Heinz Vinke (22 May 1920 – 26 February 1944) was a German
Luftwaffe military aviator during World War II, a
night fighter ace credited with 54 aerial victories claimed in approximately 150 combat missions making him
the eighteenth most successful night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare. All of his victories were claimed over the
Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to:
Military frontiers
*Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany
*Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...
in
Defense of the Reich missions against the
Royal Air Force's (RAF)
Bomber Command.
Born in
Barby, Vinke grew up in the
Weimar Republic and
Nazi Germany. Following graduation from school and the compulsory ''
Reichsarbeitsdienst'' (Reich Labour Service), he joined the military service in 1938. Vinke then served with
''Nachtjagdgeschwader'' 1 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing), flying a
Messerschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter. Following an injury sustained in July 1941, he was posted to
''Nachtjagdgeschwader'' 2 (NJG 2—2nd Night Fighter Wing) where he claimed his first aerial victory on the night of 27/28 February 1942. Following his 25th aerial victory, he was awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.
The Knight' ...
on 19 September 1943. Vinke and his crew were shot down and
killed in action on 26 February 1944, while on a search and rescue mission over the
English Channel. He was
posthumously bestowed with the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves.
Early life and career
Vinke was born on 22 May 1920 in
Barby, in the
Province of Saxony
The Province of Saxony (german: link=no, Provinz Sachsen), also known as Prussian Saxony () was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1944. Its capital was Magdeburg.
It was formed by the merge ...
, a
Free State of Prussia. He was the son of
merchant
A merchant is a person who trades in commodities produced by other people, especially one who trades with foreign countries. Historically, a merchant is anyone who is involved in business or trade. Merchants have operated for as long as indust ...
Heinrich Vinke and his wife Martha, née Rehse. Until 1935, he attended school in Barby. While at school, he joined the
Flying Hitler Youth (''Flieger-HJ'') and became a
glider pilot
Glider may refer to:
Aircraft and transport Aircraft
* Glider (aircraft), heavier-than-air aircraft primarily intended for unpowered flight
** Glider (sailplane), a rigid-winged glider aircraft with an undercarriage, used in the sport of glidin ...
, receiving his A, B and C license to fly
glider aircraft. Following six months of compulsory
National Labour Service, he joined the Luftwaffe on 1 April 1938.
World War II
World War II in Europe began on Friday, 1 September 1939, when German forces
invaded Poland. At the time, Vinke was based at
Stargard
Stargard (; 1945: ''Starogród'', 1950–2016: ''Stargard Szczeciński''; formerly German language, German: ''Stargard in Pommern'', or ''Stargard an der Ihna''; csb, Stôrgard) is a city in northwestern Poland, located in the West Pomeranian V ...
on the ''Fliegerhorst Klützow'', present-day
Kluczewo Airfield, where he received his flight training which he completed in 1940.
[Flight training in the Luftwaffe progressed through the levels A1, A2 and B1, B2, referred to as A/B flight training. A training included theoretical and practical training in aerobatics, navigation, long-distance flights and dead-stick landings. The B courses included high-altitude flights, instrument flights, night landings and training to handle the aircraft in difficult situations. For pilots destined to fly multi-engine aircraft, the training was completed with the Luftwaffe Advanced Pilot's Certificate (''Erweiterter Luftwaffen-Flugzeugführerschein''), also known as the C-Certificate.] At Stargard, he met his future wife Erika Schröder and they were married on 20 April 1942 in
Berlin-Kreuzberg.
At first, he was trained as a ''Zerstörer'' (destroyer) pilot. Holding the rank of ''
Unteroffizier'', he was posted to the 4. ''
Staffel'' (4th squadron) of
''Nachtjagdgeschwader'' 1 (NJG 1—1st Night Fighter Wing) in early 1941.
[For an explanation of the meaning of Luftwaffe unit designation see Organisation of the Luftwaffe during World War II.] On 25 July 1941, Vinke and his radio operator Gerhard Schlein flew
Messerschmitt Bf 110 C (''Werknummer'' 2075—factory number) over the North Sea in the vicinity of
Texel when they suffered engine problems. Vinke instructed his radio operator to bail out, the parachute failed to open and Schlein fell to his death. Vinke made a
forced landing in a corn field near
De Cocksdorp
De Cocksdorp () is a village town in the Dutch province of North Holland. It is a part of the municipality of Texel, and lies about 25 km north of Den Helder. It is the youngest village on the island.
History
De Cocksdorp is a road villag ...
, Texel, injuring his back. Vinke was first treated at a hospital in
Den Burg and later at
Heiloo. Following seven months of convalescence, he was assigned to 5. ''Staffel'' (5th squadron) of
''Nachtjagdgeschwader'' 2 (NJG 2—2nd Night Fighter Wing), this unit was later redesignated to 11./NJG 1.
Night fighter career
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
is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries.
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-star ...
'' (Brigadier General)
Josef Kammhuber
Josef Kammhuber (August 19, 1896 – January 25, 1986) was a career officer in the Luftwaffe and post-World War II German Air Force. During World War II, he was the first general of night fighters in the Luftwaffe.
Kammhuber created the night ...
had established a night
air defense
Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...
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.
While serving with NJG 2 over Northern Europe, Vinke claimed his first air victory on 27 February 1942, an
Armstrong Whitworth Whitley north-east of
Leeuwarden. The aircraft was the RAF Whitley
''Z9280'' from
No. 77 Squadron which crashed at 22:58 at
Driesum. Four members of the crew, including
Squadron Leader Leslie Hugh William Parkin (
DFC), were
killed in action and one man was taken
prisoner of war. For this victory, he received the
Iron Cross 2nd Class () that day.
His next claim was filed on the night of 3/4 June 1942 when he shot down a
Short Stirling
The Short Stirling was a British four-engined heavy bomber of the Second World War. It has the distinction of being the first four-engined bomber to be introduced into service with the Royal Air Force (RAF).
The Stirling was designed during t ...
at 02:16 over the
Zuiderzee. The same month, on 25/26 June at 00:42 again over the Zuiderzee, he claimed a
Handley Page Halifax shot down.
Flying Officer John Whittingham and another crew member died, and three others were taken prisoner. His fourth victory was over a
Vickers Wellington shot down into the
IJsselmeer
The IJsselmeer (; fy, Iselmar, nds-nl, Iesselmeer), also known as Lake IJssel in English, is a closed off inland bay in the central Netherlands bordering the provinces of Flevoland, North Holland and Friesland. It covers an area of with an a ...
on 28 June 1942 at 00:54 east of
Enkhuizen. Flying Officer Derek Osborne and his crew of four were lost. Credited with four victories, Vinke was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class () on 1 July 1942. He became an ace when he shot down his fifth opponent, a
Vickers Wellington bomber, on the night of 27/28 August 1942 at 02:32. On 9 October, while under the influence of alcohol, Vinke was involved in a small arms accident which resulted in the injury of another soldier. He, and two other involved soldiers, were taken to the Luftwaffe headquarters in
Amsterdam. A
court-martial
A court-martial or court martial (plural ''courts-martial'' or ''courts martial'', as "martial" is a postpositive adjective) is a military court or a trial conducted in such a court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of memb ...
sentenced him to five days of confinement. On 9 January 1943, Vinke was again put under arrest and grounded following an unauthorized
nosedive over the
Leeuwarden Air Base resulting in significant damage to a parked Bf 110 F-4. On 29 March 1943, Vinke was awarded the
Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe () and the
Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Night Fighters ().
Vinke flew regularly during the
Battle of the Ruhr. One of two claims on the 9 April 1943 was Lancaster ''ED554'' "EM-Q", from
No. 207 Squadron RAF
("Always prepared")Halley 1988, p. 268.
, colors =
, colors_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, equipment = Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning
, equipment_label = Aircraft
, battles =
, anniversaries =
, decorations =
, battle_honours = ...
. The action caused the death of
Sergeant
Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
Harold Healy
RCAF and his crew. The seven men are buried in
Amsterdam's New Eastern Cemetery. On the night of the 13/14 May 1943 he claimed a 23rd victory over the Netherlands. It may have been Wellington ''MS473''; or misidentified and actually Lancaster ''ED589'' "WS-P" from
No. 9 Squadron RAF
Number 9 Squadron (otherwise known as No. IX (Bomber) Squadron or No. IX (B) Squadron) is the oldest dedicated Bomber Squadron of the Royal Air Force. Formed in December 1914, it saw service throughout the First World War, including at the Somm ...
. Sergeant George Saxton and his crew were killed. His 27th victory was claimed at 02:26 on the night of 22/23 June 1943, Stirling ''EH889'', which crashed into the Ijsselmeer approximately east of
Oosterland, killing
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in air forces that use the Royal Air Force (RAF) system of ranks, especially in Commonwealth countries. It has a NATO rank code of OF-2. Flight lieutenant is abbreviated as Flt Lt in the India ...
T.F. McCrorie and crew. Three nights later, on 25/26 June at 02:47, he claimed his 28th victory over an
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirlin ...
bomber approximately west of
Den Helder
Den Helder () is a municipality and a city in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland. Den Helder occupies the northernmost point of the North Holland peninsula. It is home to the country's main naval base.
From here the Royal TESO fe ...
, killing Squadron Leader Alfred Young and another six on board.
On 17/18 August 1943, RAF
Bomber Command targeted Peenemünde and the
V-weapons test centre. Five
Bristol Beaufighter
The Bristol Type 156 Beaufighter (often called the Beau) is a British multi-role aircraft developed during the Second World War by the Bristol Aeroplane Company. It was originally conceived as a heavy fighter variant of the Bristol Beaufort ...
night fighters of
No. 141 Squadron, under the command of
Wing Commander Bob Braham, intercepted five
Messerschmitt Bf 110s from IV. ''Gruppe'' (4th group) of NJG 1, and ''
Feldwebel'' (Sergeant) Georg Kraft (14 victories) and ''Feldwebel'' Vinke (at the time with 20 claims) were both shot down by Braham near
Schiermonnikoog
Schiermonnikoog (; fry, ) is an island, a municipality and national park in the Northern Netherlands. Schiermonnikoog is one of the West Frisian Islands, and is part of the province of Friesland. It is situated between the islands of Ameland a ...
. Vinke was the only one of his crew to survive. Vinke observed the demise of Kraft and attempted to attack the Beaufighter in the same way, from below and to starboard. The British airmen managed to obtain a visual contact on Vinke in time, and out-turned him. The control column was shot out from his hand and the British caused fatal damage to the Bf 110 from short range, just missing a collision. Following the death of his former crew ''Feldwebel'' Karl Schödel and ''Unteroffizier'' Johann Gaa, Vinke teamed up with ''Unteroffizier'' Rudolf Dunger.
Vinke was decorated with the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (german: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II.
The Knight' ...
() on 19 September 1943, the nomination had been submitted for 25 aerial victories claimed earlier. The presentation was made by ''
Generalmajor
is the Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central and Northern European countries.
Austria
Belgium
Denmark
is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and Royal Danish Air Force. As a two-star ...
''
Joachim-Friedrich Huth
Joachim-Friedrich Huth (31 July 1896 – 27 March 1962) was a German general in the during World War II and the Air Force of the in West Germany. Huth retired from the military service in 1961 holding the rank of .
Biography
Huth was born in ...
. Just four days later, Vinke shot down Lancaster ''DV201'' for his 29th victory.
Vinke continued to claim through October. On 7 October 1943, Vinke accounted for a Short Stirling northwest of
Vlieland, one source suggests Stirling ''EH990'' "LS-K" from
No. 15 Squadron RAF. The bomber was on a mine-laying operation; the pilot Flight Sergeant Thomas Robertson Ewen of the
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force (RAuxAF ...
and his crew died on their only war mission. Vinke made the Stirling claim in the same area and time. On 8/9 October, one source identifies his 33rd aerial victory as possibly Lancaster ''JB181'' from
No. 7 Squadron RAF. Flying Officer Bruce Macpherson and his crew were all killed; the eldest was 22, the youngest,
air gunner Sergeant Eric Brinton, 17 years old. On 20 October, Vinke downed a Lancaster ''JB154'' of the
Pathfinders No. 83 Squadron returning from a Leipzig mission at 21:35 near Anreep, Netherlands. Squadron Leader R.J. Manton (pilot) and all his crew were killed.
On 19/20 February 1944, Vinke claimed three aerial victories, two Lancasters and one Halifax bomber. His first claim of the night, a Lancaster, occurred at 01:46 in sector "BM-77", the second Lancaster was claimed at 01:57 in sector "BM-78", while the Halifax was claimed to be shot down at 02:13 in sector "CX-62". Vinke also claimed two other victories that day, earning him the title of "
ace-in-a-day". He shot down Lancaster ''JA921'' at 05:08 over the southeast Netherlands, killing
Warrant Officer Ramsey Stanners of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and 5 others on board, whilst also destroying Lancaster ''JB609'' at 05:34 northwest of
Apeldoorn, killing its crew.
''
Oberfeldwebel'' (Master Sergeant) Vinke was shot down and killed while flying
Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4 (''Werknummer'' 740136) of 11./NJG 1 on 26 February 1944, while on a search and rescue mission over the English Channel. The victors were two
Hawker Typhoons of
No. 198 Squadron RAF
No. 198 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron that operated during the Second World War particularly in the ground attack role as the allies advanced through continental Europe. The RAFAC counterpart of the squadron resides in Hinckley, ...
, flown by F/L. (later Colonel) Raymond "Cheval" Lallamont DFC and F/O. George Hardy. His crew of ''Unteroffizier'' Rudolf Dunger and ''Unteroffizier'' Rudolf Walter were also killed. Their bodies were never recovered. On 25 April 1944, he was posthumously awarded the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (), the 465th officer or soldier of the Wehrmacht so honored. Vinke was credited with 54 aerial victories, all of them at night, claimed in approximately 150 combat missions operations.
Summary of career
Aerial victory claims
Foreman, Parry and Mathews, authors of ''Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945'', researched the
German Federal Archives
The German Federal Archives or Bundesarchiv (BArch) (german: Bundesarchiv) are the National Archives of Germany. They were established at the current location in Koblenz in 1952.
They are subordinated to the Federal Commissioner for Culture and t ...
and found records for 53 nocturnal victory claims Mathews and Foreman also published ''Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims'', listing Vinke with 51 claims.
Awards
*
Iron Cross (1939)
** 2nd Class (27 February 1942)
** 1st Class (1 July 1942)
*
Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold
** for Night Fighter (29 March 1943)
** in Gold (2 February 1944)
*
Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 29 March 1943 as ''
Feldwebel'' and pilot
*
German Cross in Gold on 2 August 1943 as ''
Feldwebel'' in the 5./''Nachtjagdgeschwader'' 2
*
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
** Knight's Cross on 19 September 1943 as ''
Feldwebel'' and pilot in the 11./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1
** 465th Oak Leaves on 25 April 1944 as ''
Oberfeldwebel'' and pilot in the 11./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1
Promotions
Notes
References
Citations
Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vinke, Heinz
1920 births
1944 deaths
People from Barby, Germany
People from the Province of Saxony
Luftwaffe pilots
German World War II flying aces
German military personnel killed in World War II
Recipients of the Gold German Cross
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
Aviators killed by being shot down
Reich Labour Service members
Hitler Youth members
Military personnel from Saxony-Anhalt