Egmont Prinz zur Lippe Wei%C3%9Fenfeld

Egmont Prinz zur LippeWeienfeld was a Luftwaffe night fighter flying ace of royal descent 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. Prinz zur LippeWeienfeld was credited with 51 aerial victories, all of them claimed in nocturnal combat missions.

Prinz zur LippeWeienfeld was born onJuly 1918 in Salzburg, Austria and joined the infantry of the Austrian Bundesheer in 1936. He transferred to the emerging Luftwaffe, initially serving as a reconnaissance pilot in the Zerstrergeschwader 76 , before he transferred to the night fighter force. He claimed his first aerial victory on the night oftoNovember 1940. By the end of March, he had accumulatedaerial victories for which he was awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross onApril 1942. He received the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves onAugust 1943, for 45 aerial victories. He was promoted to Major and tasked with leading Nachtjagdgeschwader in January 1944, before he and his crew were killed in a flight accident onMarch 1944.

Source: Wikipedia