Career
The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Johann Schalanda was killed on 26 March 1945 by Soviet anti-aircraft fire over Küstrin. Johann Schalanda was credited with flying 933 missions during the war.
Schalanda joined the Luftwaffe in October 1939.
Following flight and specialized dive bomber training, he was posted to the III. Gruppe (3rd group) of Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 (StG 1—1st Dive Bomber Wing) where he was assigned to the 8. Staffel (8th squadron).
With this squadron, he flew his first combat missions in the Siege of Malta. In April–May 1941, he flew missions against the port of Tobruk, Libya, during the Siege of Tobruk and was credited with the destruction of 4,000 gross register tons (GRT) of Allied supply shipping.
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