caption serviceyears branch death_date death_place birth_place allegiance unit awards battles birth_date alt rank image article_title name
heinrich hoffmann 1937 -- 41 18px 3 october 1941 south of yelnya worms , germany nazi germany jg 77 , jg 51 knight leaves -lrb- posthumously -rrb- 's cross of the iron cross with oak world war ii 8 march 1913 the , including an iron cross displayed at the front of his shown shirt collar . his hair is dark and short , in his nose is long and straight , and his facial semi-profile expression is a determined and confident smile ; his eyes . gaze into the distance . he wears a field cap head and a military uniform with numerous military decorations including an and iron cross displayed at the front of his shirt collar upper . his hair is dark and short , his nose body is long and straight , and his facial expression is of a determined and confident smile ; his eyes gaze into a the distance . the head and upper body of a young young man , shown in semi-profile . he wears a man field cap and a military uniform with numerous military decorations oberfeldwebel heinrich hoffmann.jpg heinrich hoffmann -lrb- pilot -rrb-
 heinrich hoffmann
heinrich hoffmann -lrb- pilot -rrb-

`` oberfeldwebel '' heinrich hoffmann -lrb- 8 march 1913 -- 3 october 1941 -rrb- was a german world war ii luftwaffe flying ace .
a flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat .
hoffmann is credited with 63 aerial victories in 261 combat missions and was the first non-commissioned officer and first soldier of the wehrmacht to be awarded posthumously the knight 's cross of the iron cross with oak leaves -lrb- `` ritterkreuz des eisernen kreuzes mit eichenlaub '' -rrb- .
the knight 's cross of the iron cross and its higher grade oak leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership .
