The 'Star of Africa's' first victory came on his first operational sortie, on August 24,1940 when he sent a British fighter diving into the English Channel. (It is not confirmed exactly who was his first 'kill'.) His final victory, his 158th 'official' shoot down, was a Spitfire V near El Daba on September 26,1942 - his seventh of the day. All but seven of his victories were over the Western Desert. Four days later while piloting Bf 109G-2 Yellow 14 the reduction gear failed and caught fire. He had no option but to bale out. It seems that he hit the tail; his body plummeted to earth without his parachute being deployed.
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