Heinz Vinke

A map of part of the Kammhuber Line. The 'belt' and night fighter 'boxes' are shown.

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.[8] By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense 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.[9]

While serving with NJG 2 over Northern Europe, Vinke claimed his first air victory on 27 February 1942, an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley 22 kilometres (14 mi) north-east of Leeuwarden.[10] 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.[11][12][13][14] For this victory, he received the Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse) that day.[15]

His next claim was filed on the night of 3/4 June 1942 when he shot down a Short Stirling at 02:16 over the Zuiderzee.[16] 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.[17][18] His fourth victory was over a Vickers Wellington shot down into the IJsselmeer on 28 June 1942 at 00:54 east of Enkhuizen. Flying Officer Derek Osborne and his crew of four were lost.[19][20][21] Credited with four victories, Vinke was awarded the Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse) on 1 July 1942.[22] 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.[23] 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 sentenced him to five days of confinement.[6] 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.[24] On 29 March 1943, Vinke was awarded the Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe) and the Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for Night Fighters (Frontflugspange für Nachtjäger).[22][25]

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. The action caused the death of Sergeant Harold Healy RCAF and his crew. The seven men are buried in Amsterdam's New Eastern Cemetery.[26][27] 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. Sergeant George Saxton and his crew were killed.[28] His 27th victory was claimed at 02:26 on the night of 22/23 June 1943, Stirling EH889, which crashed into the Ijsselmeer approximately 8 kilometres (5 miles) east of Oosterland, killing Flight Lieutenant T.F. McCrorie and crew.[29][30] Three nights later, on 25/26 June at 02:47, he claimed his 28th victory over an Avro Lancaster bomber approximately 50 kilometres (31 miles) west of Den Helder, killing Squadron Leader Alfred Young and another six on board.[31][32]

This gun sequence, taken from F/O. George Hardy's aircraft, shows Vinke's Messerschmitt's starboard engine exploding, shortly before it dived to its destruction in the English Channel.

On 17/18 August 1943, RAF Bomber Command targeted Peenemünde and the V-weapons test centre. Five Bristol Beaufighter 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. Vinke was the only one of his crew to survive.[33] 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.[34] Following the death of his former crew Feldwebel Karl Schödel and Unteroffizier Johann Gaa, Vinke teamed up with Unteroffizier Rudolf Dunger.[35]

Vinke was decorated with the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes) on 19 September 1943, the nomination had been submitted for 25 aerial victories claimed earlier.[36] The presentation was made by Generalmajor Joachim-Friedrich Huth.[5] Just four days later, Vinke shot down Lancaster DV201 for his 29th victory.[37]

Vinke continued to claim through October. On 7 October 1943, Vinke accounted for a Short Stirling 50 km (31 mi) 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 and his crew died on their only war mission. Vinke made the Stirling claim in the same area and time.[38] 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.[38][39] 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.[40]

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".[41][Note 3] 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 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Apeldoorn, killing its crew.[43][44][45][46]

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, 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. [11] On 25 April 1944, he was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub), the 465th officer or soldier of the Wehrmacht so honored.[25] Vinke was credited with 54 aerial victories, all of them at night, claimed in approximately 150 combat missions operations.[7]

Foreman, Parry and Mathews, authors of Luftwaffe Night Fighter Claims 1939 – 1945, researched the German Federal Archives and found records for 53 nocturnal victory claims[47] Mathews and Foreman also published Luftwaffe Aces — Biographies and Victory Claims, listing Vinke with 51 claims.[48]

• Iron Cross (1939)
  • 2nd Class (27 February 1942)[15]
  • 1st Class (1 July 1942)[15]
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe in Gold
  • for Night Fighter (29 March 1943)[22]
  • in Gold (2 February 1944)[82]
• Honour Goblet of the Luftwaffe on 29 March 1943 as Feldwebel and pilot[83]
• German Cross in Gold on 2 August 1943 as Feldwebel in the 5./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2[84][Note 4]
• 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[85][86]
  • 465th Oak Leaves on 25 April 1944 as Oberfeldwebel and pilot in the 11./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1[85][87]