Josef Jennewein

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Josef Jennewein (21 November 1919 – 27 July 1943) was a German alpine skier who became a world champion and later a fighter ace in World War II. He was born in Sankt Anton am Arlberg in the Tyrolean Alps, Austria.

In skiing, Jennewein won the world title in the combined event at Zakopane in 1939 and earned silver medals in slalom and downhill. He also won gold in the downhill and the combined at the 1941 FIS World Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Because of World War II, the 1941 results were later canceled by the FIS.

During the war, Jennewein joined the Wehrmacht and then the Luftwaffe as a fighter pilot. He served with the 4. Einsatzstaffel of Jagdfliegerschule 5 and later with Jagdgeschwader 51 on the Eastern Front, before moving to the Western Front to defend Le Havre. He flew many missions and was credited with up to 86 aerial victories (sources vary: some list 83, others 86), including five on the Western Front and most of the rest on the Eastern Front. He was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross for his achievements.

Notable combats include RAF Circus operations over northern France in 1941 and the Ramrod mission against Le Havre in October 1941. On 18 January 1943, he reportedly shot down five aircraft in five minutes near Velikiye Luki. On 27 July 1943, he shot down an Il-2 but was then shot down himself; he was listed as missing in action northwest of Mtsensk, near Orel in the Soviet Union.