His victories were all claimed over the Western Front and included 26 four-engine bombers, 51 Supermarine Spitfires and 12 P-47 Thunderbolts.

Mayer claimed his first victories over United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) four-engine bombers when he shot down two B-17 Flying Fortresses and a B-24 Liberator on 23 November 1942.

Together with fellow fighter ace Georg-Peter Eder, Mayer developed the head-on attack as the most effective tactic against the Allied daylight heavy combat box bomber formations.

Mayer was killed in action on 2 March 1944 while leading an attack on a USAAF bomber formation; he was shot down by P-47 Thunderbolt escort fighters near Montmédy, France.

Mayer grew up on his parents' farm named Hauserhof and spent his spare time at the glider airfield at the Bellenberg near Engen.

[1] His military training began at the 2nd Air Warfare School (Luftkriegsschule 2) at Gatow, on the southwestern outskirts of Berlin.

[5] World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland, the day Mayer was on route to Schleißheim.

[Note 2] For his entire combat career, with the exception of a brief posting to the fighter pilot school at Werneuchen, Mayer served in JG 2 "Richthofen".

He claimed his first aerial victory on 13 June 1940 during the Battle of France, shooting down a Morane-Saulnier M.S.406 belonging to the French Air Force (Armée de l'Air).

At the end of 1940 Mayer had four victories to his credit and JG 2 "Richthofen" was withdrawn from combat to replenish the heavy losses it had sustained.

The triple award presentation was recorded by the Deutsche Wochenschau (German Weekly Review), a newsreel series released in the cinemas.

[1] On 12 February 1942 Mayer claimed a Westland Whirlwind during Operation Donnerkeil, the air cover plan for the Channel Dash of German warships from port in western France to Germany.

[15] On 23 November, Mayer claimed his first victories over United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) four-engined bombers, when he shot down two B-17 Flying Fortresses and a B-24 Liberator.

Together with Georg-Peter Eder, Mayer developed the head-on attack as the most effective tactic against the Allied daylight heavy combat box bomber formations.

[16][17] The concept was based on a Kette (chain), three aircraft flying in a "V" formation, attacking from ahead and to the left.

When in range, the attackers opened fire with a deflection burst, aiming in front of the enemy aircraft.

[20] In June 1943, Mayer allegedly encountered Robert S. Johnson, a future ace from the 56th Fighter Group of the US Eighth Air Force.

As Johnson limped home, with a canopy that would not open and hydraulic fluid and oil covering his windscreen, Mayer pulled alongside him in his Fw 190.

Mayer looked the wounded P-47 over, and then circled to come in from Johnson's six-o'clock to give it the coup de grâce.

[24] Mayer was appointed Geschwaderkommodore (wing commander) of JG 2 "Richthofen" on 1 July 1943, thus succeeding Oberst (Colonel) Walter Oesau.

Mayer led his wing into combat, but held position over Evreux, to stay clear of Allied fighter escorts and to await the bomber stream.

Navigator Ed Burford gave a description of the attack: Whoever it was gave a riveting display of aerobatics out in front of our entire 102nd Combat Wing before slashing in to fatally damage the leading ship of the 422nd Bombardment Squadron in the low slot.

After fires broke out between the #2 and the fuselage, and between the #3 and #4 engines, the ship nosed down in a spin - somehow seven men managed to hit the silk.

[26]Mayer was not known for showboating, and his actions were probably a result of radio failure - an attempt to attract the attention of his pilots after finding the unescorted bombers.

[35] Mayer's final score stood at 102 when he was shot down and killed in action by a P-47 Thunderbolt near Montmédy on 2 March 1944.

Flying Fw 190 A-6 (Werknummer 470468—factory number), Mayer had led his Stabsschwarm (headquarters unit) and elements of III.

Gruppe, 14 Fw 190s in total, in an attack on B-17s in the area of Sedan, but failed to detect the fighter escort of 29 P-47s 5,000 ft (1,500 m) above.

It made a violent snap roll and went into a vertical dive, crashing within 2.5 mi (4.0 km) of Montmédy.

The claim is based on gun camera footage and recollections of Mayer's wingman, who was forced to bail out during the action.