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Heinrich Alexander Ludwig Peter Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (14 August 1916 – 21 January 1944) was a German of aristocratic descent and a Luftwaffe night fighter flying ace during World War II. A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down five or more enemy aircraft during aerial combat.〔Spick 1996, pp. 3–4.〕 At the time of his death, he was the highest scoring night fighter pilot in the Luftwaffe and still the third highest by the end of World War II, with 83 aerial victories to his credit.〔For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see ''List of German World War II night fighter aces''.〕 Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was born on 14 August 1916 in Copenhagen, Denmark, and joined the cavalry of the German Wehrmacht in the spring of 1937. He was accepted for flight training and transferred to the emerging Luftwaffe. He initially served as an observer and later as pilot in ''Kampfgeschwader'' 1 (KG 1) and ''Kampfgeschwader'' 51 (KG 51). With these units he fought in the Battle of France, Battle of Britain and Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, before he transferred to the night fighter force. He claimed his first aerial victory on the night of 6/7 May 1942. By October 1942, he had accumulated 22 aerial victories for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (''Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes'') on 7 October 1942. He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (''Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub'') on 31 August 1943, for 54 aerial victories. He was tasked with the leadership of ''Nachtjagdgeschwader'' 2 (NJG 2) in January 1944, before he was killed in action on the night of 21 January 1944. Posthumously he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (''Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern'').〔''Helden der Wehrmacht II'' 2003, pp. 186–187.〕 ==Personal life== Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was born on 14 August 1916 in Copenhagen, Denmark, as a member of the aristocratic family Sayn-Wittgenstein. He was the second of three sons of Gustav Alexander Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (1880–1953), a diplomat at the German embassy in Copenhagen, and his wife, Walburga, Baroness von Friesen (1885–1970). His brother Ludwig was older and Alexander younger.〔Knott 2008, p. 29.〕 Sayn-Wittgenstein was a descendant of German officer and Russian Field Marshal Prince Ludwig Adolph Peter, Prince Wittgenstein, a prominent commander in the Imperial Russian Army during the German campaign at the Battle of Leipzig.〔Knott 2008, p. 111.〕 Sayn-Wittgenstein attended numerous schools in various locations. These included a private tutor at Lake Geneva, a boarding school in Neubeuern in Upper Bavaria, a brief stay at Davos in Switzerland, and a private school in Montreux. He received his ''Abitur'' from the ''Realgymnasium'', a higher education facility, in Freiburg im Breisgau on 17 December 1935.〔〔Knott 2008, p. 32.〕 He joined the Hitler Youth on 12 April 1932 in Freiburg. On 15 January 1933, he became a ''Kameradschaftsführer'' (group leader). From Easter 1933 until fall of 1933 he led the group's military-sports activities as a ''Wehrsportleiter''. He then became head of the instruction unit (''Ausbildungsschar'') until May 1934. From June 1934 he led the work unit 2/1/113 (''Gefolgschaft'') and received further pre-military sports training at the different camps of the unit 113 (''Bann'') and at the Regional Leaders' School (''Gebietsführerschule'').〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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