Walter Oesau

Walter Oesau
Walter Oesau ca. 1941
Nickname(s)	"Gulle"
Born	(1913-06-28)28 June 1913 Farnewinkel, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
Died	11 May 1944(1944-05-11) (aged 30) near St. Vith, German-occupied Belgium
Cause of death	Killed in action
Buried	Friedhof Meldorf Meldorf, Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1933–1944
Rank	Oberst (colonel)
Unit	Condor Legion, JG 1, JG 2, JG 51, Jagdgruppe 88
Commands held	III./JG 3, III./JG 51, JG 2, Jagdfliegerführer Bretagne, JG 1.
Battles/wars	See battles Spanish Civil War World War II Battle of France Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa Defence of the Reich  †
Awards	Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords and Diamonds Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
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Walter "Gulle" Oesau (28 June 1913 – 11 May 1944) was a German fighter pilot during World War II. A fighter ace, he served in the Luftwaffe from 1934 until his death in 1944. He rose to command Jagdgeschwader 1, which was named in his honor after his death.

He served with the Condor Legion during the Spanish Civil War with the Jagdgruppe 88. He claimed nine aircraft during the campaign, becoming one of only 28 people to earn the award of the Spanish Cross in Gold and Diamonds.

At the start of World War II, Oesau was given command of a fighter group within Jagdgeschwader 20. The group took part in the Invasion of Poland, later moving to the Western Front as the redesignated III Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 51. Oesau operated on both the Western and Eastern Fronts.

He returned to operations as commander of Jagdgeschwader 1. He was killed in action on 11 May 1944 aged 30. JG 1 was given the name "Oesau" in his honor.