Joachim Müncheberg (31 December 1918 – 23 March 1943) was a German Luftwaffe fighter pilot during World War II and an ace credited with 135 air victories.

The hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic forced his father to sell their farm Friedrichshof in 1923; they resettled in Königsberg, where Müncheberg started his elementary schooling (Grundschule).

He attended the Sturmabteilung-sports school in Hammerstein for a few weeks in 1934 and in 1935, spent his summer vacation in Bulgaria where he, among other places, stayed at the Rila Monastery.

[1] His interest in flying was kindled by his cousin Hermann Hackbusch, a pilot during World War I, who often took Müncheberg to the Berlin-Staaken airfield for sightseeing flights.

Müncheberg volunteered for service in the then newly emerging Luftwaffe and started his recruit training on 4 December 1936 in the Army of the Wehrmacht.

Schülerkompanie (4th student company) at the Luftkriegsschule 1 (1st Air War School) in Dresden as a Fahnenjunker (Officer Applicant) from 1 April to 30 June 1937.

[3][Note 1] He transferred to the Luftwaffe in 1938 and attended the Jagdfliegerschule (Fighter Pilot School) in Werneuchen, under the command of Oberst (Colonel) Theodor Osterkamp.

He even had a training field built on the family estate at Friedrichshof in Pomerania and at the time had strong ambitions to compete in the 1940 Summer Olympics.

[5] At the time of Müncheberg's posting to JG 234, the Geschwader was commanded by Oberst Eduard Ritter von Schleich and I. Gruppe was headed by Major Gotthard Handrick.

[12] Müncheberg filed claim for his second victory on 11 May 1940 when he shot down an Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) Curtiss P-36 Hawk northwest of Antwerp.

Gruppe flew fighter protection for bomber formations attacking allied shipping in the English Channel on 24 July.

Gruppe continued to fly combat air patrols over the English Channel on 11 and 12 August, however, Müncheberg did not claim any aircraft shot down on these days.

Staffel as Staffelkapitän (Squadron Leader), replacing Oberleutnant Georg Beyer who left to become Galland's adjutant and became a prisoner of war on 28 August after being shot down.

[40] Flying another fighter escort mission on 24 August in an attack south of London, Müncheberg claimed a victory over a Hurricane from No.

To counter this threat the Luftwaffe and the Regia Aeronautica (Italian Royal Air Force) were tasked with bombing raids in an effort to neutralise the RAF defences and the ports.

Flying fighter protection for the Stukas, which were targeting the airfield at Luqa, he claimed another Hurricane at 14:06 and another one the following day; the pilot baled out.

Taylor was declared missing in action but reported killed when his Mae West lifejacket washed ashore with a 20mm cannon shell hole in the chest area.

Staffel was immediately ordered to relocate to North Africa where they were subordinated to I. Gruppe of Jagdgeschwader 27 (I./JG 27 - 1st group of the 27th Fighter Wing), then under the command of Hauptmann Eduard Neumann.

229 Squadron patrolled the contested skies over Tobruk, when they spotted and chased a Bf 110 which led them to a formation of Ju 87 Stukas from II./Sturzkampfgeschwader 2.

The fourth Spitfire in the section, which was undamaged, and its pilot unharmed, was flown by John Gillespie Magee Jr., author of the famous aviation poem, "High Flight.

[95] Czech pilot Flight Lieutenant J Kulhanek was killed and American Sergeant E Pendelton was captured after combat with JG 26 Fw 190s.

Deere ordered his pilots to conduct a three-way break with the hope of turning on their attackers from Müncheberg's group in a head-on position.

Gruppe was credited with the destruction of five enemy aircraft for one pilot killed; 118 reported four losses and 501 a single fighter lost.

[103] Following his 83rd aerial victory, Müncheberg was summoned to his commanding officer, Geschwaderkommodore Schöpfel, who informed him of his transfer to Jagdgeschwader 51 (JG 51—51st Fighter Wing) on the Eastern Front.

[104] On his way to the Eastern Front, Müncheberg travelled to Berlin where he briefly served on the staff of the General der Jagdflieger Galland discussing air combat tactics and how to lead a fighter wing.

Müncheberg finally arrived on the Eastern Front in early August 1942 where he was welcomed by the Geschwaderkommodore of JG 51, Major Karl-Gottfried Nordmann.

[110] Following the award ceremony he was granted home leave before being appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing), replacing Gordon Gollob in this role.

Jagdgeschwader 77 at the time was deployed on the southern sector of the Eastern Front and was scheduled to relocate to North Africa where I. Gruppe under the command of Heinz Bär arrived in Ain el Gazala on 26 October.

[122] Müncheberg was killed in an engagement in his Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 16 381) on 23 March 1943 over Tunisia when his 135th victim, a USAAF 52nd Fighter Group Spitfire exploded in front of him after a close-range burst of cannon fire, incapacitating Muncheberg's aircraft.

[123][124] Captain Hugh L. Williamson, who was also shot down in the engagement, later stated that he thought Sweetland had deliberately rammed Müncheberg's aircraft.