Wolfgang Tonne

In December 1941, I./JG 53 was transferred to the Mediterranean theatre. On 24 January 1942, Tonne was appointed Staffelkapitän of 3./JG 53. Tonne flew 116 combat missions over Malta, without adding to his victory total, before being transferred back to the Eastern Front.

From 31 May 1942 to 29 September 1942, Tonne flew 155 combat missions and shot down 88 aircraft on the Eastern Front. Oberleutnant Tonne was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 September 1942 following his 54th victory. The Oak Leaves were awarded on 24 September for 101 victories.

In November 1942, Tonne led 3./JG 53 to North Africa. He gained his first victory in this theatre on 26 December 1942 shooting down a United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) P-38 Lightning twin-engine fighter. He specialised in shooting down Supermarine Spitfire fighters claiming ten of the type in a short time. Tonne flew 82 combat missions and claimed 21 victories over Tunisia. Tonne was killed in a flying accident over the airfield at Protville, Tunisia on 20 April 1943 in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-6 /R1 (Werknummer 16523—factory number). He was promoted to Major (major) posthumously.

On 1 July, Tonne was appointed Adjutant of I./JG 53. Tonne participated in the invasion of the Soviet Union. In June and July 1941, he scored eight further victories.

World War II in Europe began on Friday 1 September 1939 when German forces invaded Poland. On 6 December 1939, Tonne was posted to 3. Staffel (3rd Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) and received the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse) on 18 April 1940. Tonne claimed his first aerial victory over a Royal Air Force (RAF) Bristol Blenheim twin-engined bomber over Sedan from either No. 21, No. 107 or No. 110 Squadron on 14 May 1940 during the Battle of France. On that mission, he was also shot down near Bouillon. He bailed out landing in enemy territory. However, he returned safely to his own lines, uninjured. Over England and the Channel he was to gain a further three victories by the spring of 1941.

Wolfgang Tonne (28 February 1918 – 20 April 1943) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Tonne was credited with 122 aerial victories before being killed in a flying accident on 20 April 1943 at Protville, Tunisia.

Tonne was born on 28 February 1918 in Moßbach, near Schleiz, in Thuringia of the German Empire. His father was a one-room school teacher (Dorfschullehrer). Tonne had a brother who got him interested in flying glider aircraft. In November 1937, Tonne joined the Luftwaffe as an office cadet at the Luftkriegsschule 4 (LKS 4—4th Air War School) near Fürstenfeldbruck. He completed his A/B pilot license, and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 September 1939.