World War II Günther Lützow (4 September 1912 – 24 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe aviator and fighter ace credited with 110 enemy aircraft shot down in over 300 combat missions.

In parallel, he was accepted for flight training with the Deutsche Verkehrsfliegerschule, a covert military-training organization, and at the Lipetsk fighter-pilot school.

In 1937, he volunteered for service with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War where he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) in Jagdgruppe 88 (J/88—88th Fighter Group).

From September to November 1941, he also served as acting commander of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing), replacing Friedrich Beckh, who had been injured in combat, until the position was filled by Karl-Gottfried Nordmann.

He was reported missing in action flying the Me 262 on 24 April 1945 while attempting to intercept a U.S. Army Air Forces B-26 Marauder raid near Donauwörth.

Following the outbreak of World War I, his father was posted to the staff of the Führer der Unterseeboote (Commander of Submarines) Fregattenkapitän (Frigate Captain) Hermann Bauer, and the family had to move to Wilhelmshaven.

Unlike his brothers, who both pursued a naval career, Lützow joined the Reichswehr (Army of the Weimar Republic) following his graduation from school.

[14] On 16 October 1937, Lützow was assigned to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (RLM—Ministry of Aviation) Sonderstab W. (special staff "W") under the command of and named after General Helmuth Wilberg.

[21] On 10 May 1940, the Wehrmacht began its offensive Operation Case Yellow (Fall Gelb), the invasion of France and the neutral Low Countries.

At 8:00 pm, the flight encountered 15 to 20 Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) Curtiss P-36 Hawk fighter aircraft.

[26][27] On 23 June 1940, I. Gruppe was moved to a forward airfield at Grandvilliers in preparation for missions over the Channel Coast, but the following day, all Bf 109s were sent to Wiesbaden, via Brussels, for a thorough maintenance check.

In preparations for actions against Great Britain, JG 3 was put under the control of Luftflotte 2 (2nd Air Fleet), thus placing it under the command of Jagdfliegerführer 2 Oberst (Colonel) Osterkamp.

Lützow claimed his first aerial victory in the Battle of Britain on 16 August 1940, shooting down a Supermarine Spitfire over Kent.

[37] Under Lützow's command, the Geschwaderstab was based on the Channel Coast until 16 February 1941, at first in Colembert, then in August 1940 it was moved to Wierre-au-Bois and at the end of September to Desvres.

[38] On 27 August 1940, Lützow, and other Geschwaderkommodore, were summoned to a meeting held by Jagdfliegerführer 2, Generalmajor (Major General) Kurt-Bertram von Döring in Wissant.

The generals accused the Geschwaderkommodere of being overly interested in accumulating aerial victories and awards at the expense of exposing the bombers to enemy attacks.

[42] Operating from Saint-Pol-Brias until 8 June, the Geschwaderstab flew missions over southern England and the English Channel without filing any claims or sustaining any losses.

[35] In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the Geschwaderstab began heading east on 8 June 1941.

These air elements supported Generalfeldmarschall Gerd von Rundstedt's Heeresgruppe Süd (Army Group South), with the objective of capturing Ukraine and its capital Kiev.

[45] Major Friedrich Beckh, Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) at the time, was wounded in combat on 16 September.

On 23 September, Lützow suffered combat damage to his radiator and had to make a forced landing behind Soviet lines near Krasnograd.

After Lützow asked them how he could be of assistance to them they responded by requesting as many of his men as possible to form up execution squads to liquidate Jews, Soviet Political Officers and other "scum".

Lützow was furious and ordered the entire Geschwader in full dress uniform to assemble and before the Jagdgeschwader he explained what the SS had requested and how he considered this act to be barbaric and criminal.

[43] Braatz argues that Galland's decision to appoint Lützow to this position may have been motivated by a desire to get him out of the "line of fire" from the SS and NSDAP.

Jagd-Division (1st Fighter Division) in Defense of the Reich at Döberitz, where he assumed command for day- and night-fighter operations in northwestern Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.

The meeting was held at the Haus der Flieger in Berlin and was attended by a number of high-ranking fighter pilot leaders which included Lützow, Hermann Graf, Gerhard Michalski, Helmut Bennemann, Kurt Bühligen, Erich Leie and Herbert Ihlefeld, and their antagonist Göring supported by his staff Brauchitsch and Karl Koller.

The fighter pilots, with Lützow taking the lead as spokesman, criticized Göring and made him personally responsible for the decisions taken which effectively had led to the lost air war over Europe.

[55] Lützow was posted missing in action following combat on 24 April 1945 while attempting to intercept an attack by United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Martin B-26 Marauder medium bombers near Donauwörth.

[58] Blue Flight leader Captain Jerry G. Mast and his wingman, Second Lieutenant Byron Smith, went into full power dives to drive the attacking Me 262s away.

[61]On 28 April 2015, the Augsburger Allgemeine, a German regional daily newspaper, published an article stating that according to Erich Bäcker, Lützow attempted an emergency landing at Donaumünster/Erlingshofen and crashed into the Danube.