AR banner
Back to Top
Enlarged view



The Kracker Luftwaffe Archive: Axis Powers Pilots and Crew




Search Tips  •   Bio & Memorabilia  •   Check Spelling Names in Database  •   Luftwaffe Awards  •   Axis Pages  •   Sources
V1.01 Data derived from many sources. Perfection is our goal: Corrections and Additions are encouraged and requested. Please Email us

35,000+ Entries in Database (as of October 2025): largest in the world
The only authorised publication of the Kracker Luftwaffe Archive: anything else has been stolen and infringes my copyright.

Please email us any photos you have. We will acknowledge you in the database unless requested otherwise.
This is a non-political research resource. The authors of this material do not condone hatred in any form,
neither do they support oppressive and despotic regimes or political systems. See our Statement

In some cases you can see a pilot's extended record of victories in date order from our Luftwaffe Victories database
To see a list of German WW2 Aces consult German WW2 Aces Database
Click an image to expand. Click Luftwaffe Awards for explanations. Scroll to the right to see all the data.

Major enhancements and additions are being made to the Archive by Christian König and Dave Drury.

See a sample search

There is a rogue group of copyright infringers who have stolen a much earlier version of my data - from at least 10 years ago - and have the affrontery to publish that, along with using my name, on their poorly researched website. They claim this is the 'original' Kracker Archive, a ridiculous claim since my Archive has been in a state of continuous development for over 30 years and nobody - NOBODY - has the original. They have no right to use my name or my data and readers who come across this nonsense should do nothing to encourage theft of this nature. I am outraged by this blatant theft and misrepresentation of my lifetime's work. The ONLY person I have ever authorized to publish my data and use my name is Kelvin Youngs, who earned my trust and respect many years ago and is authorized by me to publish my work on whichever website he organizes, currently this being its present home at the highly respected Aircrew Remembered.
3-character Searches are now supported

If you need help, EMAIL us with name and database to search and we will perform the search manually for you.

MAJOR SEARCH AND SORT ENHANCEMENTS: You can now search on Unit such as 3/SG-1, 5./JG 51. Note that some sources used to develop this Archive date back 3 decades and may not have been consistent: you should try various options. For example 5./JG 51 may have been encoded as 5/JG 51 or 5./JG-51. You can also search on aircraft types such as Me 109, P-47.

YOU CAN SORT ON COLUMNS WHERE YOU SEE THE UP OR DOWN ARROW ↑ ↓


Enter Your search conditions and click Search This

These are the results of your search:

You searched for: “elsner

#Pilot/Crew
SORT (↑)
RankBornPlaceScore
SORT (↑)
PhotoUnitsAircraftAwards*************Notes*************LinksAuthorComments
1 Bengston, KurtFwKG-27 or KG-4He 111H-20 Werk # Unk "5 + F8" (?) (lost 1/12/45)Bomber Operational Clasp The ac reported crashed Rakovnjk, CZ. Pilot & crew believed bailed safely, cause unknown. Remaining crew: Uffz Alois Werner, Fw Hans Tschatscher, Fw Helmut Elsner and Fw Friedrich Ihnsen (F.Braun). Alternate spelling: Bengtson.
2 Blameuser, JohannFw1/27/1917SolingenStab/StG-1Ju 87B Werk # 5447 "A5 + HA" (lost 9/5/40)Dive Bomber Operational ClaspKIC 5 September, 1940; crashed at Brias/Pas-de-Calais, cause unknown. His R/O-Gnr, Uffz Kurt Elsner. Both are buried in the German War Cem. at Bourdon, Blk 18, Row 9; Blameuser in Gr 348, Elsner in Gr 346 (D.Drury).
3 Elsner, ErnstOfwI/Sch.G-1Bf 109E
Deutsches Kreuz - Gold(10/29/42)

EK 1 & 2
Assault Operational Clasp
DK-G Awards List
4 Elsner, Hans KarlOfw44/JG-51 (6/41 S.U.)Bf 109F
EK 1 & 2
Fighter Operational Clasp
Two known Soviet victories, an I-16 and a SB-2 on 22 June, 1941. A 3rd, a SB-2 on 30 June, 1941. A 4th, an I-15 on 5 July, 1941. Magnus refers to him as Karl with 5+ victories. Another source suggest his given name is Rudolf (H.Breuer).
5 Elsner, HeinzFhjFw1/NJG-2Ju 88G-1 Werk # 720103 (lost 8/7/44)Night Fighter Operational ClaspMIA 7 August, 1944 at "La Roulandiere, Landivy", cause not reported. Remaining crew (MIA): Gefr Michael Schenk, Obs and Ogefr Werner Dörfel, W/T (desig unk). One of the airmen was found at La Pinsonniere in a swamp, his parachute failed to open (absa3945).
6 Elsner, Karl HeinzLt5Staffel Führer 10/JG-2Fw 190A-8 Werk# 172964
EK 1 & 2
Fighter Operational Clasp
MIA 16 July, 1944; Aerial combat near Caen. Mombeek MIA List. One known victory, a B-17 at St. Dizier on 16 March, 1944. A P-47 at Bretteville on 5 July, 1944. A 3rd, a Spitfire at St Andre on 6 July, 1944.
7 Elsner, WalterUffz1923/04/27Kassel1./KG 54Ju 88 A-4 "B3 + JH" Werknr 300237 (lost 14/06/44)KilledInAction (KIA) 14 June, 1944 when his ac failed to return from an operation while attacking shipping at the Orne estuary in France. Crew designations unknown; Uffz Elsner was my choice as pilot. He is believed buried in the Ger War Cem at Champigny-Staint-Andre, Blk 16, Row 13, Gr 697. Remaining crew (MIA): Uffz August Gilt, Fw Bruno Klos and Uffz Wilhelm Poppen (D.Drury).


Poppen
Courtesy CK

8 Emmrich, KurtLt12/28/1916LiebersdorfIV/KG-53He 111H-6 Werk # 7452 (lost 9/2/43)Bomber Operational ClaspKIC 2 September, 1943 in the vicinity of Morlaix, cause unknown. Remaining crew (all injured): Uffz Hellmuth Kohle, Uffz Ewald Menzel and Uffz Erich Elsner (absa3945).
9 Reifenstein, Hans DieterOfhrIV/KG-76 (5/44)Ju 88A-4 Werk # (0880)141069 "F1 + AU" (lost 5/5/44)Bomber Operational ClaspKIC with his entire crew, 5 May, 1944, when they crashed at Falkenhagen while on a night training flight. Remaining crew: Ogefr Gerhard Hennig, Co-pilot; Ogefr Martin Leckhof, R/O and Fw Willi Elsner, Gnr (C.König).

Results 1 to 9 of 9.



Wer vor der Vergangenheit die Augen verschließt, wird blind für die Gegenwart. Richard von Weizsäcker

All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is © 2012 - 2026 Aircrew Remembered and owned or managed by us
and should not be used without prior permission.