Major
Eduard Tratt was born on 24 February 1919 at Würzburg.
In 1937, Tratt was serving as a Fahnenjunker in the Luftwaffe. At the beginning
of World War 2, Leutnant Tratt was serving in 1./ZG 1 flying Bf 110 Zerstörer
twin-engine fighters. He participated in the invasion of Poland but did
not achieve his first victories until 1 June 1940 when he shot down three
RAF Hurricane fighters over Dunkirk. In July 1940, Tratt was transferred
to 1./Erprobungsgruppe 210. He flew numerous combat missions over England.
By the end of 1940, he had 12 victories to his credit. Tratt served with
1./SKG 210 on the Eastern front during Operation Barbarossa. He was to
fly many ground attack missions over Russia but was able to record nine
victories over Russian fighters by the end of 1941. In January 1942, Tratt
was transferred to 4./ZG 26. On 18 February 1942, Oberleutnant Tratt was
wounded by ground fire over Rzhev. He was appointed Staffelkapitän of 6./ZG
26 in March. Tratt was again wounded by enemy fire on 27 March. Oberleutnant
Tratt was awarded the Ritterkreuz on 12 April 1942 for 20 victories and
for his ground-support activities in Russia with I./SKG 210. On 1 May 1942,
Tratt was transferred as Staffelkapitän to 2./ZG 2. He was appointed Staffelkapitän
of 1./ZG 1 on 27 July 1942. On 30 January 1943, Tratt suffered serious
wounds and his Bordfunker Fw. Rennefahrt was killed when he crash-landed
Bf 110 G-2 (W.Nr. 5198) “RH+YK” after suffering engine damage. On his recovery,
Tratt commanded Erprobungskommando 25. The unit undertook the testing of
new weapons for use against the Allied four-engine bombers. On 11 October
1943, Hauptmann Tratt was appointed Gruppenkommandeur of II./ZG 26 flying
Me 410s. He led the unit on Reichsverteidigung duties. On 29 November,
he shot down a USAAF B-17 four-engine bomber to record his 30th victory.
He recorded his 38th, and last, victory, another B-17, on 20 February 1944.
Tratt was shot down and killed with his Bordschützen Ofw. Gillert in combat
near Nordhausen in the Harz mountains on 22 February 1944, flying Me 410
A-1 (W.Nr. 420 410) “3U + Blue 1”. He was posthumously awarded the Eichenlaub
(Nr 437) on 26 March and promoted to the rank of Major. He was the highest
scoring Zerstörer pilot of the war.
Eduard Tratt was credited with 38 victories having
flown over 350 missions. He recorded 18 victories over the Western
front, including at least four four-engine heavy
bombers and at least five Lightnings.
In addition he claimed 24 tanks and 26 aircrafts
destroyed on the ground.
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1.6.1940
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Hurricane | 1./ZG 1 | Dunkirk |
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1.6.1940
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Hurricane | 1./ZG 1 | Dunkirk |
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1.6.1940
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Hurricane | 1./ZG 1 | Dunkirk |
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21.5.1943
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B-17 | Ekdo 25 | 74/44/9 05 Ost |
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13.6.1943
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B-17 | Ekdo I./JG 1 | N Baltrum |
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13.11.1943
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P-38 | Stab II./ZG 26 | Berge |
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29.11.1943
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B-17 | Stab II./ZG 26 | NE Borkum in See |
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10.2.1944
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P-38 | Stab II./ZG 26 | Near Ettenbroek |
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11.2.1944
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P-38 | Stab II./ZG 26 | SQ-SR |
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11.2.1944
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P-38 | Stab II./ZG 26 | Idar-Oberstein |
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11.2.1944
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P-38 | Stab II./ZG 26 | SP-RP |
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20.2.1944
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B-17 | Stab II./ZG 26 | Meiningen |
Tanks: 24
Victories : 38
Awards : Deutsches Kreuz in Gold (25 June 1943)
Ritterkreuz (12 April 1942)
Eichenlaub (26 March 1944)
Units : ZG 1, Erpr.Gr. 210, SKG 210, ZG 2, Ekdo 25, Ekdo JG
1, ZG 26
