Werner M�lders was a World War II German Luftwaffe pilot and the leading German fighter ace in the Spanish Civil War. M�lders became the first pilot in aviation history to claim 100 aerial victories?that is, 100 aerial combat encounters resulting in the destruction of the enemy aircraft, and was highly decorated for his achievements. He was instrumental in the development of new fighter tactics that led to the finger-four formation. He died in an air crash in which he was a passenger. M�lders joined the Luftwaffe in 1934 at the age of 21. In 1938, he volunteered for service in the Condor Legion, which supported General Francisco Franco's Nationalist side in the Spanish Civil War, and shot down 15 aircraft. In World War II, he lost two wingmen in the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain, but shot down 53 enemy aircraft. With his tally standing at 68 victories, M�lders and his unit, the Jagdgeschwader 51, were transferred to the Eastern Front in June 1941 for the opening of Operation Barbarossa. 

March 18th, 1913 in Gelsenkirchen  /  Died:   Nov 22nd, 1941