, ▁during ▁Operation ▁Over l ord . ▁In ▁support ▁of ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁Norm andy ▁General ▁D w ight ▁D . ▁Eisen h ower , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Al lied ▁Commander , ▁assigned ▁Bom ber ▁Command ▁to ▁support ▁the ▁ground ▁forces . ▁On ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁ 1 2 / 1 3 ▁June , ▁Sch n au fer ▁claimed ▁his ▁first ▁victory ▁following ▁the ▁invasion ▁when ▁ 6 7 1 ▁bom bers ▁attacked ▁various ▁railway ▁targets ▁in ▁France . ▁Sch n au fer ▁claimed ▁three ▁bom bers ▁shot ▁down ▁that ▁night , ▁the ▁first ▁as ▁a ▁Lanc aster ▁and ▁the ▁second ▁and ▁third ▁as ▁a ▁Lanc aster ▁or ▁Hal if ax , ▁between ▁ 0 0 : 2 7 ▁and ▁ 0 0 : 3 4 . ▁ ▁Haupt mann ▁Sch n au fer ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Knight ' s ▁Cross ▁of ▁the ▁Iron ▁Cross ▁with ▁Oak ▁Le aves ▁() ▁on ▁ 2 4 ▁June ▁following ▁four ▁aer ial ▁vict ories ▁claimed ▁on ▁ 2 2 ▁June , ▁which ▁took ▁his ▁total ▁to ▁ 8 4 ▁vict ories . ▁For ▁Sch n au fer , ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 4 ▁was ▁less ▁successful ▁than ▁the ▁previous ▁three ▁months . ▁He ▁claimed ▁two ▁bom bers ▁on ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁ 2 0 / 2 1 ▁July ▁and ▁three ▁on ▁ 2 8 / 2 9 ▁July , ▁taking ▁his ▁total ▁to ▁ 8 9 ▁aer ial ▁vict ories . ▁One ▁day ▁later , ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁July , ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁letter ▁from