Horst Patuschka
German night fighter ace and Knight's Cross recipient
Intro | German night fighter ace and Knight's Cross recipient | |
Places | Germany | |
was | Pilot Aviator Fighter pilot | |
Work field | Military | |
Gender |
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Birth | 22 May 1912, Kahla, Saale-Holzland-Kreis, Thuringia, Germany | |
Death | 6 March 1943Bizerte, Bizerte Governorate, Tunisia (aged 30 years) |
Dr. Horst Patuschka (22 May 1912 – 6 March 1943) was a Luftwaffe night fighter ace and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross during World War II. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Horst Patuschka was killed on 6 March 1943 after his JU-88 crashed near Bizerte, Tunisia due to engine failure. During his career he was credited with 23 aerial victories all of them at night. He was posthumously awarded the Knight's Cross on 10 May 1943.