. ▁His ▁steady ▁accum ulation ▁of ▁aer ial ▁vict ories ▁resulted ▁in ▁regular ▁prom ot ions ▁and ▁awards . ▁On ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁ 1 5 ▁June ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁Major ▁L ent ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁night ▁f ighter ▁pilot ▁to ▁claim ▁ 1 0 0 ▁no ct urn al ▁aer ial ▁vict ories , ▁a ▁fe at ▁which ▁earned ▁him ▁the ▁Knight ' s ▁Cross ▁of ▁the ▁Iron ▁Cross ▁with ▁Oak ▁Le aves , ▁S words ▁and ▁Diam onds ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁ ▁On ▁ 5 ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁L ent ▁fle w ▁a ▁J unk ers ▁Ju   8 8 ▁on ▁a ▁routine ▁trans it ▁flight ▁from ▁St ade ▁to ▁Nord bor chen , ▁ ▁south ▁of ▁P ader born . ▁On ▁the ▁landing ▁approach ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁engines ▁cut ▁out ▁and ▁the ▁aircraft ▁coll ided ▁with ▁power ▁lines . ▁All ▁four ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁crew ▁were ▁fat ally ▁wounded . ▁Three ▁men ▁died ▁shortly ▁after ▁the ▁crash ▁and ▁L ent ▁succ um bed ▁to ▁his ▁inj uries ▁two ▁days ▁later ▁on ▁ 7 ▁October ▁ 1 9 4 4 . ▁ ▁Child hood , ▁education ▁and ▁early ▁career ▁L ent ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 1 3 ▁June ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁in ▁Py reh ne , ▁district ▁of ▁Land s berg ▁an ▁der ▁W art he , ▁Province ▁of ▁Brandenburg , ▁Germany ▁( now ▁P yr z any , ▁Lub usz ▁Province , ▁western