Gerhard Raht, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death
TweetGerhard Raht
German fighter ace and Knight's Cross recipient
Date of Birth: 
Place of Birth: Reinfeld, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
About Gerhard Raht
- Gerhard Ferdinand Otto Raht (6 June 1920 – 11 January 1977) was a German Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a night fighter ace credited with 58 aerial victories claimed in 171 combat missions making him the tenth most successful night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare.
- All of his victories were claimed over the Western Front in Defense of the Reich missions against the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Bomber Command. Born in Reinfeld, Schleswig-Holstein, Raht grew up in the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany.
- Following graduation from school, he joined the military service in 1939 and was trained as a pilot.
- In early-1941, he transferred to Nachtjagdgeschwader 3 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing) where he became a night fighter pilot and claimed his first aerial victory on the night of 26/27 July 1942.
- In Oktober 1943, Raht was appointed Staffelkapitän.
- Following his 34th aerial victory, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 24 June 1944 and was appointed Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I.
- Gruppe (1st group) of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 (NJG 2—2nd Night Fighter Wing).
- He claimed his last five aerial victories on 15/16 March 1945 and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 15 April 1945. Raht, who later served as a Hauptmann der Reserve (captain of the reserves) in the German Air Force, died on 11 January 1977 in Reinfeld, Schleswig-Holstein.
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