Heinz Vinke

Heinz Vinke (22 May 1920 – 26 February 1944) was a German Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub) 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.

Career
Serving with NJG 2 over Northern Europe, his first air victory was on 26 February 1942, a Whitley near Leeuwarden. He transferred to NJG 1 in early 1943. On 18 August 1943, Royal Air Force (RAF) Bombers targeted Peenemünde and the V-weapons test centre. Five Bristol Beaufighter night fighters of No. 141 Squadron, under the command of W/C Bob Braham, intercepted five Messerschmitt Bf 110s from IV./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1), and Fw Georg Kraft (14 victories) and Fw Vinke ( at the time with 20 claims) were both shot down by Braham. Fw Vinke was the only one of his crew to survive.

Vinke claimed eight confirmed night kills during 1942, twenty-nine in 1943 and seventeen during early 1944 before he was killed in action. He was decorated with the Ritterkreuz on 19 September 1943 for twenty-seven claims, and was posthumously awarded the Oak Leaves. Vinke claimed 54 aerial victories in 153 operations, all of them at night.

Obfw. Vinke was shot down and killed while flying Bf 110G-4 (Werknummer 740136—factory number) 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, flown by F/L. Cheval L'Allemand and F/O. George Hardy. His crew of Uffz Rudolf Dunger and Uffz Rudolf Walter were also killed.

Awards

 * Flugzeugführerabzeichen
 * Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe
 * Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe
 * Iron Cross (1939)
 * 2nd Class
 * 1st Class
 * German Cross in Gold (2 August 1943)
 * Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
 * Knight's Cross on 19 September 1943 as Feldwebel and Flugzeugführer in the 11./NJG 1
 * 465th Oak Leaves on 25 April 1944 as Oberfeldwebel and Flugzeugführer in the 11./NJG 1