Friday, January 23, 2015

Hauptmann Manfred Meurer, Luftwaffe Night Fighter Ace

Hauptmann Manfred Meurer (8 September 1919 – 22 January 1944) was a Luftwaffe night fighter flying ace who was credited with 65 aerial victories claimed in 130 combat missions. He was also a recipient of the Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub. Meurer claimed his first victory on his first combat mission(!) on 26–27 March 1942. By the end of the year he had claimed a further seven victories. In January 1943 he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3 staffel, NJG 1. On 14–15 February he claimed three heavy bombers and on 12–13 March, a further four. During May he scored some 14 victories and in July he achieved his 50th victory, a Mosquito light bomber. On 5 August 1943 Hauptmann Meurer was transferred as Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5—5th Night Fighter Wing) before returning to NJG 1 in September 1943 as Gruppenkommandeur of I./NJG 1. I gruppe flew the Heinkel He 219 and Meurer gained five victories flying this type. On the night of 21–22 January 1944 he collided with an Avro Lancaster raiding Berlin. His He 219A-0 crashed and Meurer and his radar operator Oberfeldwebel Gerhard Scheibe were killed.


Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manfred_Meurer
http://www.historicalwarmilitariaforum.com/index.php?app=core&module=search&do=search&fromMainBar=1

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