Princess Yvonne and Prince Alexander of Majorca Spain. Drinking princess and smoking prince

Sein-Witgenstein Heinrich Alexander zu (14.8.1916, Copenhagen, Denmark - 21.1.1944, near Hohengohrener and Ktitsa, Lubers district), prince, night fighter, aviation major (1943). From an ancient aristocratic family; son of a diplomat. In 1932 he joined the Hitler Youth, commander of the 113th group. In 1936 he entered the 17th Bavarian Reiter Regiment, and in October. 1937 transferred to Luftwaffe. In June 1938 he was promoted to lieutenant and enlisted in the 40th assault squadron. Participated in the occupation of the Sudetenland. In 1939 he was transferred to the 254th Bomber Squadron. He flew a Ju.88 bomber and made approx. 150 combat missions. Since Aug. 1941 transferred to night fighter aircraft, continuing to fly the same aircraft. From Jan. 1942 served in the 11th squadron of the 2nd night fighter squadron. He won his first victory on May 7, 1942, shooting down the English Blenheim. He proved himself to be a brave and experienced pilot. On November 2, 1942, when he had 22 victories, he was awarded the Knight's Cross Iron Cross. From Sep. 1942 commander of the 9th squadron of the 2nd night fighter squadron, from Dec. 1942 - 4th group of the 5th night fighter squadron. In June 1943 he was transferred to the Eastern Front to develop night tactics. air battles Night bomber units were secretly deployed across railways, carried out a series of attacks over several nights, after which they were transferred to another section of the front. In battles in the area Kursk Bulge shot down 23 Soviet aircraft, incl. 3 in 15 minutes. From August 1, 1943, commander of the 1st group of the 100th night fighter squadron, and from August 15. - 2nd group of the 3rd squadron. On August 31, 1943, after 64 victories, he received oak branches for the Knight's Cross. On Dec. 1943 again transferred to the West as commander of the 2nd group of the 2nd night fighter squadron. IN New Year's Eve 1944 shot down 6 British aircraft. From 1/1/1944 commander of the 2nd squadron. He was shot down in battle when he attacked a group of British bombers and shot down 6 of them, but was himself shot down by a fighter-bomber. Posthumously awarded oak branches and swords to the Knight's Cross on January 23, 1944. During the fighting he shot down 83 aircraft (all at night). There is some evidence that in Jan. 1944 N.-E. spoke critically of the Nazi regime.

Materials used book: Who was who in the Third Reich. Biographical encyclopedic dictionary. M., 2003

Read here:

World War II(chronological table).

Germany in the 20th century(chronological table).

Historical figures of Germany: |

Current page: 2 (book has 42 pages total) [available reading passage: 28 pages]

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords

Last name and first name of the pilot: zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, Heinrich Alexander

Rank: Major

Squadron: KG51, NJG3, NJG5, NJG100, NJG2

Victories: 83

Heinrich Alexander Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein

Born on August 14, 1916 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He came from a family of German aristocrats, and his full name was Heinrich Alexander Ludwig Peter Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein. Among his ancestors was Field Marshal of the Russian Army P.H. Wittgenstein, who distinguished himself during the war with Napoleon and Russian-Turkish war 1828 Young Heinrich was first brought up in a boarding school in Bavaria, and then studied at a gymnasium in Freiburg and was a member of the Hitler Youth. Military career Wittgenstein began in 1936 as part of the 17th Bavarian Reiter Regiment. He then transferred to the Luftwaffe and after graduating flight training in June 1938 he arrived at SchGr.40 with the rank of lieutenant. In the winter of 1939, he was transferred to bomber aviation and included in the headquarters unit of KG254 (from 05/01/1939 - KG54). Wittgenstein participated in the campaign in France, the Battle of Britain and in the battles of Eastern Front and, flying the Ju-88A, made 150 combat missions. In August 1941, he achieved a transfer to night fighter aircraft and, after undergoing retraining, was assigned to 11./NJG2 in January 1942. On the night of May 7, Wittgenstein scored his first victory by shooting down the British Blenheim. His account began to grow rapidly. So, on the night of June 6, already flying with Erg.Staffel/NJG2, he shot down two Wellingtons, and on the night of June 17 - a Wellington and a Liberator. At the beginning of July, Oberleutnant Wittgenstein was appointed commander of 9./NJG2. On the night of August 1, Hamiden, Halifax and Wellington became its victims, and on the evening of September 10 - Stirling, Halifax and Liberator. On August 21 he was awarded DK-G, and then on October 2 - RK. Having completed 40 night combat missions by that time, he scored 22 victories. At the same time, everyone who knew Wittgenstein noted his extreme ambition and individualism. Having poor health from birth, he had an uncontrollable desire to fly and become the best night ace. There is a known case when he once rose into the air in alarm wearing only his boot. When Wittgenstein jumped out of the car to climb aboard the Ju-88Q, which was ready for takeoff, his boot got caught on something. Not wanting to linger for a second, he simply pulled his foot out of his boot, and, taking a seat in the cockpit, immediately took off. He spent four hours in the air, and all this time his foot was on the rudder pedal in only one silk sock. If we consider that the temperature in the Junkers cabin was not comfortable, and it was not for nothing that the crews wore fur overalls, then it becomes clear that only a person with an iron will, who had absolute self-control, could withstand this. In December, Hauptmann Wittgenstein was appointed commander of the newly formed IV./NJG5. In the spring of 1943, the group operated from an airfield in East Prussia, and from April 16 to May 1 he shot down five Soviet bombers: four DB-3 and B-25. Then, at the end of June, already over Holland, he recorded five British aircraft, including on the night of June 25 - two Stirlings, a Lancaster and a Wellington. After this, two squadrons led by Wittgenstein were transferred to airfields in Bryansk and Orel to cover Wehrmacht units participating in the offensive in the Kursk area. During July 11–19, he shot down six DB-3s, Pe-8s, B-25s and Bostons. On the night of July 20, he first shot down another DB-3, and then in the evening of the same day, within 47 minutes, three Pe-8s, two B-25s and a DB-3. In one day, Wittgenstein scored seven night victories—no Luftwaffe night fighter had ever achieved such success. Then, on the night of August 21, the B-25 became its victim, on the evening of August 22 - the Pe-8, and on the evening of July 31 - the Li-2. On August 1, his group was transformed into I./NJG100. The number of his victories continued to grow. On the evening of the same August 1, Wittgenstein shot down two biplanes R-5 and Li-2, the next evening - another R-5, on the evening of August 3 - three DB-3s, on the evening of August 5 - B-25, and on the evening of August 8 - DB again -3F. Then on 15 August he was appointed commander of II./NJG3, based in northern Germany. On the night of August 24, he shot down a Halifax, and on August 31, for 64 night victories, he was awarded RK-EL (Nr.290). In December, Major Wittgenstein first headed II./NJG2, and already on 01/01/1944 he became commander of the entire NJG2. On the night of January 2, he achieved something new great success, shooting down six bombers at once. Then, on the night of January 21, 1944, he shot down three Lancasters and finally surpassed Major Lent in the number of victories and at that time took first place among night fighters. However, this mission almost ended tragically for Wittgenstein and his crew when their Ju-88 collided with a bomber that had just been shot down. The fighter lost two meters of the right wing tip and one of the four right propeller blades, and also received a hole about a meter long in the upper part of the fuselage directly behind the pilot's cockpit. Despite this, Wittgenstein was still able to reach the airfield and land safely. On the evening of January 21, he was already on another plane - Ju-88C-6 W.Nr.750467 "R4 + XM" - again took to the dark sky and shot down five more Lancasters. However, then his own Junkers was shot down. Wittgenstein ordered radio operator Feldwebel Friedrich Ostheimer and flight mechanic non-commissioned officer Kurt Matzuleit to jump out by parachute, and he himself tried to reach the Stendal airfield. However, approximately 12 km northeast of the airfield, in the area between the villages of Klitz and Hohengorener-Damm, the plane crashed into the ground. The next morning, a local peasant found Wittgenstein's lifeless body two hundred meters from the wreckage of the fuselage. According to one version, he was shot down by a Mosquito night fighter from 131 Sqdn. RAF, and on the other - the tail gunner of a Lancaster from 156 Sqdn. RAF. In total, he completed 170 night combat missions and shot down 83 aircraft, 33 of them on the Eastern Front. On January 21 he was posthumously awarded RK-S (Nr.44). On January 29, Wittgenstein’s remains were buried in a military cemetery near the Deelen airfield, 9 km north of Arnhem, Holland, where his squadron was then based, and then in 1948 they were transferred to the German military cemetery near the village of IJsselstein, 8 km southwest of Utrecht, Holland. In the fall of 1992, after the unification of Eastern and West Germany, a memorial stone was erected at the site of Wittgenstein's death.

Last name and first name of the pilot: Streib, Werner

Rank: Oberst

Squadron: ZG1, NJG1

Victories: 65

Werner Streib

Born on June 13, 1911 in Pforzheim. After graduating from high school, Werner Streib worked as a bank employee for three years. He began his military career in August 1934 as a private in the 14th infantry regiment Wehrmacht. Then in March 1935 he transferred to the newly created Luftwaffe and, after completing flight training, was assigned to reconnaissance aircraft. Streib flew He-45 and He-46 biplanes as part of 1.(H)/Aufkl.Gr.113. Then in 1938 he was transferred to 4./JG132 (from 11/01/1938 - 1./JG141, from 01/01/1939 - 1./ZG141, and from 05/01/1939 - 1./ZG1) . In September 1939, Lieutenant Streib took part in the Polish campaign, and in April 1940 - in the occupation of Denmark and on April 9, together with other pilots of his group, destroyed two Fokker C.VE biplanes on the ground. The first one air victory he won on May 10, shooting down a British Blenheim. On June 6, Oberleutnant Streib was appointed commander of 2./ZG1, which the following month was reorganized into 2./NJG1. On the night of July 20, he scored his first night victory, shooting down a Whitley bomber near Munster. At the same time, this was only the second victory in the overall record of the Luftwaffe night fighters. The number of his victories began to grow. So, on the morning of July 22, another “Whitley” became his victim, on the night of August 31 – “Wellington” and “Whitley”, and in the evening of September 30 – two “Wellingtons” and “Hampden”. On October 6, Hauptmann Streib, after seven night victories, was awarded the RK. On the night of October 15, he shot down another Hampden, and the next night three more British bombers. On October 18, he took charge of I./NJG1. In 1941, the number of his victories continued to increase. So, on the evening of March 10, he shot down a Hampden, on the evening of March 14, a Wellington, on the evening of April 10, two more Hampdens, on the night of July 16, two Wellingtons, and on the night of August 7, a Whitley. , reaching the milestone of 20 victories. Then on the night of August 17 he recorded Lancaster and Whitley, and on the evening of December 27 - Wellington and Whitley. 02/26/1942 Streib received the DK-G. His tally grew steadily throughout the year and, having shot down 11 Wellingtons, two Whitleys, a Halifax, a Stirling and a Blenheim, he then reached the 40-win mark on the night of 17 September. Having shot down two Lancasters on the evening of 02/02/1943, Major Streib increased his score to 45 victories and on February 26 was awarded the RK-EL (Nr.197). On the evening of April 3, three Halifaxes became his victims, and on the evening of April 9, he scored his 50th victory, shooting down a Lancaster. In the summer, his headquarters unit received prototypes of the new He-219 night fighter for military testing, since Streib himself was an ardent supporter of the speedy adoption of this aircraft for service. On the night of June 12, he, together with radio operator non-commissioned officer Helmut Fischer, took off in the prototype He-219V-2 W.Nr.219002 “G9+FB”. In just over an hour he shot down four Halifaxes and a Lancaster. However, when the engine of one of the downed bombers exploded, the windshield of the Heinkel cockpit was completely splashed with oil. Therefore, during landing, Streib was unable to correctly determine the distance to the ground and maintain the rate of descent. At a speed of about 240 km/h, the fighter hit the concrete runway and broke into four pieces. After this, the cabin with Streib and Fischer inside drove on the ground for about 45 meters, but both of them escaped with only minor damage. On July 1, Streib was appointed commander of NJG1. On the night of July 26, he shot down two Lancasters, a Stirling and a Halifax, breaking the 60-kill mark. On the night of December 4, two more Lancasters became victims of Streib, and this was his last success. On 03/01/1944, with the rank of Oberst-Leutnant, he was appointed inspector of night fighter aircraft and remained in this post until the end of the war. On March 11 he was awarded RK-S (Nr.54). In total, he completed about 150 combat missions and scored 66 victories. After the war, having successfully married, Streib became a successful grocery store owner. However, then in 1956 he joined the newly created Bundesluftwaffe of the Federal Republic of Germany and later was the head of the aviation school in Landsberg. He retired on March 31, 1966 with the rank of brigadier general. After this, Streib lived in Munich, where he died on June 15, 1986.

Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves

Last name and first name of the pilot: Becker, Ludwig

Rank: Hptm.

Squadron: LG1, ZG1, NJG1

Victories: 46

Ludwig Becker

Born on August 22, 1911 in Aplerbeck, an eastern district of Dortmund. In 1934, Ludwig Becker joined the Luftwaffe and met the outbreak of World War II with the rank of lieutenant in 14.(Z)/LG1. Then on 07/01/1940 he was transferred to the newly formed 3./NJG1, which was then renamed 4./NJG1 on September 7. Becker became one of the developers of night fighter tactics and later received the nickname “professor of night combat.” On the night of October 3, he won his first victory when, using a Do-17Z-10, he intercepted and shot down a British Wellington over Holland. At the same time, this was the first victory of Luftwaffe night fighters using the so-called “dark interception” (“Dunaja”) tactics, that is, when the fighter pilot was guided to the target by a ground-based radar operator. Then on the evening of October 16, Lieutenant Becker had another Wellington on his account. In 1941, he took part in combat tests of the first samples of airborne radars. On the night of August 9, he shot down over North Sea"Wellington". This was the first German night fighter victory achieved using airborne radar. At that time, Chief Corporal Wilhelm Gönsler, who later became a radio operator in the crew of the best night ace Heinz Schnaufer, flew in his crew as a flight mechanic. Becker's account gradually grew. So, on the night of August 13, “Manchester” became his victim, on the night of August 15 – “Whitley”, on the night of August 18 – “Hampden”, on the evening of September 6 – “Whitley”, on the evening of September 29 – “Wellington”, A early morning November 8 – another “Whitley”. In the autumn he was appointed commander of 6./NJG2. As 1942 rolled around, Becker's score continued to grow. So, on the evening of January 20, he shot down a Wellington from 12 Sqdn. RAF, on the night of March 3 - "Manchester" from 83 Sqdn. RAF, evening of March 12 - "Whitley" from 58 Sqdn. RAF, evening of March 25 - "Manchester" from 106 Sqdn. RAF, and on the evening of March 28 - Stirling from 7 Sqdn. RAF, after which his number of victories reached 17. Then on April 24 he was awarded DK-G. When airborne radars began to appear in active night fighter units in the summer, Becker, as an instructor, taught pilots their tactics. combat use. At the same time, he himself continued to shoot down bombers. So, during June 4–9, two Wellingtons, Stirling and Manchester, became its victims. His tally reached 25 wins and he received RK on July 1st. Becker's score continued to grow, for example, on the night of September 5, he shot down three Wellingtons at once. On 1 October his squadron was renamed 12./NJG1. On the evening of October 13 he shot down a Stirling, the next night a Wellington, and on the evening of November 9 another Wellington. On the evening of January 17, 1943, two Stirlings became victims of Becker, and on the night of January 31, a Lancaster. Meanwhile, on January 27, B-17s from the 8th air army The United States carried out its first daylight raid on German territory, dropping bombs on Wilhelmshaven. To help the daytime fighters from JG1, the Luftwaffe command decided to involve night fighters in repelling daytime raids. It mistakenly believed that, having strong on-board weapons, they would be able to effectively attack heavy bombers even in unusual daylight hours. On the morning of February 26, 12 fighters from IV./NJG1 took off from Leeuwarden airfield, including Hauptmann Becker’s Bf-110G-4 W.Nr.4864 “G9+LZ”. Over the Heligoland Bight they attacked B-24s of the 44th BG, which were returning to England after the raid on Emden. Night fighters shot down seven Liberators, but one aircraft did not return - and this was the Messerschmitt of the commander of 12./NJG1. The exact circumstances of the death of Becker and his radio operator, Oberfeldwebel Josef Staub, remained unknown. According to one version, their fighter over the North Sea was shot down by one of the P-51s that were escorting the bombers. On February 27, Becker was posthumously awarded RK-EL (Nr.198). The senseless death of an experienced pilot was a heavy blow for night fighter aviation. However, the Luftwaffe command did not cancel its erroneous order, only clarifying that the best crews may not participate in daytime sorties.

Last name and first name of the pilot: Becker, Martin

Rank: Oblt

Squadron: NJG3, NJG4, NJG6

Victories: 58

Martin Becker

Born on April 12, 1916 in Wiesbaden. After completing flight training, Lieutenant Martin Becker served in reconnaissance aircraft from 1940 and flew 27 combat missions. He then underwent retraining as a night fighter and arrived in early 1943 with 11./NJG4, which was then renamed 2./NJG6 on 1 August. He won his first victory on the evening of September 23, shooting down a Lancaster. On October 17, Lieutenant Becker was appointed commander of 2./NJG6. On the evening of November 18, the Stirling and Halifax became its victims, and on the evening of December 20, within five minutes, a Lancaster and two Halifaxes. Then, on the night of 02/20/1944, in the Celle-Stendal-Leipzig area, he shot down three Halifaxes and a Lancaster, reaching the milestone of ten victories. On the evening of February 25, Becker, flying with radio operator Karl-Ludwig Johanssen, recorded two Lancasters, and on the evening of March 23, in the area northwest of Frankfurt am Main, six bombers at once: three Lancasters " and three "Halifaxes". On the night of March 31, he achieved more more success. First, within half an hour in the Wetzlar-Fulda area, he again shot down three Lancasters and Halifaxes, and then, landing at Mainz airfield to refuel, he took off again and shot down a Halifax from 429 Sqdn. RCAF, after which his tally reached 26 victories. Becker's successes did not go unnoticed. On April 1, he was summoned to Rastenburg, where Hitler personally handed him the RK. This was a remarkable episode, since the Fuehrer usually handed over only higher degrees this award. Becker's wins continued to increase rapidly. So, on the night of April 27, he reached the 30-victory mark by shooting down three bombers, and the next night he shot down three planes again. On May 25 he received DK-G. On the night of July 29, five Lancasters became his victims, and on the night of August 26, three more Lancasters, and he crossed the 40-victory mark. On October 26, Hauptmann Becker, who had already shot down 43 aircraft, was appointed commander of IV./NJG6. In January 1945, he was credited with five more British bombers. On the evening of March 15, Becker and his radio operator Lieutenant Johanssen set a record by shooting down nine Lancasters in the Erfurt-Naumburg-Jena-Kralsheim area with their Bf-110G-4b/R3 “2Z+BB”. No night fighter aircraft crew has ever achieved such a number of victories in one flight. The next evening, Becker shot down a Lancaster from 103 Sqdn 50 km north of Nuremberg. RAF - it was his 58th, and as it turned out, last victory. On March 20, he was awarded RK-EL (Nr.792), and before that, on March 17, Johanssen also received the RK. In total, Becker flew 83 night combat missions. He died on 02/08/2006.

Last name and first name of the pilot: Drewes, Martin

Rank: Major

Squadron: ZG76, NJG1

Victories: 52

Martin Drewes

Born on October 20, 1918 in Salzgitter. Martin Dreves began his military career in October 1937 as part of the 6th Tank Regiment. Promoted to lieutenant, he transferred to the Luftwaffe and, after completing flight training, arrived at 4./ZG76 in early February 1941. In May of the same year, a squadron of the so-called Fliegerführer Irak was deployed to Iraq as part of the military assistance pro-German government of Rashid Ali el-Galani. At noon on May 20, Dreves scored his first victory by shooting down a British Gladiator. At the end of May, after the defeat of Rashid Ali's forces, the German pilots left Iraq and then returned to Europe. On the morning of August 29, Dreves achieved a second success by shooting down a Spitfire. At the beginning of November of the same year 41, his squadron was reorganized into 7./NJG3. As a night fighter, he could not achieve success for a long time. Lieutenant Dreves won his first night victory only on the evening of January 17, 1943, when he shot down a Stirling that took part in a raid on Berlin. Then on the evening of March 14, Halifax was on his account. At the beginning of June he was transferred to 11./NJG11 and then on August 1 he was appointed its commander. During June 26 - September 27, four Halifaxes and a Lancaster became his victims. On the evening of October 3, Dreves' Bf-110 was shot down by a Stirling gunner. His radio operator, Sergeant Major Hradchowina, and gunner, Sergeant Major Georg Petz, jumped out by parachute, but Dreves’ canopy jammed and he was unable to leave the burning fighter. There were no more than 800 meters left to the ground, and Tree had no choice but to try to land. At a speed of 380 km/h, he landed directly on a garden growing on the side of a hill. The right wing of the Messerschmitt was torn off, while the right engine flew over the fuselage and crashed into the left wing, the fuselage was torn in several places. Wood managed to get out of the cockpit through the side window, but one of his fur flight boots got stuck, and he had to simply pull his foot out of it. Dreves managed to run about twenty meters before the wreckage of the plane exploded. The only injuries to the pilot were bruises on his hand, which he used to cover his face when he touched the ground, and a small bruise on his forehead. Shortly after noon on January 5, 1944, he shot down a B-24 over the North Sea, reaching the milestone of ten victories. Then on January 11, again during a daylight mission, he recorded two B-17s. On February 24, Dreves was awarded DK-G, and on March 1 he took charge of III./NJG1. On the night of March 23, he shot down three Lancasters, on the night of March 31 - three more, and then on the night of April 19 - two Lancasters, reaching the bar of 20 victories. During April 21 - May 2, Hauptmann Dreves, flying a Bf-110G-4 together with radio operator Sergeant Major Erich Handke, shot down seven more Lancasters. His score continued to grow. On the night of May 4, five such bombers fell victim to him, on the night of May 13 - three Lancasters, and on the night of May 22 - again five Lancasters, and he reached the milestone of 40 victories. Then, on the night of June 17, a pair of Lancasters became victims of Dreves, and on the night of June 22, another pair. On the night of July 21, he again shot down two Lancasters over Holland, but at the same time his Bf-109G-4 W.Nr.720410 “G9+MD” was hit by return fire from the rear gunners. All crew members - Dreves, Handke and gunner Oberfeldwebel Petz - were injured, but were still able to jump out safely by parachute. On July 27, Dreves and Handke were simultaneously awarded the RK. His account gradually grew further. So, on the night of September 12, he shot down one bomber, and on the night of March 3, 1945, another Lancaster. On April 17, Major Dreves was awarded RK-EL (Nr.839). In total, he completed 235 combat missions and scored 52 victories. After the war he went to Brazil. Having then returned to Germany, Dreves served in the German Bundesluftwaffe from 1956 and retired with the rank of Oberst-Lieutenant.

Last name and first name of the pilot: Frank, Hans-Dieter

Rank: Major

Squadron: ZG1, NJG1

Victories: 55

Hans-Dieter Frank

Born 07/08/1919 in Kiel. In 1937, Hans-Dieter Frank joined the Luftwaffe and met the outbreak of World War II as part of I./ZG1. He participated in the Polish and French campaigns, but never achieved success. In the summer of 1940, his group was reorganized into I./NJG1, and Lieutenant Frank became a night fighter. In the spring of 1941, he was included in the group's headquarters. He won his first victory on the evening of April 10, shooting down Hampden. Then, on the night of June 12, “Whitley” became his victim, on the night of August 17, “Wellington” and “Whitley,” and on the night of August 25, another “Whitley.” In the fall, Oberleutnant Frank was appointed commander of 2./NJG1. His score grew rather slowly, and within a year - until September 1942 - he shot down four bombers: two Halifaxes, a Whitley and a Wellington. On November 27 he was awarded DK-G. On the evening of January 17, 1943, Hauptmann Frank reached the milestone of ten victories by shooting down a Lancaster. Then the number of his victories began to increase rapidly. So, on the evening of February 2, “Stirling” became his victim, on the night of February 22 – six bombers at once, and on the evening of April 3 – “Halifax”, “Lancaster” and “Stirling”, after which Frank reached the bar of 20 victories. On the night of May 5, he won his 30th victory, shooting down another Stirling. On the night of May 13 he shot down a Wellington and a Stirling, the next night another Wellington, and on the night of June 15 three Lancasters. On June 20, Frank received RK. On the night of June 22, he achieved great success, shooting down five Halifaxes and a Lancaster in just over an hour. He then chalked up two more Wellingtons, Halifax and Lancaster, before the end of June. Then on July 1 Frank was appointed commander of I./NJG1. Having shot down two bombers on the night of July 26, he reached the milestone of 50 victories. On the evening of August 23, he shot down a Lancaster, and on the night of August 31, in 17 minutes, he shot down a Stirling, Wellington, and a Lancaster. On the night of September 6, Frank shot down another Lancaster - this was his 55th and last victory. On the night of September 28, during landing approach, his He-219 W.Nr.190055 “G9+CB” in the area of Celle collided with the Bf-110G-4 of the commander of 1./NJG6 Hauptmann Gerhard Friedrich. Frank managed to activate his ejection seat. A strong jerk followed, and the pilot, who probably forgot to disconnect the cord of the throat recorder and headphones, was simply strangled by it. His radio operator, Chief Sergeant Major Erich Gotter, also had problems leaving the plane. He was found dead on the ground, while his ejection seat, with its safety harness undone, was found inside the wreckage of the plane that crashed 25 northwest of Celle. Then on 03/02/1944 Frank was posthumously awarded RK-EL (Nr.417) and given the rank of major.

Last name and first name of the pilot: Frank, Rudolf

Rank: Lt.

Squadron: NJG3, NJG1

Victories: 45

Rudolf Frank

Born on August 19, 1920 in Grünwinkel, southwestern district of Karlsruhe. After completing flight training, non-commissioned officer Rudolf Frank arrived at 1./NJG3 in early March 1941. He made his first combat mission on May 9, and won his first victory on the night of July 4, shooting down a Wellington, after which he was awarded the EKII. Then on the evening of January 21, 1942, he had Whitley on his account, and on the evening of January 26, Hampden. On 1 May Frank shot down a fourth bomber and received an EKI. Subsequently, his account gradually grew. So, on the night of July 3, Frank shot down two Wellingtons. In the spring of 1943 he was transferred to 2./NJG1. On the night of June 15, the Lancaster became its victim, on the night of June 17 - three such bombers, and on the night of June 22 - the Wellington. Then, on June 30, his Bf-110 was shot down, and Frank and his radio operator, non-commissioned officer Hans-Georg Schierholz, had to bail out. On the night of July 4, he shot down the Halifax, after which his tally reached 15 victories. From August Frank flew with 2./NJG3 and during August 24 - October 8 he shot down five Halifaxes, two Lancasters, two Wellingtons and a Stirling. On October 17, Sergeant Major Frank was awarded the DK-G. In December, he carried out combat missions already in 6./NJG3, and on the evening of December 16, the Lancaster became his victim, and on the evening of December 20, the Halifax. In February 1944, Frank was transferred once again - this time to 3./NJG3. On the evening of February 15, he scored two Wellingtons, and on the night of February 20, three Lancasters and two Halifaxes, breaking the mark of 30 victories. Then on the evening of March 22, Chief Sergeant Frank shot down two four-engine aircraft, on the night of March 25 - three, and on the night of March 31 - three more. He exceeded the 40-win mark and received RK on April 6th. On the night of April 23, he shot down a Lancaster, and then in the evening of the same day - again one bomber. On the night of April 27, Frank again shot down a Lancaster from 12 Sqdn. RAF - this was his 45th and final victory. A few moments later, his Bf-110G-4 W.Nr.720074 “D5+CL” collided with a downed bomber and crashed near Endhoven, Holland. Radio operator Sergeant Major Schierholz and gunner Schneider managed to jump out by parachute, and Frank died. In total, he completed 183 combat missions. Then on July 20 he was posthumously awarded RK-EL (Nr.531) and given the rank of lieutenant.

Last name and first name of the pilot: Geiger, August

Rank: Hptm

Squadron: NJG1

Victories: 53

August Geiger

Born on May 6, 1920 in Uberlingen, on the shores of Lake Constance, 28 km northwest of Friedrichshafen. After completing flight training, August Geiger arrived in 8./NJG1 with the rank of lieutenant. He achieved his first success on the night of June 26, 1942, shooting down two Wellingtons within ten minutes. Then, until September 11, he had four more Wellingtons and two Whitleys on his account. On the night of 03/02/1943, he shot down a Halifax and a Lancaster, reaching the milestone of ten victories. Just before noon, Geiger shot down an American B-17 over the Dutch coast—his first and only victory of the day. In March he was appointed commander of 7./NJG1. On the evening of March 29, during the repulse of a raid on Berlin, two Wellingtons first became its victims, and then during the next flight, in the early morning of March 30, two Lancasters and a Halifax. On the night of May 5, Lieutenant Geiger shot down a Halifax, scoring his 20th victory, and on the night of May 13, two more Halifaxes and a Lancaster. On May 22 he was awarded RK. His account grew quickly. So, on the night of May 24, he shot down two Lancasters, on the night of June 23, two Wellingtons, and on the night of June 26, two Lancasters and a Stirling. On August 31, Hauptmann Geiger received the DK-G. On the night of September 28, he shot down two Halifaxes, and his tally reached 53 victories, but, as it turned out, this was his last success. On the night of September 30, British bombers raided the city of Bochum, and Geiger on the Bf-110G-4 W.Nr.5477 “G9+ER” took to the skies again. In the IJsselmeer Bay area of Holland, his fighter was intercepted and shot down by a Beaufighter Mk.IVF night fighter piloted by the best British night ace - the commander of 141 Sqdn. RAF Wing Commander John R. D. Bracham. Geiger was able to leave the cockpit, but the parachute canopy caught on the falling plane. Together with his Messerschmitt, the pilot fell into the bay and drowned. Then on 03/02/1944 he was posthumously awarded RK-EL (Nr.416).

Last name and first name of the pilot: Gildner, Paul

Rank: Oblt.

Squadron: ZG1, NJG1, NJG2

Victories: 44

Paul Gildner

Born on 02/01/1914 in the town of Nimpcz, 45 km south of Breslau (now Niemcza and Wroclaw, respectively, Poland). Non-commissioned officer Paul Gildner began his flying career with 6./JG132. Then on 11/01/1938 his squadron was renamed 3./JG141, which then on 01/01/1939 received the designation 3./ZG141, and on May 1 of the same year - 3./ZG1. At the end of June 1940, the squadron was reorganized into 3./NJG1, and Sergeant Major Gildner became a night fighter. He won his first victory on the night of September 3, shooting down a Whitley near the German-Dutch border. Then, on the night of September 19, two Hampdens became his victims. In the spring of 1941, the account of Chief Sergeant Gildner, who had already flown in 4./NJG1, began to grow. So, during March 1 - May 9, he shot down three Whitleys, two Blenheims and two Wellingtons. On the night of June 19, two more Wellingtons and Whitley became his victims, and he surpassed the mark of ten victories. On the night of 9 July, Guildner shot down a Hampden and was awarded the RK that same day. He became the third Luftwaffe night fighter to receive this award. His count continued to increase. So, on the night of July 17, “Wellington” became his victim, in the early morning of August 15 – “Whitley”, in the early morning of October 13 – another “Whitley”, and in the evening of October 30 – “Wellington” and “Whitley”. In November 1941, his squadron was renamed 5./NJG2, and re-equipped with Ju-88C. On the night of 03/09/1942, Lieutenant Gildner shot down a Manchester from 83 Sqdn. RAF, on the evening of March 26 - Blenheim, and on the night of April 23 - Hampden. Then on 05/18/1942 he received the DK-G. At the end of the year, with the rank of lieutenant, he headed 3./NJG1 and began flying the Bf-110 again. On the evening of 02/14/1943, Gildner scored Wellington and B-17, breaking the 40-victory mark. On the evening of February 19, he shot down two Halifaxes - as it turned out, this was his last success. On the evening of February 24, during an attack by a group of British bombers in the area of Wilhelmshaven on his Bf-110G-4 W.Nr.4876 “G9+HH”, the left engine suddenly failed. With the engine burning, Gildner was able to reach the Giltze-Rijn airfield, 12 km southeast of Breda, Holland, but it was closed by fog. Gildner ordered radio operator Heinz Huhn to jump out by parachute, but he himself did not have time to do the same and crashed along with the plane. In total, he completed about 160 combat missions and scored 44 victories, two of them during the day. On February 26 of the same year 43, Gildner was posthumously awarded RK-EL (Nr.196).

Each generation of humanity leaves behind interesting historical moments and photographs, which we invite you to look at with us.

Last public execution in the USA, 1936

Boxing match at Yankee Stadium, 1923

Gym aboard the Titanic, 1912

In 1955, Princess Marianne Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sain took a photograph she called “Princess Yvonne and Prince Alexander.” This photo is quite popular, after all, for 1955, a drinking girl and a smoking boy is a kind of nonsense, unlike today. Especially some princes. So, in the photo of Princess Marianne - descendants famous dynasty Sayn and Wittgenstein, dating back to 1145 from the imperial county of the same name in German Westphalia. Full name smoking boy - Heinrich Alexander Sayn-Wittgenstein, girls - Philippa Sayn-Wittgenstein.

Crew member of the B-24 Liberator bomber (American heavy bomber during World War II). Such ammunition was necessary to survive at an altitude of 7620 m in Germany in 1943-1945.

Cinema, 1921

John F. Kennedy's coffin under the Capitol dome, November 1963

Autopsy room at a medical school in Bordeaux, France, 1890

The destruction of bison in the United States since the 1830s, sanctioned by the local authorities, was intended to undermine the economic way of life of Indian tribes and doom them to starvation.