Gerhard Raht | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | June 6, 1920 Reinfeld, Schleswig-Holstein |
| Died | 11 January 1977 (aged 56) Reinfeld, Schleswig-Holstein |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Branch |  Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1939–1945 |
| Rank | Hauptmann |
| Unit | NJG 3, NJG 2 |
| Commands | I./NJG 2 |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Gerhard Ferdinand Otto Raht (6 June 1920 – 11 January 1977) was a German Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. 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. Raht claimed 58 nocturnal aerial victories in 171 combat missions.[1][Notes 1]
Awards[]
- Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (6 September 1943)[1]
- Iron Cross (1939)
- German Cross in Gold on 28 January 1944 as Oberleutnant in the II./NJG 3[3]
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross on 24 June 1944 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 1./NJG 2[4][Notes 2]
- 833rd Oak Leaves on 15 April 1945 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./NJG 2[5][6]
- Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht
Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht[]
| Date | Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording | Direct English translation |
|---|---|---|
| 10 February 1945 (addendum) |
Der mit dem Ritterkreuz zum Eisernen Kreuz ausgezeichente Hauptmann Rath schoß in der Nacht zum 8. Februar sechs feindliche Flugzeuge ab.
[7] || The recipient of the Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross Hauptmann Rath shot down six enemy aircraft in the night to 8 February. |
Notes[]
- ↑ For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces.
- ↑ According to Scherzer as Staffelkapitän of the 4./NJG 3.[5]
References[]
- Citations
- Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945. Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
- Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 - 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 3-87341-065-6.
- Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II. Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
- Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
- Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 0-8041-1696-2.
- Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2300-3.
- Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939-1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG, 1985. ISBN 3-423-05944-3.
External links[]
| |||||||||||
The original article can be found at Gerhard Raht and the edit history here.