Elias Kühlein was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot during World War II, flying the Messerschmitt Bf 109. He was assigned to II./JG 51, serving in campaigns on the Eastern Front and in North Africa before being transferred to protect oil fields in Romania and Bulgaria in 1944. Kühlein achieved 36 confirmed aerial victories by the end of the war in 600 missions.
Key details about Elias Kühlein:
Unit: He flew with the II. Group of Jagdgeschwader 51 (II./JG 51), later becoming Staffelkapitan of 6./JG 51.
Aircraft: He flew various versions of the Messerschmitt Bf 109, including the G-6, often associated with the code "White 7".
Campaigns: He served on the Eastern Front and in the North African campaign in 1942.
Later War: In 1944, his unit was deployed to protect Romanian oil fields fr om Allied bombing raids, wh ere he famously shot down two American B-24 Liberators.
Record: By the end of the war, Kühlein had amassed 36 confirmed aerial victories in approximately 600 missions.
