Career
During his numerous ground attack missions he destroyed 11 aircraft, 8 locomotives, 39 horse-drawn wagons, 34 trucks, 3 anti-aircraft emplacements and 1 armoured reconnaissance vehicle. The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Following the launch of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941 Dammers was credited with 48 kills as part of Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing).
His first victory of 1942—a MiG-1—occurred on 13 May followed by a Pe-2 bomber on 28 May.
On 17 July 1942 Dammers (flying Bf 109 G-2 Werknummer 13435—factory number) and his wingman Unteroffizier Kurt Keser jumped Soviet Yak-1 pilot (then Starshiy Leytenant) Aleksandr Pokryshkin, but the future second highest scoring Soviet ace managed to shoot both down. Keser was killed and Dammers bailed out.
He resumed his successes, shooting down two LaGG-3s on 28 July, and on 6 August 1942 he claimed an I-153 biplane fighter and two LaGG-3s. On 5 May 1943, Dammers was credited with his 100th aerial victory.
Dammers" Bf 109 G-6 (Werknummer 20162) "yellow 9" was struck on 13 March 1944 by debris from a shot down Lavochkin Louisiana-5.
Dammers bailed out but his parachute got caught on his wing. Dammers succumbed to his injuries and died in hospital on 17 March 1944 in Stanislau. He was posthumously promoted to Leutnant.
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