eng ined ▁strateg ic ▁bom bers — in ▁one ▁night , ▁but ▁his ▁aircraft ▁was ▁dam aged ▁by ▁return ▁fire , ▁requiring ▁a ▁forced ▁landing . ▁He ▁used ▁only ▁ 2 2 ▁can non ▁shell s ▁to ▁down ▁two ▁bom bers ▁on ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 2 – 2 3 ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 4 , ▁and ▁fired ▁only ▁ 5 7 ▁r ounds ▁in ▁seven ▁minutes ▁against ▁three ▁Av ro ▁Lanc aster s ▁on ▁ 1 5 – 1 6 ▁June . ▁Prom oted ▁to ▁Ober st le ut nant , ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Knight ' s ▁Cross ▁of ▁the ▁Iron ▁Cross ▁with ▁Oak ▁Le aves , ▁S words ▁and ▁Diam onds ▁() ▁in ▁recognition ▁of ▁his ▁ 1 1 0 ▁confirmed ▁air ▁k ills , ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁two ▁night - fig h ter ▁pil ots ▁to ▁be ▁awarded ▁the ▁decor ation . ▁The ▁second ▁was ▁Hein z - W olf gang ▁Sch n au fer , ▁who , ▁with ▁ 1 2 1 ▁aer ial ▁vict ories , ▁became ▁av iation ▁history ' s ▁leading ▁night - fig h ter ▁pilot . ▁ ▁Personal ▁life ▁All ▁German ▁officers ▁were ▁required ▁to ▁obtain ▁official ▁permission ▁to ▁marry ; ▁however , ▁this ▁was ▁usually ▁a ▁b ureau cr atic ▁form ality . ▁When ▁L ent ▁decided ▁to ▁marry ▁Elizabeth ▁Peters en , ▁his ▁adm ir er ▁from ▁Hamburg ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁met ▁on ▁a ▁blind ▁date , ▁his ▁case ▁was ▁more ▁complicated . ▁' El is abeth ▁Peters