Wolfgang Schenck was an important figure in the Luftwaffe's development of the fighter-bomber, as well as pioneering work in the use of the Me 262 jet-bomber.

Wolfgang 'Bombo' Schenck, was born on 7 February 1913 in Windhoek, German South West Africa, the son of a farmer.

On the death of his mother in 1923, Wolfgang and his sister moved back to Germany to live with family in Berlin.

He scored his first aerial victory on 11 May 1940, but on 16 May, he was seriously wounded in combat with Royal Air Force (RAF) Hurricanes, but managed to return to base.

Accordingly, he travelled to their base at Denain, France on 4 September and arranged with Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) Oberleutnant Martin Lutz to join 1./Erpr.

He then spent a spell at Rechlin as head of the Eprobungsstaffel Me 210, and in January 1942 he returned to ZG 1, as Gruppenkommandeur of I./ZG 1, by which time he had claimed 18 aerial victories in 300 operational missions as well numerous claims for the destruction of enemy shipping, tanks and transport in the months of the Russian campaign.

He was awarded the Eichenlaub (Oak Leaves) to the Knight's Cross on 30 October 1942, and in January 1943 was appointed Geschwaderkommodore of Schlachtgeschwader 1 in the Mediterranean theatre, flying the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter-bomber.