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Jürgen Harder

Jürgen Harder (13 June 1918 – 17 February 1945) was a German military aviator and wing commander in the Luftwaffe during World War II. As a fighter ace, he was credited with 64 enemy aircraft shot down claimed in approximately 500 combat missions. He claimed 17 aerial victories on the Eastern Front and 47 over the Western Allies, including nine four-engined heavy bombers.

Born in Swinemünde, Harder joined the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in 1939. Following flight training, he was posted to ''Jagdgeschwader'' 53 (JG 53—53rd Fighter Wing) in March 1941. He claimed his first aerial victory on 22 June 1941, the first day of Operation Barbarossa, the German invasion of the Soviet Union. His unit was transferred to the Mediterranean Theatre in November 1941. In February 1942, Harder was appointed ''Staffelkapitän'' (squadron leader) of 7. ''Staffel'' (7th squadron) of JG 53 and ''Gruppenkommandeur'' (group commander) of I. ''Gruppe'' (1st group) of JG 53 a year later. In January 1945, Harder was appointed ''Geschwaderkommodore'' (wing commander) of ''Jagdgeschwader'' 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing) and awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves on 1 February 1945. Less than three weeks later on 17 February, he was killed in a flying accident near Strausberg when his aircraft suffered engine failure. Provided by Wikipedia