG 51 Bf 109. On 20 July, Priller claimed another Hurricane in the afternoon at 19:20 CET. No. 32 Squadron lost two Hurricanes in combat with JG 51 at this time—one pilot was killed, Squadron Leader J Worrall survived. Pilot Officer G Keighley, 610 Squadron was shot down by JG 51 at the same time. Off Dover on 29 July, Priller claimed a Spitfire. Two Spitfires from No. 41 Squadron force-landed with battle damage and one pilot, Flying Officer D. R. Gamblen. No. 56 Squadron lost Flight Sergeant C. J. Cooney killed.From 13 August—Adlertag—the Luftwaffe targeted airfields. On 14 August Priller claimed another Spitfire at 13:45. Fighter Command lost seven fighters. No Spitfires were lost at this time and place, but at 12:45 GMT two No. 615 Squadron Hurricane pilots were killed in combat off Dover. Pilot Officer R. Montgomery and Flying Officer P. Collard died aged 26 and 24. The following day, 15 August, developed into a large series of battles over southern and northern England. To the Germans it became known as "Black Thursday" due to the scale of the losses. 130 Bf 109s from JG 51, JG 52 and JG 54 escorted 88 Dornier Do 17 bombers from KG 3 to targets in the south. As the formation approached Deal, 60 Bf 109s from JG 26 carried out a fighter sweep either side of Dover. Seven RAF squadrons intercepted but could not penetrate the fighter screen. No. 64, No. 111 and No. 151 Squadron are known to have engaged at approximately 15:30 GMT. 64 lost two Spitfires and one pilot, 111 lost one Hurricane and another damaged with one pilot killed, and No. 151 Squadron suffered damage to one Hurricane. Priller claimed a Hurricane. The following afternoon, Priller claimed a Hurricane over Canterbury. Elements of JG 51 engaged No. 111 Squadron and two 4./JG 51 pilots were posted missing. 111 Squadron pilot Sergeant R. Carnall was burned when shot down while another pilot was killed in a head-on collision with a Do 17. On 24 August Priller continued claiming with two further fighters destroyed. JG 51 lost four pilots in combat with 32 and No. 56 Squadron. Five No. 32 Squadron Hurricanes were shot down with one pilot wounded while No. 65 Squadron suffered no losses. Updated sources show a single Spitfire from No. 65 Squadron was damaged but was repaired. On 26 August Priller made a claim west of Boulogne, France at 18:57 local time. Sergeant P. T. Wareing, No. 616 Squadron, was reported missing at approximately 18:45, shot down over the French coast, reportedly near Calais. Wareing was captured.
Priller filed no claims in September 1940 as the air battles reached a climax. On 7 October Priller claimed a victory in the morning and afternoon. Three JG 51 fighters were destroyed in combat with RAF fighters. One of these losses was inflicted by No. 501 Squadron. The British unit lost one pilot killed; Flying Officer N J M Barry. Another Spitfire was damaged in a collision with a Bf 109. During the day Fighter Command reported 14 fighters destroyed and three damaged. On 15 October 1940, Priller claimed two fighters in the early afternoon. No. 92 Squadron accounted for one of the JG 51's casualties, and lost one Spitfire in the engagement . Pilot Officer J W Lund was rescued by naval craft. Fighter Command reported 15 fighters destroyed in combat with Bf 109s and two damaged. A final 20th claim made by Priller on 17 October was his last of the Battle of Britain. Pilot Officer H W Reilly, No. 66 Squadron, was killed in combat with JG 51 over Kent. On 19 October 1940, Priller was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. He was the fourth pilot of JG 51 to receive this distinction.
With ''Jagdgeschwader'' 26 "Schlageter"
In November 1940, the Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter", Adolf Galland, used his influence with the Ministry of Aviation in Berlin and had Priller transferred to JG 26. JG 26 was named after Albert Leo Schlageter, a martyr cultivated by the Nazi Party. Priller arrived with JG 26 on 19 November, taking command of 1. Staffel, a squadron of I. Gruppe, as Staffelkapitän. On 16 June 1941, the RAF flew "Circus" No. 13, targeting Boulogne with six Blenheim bombers, escorted by six squadrons of fighter escort from No. 11 Group. The RAF attack was countered by I. Gruppe and JG 26's Stabsschwarm. During this engagement, Priller claimed a Spitfire and a Blenheim from No. 59 Squadron shot down.Between 16 June and 11 July 1941, Priller claimed 19 RAF aircraft, including 17 Spitfires. Priller's first claims of the year were made on 16 June. Fighter Command reported six losses, although British sources credit the loss of four to JG 26. Squadron Leader John Mungo-Park, commanding No. 74 Squadron, force-landed after combat. Pilot Officer D H Gage of No. 91 Squadron was killed over the Channel; both pilots were lost in action with an unstated unit. No. 1, No. 54 and No. 258 Squadrons reported one loss each. Sergeant A Nasswetter, a Czech pilot of the latter squadron, died of his wounds.
On 7 July Priller claimed two Spitfires. Fighter Command reported three aircraft destroyed, and their pilots wounded. On 14 July, RAF "Circus" No. 48 targeted the Hazebrouck motor yards. The attack force of Blenheim bombers was escorted by Spitfire fighters. Priller attacked the fighters of No. 72 Squadron south of Dunkirk and shot down one of the Spitfires from dead ahead, taking his total to 40 aerial victories. Priller's adversary was Sergeant W M Lamberton in R7219, who was captured, wounded. For this achievement, Priller was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 20 July 1941. By this date, he had accumulated 41 aerial victories and was the 28th member of the German armed forces to be so honored. His 41st aerial victory had been claimed over another No. 72 Squadron Spitfire on 19 July off Dover. The presentation of the Oak Leaves was made by Adolf Hitler at the Wolf's Lair, Hitler's headquarters in Rastenburg. Two other Luftwaffe officers were presented with awards that day by Hitler, Major Günther Freiherr von Maltzahn and Major Günther Lützow were also awarded the Oak Leaves.