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Heinrich Ehrler (14 September 1917 – 4 April 1945) was a German ''Luftwaffe'' military aviator during World War II, a fighter ace credited with 208 enemy aircraft shot down in over 400 combat missions. The majority of his victories were claimed over the Eastern Front, with nine claims over the Western Front which included eight in the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Born in Oberbalbach, Ehrler grew up in the Weimar Republic and Third Reich as one of 12 children. He joined the military service in the Wehrmacht in 1935, initially service with the artillery and anti-aircraft artillery. He participated in the Spanish Civil War and following the outbreak of World War II transferred to the ''Jagdwaffe'' (fighter force). Following flight training, he was posted to the 4. ''Staffel'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 77 (JG 77—77th Fighter Wing), which was later redesignated to 4. ''Staffel'' of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 5 (JG 5—5th Fighter Wing). Scapegoated for the loss of the German battleship ''Tirpitz'', Ehrler - who had been nominated for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords prior to the disaster - was court-martialled, stripped of his command and sentenced to three years and two months ''Festungshaft'' (honorable imprisonment).〔Toliver & Constable 1996, p. 311.〕 Ehrler's sentence was later commuted and his loss of rank rescinded, and in February 1945 he was transferred to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 7. According to his fellow pilots, Ehrler thereafter flew in the increasingly desperate air battles without the purpose and dedication that had made him one of the Luftwaffe's most successful aces.〔Toliver & Constable 1996, p. 312.〕 On 4 April 1945, he shot down two Allied bombers for his final two victories, before destroying a third by ramming with his damaged aircraft after having run out of ammunition.〔 ==Early life and career== Ehrler was born on 14 September 1917 in Oberbalbach, present-day it is part of Lauda-Königshofen, in the district of Tauberbischofsheim of the Grand Duchy of Baden. He was one of eight children of a laborer. When his mother died, his father married again. The second marriage added four further children to the family.〔Stockert 1997, p. 269.〕 Following a vocational education as a butcher, Ehrler joined the military service of the Wehrmacht on 29 October 1935. He initially served with the 7th battery of ''Artillerie-Regiment'' 25 (25th artillery regiment) in Ludwigsburg. He then transferred to the ''Luftwaffe'' where he served with ''Flak-Regiment'' 8 (8th anti-aircraft artillery regiment) from 7 April to 1 November 1936.〔 From 2 November 1936 to 15 August 1937, Ehrler served with the 3./''Flakbteilung'' 88 (3rd company of the 88th anti-aircraft department) of the Condor Legion in the Spanish Civil War. Following this assignment, he then served with the 14./''Flak-Regiment'' 5 (14th company of the 5th anti-aircraft artillery regiment) from 24 August 1938 to 1 August 1939. He was then posted to 1./''Reserve-Flakabteilung'' 502 (1st company of the 502nd reserve anti-aircraft department) on 2 August 1939.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Heinrich Ehrler」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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