List of aerial victories claimed by Kurt Bühligen

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Kurt Bühligen (13 December 1917 – 11 August 1985) was a Luftwaffe wing commander and fighter ace of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was credited with 112 enemy aircraft shot down in over 700 combat missions. His victories were all claimed over the Western Front and included 24 four-engine bombers and 47 Supermarine Spitfire fighters.

According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Bühligen was credited with 112 aerial victories.^[1] Spick and Obermaier also list him with 112 aerial victories, of which 40 were claimed over the North Africa, 72 over the Western Front including 24 four-engined heavy bombers, claimed in over 700 combat missions and a mission-to-claim ratio of 6.25.^[2]^[3] Forsyth also lists him with 24 four-engined bombers shot down.^[4] Mathews and Foreman, authors of Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for more than 99 aerial victory claims, plus nine further unconfirmed claims. All of his victories were claimed on the Western Front and include 13 four-engined bombers.^[5]

Victory claims were logged to a map-reference (PQ = Planquadrat), for example "PQ 05 Ost 1157". The Luftwaffe grid map (Jägermeldenetz) covered all of Europe, western Russia and North Africa and was composed of rectangles measuring 15 minutes of latitude by 30 minutes of longitude, an area of about 360 square miles (930 km²). These sectors were then subdivided into 36 smaller units to give a location area 3 km × 4 km (1.9 mi × 2.5 mi) in size.^[6]

♠ (Ace of spades) indicates those aerial victories which made Bühlingen an "ace-in-a-day", a term which designates a fighter pilot who has shot down five or more airplanes in a single day.

– (dash) indicates unconfirmed aerial victory claims for which Bühlingen did not receive credit.

* (asterisk) indicates an Herausschuss (separation shot)—a severely damaged heavy bomber forced to separate from his combat box which was counted as an aerial victory.

? (question mark) indicates information discrepancies listed by Prien, Stemmer, Rodeike, Bock, Mathews and Foreman.

Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location	Claim	Date	Time	Type	Location
– 2. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –^[7] At the Channel and over England — 26 June – September 1940
1	4 September 1940	10:00	Hurricane	Dover^[8]
– 6. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –^[7] At the Channel and over England — September – November 1940
2	11 September 1940	16:35	Hurricane^[9]		6	7 October 1940	16:52	Hurricane	südlich Portland^[9]
3?^{[Note 1]}	26 September 1940	—	Spitfire^[9]		7?^{[Note 1]}	7 October 1940	—	Hurricane	südlich Portland
4	30 September 1940	12:28	Spitfire^[9]	north of Portland	8	7 November 1940	15:28	Hurricane	southeast of the Isle of Wight^[9]
5?^{[Note 1]}	1 October 1940	—	Hurricane	südlich Bournemouth^[9]
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –^[7] At the Channel and over England — November 1940 – 21 June 1941
— ^{[Note 2]}	10 November 1940	15:45	Spitfire	east of Portland	10	21 June 1941	16:50	Spitfire^[11]	Boulogne-Le Touquet
— ^{[Note 2]}	28 November 1940	17:20	Spitfire	Isle of Wight	11	21 June 1941	16:51	Spitfire^[11]	Boulogne-Le Touquet
9	21 June 1941	16:36	Spitfire^[11]	Boulogne-Hardelot
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –^[7] At the Channel and over England — 22 June – August 1941
12	7 July 1941	15:32	Spitfire^[12]		16	23 July 1941	13:23	Spitfire^[13]	Forest of Éperlecques
13	10 July 1941	12:18	Spitfire^[13]		17	23 July 1941	13:27	Spitfire^[13]	Forest of Éperlecques
14	10 July 1941	12:21	Spitfire^[13]		18	7 August 1941	17:48	Spitfire^[13]
15	11 July 1941	14:55	Spitfire^[13]
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –^[7] At the Channel and over England — 22 June – 31 December 1941
19	12 August 1941	19:07	Hurricane^[13]		22	21 August 1941	15:09	Spitfire^[14]
20	16 August 1941	19:42	Spitfire^[13]		23	26 August 1941	16:22	Spitfire^[14]
21	19 August 1941	12:01	Spitfire^[14]		24?^{[Note 1]}	4 September 1941	—	Spitfire^[14]
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –^[7] At the Channel and over England — 1 January – 17 November 1942
25	19 August 1942	08:10	Spitfire^[15]		27?^{[Note 1]}	19 August 1942	13:24	Spitfire	60 km (37 mi) north of Saint-Valery^[15]
26	19 August 1942	13:24	Spitfire	Dieppe harbor^[15]	28?^{[Note 1]}	19 August 1942	16:53	Spitfire	60 km (37 mi) north of Saint-Valery^[15]
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –^[16] Mediterranean Theater — 17 November – 31 December 1942
29	3 December 1942	10:55	Spitfire	south of Tebourba^[17]	31	26 December 1942	13:22	P-38	5 km (3.1 mi) east of Djebel Abiod^[17]
30	18 December 1942	11:06	Spitfire	10 km (6.2 mi) west of Djebel Quantra^[17]	32	26 December 1942	13:40	P-38	south of Djebel Taboussa^[17]
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –^[18] Mediterranean Theater — 1 January – 22 March 1943
33	4 January 1943	10:40	P-40	3 km (1.9 mi) west of Fondouk^[19] 8 km (5.0 mi) southwest of Tdidjana	51	4 February 1943	16:12	Spitfire	south of Ousseltia^[19]
?^{[Note 3]}	4 January 1943	10:44	B-26	Pont du Fahs^[19] 15 km (9.3 mi) south-southwest of Tdidjana	52	4 February 1943	16:13	Spitfire	southwest of Ousseltia^[19]
34	8 January 1943	14:41?^{[Note 4]}	P-38	40 km (25 mi) southwest of Gabès^[19] 20 km (12 mi) south of Kairouan	53	4 February 1943	16:16	Spitfire	20 km (12 mi) south of Ousseltia^[19]
35	8 January 1943	15:29	P-38	5 km (3.1 mi) south of Porto Farina^[19] 2 km (1.2 mi) west of Djebel Touil	54	9 February 1943	13:51	P-40	Djebel Bou Dabous^[19]
36	8 January 1943	15:42	P-38	southwest of Kairouan^[19] south of Djebel Abeid	55	9 February 1943	13:53	P-40	south of Djebel Bou Dabous^[19]
37	14 January 1943	12:50	P-38	40 km (25 mi) east of Gabès^[19] 40 km (25 mi) east of El Ayaisch	56	10 February 1943	13:45	Spitfire	east of Sidi Bouzid^[19]
38	21 January 1943	08:39	P-40	south of Pichon^[19]	57	14 February 1943	08:25	Spitfire	Hajeb El Ayoun^[20]
?^{[Note 5]}	21 January 1943	08:44	P-40	west of Djebel-Trozza^[19]	58	14 February 1943	11:00	Spitfire	20 km (12 mi) west of Sidi Bouzid^[20]
39	28 January 1943	14:15	P-38	9 km (5.6 mi) southwest of Kairouan^[19]	59	14 February 1943	11:02	Spitfire	25 km (16 mi) west of Sidi Bouzid^[20]
40	30 January 1943	07:38?^{[Note 6]}	Spitfire	30 km (19 mi) west-northwest of Kairouan^[19] northwest of Djebel el Rahan	60	14 February 1943	16:21	Spitfire	northwest of Djebel-Trozza^[20]
41	30 January 1943	07:40	Spitfire	35 km (22 mi) northwest of Kairouan^[19]	61	15 February 1943	14:59	P-38	15 km (9.3 mi) southwest of Fondouk^[20]
42♠	2 February 1943	08:14	P-40	40 km (25 mi) northwest of Kairouan^[19]	62	15 February 1943	15:03	P-38	east of Djebel Merhiba^[20]
43♠	2 February 1943	08:16	P-40	south of Djebel Dret Dabous^[19]	63	15 February 1943	15:13	P-38	north of Djebel-Trozza^[20]
44♠	2 February 1943	08:17	P-39	20 km (12 mi) west of Kairouan^[19]	64	8 March 1943	09:38	Spitfire	7 km (4.3 mi) west of Kairouan^[20]
45♠	2 February 1943	08:20	P-40	20 km (12 mi) southwest of Kairouan^[19]	65	8 March 1943	09:39	Spitfire	5 km (3.1 mi) northeast of Djedeida^[20]
46♠	2 February 1943	09:15	Spitfire	14 km (8.7 mi) northeast of Kairouan^[19]	?^{[Note 7]}	12 March 1943	04:27	P-38	southeast of Mateur
47	3 February 1943	09:00	Spitfire	30 km (19 mi) northwest of Kairouan^[19]	66?^{[Note 8]}	12 March 1943	14:22	B-17	east of La Sebala^[20]
48	3 February 1943	09:02	Spitfire	25 km (16 mi) southwest of Kairouan^[19]	67	12 March 1943	14:24	P-38	east of La Sebala^[20]
49	3 February 1943	09:04	Spitfire	4 km (2.5 mi) east of Pichon^[19]	68	12 March 1943	14:27	P-38	southeast of La Sebala^[20]
50	3 February 1943	09:06	Spitfire	5 km (3.1 mi) north of Pichon^[19]
– 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –^[18] On the Western Front — May 1943
69	15 May 1943	07:16	P-51	30 km (19 mi) north-northwest of Berck^[10] PQ 05 Ost 1157	70	17 May 1943	10:58	Typhoon	north of Caen^[10] PQ 15 West 1067
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –^[21] On the Western Front — July – 31 December 1943
— ^{[Note 2]}	1 July 1943	—	Typhoon	Hook of Holland	?^{[Note 9]}	2 September 1943	09:50	P-51	northwest of Auxi-le-Château
71	4 July 1943	13:22	P-47	10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Cap D'Antifer^[10]	81	6 September 1943	09:48	B-17	Vailly^[22]
72	4 July 1943	17:32	Spitfire	Flixecourt/Vauchelles^[10]	82?^{[Note 8]}	6 September 1943	13:00	B-17	10 km (6.2 mi) northwest of Melun^[22]
73	14 July 1943	09:05	Spitfire	4 km (2.5 mi) northwest of Trouville^[22]	83	6 September 1943	13:10	B-17	5 km (3.1 mi) northwest of Fécamp^[22]
74	15 July 1943	16:34	Typhoon	Tours-en-Vimeu^[22]	84	6 September 1943	14:35	Spitfire	PQ 05 Ost 0178^[22]
75	16 July 1943	20:10	Spitfire	15 km (9.3 mi) west of Baie de Somme^[22]	85?^{[Note 8]}	8 September 1943	09:00	Boston	20 km (12 mi) south of Lille^[22]
76	18 July 1943	18:35	Spitfire	PQ 05 Ost RD-5, Foucaucourt^[22]	86	9 September 1943	15:53	Spitfire	PQ 05 Ost 1167^[22]
77	30 July 1943	09:25	B-17	north of Rotterdam^[22]	87	3 October 1943	18:45	Spitfire	south of Aumale^[23]
78	30 July 1943	16:00	Typhoon	PQ 05 Ost 1159^[22]	88	14 October 1943	13:45	B-17	vicinity of Sneek^[23]
79	17 August 1943	17:22	B-17	south of Tongeren^[22]	89	26 November 1943	10:38	B-17	southeast of Paris^[23]
80	19 August 1943	12:43	Spitfire	9 km (5.6 mi) west of Abbeville^[22]
– Stab II. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –^[24] On the Western Front — 1 January – 28 April 1944
90	29 January 1944	11:15	P-47	PQ 05 Ost PL^[25] vicinity of Durbuy	94	24 February 1944	12:30	B-24	PQ 05 Ost FR-9/GR-3^[25] 1 km (0.62 mi) east of Dümmer See
91	5 February 1944	11:00	B-24	vicinity of Vendôme^[25]	95	25 February 1944	12:33	B-17	PQ 05 Ost TJ/TK^[26] Dordrecht/Rotterdam
92	5 February 1944	11:50	P-47	southwest of Étampes^[25]	96	18 March 1944	13:21	B-24	10 km (6.2 mi) south-southwest of Forges^[26]
93	24 February 1944	12:28	B-17*	PQ 05 Ost FR^[25]	97	28 April 1944	12:05	B-17	PQ 04 Ost N/HF, 40 km (25 mi) east of Bourges^[26]
– Stab of Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" –^[24] On the Western Front — June – July 1944
98	6 June 1944	11:57	P-47	PQ 15 West UU-1/4, 10 km (6.2 mi) south of Orne Estuary^[27]	102	5 July 1944	10:55	P-47	PQ 15 West UU-6^[27] vicinity of Dreux
99	7 June 1944	19:07	P-47	vicinity of Carpiquet^[27]	103	5 July 1944	15:49	P-47	PQ 05 Ost UB-8^[27] vicinity of Bernay
100	7 June 1944	19:09	P-47	PQ 15 West UU-1, north of Caen^[27]	104	5 July 1944	15:52	P-51	PQ 05 Ost UB^[27] vicinity of Bernay
101	12 June 1944	06:04	P-47	PQ 04 Ost N/AC-5^[27] vicinity of Dreux

Notes

References

Citations

↑ Zabecki 2019, p. 330.
↑ Obermaier 1989, p. 38.
↑ Spick 1996, p. 232.
↑ Forsyth 2011, p. 90.
↑ Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 171–173.
↑ Planquadrat.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 171.
↑ Prien et al. 2002, p. 102.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Prien et al. 2002, p. 122.
1 2 3 4 5 Prien et al. 2010a, p. 474.
1 2 3 Prien et al. 2002, p. 124.
↑ Prien et al. 2003, p. 438.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Prien et al. 2003, p. 439.
1 2 3 4 Prien et al. 2003, p. 441.
1 2 3 4 Prien et al. 2004a, p. 260.
↑ Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 171–172.
1 2 3 4 Prien et al. 2004b, p. 51.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 172.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Prien et al. 2010b, p. 102.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Prien et al. 2010b, p. 103.
↑ Mathews & Foreman 2014, pp. 172–173.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Prien et al. 2010a, p. 475.
1 2 3 Prien et al. 2010a, p. 476.
1 2 Mathews & Foreman 2014, p. 173.
1 2 3 4 5 Prien, Stemmer & Bock 2018, p. 203.
1 2 3 Prien, Stemmer & Bock 2018, p. 204.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Prien, Stemmer & Bock 2018, p. 169.

Bibliography

Bergström, Christer [in Swedish]. "Bergström Black Cross/Red Star website". Identifying a Luftwaffe Planquadrat. Archived from the original on 22 December 2018. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
Forsyth, Robert (2011). Luftwaffe Viermot Aces 1942–45. Aircraft of the Aces. Vol. 101. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-1-84908-438-3.
Mathews, Andrew Johannes; Foreman, John (2014). Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims — Volume 1 A–F. Walton on Thames: Red Kite. ISBN 978-1-906592-18-9.
Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2002). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 4/I—Einsatz am Kanal und über England—26.6.1940 bis 21.6.1941 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 4/I—Action at the Channel and over England—26 June 1940 to 21 June 1941] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-63-2.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2003). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 5—Heimatverteidigung—10. Mai 1940 bis 31 Dezember 1941—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—Oktober 1940 bis November 1941—Einsatz im Westen—22. Juni bis 31. Dezember 1941—Die Ergänzungsjagdgruppen—Einsatz 1941 bis zur Auflösung Anfang 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 5—Defense of the Reich—10 May 1940 to 31 December 1941—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—October 1940 to November 1941—Action in the West—22 June to 31 December 1941—The Supplementary Fighter Groups—Action from 1941 until their Breakup in Early 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-68-7.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2004a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 7—Heimatverteidigung—1. January bis 31 Dezember 1942—Einsatz im Westen—1. Januar bis 31. Dezember 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 7—Defense of the Reich—1 January to 31 December 1942—Action in the West—1 January to 31 December 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-73-1.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2004b). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 8/I—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—November 1941 bis December 1942 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 8/I—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—November 1941 to December 1942] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-74-8.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2010a). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 10/IV—Einsatz im Westen—1.1. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 10/IV—Action in the West—1 January to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-92-2.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Rodeike, Peter; Bock, Winfried (2010b). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 11/I—Einsatz im Mittelmeerraum—1.1. bis 31.12.1943 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 11/I—Action in the Mediterranean Theater—1 January to 31 December 1943] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-923457-95-3.
Prien, Jochen; Stemmer, Gerhard; Bock, Winfried (2018). Die Jagdfliegerverbände der Deutschen Luftwaffe 1934 bis 1945—Teil 13/IV—Einsatz im Reichsverteidigung und im Westen—1.1. bis 31.12.1944 [The Fighter Units of the German Air Force 1934 to 1945—Part 13/IV—Action in the Defense of the Reich and in the West—1 January to 31 December 1944] (in German). Eutin, Germany: Struve-Druck. ISBN 978-3-942943-19-2.
Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
Zabecki, David T., ed. (2019). The German War Machine in World War II. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-Clio. ISBN 978-1-44-086918-1.

Citations

Bibliography

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