Weiß claimed the majority of his victories over the Eastern Front, and 26 over the Western Allies, including three four-engined heavy bombers.
Born in Baden bei Wien, Weiß joined the military service in the Luftwaffe in 1939, initially serving with the anti-aircraft artillery.
He was then accepted for pilot training and was then posted to Jagdgeschwader 26 (JG 26—26th Fighter Wing) in early 1941.
In September 1942, Weiß was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 54 (JG 54—54th Fighter Wing) which was fighting on the Eastern Front.
He was the oldest son of a higher city secretary (Stadtobersekretär), a public servant, and police commissioner (Polizei-Inspektor).
In early 1939, he volunteered for military service with the Luftwaffe as an officer cadet, serving with Flak-Regiment 22, an anti-aircraft artillery regiment based at Döberitz.
[1] World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland.
[1] Fighting against the Royal Air Force (RAF) on the English Channel, Weiß claimed his first aerial victory on 21 September.
101 consisting of twelve Bristol Blenheim bombers and escorted by fourteen squadrons of Supermarine Spitfire and Hawker Hurricane fighters which targeted Béthune and Gosnay.
In combat over Étaples and 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) northwest of Berck, Weiß managed to shoot down a No.
Defending against this attack, Weiß claimed a Spitfire shot down 4 kilometers (2.5 miles) west of Boulogne.
Staffel of JG 54 was commanded by Oberleutnant Heinz Lange and part of I. Gruppe, which was headed by Hauptmann Hans Philipp.
[7] Weiß claimed his first aerial victories on the Eastern Front on 12 January 1943 when Soviet forces launched Operation Iskra which created a land connection to Leningrad.
Staffel in the combat area of Leningrad, Weiß claimed his 31st aerial victory on 13 April when he shot down a Soviet Petlyakov Pe-2 bomber making an attack on the Luftwaffe airfield at Krasnogvardeysk.
[10] After Oberleutnant Franz Eisenach was wounded in combat on 8 July, Weiß temporarily replaced him as Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3.
[12] Weiß claimed two Il-2 ground-attack aircraft destroyed, his first aerial victories following his return to combat operations, on 2 August while supporting German troops retreating northwest of Orel and southwest of Kromy.
[14] On 11 September, Weiß made an emergency landing in his Focke-Wulf Fw 190 A-6 (Werknummer 530 337—factory number) at Shatalovka following aerial combat.
[15] On 15 February 1944, Weiß claimed his last aerial victories on the Eastern Front when he shot down four Il-2 ground-attack aircraft in support of 16th Army fighting in the combat area near Luga.
Gruppe of JG 54 and was based at Ludwigslust, fighting in defense of the Reich against the Western Allies.
Gruppe on 19 May when he shot down a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) Lockheed P-38 Lightning southeast of Oschersleben.
On 27 May, Weiß claimed his first heavy bomber when he shot down a Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress northwest of Colmar.
The Gruppe was withdrawn from combat operations on 5 September, relocating to Oldenburg Airfield (Gruppenstab, 9. and 12.
On 29 December, Weiß led his Gruppe in combat against Allied fighters of the RAF Second Tactical Air Force.
Vectored by ground control to the Münster-Rheine area, the engagement ended with the destruction of 15 fighters, plus two further damaged, 13 pilots killed and two wounded.