Oblt. Günther Lützow joined the Spanish Civil war and from March to September 1937 he manage to file claims for a total of five republican aircraft, including the first ever recorded claim by a Bf 109 pilot, when on 6 April 1937 he shot down down a I-15 flying a Bf 109 B.

Hptm. Lützows first WW II Abschuss was recorded on 14 May 1940, when his flight encountered 15 to 20 French P-36 Hawks, and manage to shot down seven of them without any own losses, two of them was claimed by Lützow.

In all he manage to down nine enemy aircraft over France while flying 64 combat missions. Under his leadership, the I. Gruppe was one of the most successful units in this campaign, credited with 88 confirmed victories for the loss of six pilots killed and ten Bf 109s destroyed.

During the Battle of Britain Lützow claimed his first aerial victory ion 16 August 1940, shooting down a Spitfire over Kent. Nine days later on 25 August he was appointed a the new Geschwaderkommodore of JG 3 and on 30 August he was promoted to the rank of Major.

In September 1940, Lützow claimed three Hurricanes, one each on 7, 9 and 15 September. In addition to the 15 aerial victories he had claimed since the start of the war, he was credited with three ground victories and one Barrage balloon destroyed. Subsequently, he was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 18 September 1940. Lützow was credited with three further victories against the RAF, two P-36s shot down on 5 October, and a Spitfire on 5 November 1940, taking his World War II score to 18.

Participated in the Barbarossa campaign against the Soviet Union Lützow claimed a I-16 on the first day of the campaign and another eight VVS aircraft would fell before his guns during the last days of June, thereby reaching a total of 27 victories. Thereafter he would be a steady claimer, also downing multiplies, four enemy aircraft on 10 July, and another three on 15 July.

The day after, on 16 July 1941, Lützow claimed three further victories, a SB-2, an I-16 and a DB-3, and another DB-3 the next day. On 20 July, he claimed his 41-42nd aerial victory of the war, two Su-2s. On the same day he was awarded the Eichenlaub as the 27th member of the Wehrmacht.

Note the 29 Soviet Abshussbalken (Black Kill Bars) on the on the Yellow rudder. Note also that the 12th bar has a green laurel surrounding the number 30, a Pe-2 bomber that he shot down on 26 June for his 30 confirmed victory in WW II.

This aircraft, W.Nr. 9704 is one of two documented Bf 109 F-2s that was flown by Günther Lützow during this period, both with the typical Lützow tripple Chevron Markings, one of his machines with White painted Chevrons and this one in Black Chevrons. Note also the JG 3 Stab crest under the cockpit.

Please note that during the last week I have been able to make four new profiles, all of them should be included in one of my upcoming Luftwaffe Fighters Profile Books Numbered 16 to 19.