Reinhold Knacke | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1 January 1919 Strelitz Alt, Free State of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, German Empire |
| Died | 3 February 1943 (aged 24) Achterveld, German-occupied Netherlands |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance |  Nazi Germany |
| Service | Luftwaffe |
| Years of service | 1937–43 |
| Rank | Hauptmann (captain) |
| Unit | NJG 1 |
| Commands | 1./NJG 1 |
| Battles / wars | See battles |
| Awards | Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves |
Reinhold Knacke (1 January 1919 – 3 February 1943) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a night fighter ace credited with 44 aerial victories, plus one unconfirmed claim by day, achieved in approximately 160 combat missions making him one of the more successful night fighter pilots in the Luftwaffe.[Note 1] All of his victories were claimed over the Western Front in Defense of the Reich missions against Royal Air Force Bomber Command.
Born in Strelitz, Knacke grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1937 and was trained as a pilot. He served with Zerstörergeschwader 1 (ZG 1—1st Destroyer Wing), flying a Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter, at the start of World War II. He claimed his first aerial victory during the Battle of France which was not confirmed. In June 1940, the Luftwaffe created its first night fighter wing, Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing), and Knacke transferred to this unit. There, he claimed his first nocturnal aerial victory on the night of 9 March 1940. Knacke was appointed squadron leader of 1. Staffel (1st squadron) of NJG 1 in April 1942. On 1 July 1942, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross after his 23rd aerial victory. At the end of 1942, Knacke was one of the leading night fighter pilots of the Luftwaffe.
On 2/3 February 1943, he shot down a H2S airborne ground scanning radar-equipped bomber, the first such radar system to be recovered and analyzed by German technicians. Later that night, he was killed in action following combat with another RAF bomber. Posthumously, Knacke was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 5 February 1943.
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