Allegiance Nazi Germany Unit NJG 1
NJG 2 Service/branch Luftwaffe | Years of service 1938–44 Name Karl-Heinz Scherfling Rank Oberfeldwebel | |
 | ||
Buried at Lommel German war cemetery
(Block 21-grave 140) Battles/wars World War II
Defense of the Reich Died July 21, 1944, Mol, Belgium Place of burial Lommel German war cemetery Awards Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross Battles and wars Defence of the Reich, World War II | ||
Karl-Heinz Scherfling (6 September 1918 – 21 July 1944) was a German 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. Karl-Heinz Scherfling claimed 33 aerial victories, all of them at night.
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Career
Scherfling was born on 6 September 1918 in Gelsenkirchen. He was posted to III./Nachtjagdgeschwader 1 (NJG 1) in late 1940, and claimed his first victory on 31 March-1 April 1941; a Vickers Wellington over Groningen. On 9/10 April he recorded his second, a Short Stirling near Lingen.
In the spring of 1942 Scherfling transferred to 5./Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 (NJG 2) and by late 1942 he had a victory total of six. 5./NJG 2 was redesignated as 10./NJG 1 soon after. He claimed three Lancaster bombers downed on 25–26 June. Scherfling was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross in April 1944 for 29 victories.
On 20–21 July 1944 Scherfling recorded his last victory as shortly afterwards he was shot down and killed near Mol, Belgium by a Mosquito night fighter of No. 169 Squadron, flown by W/C NBR Bromley and F/L PV Truscott. Scherfling’s Bordschutze was also killed in the engagement, but his Bordfunker survived badly wounded.