Diether Lukesch
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| Diether Lukesch | |
|---|---|
| 15 July 1918 — 28 February 2004 (aged 85) | |
 Diether Lukesch |
|
| Place of birth | Hadersdorf-Weidlingau, Wien |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service/branch | Luftwaffe |
| Rank | Hauptmann |
| Unit | KG 158, KG 76 |
| Commands held | IV./KG 76 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Hauptmann Diether Lukesch (born 15 July 1918 in Hadersdorf-Weidlingau, Wien, died 28 February 2004) was German World War II Luftwaffe bomber pilot. During the course of the war he was decorated with Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and Oak Leaves. He was one of the first pilots to carry out jet bombing missions flying the Arado Ar 234.
In October 1944, as his Arado training proceeded, Lukesch was awarded Oak Leaves to his Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. On the day before Christmas 1944, Lukesch led nine Ar 234 B-2's in the first jet bombing missions ever, supporting the German counterattack out of the Ardennes. The target was a factory complex at Liège, Belgium. In the days that followed, Lukesch and the Arado pilots attacked Allied troops, rail yards, and other positions. On New Year's Day 1945, Lukesch led history's first jet, night-bombing sortie, attacking targets at Brussels and Liège. He concluded the war with a total of 436 bombing and long-range reconnaissance missions. He was taken prisoner of war by the American forces and released on 27 July 1945.
[edit] After the war
Lukesch at first worked for US Armed Forces in Austria. He then became a commercial airline pilot, flying for 18 years first with KLM, and later Lufthansa.
[edit] Awards
- German Cross in Gold (23 December 1942)
- Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross (20 December 1941)
- Oak Leaves (10 October 1944)
[edit] References
- Lexikon der Wehrmacht. Dieter Lukesch. Retrieved on 22 May 2007.
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. 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.
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