High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Johannes Steinhoff (15 September 1913 – 21 February 1994) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace of World War II, and later a senior West German air force officer and military commander of NATO. Steinhoff was one of very few Luftwaffe pilots who survived to fly operationally through the whole of the war period 1939-45. He was also one of the highest-scoring pilots with 176 victories, and one of the first to fly the Me 262 jet fighter in combat - being a member of the famous aces squadron JV 44 led by Adolf Galland. Steinhoff was decorated with both the Oak Leaves and Swords to the Knight`s Cross of the Iron Cross.