Immanuel Klette

The President of the United States takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Immanuel Klette, Lieutenant Colonel (Air Corps), U.S. Army Air Forces, for extraordinary heroism in connection with military operations against an armed enemy while serving as Pilot of a B-17 Heavy Bomber in the 324th Bombardment Squadron, 91st Bombardment Group (H), EIGHTH Air Force, while participating in a bombing mission on 21 November 1944, against enemy ground targets in the European Theater of Operations. On this date, Lieutenant Colonel Klette led the entire Eighth Air Force, a force of 1,291 bombers and 954 fighters, on a raid on oil refineries at Merseburg-Leuna, the most heavily defended target in Germany. In rapidly deteriorating weather, he made an on-the-spot decision to take the bombers down from 27,000 feet to visual bombing weather at 17,000, resulting in the war’s most destructive strike on the refineries. The personal courage and devotion to duty displayed by Lieutenant Colonel Klette on this occasion have upheld the highest traditions of the military service and reflect great credit upon himself, the 8th Air Force, and the United States Army Air Forces.