Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer

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Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (February 16, 1922-1950) was the top night fighter ace of all time. He flew with the German Luftwaffe during the second world war. All his 121 victories were scored at night, most against British four-engine bombers. He was nicknamed "The Night Ghost Of St. Trond".

Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer was born 16 February 1922 in Calw near Stuttgart. He learned to fly on gliders as a member of a Nationalpolitische Lehranstalt in 1939. He entered the Luftwaffe as a trainee pilot in November 1939, and underwent flying training at in 1940. In April 1941, Lt. Schnaufer was posted to Nachtjagdschule 1, to learn the rudiments of night-fighting . In November 1941 Schnaufer was posted to II./NJG 1. Schnaufer's first operation came in February, when II./NJG 1 flew escort for the German navy’s capital ships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen when they broke out from Brest in the Channel Dash. His first victory was claimed on the night 1/2 June 1942; a Handley Page Halifax over Belgium. However, while attacking a second enemy aircraft, his aircraft was hit by return fire and he was wounded in the leg. He successfully landed his damaged aircraft. By the end of the year, his total stood at 7, with 3 victories recorded on one night . Schnaufer was promoted to Oberleutnant in July 1943, when his total was 17. Schnaufer was transferred to IV./NJG 1, based in Holland, where he was appointed Staffelkapitän in August 1943. Oberleutnant Schnaufer was awarded the Ritterkreuz for 42 victories in December 1943. He recorded his 50th victory, (IV./NJG 1’s 500th victory) on the night of 24/25 February 1944.

March 1944 saw Schnaufer appointed Gruppenkommandeur IV./NJG 1. He shot down five enemy aircraft on the night of 24/25 May. Hauptmann Schnaufer was awarded the Eichenlaub on 24 June for 84 victories and the Schwertern on 30 July, with his total at 89.

In September 1944, IV./NJG 1 retreated into Germany, Schnaufer achieved his 100th victory on 9 October 1944. He was awarded the Brillanten personally by Adolf Hitler. Schnaufer was then appointed Kommodore of NJG 4 on 4 November 1944; the youngest Kommodore in the Luftwaffe at 22. At the end of the year, his victory total stood at 106.

Schnaufer's greatest one-night success came on 21st of February 1945, when he shot down nine RAF heavy bombers in the course of one day: two in the early hours of the morning and a further seven, in just 19 minutes, in the evening.

Post-war research suggests that, in fact, his total that day could be 10, one claim not having been acknowledged.

On 7 March, he shot down three RAF four-engine bombers as his last victories of the war. Schnaufer was taken prisoner by the British Army in Schleswig-Holstein in May 1945, but was released later that year when he took over the family wine business.

He was killed in a road accident in 1950, his open sports car in collision with a lorry near Bordeaux. Heavy gas cylinders from the lorry fell on to Schnaufer's car, at least one of them hitting Schnaufer on the head. He died in hospital on 15 July 1950.

Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer was the top-scoring Nachtjäger of World War 2. He was credited with 121 victories recorded in just 164 combat missions. His victory total includes 114 RAF four-engine bombers; arguably accounting for more RAF casualties than any other Luftwaffe ace.

His radar operator on his first 12 claims was Fw. Dr. Baro, while 100 of his claims was with Lt. Fritz Rumpelhardt. His air gunner on 98 claims was Oberfeldwebel Wilhelm Gansler. Both the latter received the Ritterkreuz.

Schnaufer flew variants of the Messerschmitt Bf 110 exclusively.

The rudder from his Bf-110, tallying all his kills, is on display in the Australian War Memorial