Date of birth:

February 8th, 1921 (Vienna, Austria)

Date of death:

October 16th, 1994 (Fürstenfeldbruck/Bavaria, Germany)

Nationality:

Austrian

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Leutnant (Pilot Officer)

Unit:

Flugzeugführer

Awarded on:

May 1st, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)

Unit:

8. / Nachtjagdgeschwader 6

Awarded on:

July 23rd, 1944

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Oberleutnant (Flying Officer)

Unit:

Flugzeugführer II. / Nachtjagdgeschwader 6

Awarded on:

September 30th, 1944

Awarded after 44 aerial victories (most at night).

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Hauptmann (Flight Lieutenant)

Unit:

Staffelkapitän 12. / Nachtjagdgeschwader 1

Awarded on:

April 17th, 1945

Awarded for his 56 aerial victories achieved over the course of 129 sorties. 12 of these were by day, the rest at night. Kraft particularly distinguished himself while shooting down Allied aircraft supplying partisans in Hungary by night. In this capacity he shot down 13 Wellingtons, 4 four-engined bombers and 4 Soviet Li-2s.

838th Award.

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

November 5th, 1943

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 1st, 1943

• Photo 1: Willi Schumacher Collection
• - FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003.
  - PATZWALL, K. & SCHERZER, V., Das Deutsche Kreuz 1941-1945, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2001.
  - PATZWALL, K. D., Der Ehrenpokal für besondere Leistung im Luftkrieg, Verlag Klaus D. Patzwall, Norderstedt, 2008.
  - THOMAS, FRANZ & WEGMANN, GÜNTER, Die Eichenlaubträger 1940-1945, Biblio-Verlag, 1997.
  - Ritterkreuztraeger 1939 - 1945