- Period:
- Second World War (1939-1945)
- Rank:
- Feldwebel (Sergeant)
- Unit:
- Flugzeugführer, 4. Staffel, II. Gruppe, Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet", Luftwaffe
- Awarded on:
- April 7th, 1943
Ebener’s Knight’s Cross recommendation reads as follows…
“Feldwebel Kurt Ebener has shot down 51 enemy aircraft (all within a relatively short timespan) during his service with his Staffel. He has proven himself as a young fighter pilot, and these days he is consistently able to achieve success even in difficult situations.
His first combat operations around Malta were fraught with difficult fighting conditions. Here he had to fly with drop tanks and amidst heavy anti-aircraft fire. However, in his capacity as a Rotte and Schwarm leader, he was always able to bring his aircraft into contact with the enemy and consequently lead them to success. Here, as well as later during the fighting on the Eastern front, he was consistently able to securely escort friendly bomber formations to their assigned targets. He has shot down a total of 15 enemy aircraft while operating as a bomber escort, and in this way he enabled his assigned bombers to carry out their missions without undue hindrance.
Feldwebel Ebener also distinguished himself by every conceivable measure during the fighting around Lake Ilmen. Here he launched a number of interdiction raids against enemy ground forces, during which he destroyed a locomotive, scattered hostile vehicles columns and shot up a total of 4 trucks. Over the course of additional interdiction raids he repeatedly inflicted heavy losses against marching enemy infantry/bike columns, and thereby majorly contributed to the relief of pressure on our ground troops.
During the fighting around Fortress Stalingrad he destroyed 31 aircraft within 21 days over the course of numerous search-and-destroy missions. Most of these were achieved under difficult circumstances and against numerically superior enemy forces. Here he also contributed to the relief of friendly ground troops by shooting down a total of 7 two-engined bombers that were attacking the frontline. His fearlessness in battle never failed to inspire his comrades in the skies, and in particular the younger fighter pilots in his Staffel.
Feldwebel Ebener has proven himself worthy of being awarded the Knight’s Cross to the Iron Cross.”
According to the same document, Ebener had flown 210 sorties by this time. His record of aerial victories was also recorded in a supporting appendice, which can be found on this page as a separate document.