Ernst-Erich Hirschfeld

Ernst-Erich Hirschfeld
Born	25 August 1918 Breslau
Died	28 July 1944 (aged 25) Erfurt
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	?-1944
Rank	Oberleutnant
Unit	JG 54 JG 300
Battles/wars	World War II Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Ernst-Erich Hirschfeld (25 August 1918 – 28 July 1944) was a German Luftwaffe ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. On 28 July 1944, Ernst-Erich Hirschfeld died after his parachute failed to open after he bailed out from his damaged Messerschmitt Bf 109. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 24 October 1944. During his career he was credited with 24 aerial victories, 23 on the Western Front and 1 on the Eastern Front.

Awards

• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (15 April 1944)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold on 10 September 1944 as Oberleutnant in the 6./Jagdgeschwader 300^[1]
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 October 1944 as Oberleutnant and pilot in the 5./Jagdgeschwader 300^{[2][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as pilot in the 6./Jagdgeschwader 300.^[3]

References

Citations

1. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 188.
2. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 228.
3. Scherzer 2007, p. 393.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Luftwaffe Fighter Force 1939 – 1945] (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7.
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II [The German Cross 1941 – 1945 History and Recipients Volume 2] (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.

External links

• Aces of the Luftwaffe
• World War 2 Awards.com