Weissenberger, Theodor “Theo”, born 21-12-1914 in Mühlheim am Main, 
son of a gardener, had been a talented glider pilot for the DLV since 1935 and trained young pilots himself, volunteered for service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1936. Following flight training, he was posted to the heavy fighter squadron of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) in 1941. Theodor had a brother Otto who also served as a pilot in Luftwaffe. White 9, W. Nr. 531057, flown by Feldwebel Otto Wiessenberger, Sturmstaffel 1, Salzwedel/Germany, 23-03-1944 
. Otto Weissenberger who was shot down in his “White 9” that crashed at Nordick, but survived. Otto Weissenberger was the brother of no other than the 208 kills ace “Theo” Weissenberger.
son of a gardener, had been a talented glider pilot for the DLV since 1935 and trained young pilots himself, volunteered for service in the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1936. Following flight training, he was posted to the heavy fighter squadron of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing) in 1941. Theodor had a brother Otto who also served as a pilot in Luftwaffe. White 9, W. Nr. 531057, flown by Feldwebel Otto Wiessenberger, Sturmstaffel 1, Salzwedel/Germany, 23-03-1944 . Otto Weissenberger who was shot down in his “White 9” that crashed at Nordick, but survived. Otto Weissenberger was the brother of no other than the 208 kills ace “Theo” Weissenberger.After the war Otto became German mayor 
and spa director in Bad Dürrheim, holder of the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg, and he died in 1999.
and spa director in Bad Dürrheim, holder of the Order of Merit of the State of Baden-Württemberg, and he died in 1999.Theodor, “Theo” became a German World War II fighter ace who served in Hermann Goering´s 
(did you know) Luftwaffe 
from 1936 until the end of World War II in 1945. He flew more than 500 combat missions claiming 208 enemy aircraft shot down. 33 claims were made on the Western Front
(did you know) Luftwaffe from 1936 until the end of World War II in 1945. He flew more than 500 combat missions claiming 208 enemy aircraft shot down. 33 claims were made on the Western Front
, including some 7 heavy bombers. Pre-war Major Weissenberger was a keen glider pilot and was an instructor in the early war years.
He finally managed an operational posting in mid 1941, to I (Z). /Jagdgeschwader 77 
under command of Major Gotthard Handrick in Norway. Handrick won the gold medal in the modern pentathlon at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. As a fighter pilot, he fought in the Spanish Civil War
and claimed 5 aerial victories while flying for the Legion Condor (including a I-15 on 09-09-1937 and an I-16 on 18-05-1938)
He claimed his first kill in October 1941, and went on to score a further twenty-one kills in the Bf 110, in addition to fifteen locomotives, two flak installations, and numerous ground targets destroyed. In September 1942 he, here with General Eduard Dietl, 
was posted commander to II./JG 5, based in Northern Finland. Flying with 6 Staffel, and then as commander of 7 Staffel, he had claimed 104 kills by July 1943 and been awarded the Knights Cross. 
Becoming Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 5, nickname “Eismeer” 
in April 1944, he had claimed some 175 kills by May 1944 in over 350 missions on the Arctic Front. Taking over I./JG 5 on 4 June, the unit transferred to the Western Front in mid 1944 and through June and July 1944, Weissenberger flew twenty-six sorties and was credited with twenty-five victories over the Invasion Front around Normandy, his claims were half the total score by the whole unit, I./JG 5, during this period. He claimed five P-47’s on 7 June, two more P-47’s on 9 June, and another three P-47’s on 12 June. He scored again on 19 July with three Typhoons and a P-51. On 25 July he claimed two more Spitfires shot down. Major Weissenberger converted to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter in the second half of 1944. 
In November 1944 he was posted to command I./Jagdgeschwader 7 
, nickname “Nowotny” succeeding Oberstleutnant Johannes “Macky” Steinhoff .
was posted commander to II./JG 5, based in Northern Finland. Flying with 6 Staffel, and then as commander of 7 Staffel, he had claimed 104 kills by July 1943 and been awarded the Knights Cross. Becoming Gruppenkommandeur of II./JG 5, nickname “Eismeer” in April 1944, he had claimed some 175 kills by May 1944 in over 350 missions on the Arctic Front. Taking over I./JG 5 on 4 June, the unit transferred to the Western Front in mid 1944 and through June and July 1944, Weissenberger flew twenty-six sorties and was credited with twenty-five victories over the Invasion Front around Normandy, his claims were half the total score by the whole unit, I./JG 5, during this period. He claimed five P-47’s on 7 June, two more P-47’s on 9 June, and another three P-47’s on 12 June. He scored again on 19 July with three Typhoons and a P-51. On 25 July he claimed two more Spitfires shot down. Major Weissenberger converted to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter in the second half of 1944. In November 1944 he was posted to command I./Jagdgeschwader 7 , nickname “Nowotny” succeeding Oberstleutnant Johannes “Macky” Steinhoff .
On 01-01-1945 Weissenberger married his childhood sweetheart Anna “Cilly” Vogel in Langenselbold near Hanau. His best friend Walter Schuck 
stood by his side as best man for the war wedding. Schuck died on 27-03-2015, aged 94.Death and burial ground of Weissenberger, Theodor “Theo”.
Weissenberger survived the war but was unfortunately killed in a car racing accident 11-06-1950, age 35, on the Nürburgring. 
Theodor is buried with his wife Anna, on the Stadtfriedhof of Mühlheim am Main.
Peter Boecker
Theo Weissenberger was killed on 11. of June, not 10th.
Rob Hopmans
Thanks made a correction.