Edmund Roßmann

Edmund "Paule" Roßmann (11 January 1918 – 4 April 2005) was a German World War II fighter ace and was credited with 93 aerial victories achieved in 640 combat missions, among the numerous ground attack missions. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat. He is also noted as being an early mentor of Erich Hartmann, history's leading fighter ace.

Unteroffizier "Paule" Roßmann was transferred to 7./Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52 &mdash; 7th Squadron of the 52nd Fighter Wing) on 1 March 1940 and participated in the Battle of France and Battle of Britain. He was credited with six aerial victories in the western theatre before JG 52 was deployed to Operation Barbarossa.

By the end of 1941 he had accumulated 32 aerial victories. He was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after 250 combat missions and 49 aerial victories. From March to June 1942 he was posted to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost as fighter pilot instructor and returned to his Staffel afterwards. Nevertheless he almost doubled his score by the end of 1942 and claimed his 80th victory on 29 November 1942.

On 9 July 1943 Roßmann attempted to rescue a crash landed fellow pilot behind Russian lines. At this moment the Russian Infantry arrived and Leutnant Seyler was shot and Roßmann was wounded. Roßmann was taken prisoner of war and was released in October 1949.

Awards

 * Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (6 November 1941)
 * Iron Cross 2nd and 1st class
 * German Cross in Gold on 22 January 1942 as Feldwebel in the III./JG 52
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 19 March 1942 as Feldwebel and pilot in the 7./JG 52