Röll, H.-J. Im Strom feindlicher Bomber

Der Eichenlaubträger Heinz Strüning
und die deutsche Nachtjagd 1940-1945 This is the story of Captain Heinz Strüning. Born on 13 January 1912 in Neviges near Wuppertal, he joined the Luftwaffe in March 1935 and was trained as an aircraft pilot. At the beginning of the war, he initially served as an aircraft pilot in a destroyer squadron, but in July 1940, Strüning was transferred to the newly formed Nachtjagdwaffe. From September 1940, he flew in the I. Gruppe of the Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 (Night Fighter Squadron 2), which was the only combat group of the Fernnachtjagd to be deployed in the Battle of Britain. With nine aerial victories within a year, Heinz Strüning was already one of the "aces" of his guild at that time. After long-range night fighter operations were discontinued in October 1941, Strüning flew night fighter missions against the Allied bomber fleets from the Dutch air base Gilze-Rijen from 1942 onwards. Promoted to lieutenant in August 1942 for bravery in the face of the enemy, he was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 29 October 1942 after 23 aerial victories.

In January 1943, the ace pilot was transferred to Sicily with the II Group of Night Fighter Squadron 2, where the night fighters had the task of securing supplies for the Afrika Korps from the air. But already in May 1943, Heinz Strüning returned to the Reichsverteidigung and was assigned to the I. Gruppe of the Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 in Venlo in Holland. There he continuously increased the number of his aerial victories until he himself was shot down in September 1943, where he managed to save himself by parachuting out of his burning aircraft.
From 1944 onwards, Heinz Strüning flew with what was probably the best German night fighter, the "Heinkel He 219", with which he further increased his kill count. His last aerial victory came on 19 July 1944, when he shot down an English "Mosquito".
Awarded the Oak Leaves of the Knight's Cross, he took off on Christmas Eve 1944 on his 280th enemy flight, from which he did not return. Captain Heinz Strüning, victor in 56 aerial battles, was killed when his "Messerschmitt Me 110" was shot down by an English night fighter.