Iro Ilk

[Teresa Maria]

Very little information seems to be available about Iro Ilk. The most information is available here: http://www.cieldegloire.com/001_ilk_i.php and here http://www.luftwaffe.cz/ilk.html, but it's still very little.
Does any of you happen to have access to more detailed information?

(By the way, the site Ciel de Gloire says that he spent 3 weeks in hospital in February 1943. Was he wounded?)

By the way, it would be Iro Ilk's birthday today. Happy very belated Birthday, Iro! :-)

[Leo Etgen]

Hi Teresa

Here is what little I have been able to find on this fellow. Unfortunately, there is not much on his career. I have also read that he had to perform an emergency landing near Plovdiv during the Balkan campaign on 7 April 1941 but I have no other information about this incident.

http://wikisend.com/download/518434/Ilk.zip

Horrido!

Leo

[Doug Stankey]

from our Officer Career Database (http://www.ww2.dk/lwoffz.html):

ILK, Iro. (DOB: 18.10.19 in Nassau/Hessen). (R, DKG). Fall 1938 joined the Luftwaffe as an Offiziersanwärter and attended LKS 10 Regensburg-Obertraubing. 20.04.40 promo to Lt. 01.41 trf to 3./LG 1. 1941-42 with LG 1. 02.04.42 Lt., I./LG 1 awarded the DKG. 18.04.42 Oblt. and pilot in 2./LG 1 WIA, Ju 88 A-4 (L1+CH) shot down 150 (300?) km N of Alexandria/Egypt but returned to unit. 15.08.42 Oblt., appt Staka 2./LG 1 (to 05.04.43). 21.10.42 Oblt., awarded Ritterkreuz, I./LG 1. 04.43 appt Staka 10./LG 1 (to 31.10.43). 23.08.43 Hptm., awarded Ehrenpokal. 01.09.43 promo to Hptm. 10.43 retrained on Bf 109. c.11.43 trf to JG 300. 20.01.44 Kdr. III./JG 300 WIA - shot down in combat with B-24s. 31.01.44 (or 03.44?) appt Kdr. III./JG 300. 20.02.44 Hptm., Stab I./JG 300. 24/25.03.44 Hptm., Stab III./JG 300. 23.04.44 Hptm., Stab III./JG 300. 20.06.44 Hptm., Stab III./JG 300 badly wounded by return fire - Bf 109 G-6 (<<) 70 km S of Griefswald. 01.07.44 promo to Maj. 09.44 having recovered, returned to action. 25.09.44 Hptm., Stab III./JG 300 KIA – Bf 109 G-14/AS (Black <<+ ) shot down by Spitfires near Moers/Ruhr. Credited with over 300 combat missions and 9 or 10 air victories (5 at night).


We hope that this helps ...

LdZ
DGS

[Teresa Maria]

Thank you very much for both your answers. In fact, I know the database and I consult it whenever I want to find some information about a Luftwaffe pilot. Indeed, he does not seem to have been well-known...

Still, maybe someone knows after all whether he was wounded in February 1943 and, if so, in what circumstances. :-)

[Johannes]

Hi Maria

Seems he attained his DKiG and Ritterkreuz for duties other than that of a fighter-pilot. Most of his actual claims were not immediately confirmed, probably because "wildsau" pilots by their method of attack(at night) usually lacked witnesses, but his claims are as follows, the first as a Leutnant with 1./LG1, all others as a Hauptmann with III./JG300.

25th February 1942 Blenheim Nr.1
20th February 1944 Lancaster 30km SSW Stuttgart 2241 hrs Nr.2 A.S.M
20th February 1944 "viermot" Stuttgart area 2248 hrs u/c
6th March 1944 B-17 25km W Quakenbrück 1430 hrs 4700 metres Nr.3
24th March 1944 "viermot" Leipzig 2253 hrs 5700 metres Nr.4 A.S.M
23rd April 1944 Lancaster E Düsseldorf 0115 hrs 7000 metres Nr.5
23rd April 1944 "viermot" Düsseldorf 0125 hrs 5900 metres Nr.6 A.S.M
23rd April 1944 "viermot" Düsseldorf 0135 hrs 5700 metres Nr.7 A.S.M
20th June 1944 B-24 S Rugen Island 0923 hrs 6000 metres Nr.8 v.n.e-a.s.m
20th June 1944 P-51 SE Greisfwald 0930 hrs 4000 metres Nr.9
21st September 1944 Lancaster Arnheim 1531 hrs 300 metres Nr.10
21st September 1944 P-38 Arnheim 1539 hrs 300 metres Nr.11 v.n.e-a.s.m

Kind regards

Johannes

[focusfocus]

hello

my information about the claims of 20.2.44 and 6.3.44 were recorded at Stab I/JG 300 when he was posted to I/JG 300 ( Hennef in january 44 ) to perfect in the tactics of the 'Wilde Sau".

when the claims were " Anerkennung"?: I have only 3 of these:

6.3.44: "Anerkennung" n°3 ( 4.7.44)
23.4.44: " " n°1 ( 2.8.44)
20.6.44: " " n°2 ( 4.9.44)

the others are recorded ASM or VNE ASM or W.B

best regards

[focusfocus]

Hi Johannes

I could not find any information about the claim of 25.2.42.Was this in africa?or elsewhere?
I believe that he was a pilot of LG1 and I found nothing in the book of Peter Taghon ( die geschichte des lehrgeschwaders 1 )

best regards

[Leo Etgen]

Hi guys

I have usually seen his first claim listed as having been a Blenheim twin-engined bomber on 25 February 1942 but according to A History of the Mediterranean Air War, 1940-1945 Volume 2 by Shores, Massimello and Guest this occurred on 10 March 1942. I hope this helps for whatever it is worth.

Horrido!

Leo

[focusfocus]

hi Leo

indeed it's the 10.3.42 : volume 2 p.192

2./LG1 Oblt Iro Ilk and crew Blenheim N Derna


thanks

[Teresa Maria]

Thank you very much for all your answers. This is all very interesting, but I don't think I'll remember all his claims.
However, maybe I'm too stubborn, but I'd like to know whether in February 1943 he was wounded (if so, in what circumstances), or whether it was something else. :-)