Josef Kraft

Josef Kraft (8 February 1921 – 16 October 1994) was a German military aviator in the Luftwaffe during World War II and an officer in the postwar German Air Force. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 56 aerial victories claimed in 129 combat missions, making him the thirteenth, a shared distinction, the most successful night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare. All of his victories were claimed in Defense of the Reich missions, the majority against the Royal Air Force's (RAF) Bomber Command and United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) on the Western Front and four against the Soviet Air Forces on the Eastern Front.

Born in Vienna, Kraft grew up in the First Austrian Republic, the Federal State of Austria and Nazi Germany. Following graduation from school, he joined the military service in 1940, initially serving with an anti-aircraft artillery he was later trained as a pilot. In 1942, he was posted to Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 (NJG 4—4th Night Fighter Wing) and to Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5—5th Night Fighter Wing) in 1943. Kraft claimed his first aerial victory on the night of 27/28 August 1943. In May 1944, his Gruppe was subordinated to Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 (NJG 6—6th Night Fighter Wing) based in Hungary. Following his 44th aerial victory, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 September 1944, shortly after, he was appointed squadron leader of 7. Staffel (7th squadron) of NJG 6. Kraft claimed his last aerial victories on 22/23 March 1945 and was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves 17 April.

Following the rearmament of the Federal Republic of Germany, Kraft joined the German Air Force in July 1956. He died on 16 October 1994 in Fürstenfeldbruck.

Early life and career Kraft, the son of a tram driver, was born on 8 February 1921 in Vienna, the capital of First Austrian Republic. He joined the military service of the Wehrmacht on 11 April 1940, initially serving with Flak-Regiment 42 (42nd anti-aircraft artillery regiment) of the Luftwaffe. Kraft volunteered for flight service and was promoted to Oberfähnrich (officer candidate) on 1 July 1941. Following night fighter flight training, he was promoted to Leutnant (second lieutenant) on 1 November 1941 and continued to serve with a Luftwaffe training unit 16 August 1942.

World War II A map of part of the Kammhuber Line. The 'belt' and night fighter 'boxes' are shown. World War II in Europe had begun on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces invaded Poland. Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, Royal Air Force (RAF) attacks shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign. By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector named a Himmelbett (canopy bed) would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942.

Night fighter career In October 1942, Kraft was posted to II. Gruppe (2nd group) of Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 (NJG 4—4th Night Fighter Wing). In January 1943, he was again transferred then serving with II. Gruppe of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 (NJG 5—5th Night Fighter Wing). Kraft claimed his first air victory on 27/28 August 1943, an Avro Lancaster bomber shot down west of Nuremberg For this, he was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class on 1 September and the Iron Cross 1st Class on 15 November.

Kraft was promoted to Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) on 1 February 1944 and received the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 31 March. In May, II. Gruppe was subordinated to Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 (NJG 6—6th Night Fighter Wing) and moved Hungary on the southern sector of the Eastern Front. He was awarded the German Cross in Gold on 23 July 1944. By September 1944, his number of aerial victories had increased to 44 for which he received the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 30 September.

In February and March 1945, he claimed his last aerial victories, increasing his total to 56. For which he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 17 April, the 838th officer or soldier of the Wehrmacht so honored. At the end of war he was taken prisoner of war by British forces and was released in August 1945.

Later life Following the Wiederbewaffnung (rearmament) of the Federal Republic of Germany, Kraft joined the German Air Force in 1956. From 1 October 1957 to 31 March 1980, he commanded the Luftwaffenversorgungsregiment 2 and retired holding the rank of Oberst (colonel). Kraft died on 16 October 1994 in Fürstenfeldbruck.

Summary of career

Aerial victory claims According to US historian David T. Zabecki, Kraft was credited with 56 aerial victories. Obermaier lists Kraft with 56 nocturnal aerial victories, four of which on the Eastern Front, claimed in 129 combat missions. Foreman, Parry and Mathews, authors of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 56 nocturnal victory claims Mathews and Foreman also published Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, listing Kraft with 51 claims, plus five further unconfirmed claims.

Chronicle of aerial victories Claim Date Time Type Location Serial No./Squadron No. – 6. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 – 1? 28 August 1943 01:20 Lancaster west of Nuremberg 2 1 September 1943 00:47 Lancaster south-southwest of Berlin Lancaster JA848/No. 619 Squadron RAF 3? 1 September 1943 00:55 Stirling east of Berlin 4 27 September 1943 23:26 Lancaster Hannover Halifax JB968/No. 428 Squadron RAF 5 9 October 1943 01:32 Stirling north of Bremen 6? 26 November 1943 21:52 Lancaster Berlin 7 2 December 1943 20:32 Lancaster Berlin – 5. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 – 8 6 January 1944 03:33 Lancaster Stettin 9 6 January 1944 03:45 Lancaster northwest of Stettin 10 6 January 1944 04:01 Lancaster northwest of Stettin 11? 14 January 1944 20:20 Lancaster Berlin 12 20 January 1944 19:45 Lancaster Berlin 13 21 January 1944 23:15 Halifax Magdeburg Halifax DK237/No. 428 (Ghost) Squadron RCAF 14 21 January 1944 23:20 Halifax Magdeburg 15 29 January 1944 03:28 Lancaster Berlin 16 30 January 1944 20:09 Lancaster Berlin 17 30 January 1944 20:16 Lancaster Berlin 18? 30 January 1944 20:28 Lancaster Berlin – 4. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 5 – 19 15 February 1944 20:46 Lancaster southwest of Rostock 20 15 February 1944 21:13 Halifax Neuruppin 21 20 February 1944 03:17 four-engined bomber vicinity of Brandenburg Halifax LK905/No. 431 (Iroquois) Squadron RCAF 22 24 March 1944 22:23 four-engined bomber south of Berlin 23 24 March 1944 22:58 four-engined bomber Wertheim 24 27 April 1944 01:24 Lancaster south of Strasbourg 25 27 April 1944 01:45 Lancaster vicinity of Strasbourg 26 28 April 1944 02:24 Halifax Friedrichshafen – 7. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 – 27 25 May 1944 02:18 Lancaster Listig Lancaster DV389/No. 101 Squadron RAF 28 25 May 1944 02:24 Lancaster Eifel PN-3 Lancaster ND624/No. 103 Squadron RAF 26 26 June 1944 00:40 Halifax Tamási 30 7 July 1944 01:20 Wellington south of Sankt Pölten 31 7 July 1944 01:27 Wellington south of Sankt Pölten 32 21 July 1944 23:40 Wellington west of Brod 33 8 August 1944 01:27 Wellington Körmend 34 20 August 1944 23:10 Wellington east of Steyr 35 20 August 1944 23:18 Wellington 36 21 August 1944 23:14 Wellington Komárom 37 22 August 1944 23:14 Wellington Gyöngyös 38 22 August 1944 23:23 B-24 Tiszafüred 39 14 September 1944 22:00 Il-4 north of Budapest 40 18 September 1944 21:40 PS-84 Tokaj 41 19 September 1944 21:04 PS-84 Nyíregyháza 42 19 September 1944 21:20 PS-84 Nyíregyháza 43 20 September 1944 23:08 Wellington Szombathely 44 20 September 1944 23:12 Wellington Szombathely 45 13 October 1944 20:36 B-24 Tamási 46 13 October 1944 20:46 Wellington southeast of Barcs 47 20 October 1944 21:43 Wellington Szombathely 48 20 October 1944 22:10 B-24 Szombathely 49 20 October 1944 22:15 Wellington Szombathely – 8. Staffel of Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 – 50 21 February 1945 01:05 Halifax Duisburg 51 21 February 1945 01:09 Halifax Duisburg 52 24 February 1945 22:07 Halifax Duisburg Halifax MZ448/No. 462 Squadron RAF 53 3 March 1945 21:59 Lancaster west of Münster 54 3 March 1945 22:07 Lancaster west of Münster 55 23 March 1945 04:14 Lancaster Bochum 56 23 March 1945 04:00 B-17

Awards Iron Cross (1939) 2nd Class (1 September 1943) 1st Class (5 November 1943) Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) on 1 May 1944 as Leutnant and pilot Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold (18 February 1945) German Cross in Gold on 23 July 1944 as Oberleutnant in the 8./Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves Knight's Cross on 30 September 1944 as Oberleutnant and pilot in the II./Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 838th Oak Leaves on 17 April 1945 as Hauptmann and Staffelkapitän of the 12./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1

Promotions Wehrmacht 1 July 1941: Oberfähnrich (officer candidate) 1 November 1941: Leutnant (second lieutenant) 1 February 1944: Oberleutnant (first lieutenant) 1 January 1945: Hauptmann (captain) Bundeswehr ? Oberst (colonel)