Heinrich Krafft Explained

Heinrich Krafft
Birth Date:	13 August 1914
Birth Place:	Bilin, Bohemia
Nickname:	"Gaudi"
Branch:	Army (1935–36) Luftwaffe (1936–42)
Serviceyears:	1935–42
Unit:	JG 51
Commands:	I./JG 51
Battles:	World War II Battle of the Netherlands Battle of France Operation Barbarossa
Awards:	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Heinrich "Gaudi" Krafft (13 August 1914 – 14 December 1942) was a Luftwaffe 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. During his career he was credited with 78 aerial victories, 4 over the Western Front and 74 over the Eastern Front.

On 1 June 1942, Krafft succeeded Hauptmann Josef Fözö as Gruppenkommandeur (group commander) of I. Gruppe of JG 51.

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• German Cross in Gold (25 January 1942)
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 18 March 1942 as Oberleutnant of the Reserves and Staffelkapitän of the 3./Jagdgeschwader 51 "Mölders"

References

Bibliography

• Book: Aders . Gebhard . Held . Werner . 1993 . Jagdgeschwader 51 'Mölders' Eine Chronik – Berichte – Erlebnisse – Dokumente . Fighter Wing 51 'Mölders' A Chronicle – Reports – Experiences – Documents . de . Stuttgart, Germany . Motorbuch Verlag . 978-3-613-01045-1.
• Book: Fellgiebel , Walther-Peer .

  de:Walther-Peer Fellgiebel

  . 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 . de . Friedberg, Germany . Podzun-Pallas . 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Book: 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 . German . Jena, Germany . Scherzers Militaer-Verlag . 978-3-938845-17-2.