Gerhard Raht

Gerhard Ferdinand Otto Raht (born June 6, 1920 in Reinfeld ; † January 11, 1977 there ) was a fighter pilot in the Air Force during World War II . He scored 58 kills and was u. a. Holder of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

War biography

The son of a carpenter graduated from high school and joined the Air Force as a volunteer in October 1939 . After completing his pilot training, he was promoted to lieutenant in February 1941 . From 1942 he flew as a night fighter in Night Fighter Squadron 3 . On April 3, 1942, he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd class; In July of the same year, Raht won his first night hunting air victory. After his promotion to first lieutenant in February 1943, he was appointed squadron captain in Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 . On the night of July 29th to 30th, 1943, he achieved his eighth to tenth night air victory. For this he received the end of August 1943Honor cup for special achievement in the aerial warfare and on January 28, 1944 the German cross in gold. In June 1944 he was appointed commander of the I. Group in Nachtjagdgeschwader 2. After 35 kills at night, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on June 24th . On February 10, 1945, he was mentioned in the Wehrmacht report with six kills in one night . On March 28, 1945, as captain , he received the oak leaves for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (833th award).

Raht was one of the Air Force's most successful night fighters. On 171 enemy flights he scored 58 kills; 57 of them were four-engine bombers .

After being a prisoner of war and founding the Bundeswehr , Raht took part in reserve exercises as a reserve captain.

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c Veit Scherzer : Knight's Cross bearers 1939–1945. The holders of the Iron Cross of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and armed forces allied with Germany according to the documents of the Federal Archives. 2nd Edition. Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Ranis / Jena 2007, ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2 , p. 611.
↑ ^a ^b Georg Brütting : The book of German flight history. Third volume. The heyday of German aviation until 1945 . Drei Brunnen 1979, p. 489
↑ The reports of the High Command of the Armed Forces 1939-1945, Volume V . Parkland Verlag, Cologne 2004, ISBN 3-89340-063-X , p. 519.
^ Jon Lake: Lancaster Squadrons 1944-45. Osprey Publishing, 2002, ISBN 978-1841764337 , p. 72.

personal data
SURNAME	Raht, Gerhard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Raht, Gerhard Ferdinand Otto (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German air force officer
DATE OF BIRTH	June 6, 1920
PLACE OF BIRTH	Reinfeld
DATE OF DEATH	January 11, 1977
Place of death	at Reinfeld

[Scherzer-1] Veit Scherzer : Knight's Cross bearers 1939–1945. The holders of the Iron Cross of the Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and armed forces allied with Germany according to the documents of the Federal Archives. 2nd Edition. Scherzers Militaer-Verlag, Ranis / Jena 2007, ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2 , p. 611.

[Brütting-2] Georg Brütting : The book of German flight history. Third volume. The heyday of German aviation until 1945 . Drei Brunnen 1979, p. 489

[3] The reports of the High Command of the Armed Forces 1939-1945, Volume V . Parkland Verlag, Cologne 2004, ISBN 3-89340-063-X , p. 519.

[4] Jon Lake: Lancaster Squadrons 1944-45. Osprey Publishing, 2002, ISBN 978-1841764337 , p. 72.