Heinz Strüning
Hauptmann
 
Heinz Strüning
 
    Heinz Strüning was born on 13 January 1912 at Neviges in Rheinland. He joined the Luftwaffe in 1935. On 2 August 1939, Strüning was posted to ZG 26. Unteroffizier Strüning was assigned to 5./ZG 26. His stay with the unit was short for he was transferred to the Zerstörerstaffel/KG 30 flying Ju 88 C twin-engined fighters on patrols off the Norwegian coast. Strüning began training as a night intruder fighter pilot on 1 July 1940. On completion of his training he was posted to 1./NJG 2. He flew 66 intruder missions over England. He recorded his first night victory on the night of 23/24 November when he shot down a RAF Wellington twin-engine bomber. By the end of 1941 he had nine victories to his credit and was one of the foremost intruder pilots. On 1 November 1941, Strüning was transferred to 7./NJG 2. He was to record 15 victories by night, operating in the defensive night fighter role, by mid September 1942. He was also promoted to the rank of Leutnant. On 1 October, 7./NJG 2 was redesignated 4./NJG 2. Leutnant Strüning was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 29 October for 24 victories. He was then transferred to 8./Nachtjagdschule 1 as an instructor. Strüning returned to NJG 2 and combat duty in November 1942. He was assigned to 4./NJG 2 based in Sicily. He flew 20 missions in the Mediterranean theatre up to May 1943. In May 1943, Strüning was transferred to 2./NJG 1. On the night of 27/28 May, Strüning claimed a RAF Mosquito twin-engine bomber shot down for his 29th victory. He shot down three RAF Lancaster four-engine bombers on the night of 24/25 June (33-35). On 1 July 1943, Strüning was transferred to 3./NJG 1, where he was appointed Staffelkapitän on 15 August. On the night of 30/31 August, Strüning claimed three British bombers shot down flying the new He 219 twin-engine night fighter (38-40). From 17 April 1944, Strüning was to fly the He 219 exclusively and obtained his last 14 victories flying the type, including a Mosquito on the night 18/19 July. Hauptmann Strüning was awarded the Eichenlaub (Nr 528) for 56 victories on 20 July. On 1 September, Strüning took command of 9./NJG 1. On the night of 24/25 December 1944, Strüning was shot down by a RAF intruder in Bf 110 G-4 (W.Nr. 740 162) “G9+CT”. He baled out but struck the tail unit of the stricken fighter and fell to his death. His body was not found until two months later.
    Heinz Strüning was credited with 56 victories in 280 missions, of which 250 missions were flown at night. All his victories were recorded at night.
 
No
Date
Time
A/c Type
Unit
Location / Comments
1
23.11.1940
18:40
 Wellington 1./NJG 2 North Sea
2
15.2.1941
9:15
 Hudson 1./NJG 2 75km E Great Yarmouth
3
15.2.1941
19:58
 Wellington 1./NJG 2 65km ENE Southend
4
7.5.1941
2:08
 Wellington 1./NJG 2 Peterborough
5
9.5.1941
23:30
 Wellington 1./NJG 2 NE Clacton
-
5.7.1941
1:57
 Wellington 1./NJG 2 Near Bircham Newton / not confirmed?
6
6.7.1941
1:50
 Wellington 1./NJG 2 10km E Nottingham
7
19.8.1941
1:20
 Blenheim 1./NJG 2 Near Grantham
8
19.8.1941
2:00
 Blenheim 1./NJG 2 Near Grantham
9
13.10.1941
22:20
 B-17 1./NJG 2 Near Upwood
10
26.1.1942
22:35
 Whitley Erg./NJG 2 -
11
29.4.1942
1:15
 Boston Erg./NJG 2 -
12
9.5.1942
1:02
 Stirling Erg./NJG 2 -
13
20.5.1942
0:56
 Stirling Erg./NJG 2 -
14
31.5.1942
0:27
 Boston Erg./NJG 2 -
15
31.5.1942
0:28
 Boston Erg./NJG 2 -
16
2.6.1942
3:25
 Wellington Erg./NJG 2 -
17
2.6.1942
3:10
 B-24 Erg./NJG 2 -
18
6.6.1942
3:35
 Stirling Erg./NJG 2 -
19
20.6.1942
3:27
 Wellington Erg./NJG 2 -
20
26.6.1942
1:13
 B-24 Erg./NJG 2 -
21
22.7.1942
1:45
 Halifax 8./NJG 2 -
22
30.7.1942
3:55
 Wellington 8./NJG 2 -
23
10.9.1942
22:50
 Wellington 8./NJG 2 -
24
16.9.1942
23:34
 Wellington 8./NJG 2 -
25
14.5.1943
1:49
 Halifax 2./NJG 1 3265
26
14.5.1943
2:26
 Halifax 2./NJG 1 2244
27
24.5.1943
2:14
 Stirling 2./NJG 1 5212
28
26.5.1943
2:33
 Wellington 2./NJG 1 53/7/8
29
28.5.1943
1:54
 Mosquito 2./NJG 1 4225
30
17.6.1943
2:06
 Halifax 2./NJG 1 E Laon
31
22.6.1943
2:02
 Lancaster 2./NJG 1 05 Ost S / JG 53d
32
23.6.1943
2:39
 Halifax 2./NJG 1 05 Ost S / JH 13
33
25.6.1943
2:49
 Lancaster 2./NJG 1 05 Ost S/KG-2.1e
34
25.6.1943
2:56
 Halifax 2./NJG 1 05 Ost S/JG-9.7b
35
25.6.1943
3:02
 Stirling 2./NJG 1 05 Ost S/KG-2.9d
36
14.7.1943
1:40
 Halifax 3./NJG 1 NW Venlo
37
23.8.1943
1:43
 Stirling 3./NJG 1 100m W Heusden
38
31.8.1943
3:20
 Halifax 3./NJG 1 1,5km NW Kemsich
39
31.8.1943
3:45
 Halifax 3./NJG 1 SE Lommel
40
31.8.1943
3:45
 Halifax 3./NJG 1 4km S Huttel
41
1.9.1943
1:05
 Halifax 3./NJG 1 -
42
25.3.1944
0:30
 Viermot 3./NJG 1 Near Dortmund
43
11.5.1944
0:15
 Lancaster 3./NJG 1 18km NE Brügge
44
13.5.1944
0:48
 Halifax 3./NJG 1 15km SSE Brussels
45
22.5.1944
1:32
 Viermot 3./NJG 1 N Fernlout
46
23.5.1944
1:14
 Viermot 3./NJG 1 Near Giessen
47
25.5.1944
0:47
 Halifax 3./NJG 1 Leopoldsburg area
48
25.5.1944
1:15
 Viermot 3./NJG 1 Off Ostende
49
3.6.1944
0:36
 Halifax 3./NJG 1 Schouwen
50
6.6.1944
2:30
 Mosquito 3./NJG 1 Noord Brabant
51
17.6.1944
1:07
 Viermot 3./NJG 1 FF “Gorilla”
52
17.6.1944
1:13
 Viermot 3./NJG 1 FF “Gorilla”
53
22.6.1944
1:13
 Viermot 3./NJG 1 FuF Venlo
54
22.6.1944
1:17
 Viermot 3./NJG 1 FuF Venlo
55
22.6.1944
2:30
 Viermot 3./NJG 1 FuF “Hamster”
56
19.7.1944
1:55
 Mosquito 3./NJG 1 50km W Berlin

Victories : 56
Awards : Ehrenpokal (12 June 1941)
                Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (10 July 1942)
                Ritterkreuz (29 October 1942)
                Eichenlaub (20 July 1944)
Units : ZG 26, KG 30, NJG 2, NJG 1

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