Friedrich Lang

Major Friedrich Lang (12 January 1915 – 29 December 2003) was a German World War II Luftwaffe Stuka ace. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Friedrich Lang flew 1008 combat missions, from the first until the very last day of World War II. During all these missions he was never shot down, never crash landed his aircraft and never had to bail out.

Early life
Friedrich Lang was born on 12 January 1915 in Mährisch-Trübau, Austria-Hungary as the son of a professor at a Gymnasium (secondary school). Lang grew up in Linz and in Czernowitz. He attended the German Gymnasium at Czernowitz, which was directed by his father since 1919, and graduated with his Abitur (diploma) in 1932.

He then attended the Chernivtsi University where he studied four semesters of Physics and Mathematics. In October 1934 he decided to transfer to the technical University of Breslau where he studied aeronautical engineering. He received German citizenship on 17 April 1935.

After World War II
After the war Friedrich Lang initially stayed by fellow soldier in Heilbronn. After he passed the necessary examinations he became an assistant teacher at a Volksschule in Gundelsheim am Neckar. In May 1946 a directive by the Office of Military Government of the United States led to his dismissal.

Lang then moved to Neumünster in Holstein in November 1946. He married in 1947 and became a mason. He passed his journeyman's examination and attended the construction school at Bremen in 1950. His parents had settled here after they had been expelled from Silesia. Lang worked as a construction engineer in Bremen until 1955.

Friedrich Lang rejoined the military service of the emerging Bundeswehr on 1 January 1956. He was declared unfit for flight service due to chronic venous insufficiency. From 1960 until 1963 he commanded the military school of the Luftwaffe. He received his promotion to Oberst (Colonel) in 1961. From 1967 until his retirement in 1971 he was commander of the military defense district 22 in Hanover.

Awards

 * Verwundetenabzeichen in Black
 * Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with Pennant "1.000"
 * Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
 * Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (30 March 1942)
 * "Kreta" Cuffband
 * German Cross in Gold on 24 April 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 1./StG 2
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd class (October 1939)
 * 1st class (May 1940)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
 * Knight's Cross on 23 November 1941 as Oberleutnant and pilot in the 1./StG 2 "Immelmann"
 * 148th Oak Leaves on 21 November 1942 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 1./StG 2 "Immelmann"
 * 74th Swords on 2 July 1944 as Major and Gruppenkommandeur of the III./SG 1