Josef Pöhs

Josef "Joschi" Pöhs (14 March 1912 – 30 December 1943) was a Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Pöhs was attached with the Jagdgeschwader 54 fighter wing until spring of 1942 when he transferred to Erprobungskommando 16, a test unit for the new Messerschmitt Me 163. Pöhs was killed on 30 December 1943 when his Messerschmitt Me 163 was damaged on take-off. When the drop away undercarriage bounced off the ground, it hit the underbelly of the aircraft on rebound, damaging a fuel line containing T-Stoff. This caused the engine to shut down and forced Pöhs to try an attempt to glide back to safety. However, he crashed at Bad Zwischenahn succumbing to injuries he sustained due to exposure to T-Stoff. During his career he was credited with 43 aerial victories.