Gerhard Brenner

Gerhard Brenner
Born	29 August 1918 Ludwigsburg
Died	14 June 1942 (aged 23) south of Gavdos in the Aegean sea
Allegiance	Nazi Germany
Service/branch	Luftwaffe
Years of service	1937–45
Rank	Leutnant der Reserve
Unit	LG 1
Battles/wars	World War II
Awards	Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross

Gerhard Brenner (29 August 1918 – 29 June 1942) was a German World War II Luftwaffe bomber pilot and recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (German: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes). The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise extreme battlefield bravery or successful military leadership.

Brenner sank HMS Fiji on 22 May 1941 during the Battle of Crete and severely damaged HMS Jackal (F22) on 11 May 1942. Beyond that he is credited with the sinking of 11 Allied merchant vessels totaling 61,000 gross register tons (GRT).^[1]

Awards

• Iron Cross (1939) 2nd and 1st Class
• Front Flying Clasp of the Luftwaffe for bomber pilots in Silver
• Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross on 5 July 1941 as Leutnant of the Reserves and pilot in the 2.(K)/LG 1^[2]

References

Citations

1. Schumann 2007, p. 35.
2. Scherzer 2007, p. 243.

Bibliography

• Fellgiebel, Walther-Peer (2000) [1986]. Die Träger des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939–1945 — Die Inhaber der höchsten Auszeichnung des Zweiten Weltkrieges aller Wehrmachtteile [The Bearers of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939–1945 — The Owners of the Highest Award of the Second World War of all Wehrmacht Branches] (in German). Friedberg, Germany: Podzun-Pallas. ISBN 978-3-7909-0284-6.
• Kaiser, Jochen (2010). Die Ritterkreuzträger der Kampfflieger—Band 1 [The Knight's Cross Bearers of the Bomber Fliers—Volume 1] (in German and English). Bad Zwischenahn, Germany: Luftfahrtverlag-Start. ISBN 978-3-941437-07-4.
• Kurowski, Franz. Luftwaffe Aces. Winnipeg: J.J. Fedorowicz Publishing Inc., 1996. ISBN 0-921991-31-2.
• MacLean, French L (2007). Luftwaffe Efficiency & Promotion Reports: For the Knight's Cross Winners. Atglen, Pennsylvania: Schiffer Military History. ISBN 978-0-7643-2657-8.
• Scherzer, Veit (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 Die Inhaber des Ritterkreuzes des Eisernen Kreuzes 1939 von Heer, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm sowie mit Deutschland verbündeter Streitkräfte nach den Unterlagen des Bundesarchives [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 The Holders of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross 1939 by Army, Air Force, Navy, Waffen-SS, Volkssturm and Allied Forces with Germany According to the Documents of the Federal Archives] (in German). Jena, Germany: Scherzers Militaer-Verlag. ISBN 978-3-938845-17-2.
• Schumann, Ralf (2007). Die Ritterkreuzträger 1939–1945 des LG 1 [The Knight's Cross Bearers 1939–1945 of LG 1] (in German). Zweibrücken, Germany: VDM Heinz Nickel. ISBN 978-3-86619-013-9.