Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein

Infobox Military Person
name=Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein
lived=birth date|1916|8|14|df=y — death date and age|1944|1|21|1916|8|14|df=y
placeofbirth=Copenhague
placeofdeath=Lübars by Stendal


caption=Heinrich Prinz zu Sayn-Wittgenstein
nickname=
allegiance=Germany
branch=Luftwaffe
serviceyears=1937 - 1944
rank=Major
commands=NJG 2, IV./NJG 7
unit=KG 1, KG 51, NJG 2, NJG 7
battles=World War II
*Battle of France
*Defense of the Reich
awards="Ritterkreuz mit Eichenlaub und Schwerten"
laterwork=

Prince Heinrich Alexander Ludwig Peter zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (Copenhagen, August 14, 1916 - KIA January 21, 1944 ) was the third highest scoring ace of night-fighters [For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see "List of German World War II night fighter aces"] in the Luftwaffe during World War II.

He was one of three sons of Gustav Alexander Prince zu Sayn-Wittgenstein (1880-1953) and his wife Walburga Baroness von Friesen (1885-1970).

Sayn-Wittgenstein was a descendant of Russian Field Marshal Prince Peter Khristianovich zu Sayn-Wittgenstein Berleburg who was a prominent commander in the Imperial Russian Army during the Napoleonic wars.

Military career

His father bought him an aircraft, when, as a boy, he expressed an interest in flying. Heinrich was refused entry into the "Luftwaffe", but after the Battle of Britain, he was accepted into the Luftwaffe when he reapplied in late 1940.

Heinrich served from mid-1941 until his death in 1944. Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein was an exponent of the Ju 88C-6 nightfighter; at one point he was the "Gruppenkommander" of part of NJG 5 on the Eastern Front, using two aircraft equipped with FuG 202 Lichtenstein B/C or FuG 212 Lichtenstein C-1: C9+AE and a streamlined, stripped aircraft, C9+DE.

He was killed on January 21, 1944, after shooting down four Royal Air Force (RAF) bombers, when his aircraft R4+XM, an aircraft taken over when his own was under repair, was hit either by return fire or an RAF nightfighter; he ordered his crew to bail out, which they did. However, the aircraft hit hard and broke up on landing and he was apparently thrown clear, being killed by the impact. His score at that time was 83 victories, on both Eastern (29 Soviet) and Western fronts (54). He was posthumously awarded the knight's cross with oak leaves and swords.

Awards

* Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe
* Combined Pilots-Observation Badge
* German Cross in Gold (21 August 1942)
* Iron Cross 2. and 1. class
* Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
** Knight's Cross (2 October 1942)
** 290. Oak Leaves (31 August 1943)
** 44. Swords (23 January 1944)
* Mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht

References

* Berger, Florian, "Mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern. Die höchstdekorierten Soldaten des Zweiten Weltkrieges". Selbstverlag Florian Berger, 2006. ISBN 3-9501307-0-5.
* Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer. "Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939-1945". Friedburg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas, 2000. ISBN 3-7909-0284-5.
* Patzwall, Klaus D. and Scherzer, Veit. "Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941 - 1945 Geschichte und Inhaber Band II". Norderstedt, Germany: Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, 2001. ISBN 3-931533-45-X.