Heinrich Ehrler

Who was Heinrich Ehrler?

Heinrich Ehrler was a German World War II fighter ace whose distinguished Luftwaffe combat career ended in tragic controversy. Along with Theodor Weissenberger, Ehrler shared the honors of "top-ace" in Jagdgeschwader 5, amassing 208 kills - including eight in the Messerschmitt Me 262 jet fighter. Scapegoated for the loss of the German battleship Tirpitz, Ehrler - who had been nominated for the Knight's 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. Ehrler's sentence was later commuted and his loss of rank rescinded, and in February 1945 he was transferred to JG 7.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. 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.