Adolf Glunz | |
|---|---|
 Glunz as a Leutnant in the Luftwaffe | |
| Born | 11 June 1916 Bresegard bei Picher |
| Died | 1 August 2002 (aged 86) Lüdenscheid |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service | Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1939–1945 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) |
| Unit | JG 52, JG 26, EJG 2, JG 7 |
| Commands | 5./JG 26, 6./JG 26 |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
| Other work | |
| German Formula Three | |
| Years active | 1950 – 1951 |
| Best finish | 8th, German Championship in 1950 |
Adolf "Addi" Glunz (11 June 1916 – 1 August 2002) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 71 aerial victories achieved in 574 combat missions. All but three of his victories were claimed over the Western Front and in Defense of the Reich. This figure included seventeen four-engine bombers and 37 Supermarine Spitfire fighters.
Born in Bresegard, Glunz grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. He joined the military service in the Luftwaffe in 1939 and was trained as a fighter pilot. Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) in November 1940. Flying with this wing, Glunz claimed his first aerial victory on 7 May 1941 on the Western Front over a Royal Air Force fighter aircraft. In preparation of Operation Barbarossa, JG 52 was moved east where Glunz claimed three Soviet aircraft destroyed. In July 1941, he was assigned to Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing), operating on the Western Front. On 29 August 1943, Glunz was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the only non-commissioned officer of JG 26 to receive this distinction. In January 1944, Glunz was appointed squadron leader of 5. Staffel (5th squadron) and in March of 6. Staffel, followed by his promotion to an officer's rank in April. On 24 June 1944, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves. Glunz claimed his last aerial victory on 1 January 1945 during Operation Bodenplatte. In March 1945, he underwent conversion training to the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. In April, Glunz transferred to Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing), the first jet fighter wing but did not fly the Me 262 operationally.
In May 1945, Glunz was taken prisoner of war and released in June 1946. He then became a Formula Three race car driver before he founded his own business, giving driving lessons. Glunz died on 1 August 2002 in Lüdenscheid.