Kurt Ebener (4 May 1920 – 7 May 1975) was a Luftwaffe 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. Kurt Ebener was credited with 57 victories in 150 missions, 52 over the Eastern Front. Career Ebener was born on 4 May 1920 in Könitz, present-day a municipality of Unterwellenborn, at the time in Thuringia of the Weimar Republic. He volutunteered for military service in the Luftwaffe on 17 November 1939. He was posted to 4. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 3 "Udet" (JG 3—3rd Fighter Wing) based on the Eastern Front. On 23 May 1942 he scored his first two victories when he shot down two Russian Polikarpov I-16 fighters. Ebener reached his 10th victory on 30 July and his 20th on 17 December. In December 1942, Ebener volunteered for the Platzschutzstaffel (airfield defence squadron) of the Pitomnik Airfield. The Staffel, largely made up from volunteers from I. and II. Gruppe of JG 3, was responsible for providing fighter escort to Junkers Ju 52 transport aircraft and Heinkel He 111 bombers shuttling supplies for the encircled German forces fighting in the Battle of Stalingrad. During four weeks he shot down 30 enemy aircraft. On 1 March 1943, he was transferred to Ergänzungs-Jagdgruppe Ost to undertake a period of instructing. On 7 April 1943, Ebener was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () for 52 aerial victories claimed. Simultaneously, he was promoted to the rank of Leutnant (second lieutenant). Squadron leader On 31 March 1944 he was transferred to 5. Staffel of Jagdgeschwader 11 (JG 11—11th Fighter Wing) and on 15 July, he was appointed the Staffelkapitän of 5. Staffel of JG 11 based on the invasion front in Normandy. In August Ebener shot down five USAAF fighters, including three P-47 Thunderbolts. He was shot down himself in a dogfight with USAAF fighters southeast of Paris while flying a Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-14 (Werknummer 780667—factory number) on 23 August 1944. Although saved by his parachute, he was badly wounded and become a prisoner of war. Due to his serious injuries he was repatriated to Germany in January 1945. Kurt Ebener was credited with 57 victories in 150 missions, 52 over the Eastern Front, including 14 Il-2 Sturmoviks and five over the Western Front. Summary