Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein

He was the second of three sons of Prince Gustav Alexander zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (1880–1953), a diplomat at the German embassy in Copenhagen, and his wife, Walburga, Baroness von Friesen (1885–1970).

His brother Ludwig was older and Alexander Younger.

Sayn-Wittgenstein was a descendant of German officer and Russian field marshal Prince Ludwig Adolph Peter, Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg-Ludwigsburg, a prominent commander in the Imperial Russian Army during the German campaign at the Battle of Leipzig.

Sayn-Wittgenstein attended numerous schools in various locations, including a private tutor at Lake Geneva, a boarding school in Neubeuern in Upper Bavaria, a brief stay at Davos in Switzerland, and a private school in Montreux.

Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn (14 August 1916 – 21 January 1944) was a German night fighter pilot and flying ace during World War II.

At the time of his death, Sayn-Wittgenstein was the highest-scoring night fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe and still the third highest by the end of World War II, with 83 aerial victories to his credit.

Born on 14 August 1916 in Copenhagen, Denmark, Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn joined the cavalry of the German Wehrmacht in spring of 1937.

He was accepted for flight training and transferred to the emerging Luftwaffe.

He initially served as an observer and then as a pilot in Kampfgeschwader 1 (KG 1) Hindenburg and Kampfgeschwader 51 (KG 51) Edelweiss.

He saw action with these units in the Battle of France, Battle of Britain, and Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, before he transferred to the night fighter force.

Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Sayn was born on 14 August 1916 in Copenhagen, Denmark, as a member of the aristocratic family Sayn-Wittgenstein.

He joined the Hitler Youth on 12 April 1932 in Freiburg.

On 15 January 1933, he became a Kameradschaftsführer (group leader).

From Easter 1933 until fall of 1933 he led the group's military-sports activities as a Wehrsportleiter.

He then became head of the instruction unit until May 1934.

From June 1934 he led the work unit 2/1/113 and received further pre-military sports training at the different camps of the unit 113 and at the Regional Leaders' School.

He received his Abitur from the Realgymnasium, a higher education facility, in Freiburg im Breisgau on 17 December 1935.

In April 1937, Sayn-Wittgenstein decided on a military career and joined the 17.

He transferred to the Luftwaffe in the summer of 1937 and, in October, he was accepted at the flight training school in Braunschweig.

He received his officer's commission and was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) in June 1938.

Sayn-Wittgenstein served on various air bases from where he flew the Junkers Ju 88 and the Heinkel He 111.

In the winter of 1938–39 he served as a Kampfbeobachter (combat observer or navigator) in Kampfgeschwader 54 (KG 54—54th Bomber Wing) based at Fritzlar.

After the outbreak of World War II on 1 September 1939, Sayn-Wittgenstein experienced his first combat action on the Western Front in the Battle of France and, later, during the Battle of Britain.

Initially he served as an observer on the He 111 H-3 from Kampfgeschwader 1 "Hindenburg," piloted by Gerhard Baeker, with whom he flew high-altitude missions against the Royal Air Force (RAF) airfield at Biggin Hill.

Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, bombing missions by the RAF shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign.

In the winter of 1940–41, Sayn-Wittgenstein returned to pilot school and took his Luftwaffe Advanced Pilot's Certificate 2 (Erweiterter Luftwaffen-Flugzeugführerschein 2), also known as 'C2'-Certificate, confirming proficiency for blind-flying, a prerequisite for night duty, and returned to a combat unit in March 1941.

In preparation for Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, his unit moved to Eichwalde in East Prussia.

In support of Heeresgruppe Nord (Army Group North), KG 1 flew its first missions against Liepāja and then Jelgava and Riga, targeting the heavily occupied enemy airfields.

By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line.

It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter.

Each sector, named a Himmelbett (canopy bed), would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers.

In August 1941, Sayn-Wittgenstein transferred to the night fighter force.

By this time, he had flown 150 combat missions and was awarded both classes of the Iron Cross (Eisernes Kreuz), Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) and the Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Bomber crews in Gold (Frontflugspange für Kampfflieger in Gold).

In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar.

He claimed his first aerial victory on the night of 6/7 May 1942.

By October 1942, he had accumulated 22 aerial victories, for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 7 October 1942.

He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 31 August 1943, for 54 aerial victories.

Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was appointed to command Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 (NJG 2) in January 1944, and was killed in action on the night of 21 January 1944.

Posthumously he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

Kavallerie-Regiment (17th Cavalry Regiment) in Bamberg.