Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert

Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert (2 February 1919 – 5 September 2007) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 174 enemy aircraft shot down in 715 combat missions.

The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, with 51 in the Mediterranean theatre and 20 over the Western Front.

He was "ace-in-a-day" four times, shooting down five or more aircraft on a single day.

Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert was born 2 February 1919 in Cologne-Lindenthal, at the time in the Rhine Province of the Free State of Prussia.

He was the son of an executive secretary (Obersekretär) with the Deutsche Reichsbahn (German Reich Railway).

After attending school in Leverkusen-Schlebusch, he completed his vocational education as a metalworker.

With the beginning of his vocational education, Reinert learned to fly glider aircraft with the National Socialist Flyers Corps (NSFK), completing his A, B and C-license for glider aircraft.

He then received conversion training to the then new Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter and was posted to Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing), an all-jet fighter wing.

Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) based in France.

Reinert was then appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of IV.

Born in Cologne-Lindenthal, Reinert volunteered for military service in the National Socialist Luftwaffe in 1938.

Following the compulsory Reichsarbeitsdienst (Reich Labour Service), Reinert volunteered for military service of Nazi Germany with the Luftwaffe in early 1938.

Eight days after joining, he was discharged on medical grounds which required an operation.

In January 1939, he was admitted to the Reichsschule für Motorflug (motor powered flight school of the Reich) at Bielefeld where he attained his A/2 license.

On 14 April 1939, Reinert was called back into the Luftwaffe, at first serving with a Fliegerausbildungsregiment (flight training regiment), and received three months of recruit training.

He was then trained as a fighter pilot at various flight and fighter pilot schools.

World War II in Europe had begun on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland.

On 1 December 1940, Reinert was promoted to Unteroffizier (corporal).

He fought in Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, and claimed his first aerial victory on 8 August 1941.

On 14 June 1941, Reinert was transferred to II.

With this unit, he participated in Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, which marked the beginning of the Eastern Front on 22 June 1941.

During this campaign, Reinert was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz zweiter Klasse) on 31 July 1941.

A week later, at 13:42 on 8 August 1941, he was credited with his first aerial victory, a Polikarpov I-16 fighter.

On 28 September 1941, he received the Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Fighter Pilots in Gold (Frontflugspange für Jagdflieger in Gold), at the time he was credited with 16 aerial victories.

One day later, he received the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz erster Klasse).

Accumulating further victories, he surpassed the century mark in October 1942 for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.

In November 1942, his unit was transferred to the Mediterranean theatre in support of the Afrika Korps.

There, Reinert claimed 51 victories against the Western Allies.

In August 1943, he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 3.

Staffel (3rd squadron) of JG 77, and in February 1944 the 8.

Gruppe (4th group) of JG 27 and, credited with 174 aerial victories, received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 30 January 1945.

He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross following his 53rd aerial victory.

In 1956, Reinert joined the newly established German Air Force of West Germany.

Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing).

At the time he was based in Bordeaux, France with the Ergänzungsgruppe, a supplementary training unit, of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing).

This unit was tasked with patrolling the Atlantic coast.

Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 77 where he was assigned to 4.

Staffel (4th squadron).

JG 77, augmented by I.(J)./Lehrgeschwader 2 (LG 2—2nd Demonstration Wing), primary role in Operation Barbarossa was to support the German advance as part of Army Group South.

He retired in 1972, his final rank was Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel), and died on 5 September 2007 in Bad Pyrmont.