Leutnant Wilhelm Crinius was credited with a total of 114 victories, the majority of which were scored on the Eastern Front. In November of 1942 I./JG 53 was transferred to Tunisia, where Crinius was to score his final 14 victories against the Western Allies. He was shot down by RAF Spitfires and wounded on 13JAN43 and spent the rest of the war as a POW.