Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetErnst-Wilhelm Reinert
German Luftwaffe fighter ace
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Lindenthal, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
About Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert
- Ernst-Wilhelm Reinert (2 February 1919 – 5 September 2007) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 174 enemy aircraft shot down in 715 combat missions.
- The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, with 51 in the Mediterranean theatre and 20 over the Western Front. Born in Cologne-Lindenthal, Reinert volunteered for military service in the National Socialist Luftwaffe in 1938.
- Following flight training, he was posted to Jagdgeschwader 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing).
- He fought in Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, and claimed his first aerial victory on 8 August 1941.
- He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross following his 53rd aerial victory.
- Accumulating further victories, he surpassed the century mark in October 1942 for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.
- In November 1942, his unit was transferred to the Mediterranean theatre in support of the Afrika Korps.
- There, Reinert claimed 51 victories against the Western Allies.
- In August 1943, he was appointed Staffelkapitän (squadron leader) of 1.
- Staffel (1st squadron) of JG 77, and in February 1944 the 8.
- Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 27 (JG 27—27th Fighter Wing) based in France.
- Reinert was then appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of IV.
- Gruppe (4th group) of JG 27 and, credited with 174 aerial victories, received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords on 30 January 1945.
- He then received conversion training to the then new Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter and was posted to Jagdgeschwader 7 (JG 7—7th Fighter Wing), an all-jet fighter wing. In 1956, Reinert joined the newly established German Air Force of West Germany.
- He retired in 1972, his final rank was Oberstleutnant (lieutenant colonel), and died on 5 September 2007 in Bad Pyrmont.
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