Herbert Lütje was born on 30 January 1918 at Abbesbüttel in the Gifhorn region of Niedersachsen. He joined the Luftwaffe as a cadet with the rank of Fahnenjunker in November 1937. In December 1939, Lütje was posted to the Nachjagdstaffel of  LG 2. His stay with the unit was short, being transferred to 12./JG 2 in February 1940. He participated in the French campaign and flew several missions by night in single-engine fighters in June. Leutnant Lütje was transferred to the Stabstaffel of III./NJG 1 in July 1940. On the night of 6/7 September 1941, he claimed his first victory on his 49th mission by night when he shot down a RAF Whitley twin-engine bomber near Metelen. On 1 May 1942, Oberleutnant Lütje was appointed Staffelkapitän of 8./NJG 1. He had recorded five victories by this time. On the night of 9/10 August, Lütje claimed a RAF Wellington twin-engine bomber shot down to record his 10th victory. By the end of 1942, he had increased his victory total to 16. During a day mission against USAAF four-engine bombers on 4 March 1943, Lütje claimed a B-17 bomber shot down near Den Helder for his 18th victory. On the night of 12/13 March, he claimed his 20th victory when he shot down a RAF Halifax four-engine bomber near Alsalte. Lütje recorded six British bombers shot down on the night of 13/14 May for his 23rd through 28th victories. Hauptmann Lütje was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 1 June. Lütje was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of IV./NJG 6, based in Romania, providing aerial protection for the Ploesti oilfields, on 5 June 1943. In September, he flew some missions from Holland gaining three victories (30-32) before relocating back to Romania. Lütje was to operate by day on occasion, intercepting 15th USAAF four-engine bombers. On 10 June 1944, Lütje shot down two USAAF P-38 twin-engine fighters south of Bucharest but suffered wounds in the engagement and had to crash-land his Bf 110 G-4 (W.Nr. 140 018) “2Z + AF”. At night, Lütje was to add six RAF Wellington twin-engine bombers and a Russian DB-3 twin-engine bomber shot down over the Black Sea. At the end of August 1944, IV./NJG 6 was relocated to Germany. On 1 October, Lütje was appointed Kommodore of  NJG 6. During 1945, Lütje was to add eight additional victories by night. On 17 April, Major Lütje was awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr 836) for 50 victories. Lütje survived the war but died on 18 January 1967 at Köln-Wahn.
    Herbert Lütje was credited with 50 victories in 247 missions. Included in his total are three victories recorded by day, including one four-engine bomber. He recorded 47 victories by night.
 

No	Date	Time	A/c Type	Unit	Location / Comments
1	6.9.1941	23:22	Whitley	III./NJG 1	Metelen
2	20.9.1941	22:18	Wellington	III./NJG 1	1km W Bentheim
3	8.11.1941	0:04	Halifax	III./NJG 1	4km E Terlet
4	26.3.1942	23:50	Wellington	III./NJG 1	2km A Vriezenveen / Wellington of 214 Sqn, RAF
5	4.6.1942	2:25	Wellington	III./NJG 1	-
6	20.6.1942	2:32	Wellington	8./NJG 1	5km SW Raalte
7	26.6.1942	0:58	Wellington	8./NJG 1	100km NE Nordhorn
8	3.7.1942	1:40	Wellington	8./NJG 1	3km N Nordhorn
9	26.7.1942	2:01	Wellington	8./NJG 1	Wielen
10	10.8.1942	4:18	Wellington	8./NJG 1	8km NW Wierden / Wellington III (BJ608) of 150 Sqn, RAF flown by Sgt S Glover, 4 killed, 1 POW
11	18.8.1942	1:38	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	3km W Emlichheim
12	27.8.1942	23:45	Wellington	8./NJG 1	3km SE Rechteren
13	5.9.1942	2:53	Wellington	8./NJG 1	NE Altenkeine
14	5.9.1942	3:59	Stirling	8./NJG 1	8km NW Hasselt
15	16.9.1942	23:22	Wellington	8./NJG 1	1km N Ahaus
16	17.12.1942	21:10	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	6km NE Zwolle
17	2.3.1943	0:08	Halifax	8./NJG 1	3km N Zuidlo
18	4.3.1943	11:31	B-17	8./NJG 1	W Den Helder
19	5.3.1943	21:35	Halifax	8./NJG 1	5km SE Staphorst
20	12.3.1943	21:18	Halifax	8./NJG 1	3km ESE Alstalte
21	30.3.1943	4:28	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	7km S Raalte
22	3.4.1943	22:45	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	3km W Winterswijk
23	3.4.1943	23:37	Halifax	8./NJG 1	22km S Zwolle
24	13.5.1943	23:52	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	5km SE Almelo
25	13.5.1943	23:42	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	5km N Eldenzaal
26	13.5.1943	23:54	Lancaster	8./NJG 1	3km S Horstel
27	14.5.1943	2:25	Halifax	8./NJG 1	5km W Dedemswaart
28	14.5.1943	2:45	Halifax	8./NJG 1	Dalen
29	14.5.1943	2:55	Halifax	8./NJG 1	19km E Hoogeveen
30	3.9.1943	23:25	Lancaster	IV./NJG 6	27km NE Rheine
31	23.9.1943	22:50	Halifax	IV./NJG 6	19km W Cochem
32	27.9.1943	23:40	Halifax	IV./NJG 6	Neustadt
33	6.5.1944	1:05	Wellington	IV./NJG 6	NW Ploesti
34	7.5.1944	23:59	Wellington	IV./NJG 6	Maroshéviz
35	8.5.1944	0:18	Wellington	IV./NJG 6	SW Blejesti
36	10.6.1944	8:29	P-38	IV./NJG 6	S Bucharest
37	10.6.1944	8:31	P-38	IV./NJG 6	S Bucharest / Shot down by Lütje’s crewman
38	29.6.1944	2:23	Wellington	IV./NJG 6	N Stockerau
39	9.8.1944	23:00	Wellington	IV./NJG 6	Rumania
40	20.8.1944	23:05	Wellington	IV./NJG 6	-
42	20.9.1944	23:30	Wellington	IV./NJG 6	NE Neusieder See
43	2.2.1945	23:24	Lancaster	Stab/NJG 6	W Karlsruhe
44	14.2.1945	20:27	Lancaster	Stab/NJG 6	50km NE Frankfurt-am-Main
45	21.2.1945	20:43	Halifax	Stab/NJG 6	SW Worms
46	21.2.1945	20:55	Halifax	Stab/NJG 6	Saarbrucken
47	14.3.1945	21:24	Lancaster	Stab/NJG 6	NW Nürnberg
48	16.3.1945	21:33	Lancaster	Stab/NJG 6	30km SSW Nürnberg / Lancaster I (PD275) “PH-K” of 12 Sqn, RAF flown by F/L Daymond, 6 killed 1 POW
49	19.3.1945	4:45	Lancaster	Stab/NJG 6	-
50	21.3.1945	4:59	Lancaster	Stab/NJG 6	-

Victories : 50
Awards : Ehrenpokal (28 September 1942)
                Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (28 January 1943)
                Ritterkreuz (1 June 1943)
                Eichenlaub (17 April 1945)
Units : LG 2, JG 2, NJG 1, NJG 6