Hermann Greiner

Georg-Hermann Greiner
Born	(1920-01-02) 2 January 1920 Heidenheim Germany
Allegiance	Nazi Germany (1938 to 1945) West Germany (1957 to 1972)
Service/branch	Luftwaffe (Wehrmacht) Luftwaffe (Bundeswehr)
Years of service	1938–1945, 1957–1972
Rank	Hauptmann (Wehrmacht) Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr)
Unit	NJG 1
Commands held	IV./NJG 1
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of France Channel Dash Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Georg-Hermann Greiner (born 2 January 1920) was a German Luftwaffe night fighter ace, recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and a squadron commander in the prestigious Nachtjagdgeschwader 1, translated in English as the "1st Night Fighter Wing", the most successful Night Air Superiority unit of any nation during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was the fourth grade of Nazi Germany's highest award for military galantry and was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery and successful military leadership. Greiner primarily engaged British RAF crews in their bombing campaigns over greater Germany and was credited with 51 aerial victories over allied aircraft, having destroyed four American bombers during daylight hours and 47 British bombers at night.

Following the conclusion of the War, Greiner and close friend Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer were arrested illegally crossing the German-Swiss border attempting an escape to Argentina. Both Greiner and Schnaufer were detained in an Allied prisoner of war camp and released in 1947. Greiner went on to study law and returned to service in the West German Luftwaffe in 1957, retiring with the rank of Oberstleutnant in 1972.

Awards

• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (26 December 1943)
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with 200 numeral
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (26 June 1942)
  • 1st Class (1 June 1943)
• German Cross in Gold on 29 March 1944 as Oberleutnant in the 10./NJG 1
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 27 July 1944 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 11./NJG 1
  • 840th Oak Leaves on 17 April 1945 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the IV./NJG 1

See also

• List of living Knight’s Cross recipients
• List of German World War II night fighter aces

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 (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall (in German). ISBN 3-931533-45-X.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 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.
• Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 3-7648-2299-6.

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Aces of the Luftwaffe

Military offices
Preceded by Major Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer	Commander of IV. Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 1 November 1944 – 8 May 1945	Succeeded by None