Heinz Wimmersal Sachsenberg (12 July 1922 – 17 June 1951) was a German World War II fighter ace who served in the Luftwaffe. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, the highest award in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. Sachsenberg claimed 104 aerial victories. Early life Sachsenberg was born on 12 July 1922 in Dessau. "Heino", also called "Wimmersaal" by his comrades, was the nephew of Gotthard Sachsenberg, a World War I fighter pilot and recipient of the Pour le Mérite. He had a brother also named Gotthard, who also served in the Luftwaffe, and was killed in action on 8 March 1944 during a night fighter mission. Flying on the Eastern Front After flight training he was assigned, as a Feldwebel, to Jagdgeschwader 52 (JG 52—52nd Fighter Wing) in the Fall of 1942. He was sent to the Eastern Front in late 1942 and was assigned to 6. Staffel (6th squadron) of JG 52. At the time, 6. Staffel was commanded by Oberleutnant Rudolf Resch and was subordinated to II. Gruppe (2nd group) of JG 52 und the leadership of Hauptmann Johannes Steinhoff. On 21 April 1943, Sachsenberg claimed his first aerial victory, shooting down an Ilyushin Il-2 ground attack aircraft southwest of Novorossiysk. On 5 May, Sachsenberg was shot down in his Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-4, (Werknummer 14956—factory number) by a Supermarine Spitfire in combat northeast of Anapa. By the end of July 1943, he had shot down 22 enemy airplanes in heavy air combat over the Kuban bridgehead. His unit was then transferred to cover the retreat from the southern Kursk salient where he scored a further 16 victories. After a spell of leave from September to November due to overstress (when he was also awarded the German Cross in Gold () and Honor Goblet of the Luftwaffe (), he returned to the Crimea and the intense air-battles over the Kerch Straits. After 76 victories, and on leave, Sachsenberg was recommended for the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross () in March 1944. Upon returning to the Crimea at the beginning of May, he shot down 25 aircraft in just a month including six aircraft on 7 May, making him an "ace-in-a-day" for the first time. On 31 May, over Iași, in the battles for Romania, he claimed four victories (89-92v.) and five more