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// localized campaign name and description
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&name="Platzschutzstaffel Pitomnik Campaign"


&description="Fly the Bf-109 G-2 during the Battle of Stalingrad as pilot of Platzschutzstaffel Pitomnik<br><br><u>Author</u><br>Juri_JS<br><br><u>Map</u><br>Stalingrad<br><br><u>Time Period</u><br>December 1942 to January 1943<br><br><u>Number of Missions</u><br>13<br><br><u>Remarks</u><br><li>A mission is complete only when the player returns to and lands at their home airfield.</li><li>Do not hide the entire HUD (H key) when flying any mission. Doing so will disable the messages you receive during flight.</li><br><br><u>Background</u><br>The missions and background story of the campaign are inspired by the experiences of Kurt Ebener, the most successfull pilot of Platzschutzstaffel Pitomnik.<br><br>Ebener was born on 4 May 1920 in Könitz, a town in Thuringia, the youngest of three brothers. He joined the Luftwaffe in November 1939 and, after completing his fighter pilot training, was transfered to 4./JG 3 in late 1941. In December 1942, his unit relocated to Morozovskaya which is located to the west of Stalingrad. Ebener immediately volunteered to join Platzschutzstaffel Pitomnik upon his arrival. The Platzschutzstaffel (Airfield Defence Squadron) was composed of volunteers from Jagdgeschwader 3 and was responsible for the defence of Pitomnik Airfield. Pitomnik was the most important airfield used by the German Wehrmacht inside the Stalingrad Pocket, as the majority of the supplies needed by the encircled 6th Army flowed through it. Kurt Ebener had a very personal reason to volunteer for this dangerous assignment. His older brother, Hellmut, was an officer in an anti-tank company that was trapped inside the Stalingrad Pocket. Kurt had the firm intention of finding Hellmut and helping him escape from the imminent collapse of the Stalingrad Pocket.<br><br>Kurt Ebener flew more missions from Pitomnik Airfield than any other pilot of the Platzschutzstaffel and claimed over 30 enemy aircraft shot down during this period. He was evacuated from the Stalingrad Pocket on 15 January 1943 just one day before the airfield was overrun by units of the Red Army.<br><br>In recognition of his performance, Ebener was promoted and awarded the German Cross in Gold and the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. In March 1943 he was transfered to Ergänzungsjagdgruppe Ost. He was assigned as an instructor in partial recognititon of his physical and mental exhaustion induced by his selfless performance inside the Stalingrad Pocket. In spring 1944, he was appointed Staffelkapitän of 5./JG 11. During the Battle of Normandy, Ebener claimed five kills including three P-47 Thunderbolts, a Spitfire and a P-51 Mustang. He was shot down during aerial combat on 23 August 1944 near Paris by United States Army Air Force (USAAF) fighters. Although badly wounded, he managed to bail out, was captured and became a prisoner of war. Due to the severity of his wounds he was repatriated to Germany in January 1945. Kurt Ebener died in March 1975 as a consequence of the wounds he received during the war.<br><br>His brother Hellmut is still officially classified as missing."