Reinhold Eckardt

Reinhold Eckardt
Born	26 March 1918 Bamberg
Died	30 July 1942 (aged 24) Kampenhout, Belgium
Buried at	Lommel German war cemetery (Block 45-grave 495)
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939-1942
Rank	Oberleutnant
Unit	ZG 76 NJG 1 NJG 3
Battles/wars	World War II Invasion of Poland Battle of Britain Defense of the Reich
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Reinhold Eckardt (26 March 1918 – 30 July 1942) was a German Luftwaffe night fighter 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. Reinhold Eckardt died on 30 July 1942 after his parachute caught the end of his plane after he bailed out. During his career he was credited with 22 aerial victories, 3 during the day and 19 at night.

Awards

• Aviator badge
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class
  • 1st Class
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 August 1941 as Oberleutnant and Adjutant of the II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1^[1][2]
• German Cross in Gold on 21 August 1942 as Oberleutnant in the 7./Nachtjagdgeschwader 3^[3]

Wehrmachtbericht reference

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
Saturday, 28 June 1941	Oberleutnant Eckhardt schoß in der letzten Nacht innerhalb einer Stunde vier feindliche Flugzeuge ab.[4]	First Lieutenant Eckhardt shot down four enemy aircraft within an hour last night.

References

Citations

1. Fellgiebel 2000, p. 168.
2. Scherzer 2007, p. 286.
3. Patzwall & Scherzer 2001, p. 97.
4. Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, p. 592.

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.
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 1, 1. September 1939 bis 31. Dezember 1941 [The Wehrmacht Reports 1939–1945 Volume 1, 1 September 1939 to 31 December 1941] (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2.

External links

• Luftwaffe 1939–1945 History
• World War 2 Awards.com
• Aces of the Luftwaffe
• Ritterkreuztraeger 1939-1945