Johannes Naumann

Johannes Naumann (11 October 1917 – 22 March 2010) is a German former Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Naumann was credited with 34 aerial victories claimed in roughly 350 combat missions during World War II. Naumann credit his father with inspiring him to become a fighter pilot. In May 2008, interviewer James Holland asked Naumann why he wanted to fly fighters, to which he responded, "The most important reason was that my father was a pilot in the 1st World War. My father told me a lot of his experiences, so it was not a difficult decision for me." Naumann went on to fly both the Me 109 and the Fw 190 in combat during World War II, and while he also trained on the Me 262, he never flew the jet operationally.

Awards

 * Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
 * Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe on 25 June 1943 as Oberleutnant and pilot
 * German Cross in Gold on 31 August 1943 as Hauptmann in the 6./Jagdgeschwader 26
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 November 1944 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur  of the II./Jagdgeschwader 6