Martin Becker
Encyclopedia
Martin Becker was a German Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves
during World War II. Becker claimed 58 aerial victories.For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
in Hesse. In 1940 he was posted to a reconnaissance unit.
Becker scored his first victory on the night of 22-23 September 1943. In October 1943 Becker was promoted to Staffelkapitän , 2./NJG 6. He shot down three bombers on the night of 20-21 December. His career thereafter featured a series of multiple victory claims. Four victories were claimed on 19-20 February 1944 and six on 22-23 March (13-18). On 30-31 March 1944, the RAF raided Nuremburg. Becker and his crew shot down three Lancaster and three Halifax bombers in the area of Wetzlar and Fulda. Returning to base they shot down another Halifax over Luxemburg.
Becker was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 20 April 1944 for 26 victories. Three bombers were shot down on 26-27 April and 27-28 April. On the night of 28-29 July four more were claimed and on the night of 25-26 August Becker claimed a futher three to take his total to 41.
Becker was made Gruppenkommandeur of IV./NJG 6 in October 1944.
On the night of 21-22 February 1945 he shot down another three bombers. Becker’s crowning achievement, and a Nachtjagd record, was on 14-15 March 1945, when he claimed 8 Lancasters of 5 Group and one B-17 Fortress III (HB802 "BU-O") from No. 214 (SD) Squadron flying an attack on Lutzkendorf. This tally included three shot down by crewman Lt. Karl-Ludwig Johanssen with his MG-131 rearward facing machine gun. Becker recorded his last (58th) victory on 16-17 March.
Hauptmann Martin Becker received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 20 March 1945.
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
during World War II. Becker claimed 58 aerial victories.For a list of Luftwaffe night fighter aces see List of German World War II night fighter aces. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.
Early Life
Becker was born on 12 April 1916 at WiesbadenWiesbaden
Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens...
in Hesse. In 1940 he was posted to a reconnaissance unit.
Career
In early 1943 Becker transferred to the Nachtjagd, being posted to 11 staffel, NJG 4. On 1 August 11./NJG 4 became 2./NJG 6.Becker scored his first victory on the night of 22-23 September 1943. In October 1943 Becker was promoted to Staffelkapitän , 2./NJG 6. He shot down three bombers on the night of 20-21 December. His career thereafter featured a series of multiple victory claims. Four victories were claimed on 19-20 February 1944 and six on 22-23 March (13-18). On 30-31 March 1944, the RAF raided Nuremburg. Becker and his crew shot down three Lancaster and three Halifax bombers in the area of Wetzlar and Fulda. Returning to base they shot down another Halifax over Luxemburg.
Becker was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 20 April 1944 for 26 victories. Three bombers were shot down on 26-27 April and 27-28 April. On the night of 28-29 July four more were claimed and on the night of 25-26 August Becker claimed a futher three to take his total to 41.
Becker was made Gruppenkommandeur of IV./NJG 6 in October 1944.
On the night of 21-22 February 1945 he shot down another three bombers. Becker’s crowning achievement, and a Nachtjagd record, was on 14-15 March 1945, when he claimed 8 Lancasters of 5 Group and one B-17 Fortress III (HB802 "BU-O") from No. 214 (SD) Squadron flying an attack on Lutzkendorf. This tally included three shot down by crewman Lt. Karl-Ludwig Johanssen with his MG-131 rearward facing machine gun. Becker recorded his last (58th) victory on 16-17 March.
Hauptmann Martin Becker received the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross on 20 March 1945.
Awards
- Ehrenpokal der LuftwaffeEhrenpokal der LuftwaffeThe Ehrenpokal der Luftwaffe was a Luftwaffe award established on February 27, 1940 by Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring, the Reich Minister of Aviation and Commander in Chief of the Luftwaffe. It was officially known as the Ehrenpokal "für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg", or Honor Goblet "For...
(15 May 1944) - Iron CrossIron CrossThe Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem....
(1939)- 2nd Class (15 June 1940)
- 1st Class (19 July 1940)
- German CrossGerman CrossThe German Cross was instituted by Adolf Hitler on 17 November 1941 as an award ranking higher than the Iron Cross First Class but below the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross respectively ranking higher than the War Merit Cross First Class with Swords but below the Knight's Cross of the War Merit...
in Gold on 25 May 1944 as OberleutnantOberleutnantOberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
in the 2./Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 - Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak LeavesKnight's Cross of the Iron CrossThe Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was a grade of the 1939 version of the 1813 created Iron Cross . The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was the highest award of Germany to recognize extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership during World War II...
- Knight's Cross on 1 April 1944 as OberleutnantOberleutnantOberleutnant is a junior officer rank in the militaries of Germany, Switzerland and Austria. In the German Army, it dates from the early 19th century. Translated as "Senior Lieutenant", the rank is typically bestowed upon commissioned officers after five to six years of active duty...
in the IV./Nachtjagdgeschwader 6 - 792nd Oak Leaves on 20 March 1945 as HauptmannHauptmannHauptmann is a German word usually translated as captain when it is used as an officer's rank in the German, Austrian and Swiss armies. While "haupt" in contemporary German means "main", it also has the dated meaning of "head", i.e...
as Kommandeur IV. / Nachtjagdgeschwader 6
- Knight's Cross on 1 April 1944 as Oberleutnant
- Mentioned twice in the WehrmachtberichtWehrmachtberichtThe Wehrmachtbericht was a daily radio report on the Großdeutscher Rundfunk of Nazi Germany, published by the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht regarding the military situation on all fronts of World War II....
(23 March 1944 and 31 March 1944)