Johannes Steinhoff

Johannes Steinhoff
Steinhoff in 1966
Chairman of the NATO Military Committee
In office 1971–1974
Preceded by	Sir Nigel Henderson
Succeeded by	Sir Peter Hill-Norton
Inspector of the Air Force
In office 1966–1970
Preceded by	Werner Panitzki
Succeeded by	Günther Rall
Personal details
Born	(1913-09-15)15 September 1913 Bottendorf, Province of Saxony, Prussia, Germany
Died	21 February 1994(1994-02-21) (aged 80) Wachtberg-Pech, Northrhine-Westphalia, Germany
Resting place	Cemetery in Villip, Wachtberg
Spouse	Ursula Steinhoff
Relations	Ludwig Hahn (brother-in-law) Michael Bird (son-in-law)
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Grand Officer of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic American Legion of Merit French Legion of Honour
Nickname	Macky
Military service
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (to 1945)  West Germany
Branch/service	Luftwaffe  German Air Force
Years of service	1934–1945 1955–1974
Rank	Oberst (Wehrmacht) General (Bundeswehr)
Unit	JG 26, JG 52, JG 77, Kommando Nowotny, JG 7 and JV 44
Commands	II./JG 52, JG 77 and JG 7
Battles/wars	See battles World War II Battle of the Heligoland Bight Battle of France Battle of Britain Operation Barbarossa Defence of the Reich Cold War

Johannes "Macky" Steinhoff (15 September 1913 – 21 February 1994) was a Luftwaffe fighter ace during World War II, German general, and NATO official. He was one of very few Luftwaffe pilots who survived to fly operationally through the whole of the war period 1939–45 until he was severely burned during a failed take-off. Steinhoff was also one of the highest-scoring pilots with 176 victories, and one of the first to fly the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter in combat as a member of the Jagdverband 44 squadron led by Adolf Galland. Steinhoff was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords, and later received the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and several foreign awards including the American Legion of Merit and the French Legion of Honour. He played a role in the so-called Fighter Pilots' Revolt late in the war, when several senior air force officers confronted Hermann Göring.

Steinhoff joined the West German government's Rearmament Office as a consultant on military aviation in 1952 and became one of the principal officials tasked with rebuilding the German Air Force through the Cold War. In retirement, Steinhoff became a widely read author of books on German military aviation during the Second World War and the experiences of the German people at that time.