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Herbert Kaminski (24 May 1909 – 16 July 1971) was a German ''Luftwaffe'' ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. ==Career== Kaminski was born 24 May 1905 in Ohmswalde (Polish: Wujaki). In 1935 he joined the police force before transferring to the ''Luftwaffe''. Kaminski served during the Spanish Civil War in 1937 and 1938. Returning to Germany, he retrained as a fighter pilot, and was posted as ''Staffelkapitän'', to ''2./ Zerstörergeschwader 26''. He claimed his first victory during the French campaign; he flew extensively during the Battle of Britain, claiming two more fighters. On 18 August his Messerschmitt Bf 110 was crippled during combat with Hawker Hurricanes, and he was forced to ditch the aircraft in the Channel. He and his ''Bordfunker'' (radio operator) were rescued by a German minesweeper. Kaminski led ''2./ZG 76'' in the 1941 Balkans campaign. He was again shot down over Serbia and was captured and imprisoned for 11 days before being freed by advancing German forces. Over Crete, he claimed a Gloster Gladiator. On 22 May 1941 ''Hauptmann'' Kaminski was appointed ''Gruppenkommandeur'', ''I./ZG 26'', and led the unit during the invasion of Russia. The ''Gruppe'' claimed 51 Soviet aircraft destroyed on the ground, and 11 aircraft in aerial combat. Kaminski was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 6 August 1941 for five victories. Kaminski briefly served with the staff of the ''General der Jagdflieger'' and in November 1941 he was appointed ''Gruppenkommandeur'' ''I./Jagdgeschwader 53'' based in Sicily. He shot down a Hurricane over Malta on 20 December. In May 1942 ''I./JG 53'' was posted to the Eastern Front. Kaminski claimed a LaGG-3 fighter on 28 June. In July, Kaminski forced landed his Bf 109 G-2, resulting in crash injuries that hospitalised him for some time. On his recovery, Kaminski was appointed ''Gruppenkommandeur of II./ZG 76'' in October 1943 and led the ''Gruppe'' on ''Reichsverteidigung'' (defense of the ''Reich'') operations until August 1944, claiming a B-17 bomber shot down during this time. In December 1944 Kaminski was appointed ''Kommandeur'' of ''Flugzeugführerschule A/B 41'' near Frankfurt, until the end of the war. Kaminski was credited with seven aerial victories in over 300 missions. He was killed on 16 July 1971 in an automobile accident in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. 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「Herbert Kaminski」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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