Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn Wittgenstein

Heinrich Alexander Ludwig Peter Prinz zu SaynWittgenstein was a German of aristocratic descent and a Luftwaffe night fighter 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. At the time of his death, he was the highest scoring night fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe and still the third highest by the end of World War II, with 83 aerial victories to his credit.

Prinz zu SaynWittgenstein was born onAugust 1916 in Copenhagen, Denmark, and joined the cavalry of the German Wehrmacht in the spring of 1937. He was accepted for flight training and transferred to the emerging Luftwaffe. He initially served as an observer and later as pilot in Kampfgeschwader and Kampfgeschwader 51 . With these units he fought in the Battle of France, Battle of Britain and Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, before he transferred to the night fighter force. He claimed his first aerial victory on the night of 67 May 1942. By October 1942, he had accumulatedaerial victories for which he was awarded the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross onOctober 1942. He received the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves onAugust 1943, for 54 aerial victories. He was tasked with the leadership of Nachtjagdgeschwader in January 1944, before he was killed in action on the night ofJanuary 1944 after he had shot down his 83rd enemy

Source: Wikipedia