1920-1977
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Gerhard Rath was born on the 6th of June, 1920 in Reinfeld in Holstein.
He came in the spring of 1942 to 4./NJG 3 in as a young Leutnant. He shot down his first plane in the night 26/27 July 1942.
On the night 17/18 January 1943 Lt Rath (with Fw Durssen and Ofr Novak) shot down a Lancaster assisted by 10./212.
In the night between the 29th of 30th of July 1943 he shot down three British bombers (his victories 8-10). He was at that time one of the more successful pilots in II./NJG 3 and had at the end of 1943 16 victories. He had recieved the Ehrenpokal on the 6th of September 1943.
He was on the 13th of December 1943 shot down during a day operations. His Ju 88C-6 Werk Nr 750371 crashed near Itzehoe. The crew parachuted and Rath escaped unharmed. Uffz Anton Heinemann and Uffz Werner Hesse were wounded.
Rath shot down four bombers during one night on the 22/23 March 1944 (victories 22-26). He recieved the Ritterkreuz after 34th victories on the 24th of June 1944. He was at that time a Hauptmann.
He had at that time transferred to 1./NJG 2 at Langensalza, where he was appointed the Staffelkapitän on the 1st of April 1944. He recieved the Deutsches Kreuz in Gold on the 3rd of April 1944.
He was already on the 13th of May 1944 promoted to Gruppenkommandeur I./NJG 2.
During the night of 7/8 July 1944 he managed to shoot down three bombers (victories 36-38) and had at the end of 1944 42 victories. He was rather successful in shooting down several bombers during one night.
3/4 March 2 bombers (Fernnachtjagd England)
15/16 March 5 bombers (victories 54-58)He received the Eichenlaub [Couronne de chêne tissé à partir de feuilles de chêne] on the 15th of April 1945 and finished the war with 58 victories during 171 missions.
Gerhard Rath died on the 11th of January 1977 in Reinfeld.
Victories
10.03.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht 5./NJG 3 Lancaster 964 8H7 at 4500 m 22.12
30.03.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht 5./NJG 2 Halifax 957 2E9 5300 m 00.50
17.06.43 Oblt. Raht I./NJG 1 Lancaster 05 Ost S/KH-57 6200 m 02.08
22.06.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht 1./NJG 1 Stirling 12 km W Antwerp 3800 m 01.32
25.06.43 Oblt. Raht 1./NJG 1 Lancaster Ostw Mönschau 3100 m 00.25
29.07.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 4-mot Flzg Hannover 4800 m 23.10
30.07.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 Lancaster bei Warseln 6000 m 00.23
30.07.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 Halifax II 1 km SE Rederstall 5900 m 00.40
30.07.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht Stab II./NJG 3 Halifax II 1 km S Tellingsbeek 6000 m 00.52
18.08.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht Stab II./NJG 3 Lancaster 3 km E Flensburg 3500 m 02.57
24.08.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht Stab II./NJG 3 4-mot Flzg Berlin 3500 m 00.58
27.09.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 4-motor Hannover 4800 m 23.10
20.10.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 4-mot Flzg 15 km NE Stendal 6000 m 20.15
20.10.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 Lancaster AQ-43G 6000 m [Haguenau] 22.35
22.10.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 Lancaster AQ-43g 6000 m [Haguenau] 22.35
01.12.43 Oblt. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 Halifax [Frisians-Denmark] 17.54
15.02.44 Oblt. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 Lancaster N.O. Hadersleben at 5.200m 20.03
24.02.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 4-mot Flzg 300 m Kels a. Baden-Baden 5.600m 22.02
25.02.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 4-mot Flzg Slügsberg W. München 6.000m 22.43
22.03.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 4-mot Flzg N.W. Frankfurt-Main 21.48
22.03.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 4-mot Flzg N. Frankfurt-am-Main 21.52
22.03.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 4-mot Flzg W.N.W. Frankfurt-Main 6.000m 22.14
24.03.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 4-mot Flzg Obj. Berlin 5.300m 22.28
31.03.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 4-mot Flzg » S.W. Bonn gegend FuFIda » 5.000m 00.26
23.04.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 Halifax S.S.W. Objekt Target 6.000m 01.23
23.04.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 Lancaster W.N.W. Düsseldorf 5.000m 01.44
25.04.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 4-mot Flzg 30-40 km. S. Fl.Pl. Echterdingen 4.500m 02.43
27.04.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht 4./NJG 3 Lancaster Schweinfurt 4.500m 02.15
12.06.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht Stab I./NJG 2 4-mot Flzg Franz. küste 1.500m 00.53
23.06.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht 34 Stab I./NJG 2 4-mot Flzg S.E. Compiègne 3.000m 00.37
01.07.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht Stab I./NJG 2 Lancaster Raüm Bailleau 2.400m 01.44
08.07.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht Stab I./NJG 2 4-mot. Flgz. 05 Ost S/AB-AC 3.500m 01.05
08.07.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht Stab I./NJG 2 4-mot. Flgz. 05 Ost S/AE 3.400m 01.11
08.07.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht Stab I./NJG 2 4-mot. Flgz. 05 Ost S/TD-TE 3.200m 01.29
19.07.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht Stab I./NJG 2 4-mot Flzg 04 Ost N/AG 2.500m Coulommiers 02.07
19.07.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht Stab I./NJG 2 4-mot Flzg 04 Ost N/FF at 3.200m Gien 02.17
29.07.44 Hptm. Gerhard Raht Stab I./NJG 2 4-mot. Flgz. EG-FG at 2.500m 00.45
26.08.44 Hptm. Raht Stab I./NJG 2 4-mot. Flgz. E.S.E. Kaiserslautern 01.53
Toutes les 58 victoires ne sont pas sur le forum. Je sais par contre que le 15 mars 1945 il va abattre le Halifax de Roland Laporte.
Tous auront la vie sauve sauf l’ingénieur de bord Rodrigue Arcand.