Batz, Wilhelm “Willi”, born on 21-05-1916 at Bamberg,
entered the Luftwaffe in 1935. He trained as a fighter pilot at the Flying School at Kaufbeuren
and the fighter pilot school at Bad Aibling, but was assigned instructing duties from 1937. He was promoted Leutnant on 01-11-1940. His repeated requests for a transfer to combat duty were rejected. After 5.000 flying hours instructing at the Flying School at Kaufbeuren and the Fighter Pilot School at Bad Aibling, Batz was finally transferred to 2./Ergänzung-Jagdgruppe Ost
to undergo operation training on 20-12-1942. On 01-02-1943, Batz was appointed adjutant to Major, Kommandeur der II./J.G. 52. Johannes Steinhoff















On 19 April, Batz was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 52
, taking over from Major, Gruppenkommandeur III./JG 52 and II./JG 11, Gunther Rall,
275 victories, RK-S. He was operating with such luminaries as Hauptmann, Erich “Bubbi” Hartmann,
Oberleutnant, Friedrich “Fritz” Obleser,
he died age 81, on 05-06-2004 (120 victories, RK) and Oberleutnant, Walter Wolfrum, he died old age 87, on 26-08-2010, in Schwabach, among the high-scoring pilots of III./JG 52 at that time.








Friedrich Obleser. Walter Wolfrum.
Throughout the summer of 1944, he was downing three or four Soviet aircraft a day. He downed 15 enemy aircraft on 31-05-1944 to record his 141st through 155th victories, scoring these victories on seven separate missions. In June he was to combat USAAF
aircraft over Rumania and recorded two P-51s and a B-24 during this time. Hauptmann Batz was awarded the Eichenlaub on 20 July after 188 victories, by Reichsmarshall, Hermann Goering




Death and burial ground of Batz, Wilhelm “Willi”



