Hermann Greiner
Hermann Greiner | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 2 January 1920 Heidenheim Germany |
| Died | 26 September 2014 (aged 94) Wangen im Allgäu, Germany |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany (1938 to 1945) West Germany (1957 to 1972) |
| Service/ | Template:Luftwaffe Template:GAF |
| Years of service | 1938–45, 1957–72 |
| Rank | Hauptmann (Wehrmacht) Oberstleutnant (Bundeswehr) |
| Unit | NJG 1 |
| Commands | IV./NJG 1 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Georg-Hermann Greiner (2 January 1920 – 26 September 2014)[1] was a German former 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. [Notes 1]
Awards
- Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (26 December 1943)[2]
- Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold with 200 numeral
- Iron Cross (1939)
- German Cross in Gold on 29 March 1944 as Oberleutnant in the 10./NJG 1[4]
- 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[5]
- 840th Oak Leaves on 17 April 1945 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the IV./NJG 1[6]
Notes
- ^ For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces.
References
Citations
- ^ Hermann Greiner's obituary Template:Pt icon
- ^ Obermaier 1989, p. 77.
- ^ a b Thomas 1997, p. 221.
- ^ Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 147.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 168.
- ^ Fellgiebel 2000, p. 84.
Bibliography
- Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - 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 Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help) - Thomas, Franz (1997). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 1: A–K (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2299-6.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|trans_title=ignored (|trans-title=suggested) (help)
External links
Template:KCwithOL Template:Knight's Cross recipients of NJG 1
Template:Knight's Cross recipients in the Bundeswehr and Bundesgrenzschutz
