Hi Ed,
Happy new year to toy too!
Adolf Spohrer was
not a recipient of das Ritterkreuz:
www.das-ritterkreuz.de
Wolfgang Dietrich gives a rough time frame in his KG 55 book about which medal/award could be earned after a number of enemy sorties:
15 Feindflüge - EK II
20 Feindflüge - Frontflugspange in Bronze
25-40 Feindflüge - EK I
60 Feindflüge - Frontflugspange in Silber
80 Feindflüge - Ehrenpokals des Reichsmarschalls
110 Feindflüge - Frontflugspange in Gold
140 Feindflüge - Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
200-400 Feindflüge - Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes
This could mean that Bubi flew more than 140 enemy sorties. It could also mean that he did something that earned him the DKiG earlier, for example he shot down a enemy plane at 100 sorties and got it. Hard to say at this time.
Kind regards,
Thomas