Werner Streib Werner Streib ( 13 June 1911 – 15 June 1986 ) was a German Luftwaffe fighter ace and recipient of the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords during World War II . The Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves and Swords was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership . Military career . Often called ' Father of the " Nachtjagd " ' Streib helped develop the operational tactics used by the " Nachtjagd " during the early to mid - war years , and along with the likes of Wolfgang Falck made the Luftwaffe ' s nightfighter arm an effective fighting force against the Royal Air Force ( RAF ) bombing offensive . He is mentioned in the book " Almost a lifetime " by John McMahon when he , shot down John ' s Lancaster , killing all but John . Werner Streib was born on 13 June 1911 in Pforzheim Germany . After a spell in banking and finance , he joined the Wermacht as an infantryman . A transfer to the Luftwaffe , as an observer in a reconnaissance unit followed , and later he trained as a fighter pilot . In 1937 , he was assigned to Jagdgeschwader 2 " Richthofen " at Jüterbog - Damm . He then became a Messerschmitt Bf - 110 Zerstörer pilot in Wolfgang Falck ' s Zerstörergeschwader 1 as the war began . His first victory and only daylight victory was over a RAF Bristol Blenheim on 10 May 1940 . In May 1940 the creation of the Nachtjagd was commenced , and on 20 July , as part of 2 . / Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 ( NJG 1 ) , Werner Streib claimed his first night victory ( and the first official Nachtjagd victory ) over a RAF Whitley . By October 1940 Streib was commanding of I gruppe , NJG 1 , based at Venlo , Netherlands in order to more easily intercept the known RAF bomber routes into targets in the Ruhr . He would be awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 October 1940 as an Oberleutnant with eight victories claimed . By May 1941 he had 26 confirmed victories . He was awarded the Oak Leaves to his Knights Cross on 26 February 1943 as a Major and " Geschwaderkommodore " ( wing commander ) of NJG 1 with 42 confirmed victories . On the night of 11 – 12 June 1943 , Werner Streib flew a prototype version of the Heinkel He 219 and claimed to have shot down 5 Lancaster bombers within just 30 minutes . However , when returning to Venlo Streib misjudged the landing approach and used the flaps at too high a speed . The Heinkel crashed and was written off on upon landing , Streib and his " Bordfunker " ( radio or wireless operator ) escaping with slight injuries . On 11 March 1944 he was awarded the Swords to his Knights Cross for 66 confirmed victories . On 23 March 1944 he was made Inspector of Night Fighters and he would stay in this post as " Oberst " until the end of the war . Werner Streib was officially credited with shooting down 66 enemy aircraft , with 65 claimed at night . He was the first night fighter pilot to be honoured with the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross . After the war he worked in the grocery business before joining the Bundeswehr on 16 March 1956 . For three years he commanded the pilot school A in Landsberg am Lech , equipped with the T - 6 Texan was responsible for training the beginner pilots in the Luftwaffe . Brigadegeneral Streib ' s military career ended with his retirement on 31 March 1966 . His last position was " Inspizient Fliegende Verbände " ( Inspector of Flying Forces ) . He died on 15 June 1986 and is buried in Munich , Germany .