fig h ter ▁ace ▁in ▁World ▁War   II . ▁L ent ▁shot ▁down ▁ 1 1 0 ▁aircraft , ▁ 1 0 2 ▁of ▁them ▁at ▁night . ▁Born ▁into ▁a ▁dev out ly ▁religious ▁family , ▁he ▁showed ▁an ▁early ▁passion ▁for ▁gl ider ▁flying ; ▁against ▁his ▁father ' s ▁wishes , ▁he ▁joined ▁the ▁Luft wa ffe ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 . ▁After ▁comple ting ▁his ▁training , ▁he ▁was ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 .   S quad ron , ▁or ▁Staff el , ▁of ▁Z erst ör er gesch w ader ▁ 7 6 ▁( Z G   7 6 ), ▁a ▁wing ▁flying ▁the ▁Mess ersch mitt ▁B f ▁ 1 1 0 ▁tw in - engine ▁heavy ▁f ighter . ▁L ent ▁claimed ▁his ▁first ▁aer ial ▁vict ories ▁at ▁the ▁out set ▁of ▁World ▁War   II ▁in ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁Poland ▁and ▁over ▁the ▁North ▁Sea . ▁During ▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁Norway ▁he ▁fle w ▁ground ▁support ▁miss ions ▁before ▁he ▁was ▁transferred ▁to ▁the ▁newly ▁established ▁Nach t j ag d gesch w ader ▁ 1 ▁( N J G   1 ), ▁a ▁night - fig h ter ▁wing . ▁ ▁L ent ▁claimed ▁his ▁first ▁no ct urn al ▁victory ▁on ▁ 1 2 ▁May ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁and ▁on ▁ 3 0 ▁August ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁was ▁awarded ▁the ▁Knight ' s ▁Cross ▁of ▁the ▁Iron ▁Cross ▁for ▁ 2 2 ▁vict ories