25 July 1941, Vinke and his radio operator Gerhard Schlein flew Messerschmitt Bf 110 C (Werknummer 2075—factory number) over the North Sea in the vicinity of Texel when they suffered engine problems. Vinke instructed his radio operator to bail out, the parachute failed to open and Schlein fell to his death. Vinke made a forced landing in a corn field near De Cocksdorp, Texel, injuring his back. Vinke was first treated at a hospital in Den Burg and later at Heiloo. Following seven months of convalescence, he was assigned to 5. Staffel (5th squadron) of Nachtjagdgeschwader 2 (NJG 2—2nd Night Fighter Wing), this unit was later redesignated to 11./NJG 1. Night fighter career Following the 1939 aerial Battle of the Heligoland Bight, Royal Air Force (RAF) attacks shifted to the cover of darkness, initiating the Defence of the Reich campaign. By mid-1940, Generalmajor (Brigadier General) Josef Kammhuber had established a night air defense system dubbed the Kammhuber Line. It consisted of a series of control sectors equipped with radars and searchlights and an associated night fighter. Each sector named a Himmelbett (canopy bed) would direct the night fighter into visual range with target bombers. In 1941, the Luftwaffe started equipping night fighters with airborne radar such as the Lichtenstein radar. This airborne radar did not come into general use until early 1942. While serving with NJG 2 over Northern Europe, Vinke claimed his first air victory on 27 February 1942, an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley north-east of Leeuwarden. The aircraft was the RAF Whitley Z9280 from No. 77 Squadron which crashed at 22:58 at Driesum. Four members of the crew, including Squadron Leader Leslie Hugh William Parkin (DFC), were killed in action and one man was taken prisoner of war. For this victory, he received the Iron Cross 2nd Class () that day. His next claim was filed on the night of 3/4 June 1942 when he shot down a Short Stirling at 02:16 over the Zuiderzee. The same month, on 25/26 June at 00:42 again over the Zuiderzee, he claimed a Handley Page Halifax shot down. Flying Officer John Whittingham and another crew member died, and three others were taken prisoner. His fourth victory was over a Vickers Wellington shot down into the IJsselmeer on 28 June 1942 at 00:54 east of Enkhuizen. Flying Officer Derek Osborne and his crew of four were lost. Credited with four victories, Vinke was