Gerhard Raht

Gerhard Raht
File:Gerhard Raht.jpg
Born	6 June 1920 Reinfeld, Schleswig-Holstein
Died	11 January 1977(1977-01-11) (aged 56) Reinfeld, Schleswig-Holstein
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1939–45
Rank	Hauptmann
Unit	NJG 3, NJG 2
Commands held	I./NJG 2
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves

Gerhard Ferdinand Otto Raht (6 June 1920 – 11 January 1977) was a German Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Raht claimed 58 nocturnal aerial victories in 171 combat missions.

Awards

• Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe (6 September 1943)
• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (3 April 1942)
  • 1st Class (13 March 1943)
• German Cross in Gold on 28 January 1944 as Oberleutnant in the II./NJG 3
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
  • Knight's Cross on 24 June 1944 as Oberleutnant and Staffelkapitän of the 1./NJG 2
  • 833rd Oak Leaves on 15 April 1945 as Hauptmann and Gruppenkommandeur of the I./NJG 2
• Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht

Reference in the Wehrmachtbericht

Date	Original German Wehrmachtbericht wording	Direct English translation
10 February 1945 (addendum)	Der mit dem Ritterkreuz zum Eisernen Kreuz ausgezeichente Hauptmann Rath schoß in der Nacht zum 8. Februar sechs feindliche Flugzeuge ab.	The recipient of the Knight's Cross to the Iron Cross Hauptmann Rath shot down six enemy aircraft in the night to 8 February.

References

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000). Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Obermaier, Ernst (1989). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Luftwaffe Jagdflieger 1939 – 1945 (in German). Mainz, Germany: Verlag Dieter Hoffmann. ISBN 978-3-87341-065-7. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Patzwall, Klaus D.; Scherzer, Veit (2001). Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 – 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II (in German). Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall. ISBN 978-3-931533-45-8. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• 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 (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Miltaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Spick, Mike (1996). Luftwaffe Fighter Aces. New York: Ivy Books. ISBN 978-0-8041-1696-1.
• Thomas, Franz (1998). Die Eichenlaubträger 1939–1945 Band 2: L–Z (in German). Osnabrück, Germany: Biblio-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-7648-2300-9. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
• Die Wehrmachtberichte 1939–1945 Band 3, 1. Januar 1944 bis 9. Mai 1945 (in German). München, Germany: Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. 1985. ISBN 978-3-423-05944-2. CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)

External links

• World War 2 Awards.com
• Lexikon der Wehrmacht