Heinrich Krafft

Heinrich "Gaudi" Krafft
Nickname(s)	"Gaudi"
Born	13 August 1914 Bilin
Died	14 December 1942 (aged 28) Belyi, Russia
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Heer (1935–36) Luftwaffe (1936–42)
Years of service	1935–42
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	JG 51
Commands held	I./JG 51
Battles/wars	World War II Battle of the Netherlands Battle of France Operation Barbarossa
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Heinrich "Gaudi" Krafft (13 August 1914 – 14 December 1942) 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. Heinrich Krafft was born on 13 August 1914, the son of an engineer in Bilin, Sudetenland. He joined the Wehrmacht in 1935 and volunteered for the Luftwaffe in 1936. Krafft was killed on 14 December 1942 after being beaten by Soviet troops following a crash landing. During his career he was credited with 78 aerial victories, 4 over the Western Front and 74 over the Eastern Front.

Awards

• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Wound Badge (1939)
  • in Black or Silver
• German Cross in Gold (25 January 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 March 1942 as Oberleutnant of the Reserves and Staffelkapitän of the 3./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"^{[1][Note 1]}

Notes

1. According to Scherzer as Oberleutnant.^[2]

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 271.
2. Scherzer 2007, p. 469.

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.
• 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.

External links

• Aces of the Luftwaffe