Karl Willius | |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 November 1919 Mainz-Kostheim |
| Died | 8 April 1944 (aged 24) over Zuiderzee, Netherlands |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service |  Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | ?–1944 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant (Posthumously) |
| Unit | JG 51 JG 26 |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross |
Karl-Heinz "Charly" Willius (5 November 1919 – 8 April 1944) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and fighter ace during World War II. He is credited with 50 aerial victories achieved in 371 combat missions. This figure includes 17 aerial victories on the Eastern Front, and further 33 victories over the Western Allies, including 11 four-engined bombers.
Born in Mainz-Kostheim, Willius grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. He joined the military service in the Luftwaffe and was trained as a fighter pilot. Following flight training, he served with Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) during the Battle of France, Battle of Britain and Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. Flying with this wing, Willius claimed his first aerial victory on 18 August 1940 on the Western Front over a Royal Air Force fighter aircraft. In July 1941, he was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 26 "Schlageter" (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing). Elements of JG 26 were moved to the Eastern Front in early 1943 where Willius claimed nine Soviet aircraft destroyed. His unit redeployed to the Western Front in June 1943. In November 1943, he was appointed squadron leader of 2. Staffel (2nd squadron) of JG 26. He was killed in action on 8 April 1944, shot down by a United States Army Air Forces fighter. Posthumously, Willius was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 9 June 1944.