AR banner
Back to Top


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: “keller and otto

#Pilot/Crew
SORT (↑)
RankBornPlaceScore
SORT (↑)
UnitsAircraftAwards*************Notes*************PhotoLinksAuthorComments
1 Buchholz, HansHptm7/28/1908Alt Landsberg - BrandenburgI/KG-40 (1/40), 1/KG-40 (3/41), Stfkpt 2/KG-40 (5/41)He 111 in 1940, Fw 200C-3 Werk # 0060 "F8 + DH" (lost 5/19/41)
RK(3/24/41)

EK 1 & 2
Bomber Operational Clasp
KilledInAction (KIA) MIA 19 May, 1941; shot down at sea by by return fire from the freighter SS Umgeni west of Donegal Bay, Ireland. His body and that of 1st R/O Ofw Paul Schmidt were recovered and buried at sea. Five survived and became POWs: Ofw Otto Kroke, Co-pilot; Maj Friedrich Karl Keller, Reg Rat; Uffz Erhard Milde, 2nd R/O; Ofw Erich Kielke, Flt Engr and Fw Kurt Brattke, Gnr.. (Fw 200 Losses, 1988 Book per H. Breuer & D. Drury). Added (CKönig): on 24/03/41 he was awarded the Ritterkreuz for his courageous attacks on heavily defended convoys in the North Atlantic. Credited with sinking at least 61,000 GRT of shipping and damaging another 48,000 GRT. An official caption on a backside of a photo stated that Buchholz had sunk over 78,000 GRT of enemy merchant ships. May have been promoted to Hauptmann postmortem.


Buchholz, Hans , Kroke left, Milde right

2 Keller, Kurt EugenUffz1914/05/16 (CK)Heidelberg (CK)3.(F)/Aufkl. Gr. 121 (12/39)He 111 H-2 (lost 21/12/39)KIC 21 December, 1939 on a reconnaissance flight near Spöck, NE of Karlsruhe; lost in a tailspin stall. Remaining crew: Lt Wintermeyer, Obs (Inj/Safe? - Injured CK) and Ogefr Ewald Otto, Flt Engr (KIC, bur Karlsruhe Hauptfriedhof, Blk 1, Gr3 /D.Drury). Uffz Keller buried at Heidelberg Germany. (CK).

Keller

Courtesy Christian König


Ewald Otto

3 Keller, OttoLt159/NJG-5 (12/43), 4/NJG-5 (1/44), 7/NJG-5 (2/44), 9/NJG-5 (3/44)Bf 110
Deutsches Kreuz - Gold
EP


EK 1 & 2
EP, Night Fighter Operational Clasp
One known victory, a "4 mot" on 24 December, 1943. A 2nd, a B-24 at Kiel-Tönning on 5 January, 1944. A triple victory on 20 February, 1944 (Archive Report); a "4 mot" at Gardelegen, and two Halifax at Heading. A "4 mot" 50 km outside Berlin on 24 March, 1944. A "4 mot" on 27 April, 1944, no location. A Lancaster, same night, 15 km SE of Heidelberg. A Lancaster 30 km S of Ostende on 28 May, 1944. A 2nd Lancaster, same day, 40 km NW of Ostende. a "4 mot" N of Aumale on 1 June, 1944. A Lancaster near Königsberg on 30 August, 1944. Magnus Report.

KTY Added image
4 Russ, OttoLt1920/09/2626-274./JG 53 (07/42-11/42 Tunisia; 06/43 Sicily), 4./JG 53 (07/44 France)Bf 109 F Trop, Bf 109 G-4 (Trop) "White 1 + -" Werknr 16067 (25% dam), Bf 109 G-6 Werknr 16619 (lost), Bf 109 G-6/U4 "White 22 + -" Werknr 440679 (lost 02/07/44)
Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (01/01/45 postm.)
EP (01/05/44 CK)

EK 1 & 2
Wound Badge

Fighter Operational Clasp in Gold
KilledInAction (KIA) 2 July, 1944 during aerial combat with British fighters of RAF No. 403 Sq. over the Normandy Invasion Front, near Caen. 10 bombers. One known victory, a Spitfire 30 km east northeast of La Valetta N. Africa on 20 August, 1942, and another on 26 August, 1942 10 km north of La Valetta. Two additional victories, numbers 2 & 3, a Hurricane 9 km south of Djebel Obeid and a Spitfire 5 km northwest of Goubillat on 27 November, 1942. His 4th, a Spitfire on 2 January, 1943. His 5th, a Spitfire on 23 March, 1943. His 7th, a Spitfire Vb "ES147" of No. 232 Sq., 5km W of La Marsa, into the Gulf of Tunis, piloted by Sgt Ronald F. Keller (Pierre Lagace). His 8th, a P-38 at Map Quadrant 9864 on 5 May, 1943. His 9th victory over Sicily, a P-40 3 km east of Trapani on 7 July, 1943. His 10th, a P-38 20 km south of Cancello, 20 August, 1943. His 15th, a P-38 15 km S of Passau on 7 January, 1944. His 17th, a B-24 south of Kalens on 25 February, 1944 (Perry Claims). His 20th, a B-17 2 km E of Trier on 11 May, 1944. His 25th, a B-24 off Barfleur on 8 June, 1944. His 26th, a P-38 at Barneville on 17 June, 1944. His 27th, a P-47 at Vimoutiers on 27 June, 1944. Added: WIA on 30/11/42 in combat with a P-38 at Bizerta during a work test flight. WIA on 20/06/43 in combat w/Spitfire, crashed at Comiso (CK)


Results 1 to 4 of 4.



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.