Heinrich Ehrler

Heinrich Ehrler (14 September 1917 – 4 April 1945) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator and wing commander during World War II.

As a fighter ace, he is credited with 208 enemy aircraft shot down in over 400 combat missions.

The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, with nine claims over the Western Front which included eight in the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter.

Born in Oberbalbach, Ehrler grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany as one of 12 children in his family.

Ehrler was born on 14 September 1917 in Oberbalbach, today part of Lauda-Königshofen, in the district of Tauberbischofsheim of the Grand Duchy of Baden.

He was one of eight children of a laborer.

When his mother died, his father married again.

The second marriage added four more children to the family.

He initially served with the 7th battery of Artillerie-Regiment 25 (25th artillery regiment) in Ludwigsburg, a regiment of the 25th Infantry Division.

He joined the military service in the Wehrmacht in 1935, initially serving with the artillery and anti-aircraft artillery.

He participated in the Spanish Civil War and following the outbreak of World War II transferred to the Jagdwaffe (fighter force).

Following flight training, he was posted to the 4.

Following a vocational education as a butcher, Ehrler joined the military service of the Wehrmacht on 29 October 1935.

He then transferred to the Luftwaffe where he served with Flak-Regiment 8 (8th anti-aircraft artillery regiment) from 7 April to 1 November 1936.

From 2 November 1936 to 15 August 1937, Ehrler served with the 3./Flakabteilung 88 (3rd company of the 88th anti-aircraft department) of the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War.

Following this assignment, he then served with the 14./Flak-Regiment 5 (14th company of the 5th anti-aircraft artillery regiment) from 24 August 1938 to 1 August 1939.

He was then posted to 1./Reserve-Flakabteilung 502 (1st company of the 502nd reserve anti-aircraft battalion) on 2 August 1939.

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

Ehrler, who was still serving with the anti-aircraft artillery, requested transfer to the fighter force of the Luftwaffe on 3 January 1940.

His transfer request was accepted and he underwent flight training from 1 February to 4 November 1940.

During this training period he was promoted to Feldwebel (staff sergeant) on 1 July and to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 January 1941.

On 1 February 1941, Ehrler was posted to 4.

There, he scored his first victory in May 1941 and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse) on 19 September 1941.

JG 77 supported X. Fliegerkorps (under Luftflotte 5) in operations against Britain from bases in Norway, often providing fighter cover for Junkers Ju 87 dive bomber attacks against British shipping.

JG 77 was restructured as JG 5 Eismeer in January 1942.

Ehrler claimed his second victory on 19 February 1942.

He led a patrol of three aircraft of 4.

Staffel and shot down a Polikarpov I-18.

On 30 April, 4.

Staffel flew a combat air patrol along the Kirov Railway (Murman Railway).

Near Loukhi, they encountered six Hawker Hurricane fighters from the 17 GvSAP (Gvardeyskiy Smeshannyy Aviatsionnyy Polk—Guards Composite Aviation Regiment).

Three Hurricane fighters were shot down, including one by Ehrler.

Ehrler's sentence was later commuted and his loss of rank rescinded, and in February 1945 he was transferred to Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7–7th Fighter Wing).

According to his fellow pilots, Ehrler thereafter flew in the increasingly desperate air battles without the purpose and dedication that had made him one of the Luftwaffe's most successful aces.

On 4 April 1945, he claimed his last three victories by shooting down two Allied bombers and destroying a third by ramming with his damaged aircraft having run out of ammunition.

Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77–77th Fighter Wing), and later reassigned to 4.

Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5–5th Fighter Wing).

Scapegoated for the loss of the German battleship Tirpitz, Ehrler was court-martialled, stripped of his command and sentenced to three years and two months (honorable imprisonment).

Staffel (4th Squadron) of Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77–77th Fighter Wing), later redesignated to 4.

Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 5 (JG 5–5th Fighter Wing), based in Norway.