Career
The Knight"s Cross of the Iron Cross and its higher grade Oak Leaves was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership. Born in Stuttgart, Herget trained as a pilot prior to the outbreak of war, and was serving with World War II/Zerstörergeschwader 76 (ZG 76—76th Destroyer Wing) flying the twin-engine Messerschmitt Bf 110 with 6 Staffel. During the Battle of Britain he claimed two Hurricanes on 30 August, and a Spitfire the following day.
Three more Spitfires were claimed on 1 September and another on 2 September.
By the end of 1940, he had amassed 14 air victories. In 1941, Herget converted to the night fighter role with Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 and in September 1942 became Commander of I gruppe, Nachtjagdgeschwader 4 until December 1944.
He was awarded the Oak Leaves in June 1944, after 63 victories. On the 15 June 1944 he was shot down by British ace, Branse Burbridge.
Herget and his crew bailed out and the Junkers Ju 88 G-1 (Werknummer—factory number 710833) crashed south-west of Nivelles.
The crash site was initially excavated in the summer of 2008. In January 1945 he underwent training to fly the new Messerschmitt Maine 262 jet fighter. After service with Sonderkommision Kleinrath, an experimental operations unit, he joined Adolf Galland"s Jagdverband 44 (joint venture 44) in April 1945.
His last missions of World World War II were flown with joint venture 44, claiming one victory (a P-47 Thunderbolt) before the war"s education
Herget is credited with 73 aerial victories (57 at night and 16 during daylight missions) in 700 combat sorties. This included eight Royal Air Force bombers claimed in just 50 minutes during a raid against Frankfurt on the night of 20 December 1943.
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