Herbert Lütje Herbert Lütje ( 30 January 1918 – 18 January 1967 ) . He was a highly decorated night fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II . A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat . Lütje was credited with 50 aerial victories , 47 of which were claimed at night . Military career . Herbert Lütje joined the Luftwaffe in November 1937 as a " Fahnenjunker " ( Officer Cadet ) . Lütje was transferred to the night fighter squadron of Lehrgeschwader 2 ( LG 2 — 2nd Demonstration Wing ) in December 1939 . In February 1940 he was posted to the 12 . " Staffel " ( 12th Squadron ) of Jagdgeschwader 2 " Richthofen " ( JG 2 — 2nd Fighter Wing ) . Flying with this squadron he participated in the Battle of France in May 1940 and flew numerous night fighter missions on single engined aircraft in June 1940 . In July Lütje was transferred again this time to the " Stab " of III . " Gruppe " ( 3rd Group ) of Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 ( NJG 1 — 1st Night Fighter Wing ) . Flying his 49th night fighter mission he claimed his first nocturnal aerial victory on the night of 6 September 1941 . With four aerial victories to his credit he was appointed " Staffelkapitän " ( Squadron Leader ) of the 8 . / NJG 1 ( 8th Squadron of the 1st Night Fighter Wing ) on 1 May 1942 . By the end of 1942 his number of aerial victories had increased to 15 . Lütje claimed a B - 17 Flying Fortress shot down during a day time mission against the United States Army Air Forces ( USAAF ) on 4 March 1943 . He achieved his 20th aerial victory on the night of 29 March 1943 . Lütje was awarded the Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes " ) on 1 June 1943 after he had shot down six British bombers ( aerial victories 23 – 28 ) on the night of 13 May 1943 . Among them was a Royal Air Force ( RAF ) Avro Lancaster from No . 57 Squadron piloted by Pilot Officer Jan Bernand Marinus Haye on a mission to bomb the Škoda Works at Plzeň . The bomber was set on fire and the crew bailed out safely . He was appointed " Gruppenkommandeur " ( Group Commander ) of the IV . " Gruppe " ( 4th Group ) of Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 ( 6th Night Fighter Wing ) . IV . / NJG 6 was based in Rumania and tasked with the protection of the Romanian oil fields . In September 1943 he flew a number of combat missions out of the Netherlands claiming four aerial victories ( aerial victories 29 – 32 ) . Over Romania he again fought the USAAF during daytime sorties . Fighting the Fifteenth Air Force he shot down two P - 38 Lightning s — one of them by his radio operator with the MG 81Z — on 10 June 1944 . His Bf 110 G - 4 ( " Werknummer " 140018 — factory number ) was severely damaged . He and his wireless radio operator " Oberfeldwebel " ( Sergeant ) Bogumil were wounded and had to make a forced landing . Over Romania Lütje was credited with 6 Vickers Wellington bombers and one Soviet Ilyushin DB - 3 reconnaissance aircraft over the Black Sea during nocturnal combat missions . At the end of August 1944 IV . / NJG 6 was relocated back to Germany . Lütje was appointed " Geschwaderkommodore " ( Wing Commander ) of NJG 6 on 1 October 1944 . Lütje claimed his final eight aerial victories in 1945 and was awarded the 836th Knight ' s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves ( " Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub " ) during World War II after 50 aerial victories on 17 April 1945 .