Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld
German World War II fighter pilot
Died when: 25 years 252 days (308 months)Star Sign: Cancer
Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld (14 July 1918 – 12 March 1944) was a Luftwaffe night fighter flying ace of royal descent 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.
Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld was credited with 51 aerial victories, all of them claimed in nocturnal combat missions.Prinz zur Lippe-Weißenfeld was born on 14 July 1918 in Salzburg, Austria and joined the infantry of the Austrian Bundesheer in 1936.
He transferred to the emerging Luftwaffe, initially serving as a reconnaissance pilot in the Zerstörergeschwader 76 (ZG 76), before he transferred to the night fighter force.
He claimed his first aerial victory on the night of 16 to 17 November 1940.By the end of March, he had accumulated 21 aerial victories for which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 16 April 1942.
He received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 2 August 1943, for 45 aerial victories.He was promoted to Major and tasked with leading Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5) in January 1944, before he and his crew were killed in a flight accident on 12 March 1944.
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German World War II fighter pilot
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